The Reading / Listening - Level 5

A report from the USA says American children are safer today than they were 20 years ago. The study is based on the annual Child Well-Being Index, which has been compiled since 1975. It measures 28 aspects about the quality of life among US children. Perhaps the most promising figure is that child death rates have gone down by a third since 1975. Suicide rates among teens have declined and fewer youngsters are victims of violent crimes. Teen births are at their lowest level in decades. The report says US children are also better educated than they were 20 years ago.

The report highlighted some negatives of the past 20 years. Child health has deteriorated. A major cause of this is the increasing levels of obesity because of poor diet, fast food, and less exercise. Teenagers are spending much longer indoors using technology. This may protect kids from physical dangers outdoors but can harm their health indoors. Child poverty still affects millions of children in the USA. This has not changed in the past 20 years. About 20 per cent of children lived below the poverty line in 2013. This is about the same as it was in 1995.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 4 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.news-medical.net/news/20141217/New-report-finds-that-American-children-are-generally-safer-better-educated.aspx
  • http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-american-kids-safer-healthier-balancing-20141218-column.html
  • http://childandfamilypolicy.duke.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Child-Well-Being-Report.pdf


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

children are safer today than they

a.

level in decades

2.

The study is based on the annual

b.

a third since 1975

3.

quality of

c.

were 20 years ago

4.

gone down by

d.

educated

5.

Suicide rates among

e.

life

6.

victims of violent

f.

teens have declined

7.

at their lowest

g.

crimes

8.

better

h.

Child Well-Being Index



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

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

The report highlighted some

a.

affects millions of children

2.

Child health has

b.

dangers

3.

A major cause

c.

it was in 1995

4.

increasing levels

d.

line

5.

physical

e.

negatives

6.

poverty still

f.

of obesity

7.

children lived below the poverty

g.

of this

8.

about the same as

h.

deteriorated

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

A report from the USA says American (1) ___________________ today than they were 20 years ago. The study (2) ___________________ annual Child Well-Being Index, which has been compiled since 1975. It measures 28 (3) ___________________ quality of life among US children. Perhaps the most promising figure is that child death (4) ___________________ down by a third since 1975. Suicide rates among teens have declined and fewer youngsters (5) ___________________ crimes. Teen births are at their lowest level in decades. The report says US children are (6) ___________________ than they were 20 years ago.

The report highlighted (7) ___________________ the past 20 years. Child health has deteriorated. A (8) ___________________ this is the increasing levels of obesity because of poor diet, fast food, and less exercise. Teenagers (9) ___________________ longer indoors using technology. This may protect kids from physical dangers outdoors (10) ___________________ health indoors. Child poverty (11) ___________________ of children in the USA. This has not changed in the past 20 years. About 20 per cent of children lived below the poverty line in 2013. This (12) ___________________ as it was in 1995.

CHILDHOOD SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about childhood 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.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------  

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about childhood for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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