The Reading / Listening - Birdwatching - Level 0

Looking at birds could be good for us. Birdwatching protects our brains against old age. A researcher said: "Skills from birding could be beneficial for our brain as people age." The researcher compared brain scans of old and new birdwatchers. The brains of the older birders were a lot more active.

Birdwatching benefits the brain. We learn new skills. We learn to identify things and patterns. The hobby is good for our mental and physical health. It can lower stress. This is because we are outside in nature. Birdwatchers say their hobby improves their social life. This is because they meet many new people.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Birdwatching - Level 1 Birdwatching - Level 2   or  Birdwatching - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.newscientist.com/article/2516604-birdwatching-may-reshape-the-brain-and-build-its-buffer-against-ageing/
  • https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/birdwatching-birding-brain-boost-cognition-research-rcna259945
  • https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/38314282/bird-watching-health-benefits/


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. looking
  2. protects our brains
  3. birding could be beneficial
  4. as people
  5. the researcher compared brain
  6. old and new
  7. The brains of
  8. a lot
  1. age
  2. scans
  3. the older birders
  4. against old age
  5. more active
  6. for our brain
  7. birdwatchers
  8. at birds

Paragraph 2

  1. birdwatching benefits
  2. we learn new
  3. we learn to
  4. good for our mental and
  5. It can lower
  6. we are outside
  7. their hobby improves
  8. they meet
  1. their social life
  2. identify things
  3. in nature
  4. stress
  5. the brain
  6. many new people
  7. skills
  8. physical health

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Looking (1) _________________________________________________ be good for us. Birdwatching (2) _________________________________________________ against old age. A researcher said: "Skills from birding could (3) _________________________________________________ our brain as people age." The researcher compared (4) _________________________________________________ old and new birdwatchers. The (5) _________________________________________________ older birders were a (6) _________________________________________________.

Birdwatching (7) _________________________________________________. We learn new skills. We learn (8) _________________________________________________ and patterns. The hobby is good for our (9) _________________________________________________ health. It can lower stress. (10) _________________________________________________ we are outside in nature. Birdwatchers (11) _________________________________________________ improves their social life. This is because they (12) _________________________________________________ people.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Lookingatbirdscouldbegoodforus.Birdwatchingprotectsourbrainsag
ainstoldage.Aresearchersaid:"Skillsfrombirdingcouldbebeneficialfo
rourbrainaspeopleage."Theresearchercomparedbrainscansofoldan
dnewbirdwatchers.Thebrainsoftheolderbirderswerealotmoreactive.
Birdwatchingbenefitsthebrain.Welearnnewskills.Welearntoidentifyt
hingsandpatterns.Thehobbyisgoodforourmentalandphysicalhealth.
Itcanlowerstress.Thisisbecauseweareoutsideinnature.Birdwatchers
saytheirhobbyimprovestheirsociallife.Thisisbecausetheymeetmany
newpeople.

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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