Breaking News English Lesson: Negative People

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Negative people might make us age more quickly (23rd March 2026)

The Reading / Listening - Negative People - Level 6

From supportive friendships to toxic colleagues, our relationships can shape our stress levels more than our jobs, finances, or even our diet and health habits. A new study suggests that who we surround ourselves with can negatively affect our longevity. Scientists at Indiana University in the USA conducted a study on how the people around us can impact the stress in our lives. The researchers focused on the effect people called "hasslers" had on us. A hassler is an annoying individual who regularly hassles us. Lead researcher Professor Brea Perry said, "having more hasslers is associated with accelerated biological aging…and how much wear and tear [people] have on their body".

The study is published in the journal PNAS. Researchers questioned participants about the difficult relationships in their lives to identify hasslers. Dr Perry found around one third of the participants had at least one hassler in their social network. She said about 10 per cent had at least two hasslers. She suggested that each additional hassler was associated with a 1.5 per cent faster pace of aging. Perry added: "It can actually take days for that stress response to drop and for your body to go back to normal." She highlighted the adverse effects of accumulated stress from hasslers, saying: "When you experience that chronically, over and over again, it has this long-term effect on the body."

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Negative People - Level 4 or Negative People - Level 5

Sources

https://www.sciencealert.com/each-stressful-person-in-your-life-may-age-you-by-months-study-finds
https://www.dw.com/en/dealing-with-annoying-people-might-make-you-age-faster/a-76335924
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/hasslers-study-negative-people-9.7124224

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 :-)

Warm-ups

1. NEGATIVE PEOPLE: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about negative people. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
supportive friendships / toxic colleagues / stress / diet / hassle / aging / wear and tear
study / journal / relationships / social network / body / normal / experience
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. PEOPLE MANAGAMENT: Students A strongly believe we should all take people management courses so negative people do not stress us; Students B strongly believe not. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. MY SOCIAL NETWORK: Who in your social network is negative? What do they do that makes them negative? What can you do to reverse their negativity? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	Who	What They Do	Reversing the Negativity
Family
Friends
Neighbours
Online
Work/School
In your town

MY e-BOOK

ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers

See a sample

5. TOXIC: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "toxic". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. STRESSFUL PEOPLE: Rank these with your partner. Put the most stressful at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

A micromanaging boss
An always-jealous friend
An overly-demanding family member
A one-upper
A chronic borrower
A non-stop crisis person
A personal space ignorer
A super-lazy friend

Vocabulary

Paragraph 1

1.	toxic	a.	Your money and how you use it.
2.	finances (noun)	b.	A long life.
3.	surround	c.	Damage that happens slowly over time.
4.	longevity	d.	To be all around something or someone.
5.	annoying	e.	Small problems or difficulties.
6.	hassles	f.	Very bad or harmful.
7.	wear and tear	g.	Making you feel a little angry or uncomfortable.

Paragraph 2

8.	participants	h.	To find and say what something or someone is.
9.	identify	i.	Connected or related to something.
10.	associated	j.	In a long-lasting or habitual and problematic way.
11.	pace	k.	Bad or harmful.
12.	adverse	l.	The speed of something.
13.	accumulated	m.	People who take part in something.
14.	chronically	n.	Collected or built up over time.

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

The article says toxic colleagues destroy supportive friendships. T / F
The research is from a university in India. T / F
The research focused on how "hasslers" affect people's longevity. T / F
A researcher said stress from hasslers can add to bodily wear and tear. T / F
Every research participant knew at least two hasslers. T / F
One additional hassler can increase the pace of aging by 1.5 per cent. T / F
A researcher said it can take months for the body to destress. T / F
The researcher said chronic stress has short-term effects on the body. T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

supportive
toxic
conducted
hassle
wear and tear
identify
pace
adverse
accumulated
chronically

harmful
damage
inconvenience
poisonous
recognize
persistently
helpful
heaped up
speed
carried out

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

toxic
who we surround
the people around us can impact
accelerated biological
wear and
a 1.5 per cent faster
for your body to go
She highlighted the adverse effects
you experience that chronically,
this long-term

aging
of accumulated stress
tear
effect on the body
ourselves with
back to normal
over and over again
colleagues
pace of aging
the stress in our lives

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

impact
shape
annoying
tear
toxic
longevity
biological
diet

From supportive friendships to (1) _________________________________ colleagues, our relationships can (2) _________________________________ our stress levels more than our jobs, finances, or even our (3) _________________________________ and health habits. A new study suggests that who we surround ourselves with can negatively affect our (4) _________________________________. Scientists at Indiana University in the USA conducted a study on how the people around us can (5) _________________________________ the stress in our lives. The researchers focused on the effect people called "hasslers" had on us. A hassler is an (6) _________________________________ individual who regularly hassles us. Lead researcher Professor Brea Perry said, "having more hasslers is associated with accelerated (7) _________________________________ aging...and how much wear and (8) _________________________________ [people] have on their body".

