The Reading / Listening - Sleep and Light - Level 3

Sleeping with a light on could be bad for you. Researchers from Tulane University in the USA say any kind of light at bedtime could be bad for your heart. Even a very dim light could be harmful. The researchers did tests on 11,000 people for a week. The test participants wore sensors that measured the amount of light in their bedrooms. People who did not have heart disease had an MRI scan three years later. The scans showed there was a link between sleeping with a light on and changes in the structure of the heart. One change was thicker heart muscles. Another change was that people's hearts were less able to pump blood, stretch, and relax during heartbeats.

The study is published in the European Heart Journal. Lead researcher Professor Lu Qi wrote: "Light pollution has emerged as a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease." He added the findings from his study suggest that reducing light while sleeping could be "one of the potential strategies for preventing heart disease". The researchers suggested turning off lights, televisions, and smartphones in the bedroom. They said people needed to get their sleeping environment as dark as possible. They added: "The advice is simple and inexpensive: blackout curtains, warm-coloured bedside lighting, and covering the small standby LEDs on household electronics."

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Sleep and Light - Level 0,  Sleep and Light - Level 1   or  Sleep and Light - Level 2

Sources
  • https://www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/generalcardiology/122971
  • https://time.com/article/2026/09/11/light-exposure-at-night-is-linked-to-heart-changes/
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2026/09/10/sleep-habit-bad-heart-health-new-study/91695591007/


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. SLEEP: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about sleep. 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?
       sleeping / light / bedtime / harmful / sensors / heart disease / scans / muscles / relax
       study / researcher / risk / televisions / smartphones / bedroom / curtains / LEDs
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. LIGHTS OFF: Students A strongly believe all lights off at bedtime is best; Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. LACK OF SLEEP: Do these things ever cause you a lack of sleep? What do you do about them? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

Me

What I Do

Light

 

 

Noise

 

 

Temperature

 

 

Worrying

 

 

Food

 

 

Coffee

 

 
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. BED: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "bed". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. GETTING TO SLEEP: Rank these with your partner. Put the best things that help us get to sleep quickly at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Counting sheep
  • Music
  • Reading a book
  • Hot bath
  • No phone
  • Slow breathing
  • Exercise
  • Food

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. dim a. Found out the amount, size, or level of something.
      2. harmful b. To move blood or another liquid around something.
      3. participants c. Not very bright or strong.
      4. sensors d. Causing damage.
      5. measured e. Small devices that find and record information.
      6. structure (noun) f. The way something is built or organised.
      7. pump g. People who take part in a study or activity.

    Paragraph 2

      8. pollution h. Stopping something bad from happening.
      9. emerged i. Possible or likely to happen.
      10. cardiovascular j. Making something smaller or less.
      11. reducing k. Dirty or harmful things or substances in the air, water, or environment.
      12. potential l. Devices that use electricity, such as televisions and smartphones.
      13. preventing m. Became known or started to happen.
      14. electronics n. Related to the heart and blood vessels.

 

Before reading / listening

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

  1. Researchers say most lights at bedtime are not bad for your heart.     T / F
  2. Lights that are not bright are not at all harmful.     T / F
  3. MRI scans showed sleeping with a light on could change the heart.     T / F
  4. Sleeping with a light on could make it difficult for the heart to pump.     T / F
  5. A researcher said light pollution was a new risk for heart disease.     T / F
  6. Turning off lights while sleeping could be a strategy for a healthier heart. T / F
  7. A researcher said the bedroom should be as dark as possible.     T / F
  8. Small standby LEDS on household electronics should be left on.     T / F

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

  1. bad
  2. dim
  3. measured
  4. link
  5. structure
  6. risk
  7. reducing
  8. potential
  9. advice
  10. household
  1. connection
  2. home
  3. cutting
  4. calculated
  5. pale
  6. possible
  7. guidance
  8. harmful
  9. danger
  10. shape

