The Reading / Listening - Mornings - Level 5

A study says people feel happiest in the mornings, and that midnight is when we feel the bluest. Researchers in London conducted a study on mood, frame of mind, and mental well-being at varying times of the day. They asked participants to rate their feelings of happiness, overall satisfaction with life, and how worthwhile they thought life was. The researchers said: "Generally, things do seem better in the morning." They said: "We repeatedly saw mornings align with better mental health…and midnight with the lowest."

The researchers also looked at which days of the week we felt happiest. They found we felt happiest on Sunday mornings, when feelings of anxiety are fewer. This is perhaps because people have the chance to unwind on Saturdays, when they are more likely to have fun. They might splash out on something nice while shopping. This has a positive impact on making us feel happier. The researchers posited that other "drivers" could affect our feelings of positivity. These include the seasons, weather, rain, humidity, and societal factors.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Mornings - Level 4 or  Mornings - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/scociety/2025/feb/05/scientists-find-that-things-really-do-seem-better-in-the-morning
  • https://fortune.com/well/article/time-of-day-feel-best-worst
  • https://scitechdaily.com/new-study-reveals-the-best-and-worst-times-for-your-mental-health/


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. people feel happiest
  2. midnight is when we
  3. Researchers in London
  4. frame of
  5. mental
  6. at varying
  7. rate their feelings
  8. mornings align
  1. well-being
  2. conducted a study
  3. of happiness
  4. times of the day
  5. in the mornings
  6. mind
  7. with better mental health
  8. feel the bluest

Paragraph 2

  1. feelings of anxiety
  2. people have the chance
  3. they are more likely
  4. splash out
  5. This has a positive
  6. other drivers could
  7. These include the
  8. societal
  1. impact
  2. seasons, weather…
  3. are fewer
  4. factors
  5. to have fun
  6. to unwind
  7. affect our feelings
  8. on something nice

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A study says (1) ________________________________________________ in the mornings, and that midnight is when we (2) ________________________________________________. Researchers in London conducted a study on mood, frame of mind, and mental well-being (3) ________________________________________________ of the day. They asked participants to rate their feelings of happiness, (4) ________________________________________________ life, and how worthwhile they thought life was. The researchers said: "Generally, (5) ________________________________________________ better in the morning." They said: "We repeatedly saw mornings (6) ________________________________________________ mental health…and midnight with the lowest."

The researchers also looked (7) ________________________________________________ of the week we felt happiest. They found we felt happiest on Sunday mornings, when (8) ________________________________________________ are fewer. This is perhaps because people have the (9) ________________________________________________ on Saturdays, when they are more likely to have fun. They might (10) ________________________________________________ something nice while shopping. This has (11) ________________________________________________ on making us feel happier. The researchers posited that other "drivers" could affect our feelings of positivity. These include the seasons, weather, rain, (12) ________________________________________________ factors.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Astudysayspeoplefeelhappiestinthemornings,andthatmidnightiswh
enwefeelthebluest.ResearchersinLondonconductedastudyonmood,
frameofmind,andmentalwell-beingatvaryingtimesoftheday.Theyas
kedparticipantstoratetheirfeelingsofhappiness,overallsatisfactionwi
thlife,andhowworthwhiletheythoughtlifewas.Theresearcherssaid:"
Generally,thingsdoseembetterinthemorning."Theysaid:"Werepeat
edlysawmorningsalignwithbettermentalhealth…andmidnightwithth
elowest."Theresearchersalsolookedatwhichdaysoftheweekwefeltha
ppiest.TheyfoundwefelthappiestonSundaymornings,whenfeelingso
fanxietyarefewer.Thisisperhapsbecausepeoplehavethechancetoun
windonSaturdays,whentheyaremorelikelytohavefun.Theymightspl
ashoutonsomethingnicewhileshopping.Thishasapositiveimpactonm
akingusfeelhappier.Theresearcherspositedthatother"drivers"could
affectourfeelingsofpositivity.Theseincludetheseasons,weather,rain
,humidity,andsocietalfactors.

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