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

drop
journal
least
pace
chronically
identify
adverse
associated

The study is published in the (9) _________________________________ PNAS. Researchers questioned participants about the difficult relationships in their lives to (10) _________________________________ hasslers. Dr Perry found around one third of the participants had at (11) _________________________________ one hassler in their social network. She said about 10 per cent had at least two hasslers. She suggested that each additional hassler was (12) _________________________________ with a 1.5 per cent faster (13) _________________________________ of aging. Perry added: "It can actually take days for that stress response to (14) _________________________________ and for your body to go back to normal." She highlighted the (15) _________________________________ effects of accumulated stress from hasslers, saying: "When you experience that (16) _________________________________, over and over again, it has this long-term effect on the body."

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) From supportive friendships to toxic colleagues, our relationships can shape ______
     a. our stresses levels
     b. our stressing levels
     c. our stressful levels
     d. our stress levels
2) who we surround ourselves with can negatively ______
     a. effect our longevity
     b. infect our longevity
     c. reflect our longevity
     d. affect our longevity
3) a study on how the people around us can impact the stress ______
     a. in our lives
     b. at our lives
     c. by our lives
     d. to our lives
4) A hassler is an annoying individual who ______
     a. regularly hustles us
     b. regularly hurries us
     c. regularly hassles us
     d. regularly hassocks us
5) having more hasslers is associated with ______
     a. accelerated biologically aging
     b. accelerated biological aging
     c. accelerated biological age in
     d. accelerated biological engaging

6) questioned participants about the difficult relationships in their lives ______
     a. to indemnify hasslers
     b. to identity hasslers
     c. to identify hasslers
     d. to identikit hasslers
7) one third of the participants had at least one hassler in ______
     a. their social networked
     b. their socially network
     c. their social network
     d. them social network
8) each additional hassler was associated with a 1.5 per cent faster ______
     a. apace of aging
     b. pace of aging
     c. pace off aging
     d. pace of age in
9) It can actually take days for that stress ______
     a. responds to drop
     b. respond to drop
     c. response to drop
     d. responsible to drop
10) When you experience that chronically, over ______
     a. and under again
     b. and up again
     c. and over again
     d. and over then

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

From supportive friendships (1) _______________________________________________, our relationships can shape our stress levels more than our jobs, finances, or even our (2) _______________________________________________ habits. A new study suggests that who we surround ourselves with can negatively affect our longevity. Scientists at Indiana University in the USA (3) _______________________________________________ on how the people around us can (4) _______________________________________________ in our lives. The researchers focused on the effect people called "hasslers" had on us. A hassler is an annoying individual who (5) _______________________________________________. Lead researcher Professor Brea Perry said, "having more hasslers is associated with accelerated biological aging...and how much (6) _______________________________________________ [people] have on their body".

The study is published (7) _______________________________________________ PNAS. Researchers questioned participants about the difficult relationships in their lives to identify hasslers. Dr Perry found around one third of the participants (8) _______________________________________________ one hassler in their social network. She said about 10 per cent had at least two hasslers. She (9) _______________________________________________ additional hassler was associated with a 1.5 per cent faster pace of aging. Perry added: "It can actually take days for that stress (10) _______________________________________________ and for your body to go back to normal." She highlighted the (11) _______________________________________________ accumulated stress from hasslers, saying: "When you experience that chronically, over and over again, it has this (12) _______________________________________________ on the body."

Comprehension questions

What can shape our stress levels besides supportive friendships?
What does who we surround ourselves with negatively affect?
What university is this research from?
What are negative people called who give us stress?
What can rise in the body because of negative people, besides stress?
What is PNAS?
What did Dr Perry say one third of test participants had in their lives?
How many negative people did 10% of test participants know?
How long did Dr Perry say it can take for stress to disappear?
What effect does accumulated stress have on the body?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What can shape our stress levels besides supportive friendships?
a) joining social networks
b) exercise
c) toxic colleagues
d) reading news
2) What does who we surround ourselves with negatively affect?
a) our longevity
b) our finances
c) our free time
d) our intelligence
3) What university is this research from?
a) India University
b) Indiana University
c) Indigo University
d) Independente University
4) What are negative people called who give us stress?
a) bullies
b) fools
c) Bob
d) hasslers
5) What can rise in the body because of negative people, besides stress?
a) wearables
b) sniffs and tears
c) wear and tear
d) hair and tears