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

  1. Sleeping with a light on could
  2. any kind of light at bedtime
  3. Even a very dim
  4. sensors that measured
  5. hearts were less able to
  6. Light pollution has emerged as a new
  7. potential strategies for preventing
  8. get their sleeping environment
  9. The advice is simple and
  10. the small standby LEDs on
  1. heart disease
  2. light could be harmful
  3. inexpensive
  4. pump blood
  5. the amount of light
  6. household electronics
  7. be bad for you
  8. risk factor
  9. as dark as possible
  10. could be bad for your heart

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
sensors
link
blood
dim
thicker
scan
kind
structure

Sleeping with a light on could be bad for you. Researchers from Tulane University in the USA say any (1) ______________________________________________ of light at bedtime could be bad for your heart. Even a very (2) ______________________________________________ light could be harmful. The researchers did tests on 11,000 people for a week. The test participants wore (3) ______________________________________________ that measured the amount of light in their bedrooms. People who did not have heart disease had an MRI (4) ______________________________________________ three years later. The scans showed there was a (5) ______________________________________________ between sleeping with a light on and changes in the (6) ______________________________________________ of the heart. One change was (7) ______________________________________________ heart muscles. Another change was that people's hearts were less able to pump (8) ______________________________________________, stretch, and relax during heartbeats.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
turning
reducing
electronics
published
simple
strategies
emerged
dark

The study is (9) ______________________________________________ in the European Heart Journal. Lead researcher Professor Lu Qi wrote: "Light pollution has (10) ______________________________________________ as a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease." He added the findings from his study suggest that (11) ______________________________________________ light while sleeping could be "one of the potential (12) ______________________________________________ for preventing heart disease". The researchers suggested (13) ______________________________________________ off lights, televisions, and smartphones in the bedroom. They said people needed to get their sleeping environment as (14) ______________________________________________ as possible. They added: "The advice is (15) ______________________________________________ and inexpensive: blackout curtains, warm-coloured bedside lighting, and covering the small standby LEDs on household (16) ______________________________________________."

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) Sleeping with a light on could be ______
     a.  badly for you
     b.  bad from you
     c.  bad for them
     d.  bad for you
2)  The test participants wore sensors that measured the ______
     a.  amount of light
     b.  amount off light
     c.  amount oft light
     d.  amount of alight
3)  scans showed there was a link between sleeping with a light on and changes ______
     a.  in the scripture
     b.  inner structure
     c.  in the structure
     d.  in the structural
4)  One change was ______
     a.  thicker heart muscles
     b.  thicken heart muscles
     c.  thicket heart muscles
     d.  thick are heart muscles
5)  Another change was that people's hearts were less able ______
     a.  to pump blooded
     b.  to pump bloods
     c.  to pump bloody
     d.  to pump blood

6)  Light pollution has emerged as a new risk factor ______
     a.  for cardiovascular disease
     b.  for cardiovascular diseased
     c.  for cardiovascular disease-ridden
     d.  for cardiovascular diocese
7)  reducing light while sleeping could be "one of ______
     a.  the potent all strategies
     b.  the potential strategies
     c.  the potentially strategies
     d.  the potential strategise
8)  researchers suggested turning off lights, televisions, and smartphones ______
     a.  on the bedroom
     b.  in the boardroom
     c.  in the bedroom
     d.  in a bedroom
9)  They said people needed to get their sleeping environment as ______
     a.  dark has possible
     b.  dark was possible
     c.  dark as possible
     d.  dark is possible
10)  warm-coloured bedside lighting, and covering the small standby LEDs ______
     a.  on house-held electronics
     b.  on household electricity
     c.  an household electronics
     d.  on household electronics

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Sleeping with a light on could (1) __________________________________________________ you. Researchers from Tulane University in the USA say any kind of light at bedtime could be bad for your heart. Even a (2) __________________________________________________ could be harmful. The researchers did tests on 11,000 people for a week. The test participants (3) __________________________________________________ measured the amount of light in their bedrooms. People who did not have heart disease had an MRI scan three years later. The scans showed there was (4) __________________________________________________ sleeping with a light on and changes in the structure of the heart. One change was (5) __________________________________________________. Another change was that people's hearts were less able to pump blood, stretch, and (6) __________________________________________________.

