The Reading / Listening - Life Expectancy - Level 4

Life expectancy in Africa rose by nearly 10 years from 2000 to 2019. The average age an African died at rose from 46 to 56. The rise was the biggest of anywhere in the world. However, it was far below the global average of 64 years. The WHO says the improvement is because of better maternal and child healthcare. Advances in fighting infectious diseases, like malaria and HIV, and easier access to health services also helped.

The WHO urged African nations to keep the momentum going, so life expectancy rates keep rising. It called for more investment in healthcare to deal with future challenges. There will be more pressure on hospitals from growing populations. The WHO said there was a big increase in the numbers of Africans with high blood pressure and diabetes. It added: "Unless countries enhance measures…the health gains could be jeopardized."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Life Expectancy - Level 5 or  Life Expectancy - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.voanews.com/a/life-expectancy-in-africa-increases-nearly-10-years/6687204.html
  • https://africatimes.com/2022/08/05/african-life-expectancy-improves-by-10-years-from-2000-2019/
  • https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/08/1123972


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. rose by
  2. rose
  3. the biggest of anywhere
  4. far
  5. the global average
  6. maternal and child
  7. infectious
  8. easier access to health
  1. healthcare
  2. in the world
  3. services
  4. nearly 10 years
  5. below
  6. diseases
  7. of 64 years
  8. from 46 to 56

Paragraph 2

  1. keep the momentum
  2. deal
  3. There will be more pressure
  4. growing
  5. there was a big increase
  6. high blood
  7. countries enhance
  8. the health gains could
  1. on hospitals
  2. measures
  3. with future challenges
  4. be jeopardized
  5. going
  6. in the numbers
  7. pressure
  8. populations

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Life expectancy in Africa (1) ___________________ 10 years from 2000 to 2019. The (2) ___________________ African died at rose from 46 to 56. The rise was the biggest of anywhere in the world. However, it was far below the (3) ___________________ 64 years. The WHO says the improvement is because of better (4) ___________________ healthcare. Advances in (5) ___________________, like malaria and HIV, and easier (6) ___________________ services also helped.

The WHO urged African nations to keep (7) ___________________, so life expectancy (8) ___________________. It called for more investment in healthcare to (9) ___________________ challenges. There will be (10) ___________________ hospitals from growing populations. The WHO said there was a big increase (11) ___________________ Africans with high blood pressure and diabetes. It added: "Unless countries enhance measures...the health gains (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

LifeexpectancyinAfricarosebynearly10yearsfrom2000to2019.Thea
verageageandAfricandiedatrosefrom46to56.Therisewasthebiggest
ofanywhereintheworld.However,itwasfarbelowtheglobalaverageof6
4years.TheWHOsaystheimprovementisbecauseofbettermaternalan
dchildhealthcare.Advancesinfightinginfectiousdiseases,likemalaria
andHIV,andeasieraccesstohealthservicesalsohelped.TheWHOurged
Africannationstokeepthemomentumgoing,solifeexpectancyrateske
eprising.Itcalledformoreinvestmentinhealthcaretodealwithfuturech
allenges.Therewillbemorepressureonhospitalsfromgrowingpopulati
ons.TheWHOsaidtherewasabigincreaseinthenumbersofAfricanswith
highbloodpressureanddiabetes.Itadded:"Unlesscountriesenhance
measures...thehealthgainscouldbejeopardized."

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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