6) What is PNAS?
a) a destressing clinic
b) a journal
c) a hospital
d) a university
7) What did Dr Perry say one third of test participants had in their lives?
a) money worries
b) health problems
c) amazing friends
d) hasslers
8) How many negative people did 10% of test participants know?
a) three
b) at least two
c) just one
d) none
9) How long did Dr Perry say it can take for stress to disappear?
a) hours
b) days
c) weeks
d) months
10) What effect does accumulated stress have on the body?
a) a long-term effect
b) a detrimental effect
c) a lethal effect
d) a treatable effect

Role play

Role A – A Super-lazy Friend
You think a super-lazy friend is the most stressful person. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their people aren't as stressful. Also, tell the others which is the least stressful of these (and why): a one-upper, an overly-demanding family member or a personal space ignorer.

Role B – A One-upper
You think a one-upper is the most stressful person. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their people aren't as stressful. Also, tell the others which is the least stressful of these (and why): a super-lazy friend, an overly-demanding family member or a personal space ignorer.

Role C – An Overly-demanding Family Member
You think an overly-demanding family member is the most stressful person. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their people aren't as stressful. Also, tell the others which is the least stressful of these (and why): a one-upper, a super-lazy friend or a personal space ignorer.

Role D – A Personal Space Ignorer
You think a personal space ignorer is the most stressful person. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their people aren't as stressful. Also, tell the others which is the least stressful of these (and why): a one-upper, an overly-demanding family member or a super-lazy friend.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'negative'

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

and 'friendships'.
________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

________________

• Share your findings with your partners.

• Make questions using the words you found.

• Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

•Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

toxic

surround

conducted

focused

regularly

wear

difficult

third

least

pace

normal

over

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 - Negative People

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

What did you think when you read the headline?
What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'friendship'?
What are your friends like?
Are all of your friends true friends?
How much stress do your friends cause you?
What are your colleagues like?
How much stress does your family give you?
What can we do about toxic colleagues?
What hassles are there in your life?
How worried are you that other people may affect your longevity?

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
What do you think of when you hear the word 'stress'?
What do you think about what you read?
How much stress do you give other people?
What do you do when you are with people you dislike?
What do you do to reduce your stress levels?
Should we tell people if they are being negative?
Are there times when stress is good for us?
Are you more negative or positive about life?
What questions would you like to ask the researchers?

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

From supportive friendships to (1) ____ colleagues, our relationships can shape our stress levels more than our jobs, (2) ____, or even our diet and health habits. A new study suggests that who we surround ourselves with can negatively affect our longevity. Scientists at Indiana University in the USA (3) ____ a study on how the people around us can impact the stress in our lives. The researchers focused on the effect people called "hasslers" had (4) ____ us. A hassler is an annoying individual who regularly hassles us. Lead researcher Professor Brea Perry said, "having more hasslers (5) ____ associated with accelerated biological aging...and how much wear and (6) ____ [people] have on their body".

The study is published in the journal PNAS. Researchers questioned participants about the difficult relationships in their lives to (7) ____ hasslers. Dr Perry found around one third of the participants had at (8) ____ one hassler in their social network. She said about 10 per cent had at least two hasslers. She suggested that each additional hassler was associated with a 1.5 per cent faster (9) ____ of aging. Perry added: "It can actually take days for that stress response (10) ____ drop and for your body to go back to normal." She highlighted the (11) ____ effects of accumulated stress from hasslers, saying: "When you experience that chronically, over and (12) ____ again, it has this long-term effect on the body."

Which of these words go in the above text?

(a) maxim (b) nexus (c) sixth (d) toxic
(a) finaglers (b) financials (c) fiancés (d) finances
(a) contrived (b) conducted (c) conducive (d) converse
(a) in (b) at (c) on (d) of
(a) are (b) be (c) is (d) get
(a) tear (b) fear (c) bear (d) sear
(a) indemnify (b) identify (c) identity (d) rectify
(a) least (b) lest (c) last (d) lost
(a) apace (b) pace (c) paced (d) pact
(a) at (b) of (c) to (d) as
(a) reverse (b) converse (c) adverse (d) verse
(a) above (b) below (c) under (d) over

Spelling

Paragraph 1

vpureopist friendships
toxic elecgsualo
who we usrndour ourselves with
negatively affect our olytigven
hassler is an annoying ialiidudvn
eectaeclrda biological aging