The study (7) __________________________________________________ the European Heart Journal. Lead researcher Professor Lu Qi wrote: "Light pollution has emerged as a (8) __________________________________________________ for cardiovascular disease." He added the findings from his study suggest that reducing light while sleeping could be "one (9) __________________________________________________ strategies for preventing heart disease". The researchers suggested turning off lights, televisions, and smartphones in the bedroom. They said people needed to get their sleeping environment as (10) __________________________________________________. They added: "The (11) __________________________________________________ and inexpensive: blackout curtains, warm-coloured bedside lighting, and covering (12) __________________________________________________ LEDs on household electronics."

Comprehension questions

  1. What did researchers say about dim lights?
  2. How many participants took part in the study?
  3. What did some test participants have three years after tests?
  4. What might hearts be less able to pump?
  5. What might a heart not be able to do during heartbeats?
  6. Who is Lu Qi?
  7. What might be a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease?
  8. What did the researchers say the sleeping environment should be like?
  9. What kind of curtains did a researcher advise people to use?
  10. On what should we turn off small standby LEDs?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What did researchers say about dim lights?
a) They are not bright enough.
b) That are not harmful.
c) They are too bright.
d) They could also be harmful.
2) How many participants took part in the study?
a) 1,100
b) 11,000
c) 110,000
d) 101,000
 
3) What did some test participants have three years after tests?
a) heart pain
b) headaches
c) high blood pressure
d) MRI scans
 
4) What might hearts be less able to pump?
a) cells
b) water
c) blood
d) waste
5) What might a heart not be able to do during heartbeats?
a) close
b) open
c) pump
d) relax

6) Who is Lu Qi?
a) a heart surgeon
b) a journalist
c) the lead professor
d) a sleep expert
7) What might be a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease?
a) light pollution
b) red meat
c) LED lights
d) blue light
8) What did the researchers say the sleeping environment should be like?
a) sealed from all light
b) warm
c) as dark as possible
d) without moonlight
9) What kind of curtains did a researcher advise people to use?
a) dark curtains
b) blackout curtains
c) net curtains
d) heavy curtains
10) On what should we turn off small standby LEDs?
a) household electronics
b) our cars
c) smartphones
d) kitchen appliances

Role play

Role  A – Counting Sheep
You think counting sheep is the best thing to sleep quickly. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): listening to music, taking a hot bath or putting your phone away.

Role  B – Listening to Music
You think listening to music is the best thing to sleep quickly. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): counting sheep, taking a hot bath or putting your phone away.

Role  C – Taking a Hot Bath
You think taking a hot bath is the best thing to sleep quickly. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): listening to music, counting sheep or putting your phone away.

Role  D – Putting Your Phone Away
You think putting your phone away is the best thing to sleep quickly. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): listening to music, taking a hot bath or counting sheep.

After reading / listening

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

'sleep'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'light'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • 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:

    • dim
    • tests
    • amount
    • scan
    • changes
    • pump
    • published
    • risk
    • potential
    • suggested
    • dark
    • advice

    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 - Sleep and Light

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

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'sleep'?
    3. Why do some people have to sleep with a light on?
    4. How does light affect your sleep?
    5. Can you sleep in total darkness?
    6. What light sources are there in your room at night?
    7. Why might light affect the heart?
    8. How unnatural is it for there to be light when you sleep?
    9. What things stop you from sleeping?
    10. What do you do to look after your heart?

