The Reading / Listening - Being Child-free - Level 1

Views on children are changing in the USA. Research shows that 25 per cent of adults do not want children. A quarter of American adults are happy being "child-free". Two psychologists did research on why child-free people might be different from "non-parents". They said non-parents are "not-yet-parents" (those planning to have kids) and people who cannot have children because of medical problems.

Researchers looked at data from 1,000 adults. They were surprised by how many child-free people there were. They said child-free people were more liberal than parents. Unsurprisingly, parents were more likely to be in a relationship. Child-free adults were a little younger and less well-educated than parents or non-parents. The researchers added that more research would find out why people want to be child-free.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Being Child-free - Level 0 Being Child-free - Level 2   or  Being Child-free - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/msu-saq061521.php
  • https://www.futurity.org/child-free-happy-adults-2583322-2/
  • https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2021/childfree-adults


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Views
  2. Research shows
  3. 25 per cent of adults do not
  4. A quarter
  5. Two psychologists did
  6. those planning
  7. people who cannot have
  8. medical
  1. of American adults
  2. children
  3. research
  4. on children
  5. problems
  6. that
  7. want children
  8. to have kids

Paragraph 2

  1. Researchers looked at data
  2. They were surprised
  3. child-free people
  4. more likely to be in a
  5. Child-free adults were a
  6. less well-
  7. more research would find
  8. why people want to
  1. relationship
  2. out
  3. little younger
  4. be child-free
  5. by how many
  6. from 1,000 adults
  7. were more liberal
  8. educated

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Views (1) ___________________ changing in the USA. Research shows that 25 per cent of adults do (2) ___________________. A quarter of American adults (3) ___________________ "child-free". Two psychologists (4) ___________________ why child-free people might be different from "non-parents". They said non-parents are "(5) ___________________" (those planning to have kids) and people who cannot have children because (6) ___________________.

Researchers looked (7) ___________________ 1,000 adults. They were (8) ___________________ many child-free people there were. They said child-free people were (9) ___________________ parents. Unsurprisingly, parents were (10) ___________________ be in a relationship. Child-free adults were a little younger and less (11) ___________________ parents or non-parents. The researchers added that more research would (12) ___________________ people want to be child-free.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ViewsonchildrenarechangingintheUSA.Researchshowsthat25perce
ntofadultsdonotwantchildren.AquarterofAmericanadultsarehappyb
eing"child-free".Twopsychologistsdidresearchonwhychild-freepeop
lemightbedifferentfrom"non-parents".Theysaidnon-parentsare"no
t-yet-parents"(thoseplanningtohavekids)andpeoplewhocannotha
vechildrenbecauseofmedicalproblems.Researcherslookedatdatafro
m1,000adults.Theyweresurprisedbyhowmanychild-freepeoplethe
rewere.Theysaidchild-freepeopleweremoreliberalthanparents.Uns
urprisingly,parentsweremorelikelytobeinarelationship.Child-freea
dultswerealittleyoungerandlesswell-educatedthanparentsornon-
parents.Theresearchersaddedthatmoreresearchwouldfindoutwhyp
seoplewanttobechild-free.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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