Paragraph 2

Researchers questioned stanictrppia
yidfinet hasslers
iotcaasdse with a 1.5 per cent faster pace
highlighted the seervda effects
cadtuuelamc stress from hasslers
inhcaclolry, over and over again

Put the text back together

(    )   back to normal." She highlighted the adverse effects of accumulated stress from
( 1 )   From supportive friendships to toxic colleagues, our relationships can shape our stress
(    )   hasslers, saying: "When you experience that chronically, over and over again, it has this long-term effect on the body."
(    )   levels more than our jobs, finances, or even our diet and health habits. A new study suggests that who we surround
(    )   on the effect people called "hasslers" had on us. A hassler is an annoying individual who regularly hassles
(    )   ourselves with can negatively affect our longevity. Scientists at Indiana University in the USA conducted a
(    )   pace of aging. Perry added: "It can actually take days for that stress response to drop and for your body to go
(    )   participants about the difficult relationships in their lives to identify hasslers. Dr Perry found around one
(    )   study on how the people around us can impact the stress in our lives. The researchers focused
(    )   The study is published in the journal PNAS. Researchers questioned
(    )   third of the participants had at least one hassler in their social network. She said about 10 per cent had at least
(    )   two hasslers. She suggested that each additional hassler was associated with a 1.5 per cent faster
(    )   us. Lead researcher Professor Brea Perry said, "having more hasslers is associated
(    )   with accelerated biological aging...and how much wear and tear [people] have on their body".

Put the words in the right order

can levels Our our relationships shape stress .
affects longevity negatively ourselves surround we Who with .
around can impact our people stress The us .
called effect had hasslers on people The us .
and have How much people tear wear .
about difficult participants questioned relationships Researchers the .
days drop for It responses stress takes to .
accumulated adverse effects highlighted of She stress the .
again and chronically experience over over that You .
body effect has It long-term on the this .

Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

From supportive / supports friendships to toxic colleagues, our relationships can shape our stress levels more than our jobs, fiancés / finances, or even our diet and health habits. A new study suggests that who we surrender / surround ourselves with can negatively affect / effect our longevity / longing. Scientists at Indiana University in the USA conducted a study on how the people around us can impact the stress on / in our lives. The researchers focused on the effect people called "hasslers" had in / on us. A hassler is an annoying individual / individually who regularly hassles us. Lead researcher Professor Brea Perry said, "having more hasslers is associated with accelerated / acceleration biological aging...and how much wear and tear / fear [people] have on their body".

The study is publication / published in the journal PNAS. Researchers questioned participants about the difficulty / difficult relationships in their lives to identity / identify hasslers. Dr Perry found around one third of the participants had at last / least one hassler in their social network. She said about 10 per cent had at least two hassles / hasslers. She suggested that each additional hassler was associated with a 1.5 per cent faster apace / pace of aging. Perry added: "It can actually give / take days for that stress response to drop and for / by your body to go back to normal." She highlighted the reverse / adverse effects of accumulated stress from hasslers, saying: "When you experience that chronically, over and under / over again, it has this long-term effect on the body."

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct. Look up the definition of new words.

Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

Fr_m s_pp_rt_v_ fr__ndsh_ps t_ t_x_c c_ll__g__s, __r r_l_t__nsh_ps c_n sh_p_ __r str_ss l_v_ls m_r_ th_n __r j_bs, f_n_nc_s, _r _v_n __r d__t _nd h__lth h_b_ts. _ n_w st_dy s_gg_sts th_t wh_ w_ s_rr__nd __rs_lv_s w_th c_n n_g_t_v_ly _ff_ct __r l_ng_v_ty. Sc__nt_sts _t _nd__n_ _n_v_rs_ty _n th_ _S_ c_nd_ct_d _ st_dy _n h_w th_ p__pl_ _r__nd _s c_n _mp_ct th_ str_ss _n __r l_v_s. Th_ r_s__rch_rs f_c_s_d _n th_ _ff_ct p__pl_ c_ll_d "h_ssl_rs" h_d _n _s. _ h_ssl_r _s _n _nn_y_ng _nd_v_d__l wh_ r_g_l_rly h_ssl_s _s. L__d r_s__rch_r Pr_f_ss_r Br__ P_rry s__d, "h_v_ng m_r_ h_ssl_rs _s _ss_c__t_d w_th _cc_l_r_t_d b__l_g_c_l _g_ng..._nd h_w m_ch w__r _nd t__r [p__pl_] h_v_ _n th__r b_dy".