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

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'light'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. What do you know about light pollution?
    5. What do you know about cardiovascular disease?
    6. Do you need your smartphone in your bedroom?
    7. Would you like to use blackout curtains?
    8. Will you change the lighting in your bedroom from now?
    9. Can you sleep during daylight?
    10. 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)

    Sleeping with a light on could be (1) ____ for you. Researchers from Tulane University in the USA say any kind (2) ____ light at bedtime could be bad for your heart. Even a very (3) ____ light could be harmful. The researchers did tests on 11,000 people for a week. The test participants wore sensors that measured the amount of light in their bedrooms. People who did not have heart disease had an MRI (4) ____ three years later. The scans showed there was a link between sleeping with a light on and changes in the structure of the heart. One change was thicker heart muscles. (5) ____ change was that people's hearts were less able to pump blood, stretch, and relax (6) ____ heartbeats.

    The study is published in the European Heart Journal. Lead researcher Professor Lu Qi wrote: "Light pollution has emerged (7) ____ a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease." He added the findings from his study suggest that (8) ____ light while sleeping could be "one of the potential strategies (9) ____ preventing heart disease". The researchers suggested turning off lights, televisions, and smartphones in the bedroom. They said people needed to (10) ____ their sleeping environment as dark as possible. They added: "The (11) ____ is simple and inexpensive: blackout curtains, warm-coloured bedside lighting, and covering the small standby LEDs on household (12) ____."

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     bad guy     (b)     baddish     (c)     badly     (d)     bad    
    2. (a)     on     (b)     to     (c)     at     (d)     of    
    3. (a)     rim     (b)     dim     (c)     vim     (d)     him    
    4. (a)     snap     (b)     shot     (c)     scan     (d)     scoop    
    5. (a)     Other     (b)     Others     (c)     Another     (d)     The others    
    6. (a)     during     (b)     among     (c)     up     (d)     loud    
    7. (a)     is     (b)     as     (c)     has     (d)     was    
    8. (a)     reducing     (b)     reduce     (c)     reduction     (d)     reduces    
    9. (a)     up     (b)     for     (c)     to     (d)     as    
    10. (a)     let     (b)     met     (c)     get     (d)     bet    
    11. (a)     advise     (b)     vice     (c)     advice     (d)     advisor    
    12. (a)     electrician     (b)     electrics     (c)     electricity     (d)     electronics

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. sensors that reseamud the amount of light
    2. heart desaies
    3. changes in the suttcerur of the heart
    4. thicker heart cessulm
    5. less able to pump olobd
    6. relax during tabetasher

    Paragraph 2

    1. light oolutlnip
    2. a new risk arctfo
    3. one of the latnoteip strategies
    4. as dark as lpiosesb
    5. blackout unctiasr
    6. LEDs on household ocectrnslie

    Put the text back together

    (    )   bedroom. They said people needed to get their sleeping environment as dark as
    (    )   curtains, warm-coloured bedside lighting, and covering the small standby LEDs on household electronics."
    (    )   disease". The researchers suggested turning off lights, televisions, and smartphones in the
    (    )   heart. One change was thicker heart muscles. Another change was that people's
    (    )   hearts were less able to pump blood, stretch, and relax during heartbeats.
    (    )   later. The scans showed there was a link between sleeping with a light on and changes in the structure of the
    (    )   of light at bedtime could be bad for your heart. Even a very dim light could be harmful. The researchers did
    (    )   of light in their bedrooms. People who did not have heart disease had an MRI scan three years
    (    )   pollution has emerged as a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease." He added the findings from his
    (    )   possible. They added: "The advice is simple and inexpensive: blackout
    (  1  )         Sleeping with a light on could be bad for you. Researchers from Tulane University in the USA say any kind
    (    )   study suggest that reducing light while sleeping could be "one of the potential strategies for preventing heart
    (    )   tests on 11,000 people for a week. The test participants wore sensors that measured the amount
    (    )   The study is published in the European Heart Journal. Lead researcher Professor Lu Qi wrote: "Light

