The Reading / Listening - Standing on one leg - Level 2

We can count the number of 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. Dr Kenton Kaufman said standing on one leg shows how well a person can balance, and balance becomes more difficult as we age. He said balance was important because, "it requires input from vision, the [hearing] system, and the [senses]". He added: "Good balance provides the ability to carry out activities of daily living without the fear of falling, and this leads to improved quality of life and healthy ageing."

Researchers tested forty people over the age of 50. They did tests for walking and balance. Each participant had to balance on their dominant and non-dominant leg for 30 seconds. They did this with their eyes closed, and with their eyes open. Kaufman found that standing on the non-dominant leg showed the highest rate of decline with age. The rate for the non-dominant leg was half a second higher per decade. Kaufman concluded: "Standing on one leg is a good measure of your overall health because balance 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 1   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 number of rings
  2. we can measure the
  3. it requires input
  4. how well a person
  5. balance becomes more difficult
  6. the ability to carry
  7. without the fear
  8. this leads to improved quality
  1. out activities
  2. as we age
  3. of life
  4. of falling
  5. from vision
  6. on a tree
  7. can balance
  8. age of people

Paragraph 2

  1. Each participant
  2. They did this with their
  3. the highest rate
  4. The rate for the non-
  5. half a second
  6. Standing on one leg is a
  7. your overall
  8. how the body's systems are
  1. of decline
  2. health
  3. higher per decade
  4. working together
  5. eyes closed
  6. dominant leg
  7. had to balance
  8. good measure

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

We can count the (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. Dr Kenton Kaufman said standing on one leg shows (3) ___________________ person can balance, and balance becomes more difficult as we age. He said balance was important because, "it (4) ___________________ vision, the [hearing] system, and the [senses]". He added: "Good balance provides the (5) ___________________ out activities of daily living without the fear of falling, and this leads to improved (6) ___________________ and healthy ageing."

Researchers tested (7) ___________________ the age of 50. They did tests for walking and balance. Each participant had to balance (8) ___________________ and non-dominant leg for 30 seconds. They did this with their eyes closed, and with (9) ___________________. Kaufman found that standing on the non-dominant leg showed the highest rate of (10) ___________________. The rate for the non-dominant leg was half a second higher per decade. Kaufman concluded: "Standing on one leg is a good (11) ___________________ overall health because balance reflects how the body's systems (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Wecancountthenumberofringsonatreetofinditsage.Scientistshaven
owfoundwecanmeasuretheageofpeoplebygettingthemtostandonon
eleg.DrKentonKaufmansaidstandingononelegshowshowwellaperso
ncanbalance,andbalancebecomesmoredifficultasweage.Hesaidbalanc
ewasimportantbecause,"itrequiresinputfromvision,the[hearing]s
ystem,andthe[senses]".Headded:"Goodbalanceprovidestheabilityt
ocarryoutactivitiesofdailylivingwithoutthefearoffalling,andthisleads
toimprovedqualityoflifeandhealthyageing."Researcherstestedforty
peopleovertheageof50.Theydidtestsforwalkingandbalance.Eachpar
ticipanthadtobalanceontheirdominantandnon-dominantlegfor30s
econds.Theydidthiswiththeireyesclosed,andwiththeireyesopen.Kau
fmanfoundthatstandingonthenon-dominantlegshowedthehighestr
ateofdeclinewithage.Therateforthenon-dominantlegwashalfasecon
dhigherperdecade.Kaufmanconcluded:"Standingononelegisagood
measureofyouroverallhealthbecausebalancereflectshowthebody'ss
ystemsareworkingtogether."

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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