The Reading / Listening - Thinking - Level 1

Have you ever thought why thinking makes us tired? Researchers from Paris looked at why mental effort makes us tired. When we think a lot, our brain releases a chemical. Too much of this changes the brain. It tells the body that we must rest. People who spend a long time on a task are more likely to feel tired. Resting helps the brain to return to normal. A power nap is good for us. A 20-minute power nap can make us feel totally refreshed.

The researchers looked at the behaviour of 40 people. Twenty-four of these had challenging tasks. These included looking at a computer screen. The other 16 people did a similar, but easier task. Both teams worked for six hours. The researchers scanned the participants' brains. The group with the more difficult task had higher levels of the chemical in their brain. The study's author wants to find out about how the chemical levels are restored.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Thinking - Level 0 Thinking - Level 2   or  Thinking - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02161-5
  • https://www.cnet.com/science/biology/scientists-explain-why-our-brains-feel-tired-after-thinking-really-hard/
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/11/health/cognitive-fatigue-study-wellness/index.html


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. mental effort makes
  2. our brain releases
  3. People who spend a long
  4. more likely
  5. Resting helps
  6. return to
  7. A 20-minute power
  8. make us feel
  1. nap
  2. the brain
  3. totally refreshed
  4. us tired
  5. normal
  6. time on a task
  7. a chemical
  8. to feel tired

Paragraph 2

  1. researchers looked
  2. Twenty-four of
  3. challenging
  4. looking at a computer
  5. a similar, but
  6. researchers scanned the
  7. higher levels of
  8. the chemical levels
  1. screen
  2. the chemical
  3. easier task
  4. are restored
  5. participants' brains
  6. these
  7. at the behaviour
  8. tasks

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Have you (1) ___________________ thinking makes us tired? Researchers from Paris looked at (2) ___________________ makes us tired. When we (3) ___________________, our brain releases a chemical. Too much of this (4) ___________________. It tells the body that we must rest. People who spend a long time on a task are (5) ___________________ feel tired. Resting helps the brain to return to normal. A power nap is good for us. A 20-minute power nap can make (6) ___________________ refreshed.

The researchers (7) ___________________ behaviour of 40 people. Twenty-four of these (8) ___________________. These included looking at a computer screen. The other 16 people did a similar, (9) ___________________. Both teams worked for six hours. The researchers scanned (10) ___________________. The group with the more difficult task (11) ___________________ of the chemical in their brain. The study's author wants to find out about (12) ___________________ levels are restored.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Haveyoueverthoughtwhythinkingmakesustired?ResearchersfromP
arislookedatwhymentaleffortmakesustired.Whenwethinkalot,ourbr
ainreleasesachemical.Toomuchofthischangesthebrain.Ittellsthebod
ythatwemustrest.Peoplewhospendalongtimeonataskaremorelikelyt
ofeeltired.Restinghelpsthebraintoreturntonormal.Apowernapisgoo
dforus.A20-minutepowernapcanmakeusfeeltotallyrefreshed.There
searcherslookedatthebehaviourof40peopleTwenty-fouroftheseh
adchallengingtasks.Theseincludedlookingatacomputerscreen.Theo
ther16peopledidasimilar,buteasiertask.Bothteamsworkedforsixhou
rs.Theresearchersscannedtheparticipants'brains.Thegroupwiththe
moredifficulttaskhadhigherlevelsofthechemicalintheirbrain.Thestu
dy'sauthorwantstofindoutabouthowthechemicallevelsarerestored.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You