The Reading / Listening - Skull Shape - Level 0

A small bump is appearing on the skull of some smartphone users. It is big enough to feel. A doctor told the BBC about the bump. He said in the last ten years, he has seen more patients with the bump. A lot of people aged 18 to 30 have the bump. They spend many hours every day bent over their smartphones.

The doctor looked at 1,200 people aged 18 to 86. Younger people had more skull bumps. The bumps are because people bend their necks while looking at their phones. People bend their neck at an angle and it becomes sore. Doctors call this "text neck". Doctors told people to change their sitting position if their neck hurts.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Skull Shape - Level 1,  Skull Shape - Level 2   or  Skull Shape - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.livescience.com/65711-humans-growing-bony-skull-spikes.html
  • https://www.insider.com/smartphone-use-could-be-changing-our-skull-shape-scientists-find-2019-6
  • https://www.fudzilla.com/news/mobile/48880-humans-evolving-a-spike-on-the-back-of-the-head


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. A small bump is appearing
  2. some smartphone
  3. It is big enough
  4. A doctor told the BBC
  5. in the last
  6. he has seen more patients
  7. They spend many hours
  8. bent over their
  1. to feel
  2. every day
  3. with the bump
  4. smartphones
  5. users
  6. on the skull
  7. ten years
  8. about the bump

Paragraph 2

  1. 1,200 people aged
  2. Younger people had
  3. people bend their necks while
  4. People bend their neck
  5. it becomes
  6. Doctors call this
  7. change their sitting
  8. if their neck
  1. "text neck"
  2. 18 to 86
  3. hurts
  4. sore
  5. more skull bumps
  6. position
  7. at an angle
  8. looking at their phones

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A small bump (1) ___________________ the skull of some smartphone users. It is big (2) ___________________. A doctor told the BBC about the bump. He said (3) ___________________ ten years, he has seen (4) ___________________ the bump. A lot of people aged 18 to 30 (5) ___________________. They spend many hours every (6) ___________________ their smartphones.

The doctor looked at 1,200 (7) ___________________ to 86. Younger people (8) ___________________ bumps. The bumps are because people (9) ___________________ while looking at their phones. People bend their neck (10) ___________________ and it becomes sore. Doctors call this "text neck". Doctors told people (11) ___________________ sitting position if (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Asmallbumpisappearingontheskullofsomesmartphoneusers.Itisbig
enoughtofeel.AdoctortoldtheBBCaboutthebump.Hesaidinthelastten
years,hehasseenmorepatientswiththebump.Alotofpeopleaged18to
30havethebump.Theyspendmanyhourseverydaybentovertheirsma
rtphones.Thedoctorlookedat1,200peopleaged18to86.Youngerpeop
lehadmoreskullbumps.Thebumpsarebecausepeoplebendtheirnecks
whilelookingatourphones.Peoplebendtheirneckatanangleanditbeco
messore.Doctorscallthis"textneck".Doctorstoldpeopletochangethei
rsittingpositioniftheirneckhurts.

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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