The Reading / Listening - Standing on one leg - Level 1

We count the rings on a tree to find its age. Scientists have now found we can measure the age of people by getting them to stand on one leg. This shows how well a person can balance, and balance becomes more difficult as we get older. A researcher said balance was important because it requires input from vision, hearing and other senses. He said: "Good balance…leads to improved quality of life and healthy ageing."

Researchers tested the balance of people over the age of 50. Each person had to balance on their stronger and weaker leg for 30 seconds. They did this with their eyes both closed and open. People who stood on their weaker leg showed the highest rate of decline with age. The rate for the weaker leg was half a second higher per decade. The researchers said balance was a sign of health because "it reflects how the body's systems are working together".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Standing on one leg - Level 0 Standing on one leg - Level 2   or  Standing on one leg - Level 3

Sources
  • https://scitechdaily.com/how-long-can-you-stand-on-one-leg-according-to-the-mayo-clinic-it-could-reveal-your-true-age/
  • https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0310764
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/23/health/balance-one-leg-old-age-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. count the rings
  2. we can measure the age
  3. getting them to stand
  4. how well a person
  5. balance becomes more
  6. as we get
  7. hearing and other
  8. leads to improved
  1. senses
  2. difficult
  3. quality of life
  4. older
  5. of people
  6. on a tree
  7. can balance
  8. on one leg

Paragraph 2

  1. their stronger and
  2. with their eyes both
  3. People who stood on
  4. The rate for the weaker
  5. half a second
  6. balance was a sign
  7. it reflects
  8. the body's systems are
  1. how
  2. higher per decade
  3. weaker leg
  4. working together
  5. their weaker leg
  6. leg
  7. of health
  8. closed and open

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

We (1) ___________________ on a tree to find its age. Scientists have now found we can (2) ___________________ of people by getting them to stand on one leg. This shows (3) ___________________ person can balance, and balance becomes (4) ___________________ we get older. A researcher said balance was important because it requires input from vision, hearing (5) ___________________. He said: "Good balance…leads (6) ___________________ of life and healthy ageing."

Researchers (7) ___________________ of people over the age of 50. Each person had to balance on their (8) ___________________ leg for 30 seconds. They did this with their eyes both (9) ___________________. People who stood on their weaker leg showed the (10) ___________________ decline with age. The rate for the weaker leg was half a second (11) ___________________. The researchers said balance was a sign of health because "it reflects how the body's (12) ___________________ together".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Wecounttheringsonatreetofinditsage.Scientistshavenowfoundweca
nmeasuretheageofpeoplebygettingthemtostandononeleg.Thisshow
showwellapersoncanbalance,andbalancebecomesmoredifficultasw
egetolder.Aresearchersaidbalancewasimportantbecauseitrequiresi
nputfromvision,hearingandothersenses.Hesaid:"Goodbalance…lea
dstoimprovedqualityoflifeandhealthyageing."Researcherstestedthe
balanceofpeopleovertheageof50.Eachpersonhadtobalanceontheirst
rongerandweakerlegfor30seconds.Theydidthiswiththeireyesbothcl
osedandopen.Peoplewhostoodontheirweakerlegshowedthehighestr
ateofdeclinewithage.Theratefortheweakerlegwashalfasecondhighe
rperdecade.Theresearcherssaidbalancewasasignofhealthbecause"i
treflectshowthebody'ssystemsareworkingtogether".

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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