Th_ st_dy _s p_bl_sh_d _n th_ j__rn_l PN_S. R_s__rch_rs q__st__n_d p_rt_c_p_nts _b__t th_ d_ff_c_lt r_l_t__nsh_ps _n th__r l_v_s t_ _d_nt_fy h_ssl_rs. Dr P_rry f__nd _r__nd _n_ th_rd _f th_ p_rt_c_p_nts h_d _t l__st _n_ h_ssl_r _n th__r s_c__l n_tw_rk. Sh_ s__d _b__t 10 p_r c_nt h_d _t l__st tw_ h_ssl_rs. Sh_ s_gg_st_d th_t __ch _dd_t__n_l h_ssl_r w_s _ss_c__t_d w_th _ 1.5 p_r c_nt f_st_r p_c_ _f _g_ng. P_rry _dd_d: "_t c_n _ct__lly t_k_ d_ys f_r th_t str_ss r_sp_ns_ t_ dr_p _nd f_r y__r b_dy t_ g_ b_ck t_ n_rm_l." Sh_ h_ghl_ght_d th_ _dv_rs_ _ff_cts _f _cc_m_l_t_d str_ss fr_m h_ssl_rs, s_y_ng: "Wh_n y__ _xp_r__nc_ th_t chr_n_c_lly, _v_r _nd _v_r _g__n, _t h_s th_s l_ng-t_rm _ff_ct _n th_ b_dy."

Punctuate the text and add capitals

from supportive friendships to toxic colleagues our relationships can shape our stress levels more than our jobs finances or even our diet and health habits a new study suggests that who we surround ourselves with can negatively affect our longevity scientists at indiana university in the usa conducted a study on how the people around us can impact the stress in our lives the researchers focused on the effect people called hasslers had on us a hassler is an annoying individual who regularly hassles us lead researcher professor brea perry said having more hasslers is associated with accelerated biological aging and how much wear and tear people have on their body

the study is published in the journal pnas researchers questioned participants about the difficult relationships in their lives to identify hasslers dr perry found around one third of the participants had at least one hassler in their social network she said about 10 per cent had at least two hasslers she suggested that each additional hassler was associated with a 15 per cent faster pace of aging perry added it can actually take days for that stress response to drop and for your body to go back to normal she highlighted the adverse effects of accumulated stress from hasslers saying when you experience that chronically over and over again it has this longterm effect on the body

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Fromsupportivefriendshipstotoxiccolleagues,ourrelationshipscansh
apeourstresslevelsmorethanourjobs,finances,orevenourdietandhe
althhabits.Anewstudysuggeststhatwhowesurroundourselveswithca
nnegativelyaffectourlongevity.ScientistsatIndianaUniversityintheU
SAconductedastudyonhowthepeoplearounduscanimpactthestressi
nourlives.Theresearchersfocusedontheeffectpeoplecalled"hasslers"
hadonus.Ahasslerisanannoyingindividualwhoregularlyhasslesus.Le
adresearcherProfessorBreaPerrysaid,"havingmorehasslersisassoci
atedwithacceleratedbiologicalaging...andhowmuchwearandtear[pe
ople]haveontheirbody".ThestudyispublishedinthejournalPNAS.Res
earchersquestionedparticipantsaboutthedifficultrelationshipsinthei
rlivestoidentifyhasslers.DrPerryfoundaroundonethirdoftheparticipa
ntshadatleastonehasslerintheirsocialnetwork.Shesaidabout10perc
enthadatleasttwohasslers.Shesuggestedthateachadditionalhassler
wasassociatedwitha1.5percentfasterpaceofaging.Perryadded:"Itca
nactuallytakedaysforthatstressresponsetodropandforyourbodytogo
backtonormal."Shehighlightedtheadverseeffectsofaccumulatedstre
ssfromhasslers,saying:"Whenyouexperiencethatchronically,overan
doveragain,ithasthislong-termeffectonthebody."

Free writing

Write about negative people for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Academic writing

We should all ignore the negative people in our lives. Discuss.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Homework

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. LONGEVITY: Make a poster about longevity. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
4. NEGATIVE PEOPLE: Write a magazine article about all of us ignoring the negative people in our lives. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on negative people. Ask him/her three questions about them. Give him/her three of your ideas on how to deal with them. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

A Few Additional Activities for Students

Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

Also...

Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

News
Warm ups
Pre-reading / Post-reading
Using headlines
Working with words
While-reading / While-listening
Moving from text to speech
Post-reading / Post-listening
Discussions
Using opinions
Plans
Language
Using lists
Using quotes
Task-based activities
Role plays
Using the central characters in the article
Using themes from the news
Homework

Buy my book

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Answers

(Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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