The Reading / Listening - To-do Lists - Level 0

Scientists found that writing a to-do list helps us sleep faster. To-do lists help us to relax. We don't worry about things we have to do. We can forget about them. A researcher said: "We live in a 24/7 culture in which our to-do lists seem to be constantly growing and causing us to worry about unfinished tasks at bedtime."

The researchers looked at how students slept. Half of them made a to-do list before they slept. Those who wrote a to-do list fell asleep about 9 minutes faster. Writing detailed lists makes you fall asleep faster than writing simple lists. About 40 per cent of adults have problems falling asleep a few times a month.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    To-do Lists - Level 1,  To-do Lists - Level 2   or  To-do Lists - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.aol.com/article/lifestyle/2018/01/13/writing-a-to-do-list-may-help-you-sleep-faster-study-says/23332682/
  • https://psychcentral.com/news/2018/01/13/writing-a-to-do-list-may-help-you-fall-asleep/131170.html
  • https://www.livescience.com/61422-journal-writing-sleep-better.html


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Scientists found
  2. writing a to-do list helps
  3. To-do lists help us
  4. We don't worry
  5. We can
  6. We live in
  7. our to-do lists seem to be
  8. unfinished
  1. to relax
  2. constantly growing
  3. forget about them
  4. that
  5. a 24/7 culture
  6. us sleep faster
  7. tasks
  8. about things

Paragraph 2

  1. The researchers looked at how
  2. Half of them made
  3. before they
  4. ell asleep about
  5. Writing detailed
  6. makes you fall
  7. About 40 per cent of adults
  8. falling asleep a few
  1. a to-do list
  2. have problems
  3. 9 minutes faster
  4. asleep faster
  5. students slept
  6. times a month
  7. slept
  8. lists

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists (1) ___________________ a to-do list helps us sleep faster. To-do (2) ___________________ to relax. We don't worry about (3) ___________________ to do. We can forget about them. A researcher said: "(4) ___________________ a 24/7 culture (5) ___________________ to-do lists seem to be constantly growing and causing us (6) ___________________ unfinished tasks at bedtime."

The researchers (7) ___________________ students slept. Half of them made a to-do list (8) ___________________. Those who wrote a to-do list (9) ___________________ 9 minutes faster. Writing (10) ___________________ you fall asleep faster than (11) ___________________. About 40 per cent of adults have problems falling asleep (12) ___________________ a month.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistsfoundthatwritingato-dolisthelpsussleepfaster.To-dolistsh
elpustorelax.Wedon'tworryaboutthingswehavetodo.Wecanforgetab
outthem.Aresearchersaid:"Weliveina24/7cultureinwhichourto-doli
stsseemtobeconstantlygrowingandcausingustoworryaboutunfinish
edtasksatbedtime."Theresearcherslookedathowstudentsslept.Half
ofthemmadeato-dolistbeforetheyslept.Thosewhowroteato-dolistf
ellasleepabout9minutesfaster.Writingdetailedlistsmakesyoufallasle
epfasterthanwritingsimplelists.About40percentofadultshaveproble
msfallingasleepafewtimesamonth.

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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_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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