    Put the words in the right order

    1. a   bad   be   could   light   on   Sleeping   with   .
    2. a   be   dim   Even   harmful   light   could   very   .
    3. amount   light   measured   of   Sensors   that   the   .
    4. a   link   scans   showed   The   there   was   .
    5. able   blood   hearts   less   People's   to   pump   were   .
    6. a   as   emerged   Light   new   pollution   risk   has   .
    7. disease   for   heart   potential   preventing   strategies   The   .
    8. bedroom  off  Researchers  smartphones  suggested   the  turning   in  .
    9. as   as   dark   environment   Get   possible   their   sleeping   .
    10. Covering   electronics   household   LEDs   small   standby   the   on   .

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    Sleeping with a light on could be badly / bad for you. Researchers from Tulane University in the USA say any kind of light on / at bedtime could be bad for your heart. Even a / the very dim light could be harmful. The researchers did tests on 11,000 people for / from a week. The test participants wore sensors that / what measured the amount of light in their bedrooms. People who did not have heart diseased / disease had an MRI scan three years later. The scans showing / showed there was a link between / among sleeping with a light on and changes in the structure of the heart. One change was thicker heart muscles. Another / Other change was that people's hearts were less able to pump blood, stretch, and relaxed / relax during heartbeats.

    The study is published in the European Heart Journal. Lead researcher Professor Lu Qi wrote: "Light pollution was / has emerged as a new risk factor / factory for cardiovascular disease." He added the findings from his study suggest that reduce / reducing light while sleeping could be "one of the potential strategy / strategies for preventing heart disease". The researchers suggested / warned turning off lights, televisions, and smartphones in the bedroom. They said people needed to let / get their sleeping environment as dark as possibly / possible. They added: "The advice is simple / sample and inexpensive: blackout curtains, warm-coloured bedside lighting, and covering / uncovering the small standby LEDs on household electricity / electronics."

    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)

    Sl__p_ng  w_th  _  l_ght  _n  c__ld  b_  b_d  f_r  y__.  R_s__rch_rs  fr_m  T_l_n_  _n_v_rs_ty  _n  th_  _S_  s_y  _ny  k_nd  _f  l_ght  _t  b_dt_m_  c__ld  b_  b_d  f_r  y__r  h__rt.  _v_n  _  v_ry  d_m  l_ght  c__ld  b_  h_rmf_l.  Th_  r_s__rch_rs  d_d  t_sts  _n  11,000  p__pl_  f_r  _  w__k.  Th_  t_st  p_rt_c_p_nts  w_r_  s_ns_rs  th_t  m__s_r_d  th_  _m__nt  _f  l_ght  _n  th__r  b_dr__ms.  P__pl_  wh_  d_d  n_t  h_v_  h__rt  d_s__s_  h_d  _n  MR_  sc_n  thr__  y__rs  l_t_r.  Th_  sc_ns  sh_w_d  th_r_  w_s  _  l_nk  b_tw__n  sl__p_ng  w_th  _  l_ght  _n  _nd  ch_ng_s  _n  th_  str_ct_r_  _f  th_  h__rt.  _n_  ch_ng_  w_s  th_ck_r  h__rt  m_scl_s.  _n_th_r  ch_ng_  w_s  th_t  p__pl_'s  h__rts  w_r_  l_ss  _bl_  t_  p_mp  bl__d,  str_tch,  _nd  r_l_x  d_r_ng  h__rtb__ts.

    Th_  st_dy  _s  p_bl_sh_d  _n  th_  __r_p__n  H__rt  J__rn_l.  L__d  r_s__rch_r  Pr_f_ss_r  L_  Q_  wr_t_:  "L_ght  p_ll_t__n  h_s  _m_rg_d  _s  _  n_w  r_sk  f_ct_r  f_r  c_rd__v_sc_l_r  d_s__s_."  H_  _dd_d  th_  f_nd_ngs  fr_m  h_s  st_dy  s_gg_st  th_t  r_d_c_ng  l_ght  wh_l_  sl__p_ng  c__ld  b_  "_n_  _f  th_  p_t_nt__l  str_t_g__s  f_r  pr_v_nt_ng  h__rt  d_s__s_".  Th_  r_s__rch_rs  s_gg_st_d  t_rn_ng  _ff  l_ghts,  t_l_v_s__ns,  _nd  sm_rtph_n_s  _n  th_  b_dr__m.  Th_y  s__d  p__pl_  n__d_d  t_  g_t  th__r  sl__p_ng  _nv_r_nm_nt  _s  d_rk  _s  p_ss_bl_.  Th_y  _dd_d:  "Th_  _dv_c_  _s  s_mpl_  _nd  _n_xp_ns_v_:  bl_ck__t  c_rt__ns,  w_rm-c_l__r_d  b_ds_d_  l_ght_ng,  _nd  c_v_r_ng  th_  sm_ll  st_ndby  L_Ds  _n  h__s_h_ld  _l_ctr_n_cs."

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    sleeping with a light on could be bad for you researchers from tulane university in the usa say any kind of light at bedtime could be bad for your heart even a very dim light could be harmful the researchers did tests on 11000 people for a week the test participants wore sensors that measured the amount of light in their bedrooms people who did not have heart disease had an mri scan three years later the scans showed there was a link between sleeping with a light on and changes in the structure of the heart one change was thicker heart muscles another change was that peoples hearts were less able to pump blood stretch and relax during heartbeats

    the study is published in the european heart journal lead researcher professor lu qi wrote light pollution has emerged as a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease he added the findings from his study suggest that reducing light while sleeping could be one of the potential strategies for preventing heart disease the researchers suggested turning off lights televisions and smartphones in the bedroom they said people needed to get their sleeping environment as dark as possible they added the advice is simple and inexpensive blackout curtains warmcoloured bedside lighting and covering the small standby leds on household electronics

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    Sleepingwithalightoncouldbebadforyou.ResearchersfromTulaneUni
    versityintheUSAsayanykindoflightatbedtimecouldbebadforyourhea
    rt.Evenaverydimlightcouldbeharmful.Theresearchersdidtestson11,
    000peopleforaweek.Thetestparticipantsworesensorsthatmeasured
    theamountoflightintheirbedrooms.Peoplewhodidnothaveheartdisea
    sehadanMRIscanthreeyearslater.Thescansshowedtherewasalinkbe
    tweensleepingwithalightonandchangesinthestructureoftheheart.On
    echangewasthickerheartmuscles.Anotherchangewasthatpeople'sh
    eartswerelessabletopumpblood,stretch,andrelaxduringheartbeats.
    ThestudyispublishedintheEuropeanHeartJournal.LeadresearcherPr
    ofessorLuQiwrote:"Lightpollutionhasemergedasanewriskfactorforc
    ardiovasculardisease."Headdedthefindingsfromhisstudysuggesttha
    treducinglightwhilesleepingcouldbe"oneofthepotentialstrategiesfor
    preventingheartdisease".Theresearcherssuggestedturningofflights
    ,televisions,andsmartphonesinthebedroom.Theysaidpeopleneeded
    togettheirsleepingenvironmentasdarkaspossible.Theyadded:"Thea
    dviceissimpleandinexpensive:blackoutcurtains,warm-colouredbed
    sidelighting,andcoveringthesmallstandbyLEDsonhouseholdelectron
    ics."

    Free writing

    Write about sleeping with the light on for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    It's best to sleep without any lights on. Discuss.

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    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. SLEEP: Make a poster about sleep. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. LIGHTS OFF: Write a magazine article about a law requiring us to turn all lights off at bedtime. 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 sleep. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your opinions on sleeping with the lights on. 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

    $US 9.99

    Answers

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

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