News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Beer
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Germans Are Drinking Less Beer

German beer lovers are not drinking so much beer these days. It seems their love affair with beer is over. Germany has released the latest figures on alcohol drinking. Beer sales are at their lowest levels since records began. They are 4.5% lower than this time last year. This is serious news because Germans are the world’s third-biggest beer drinkers, behind the Irish and Czechs. Beer sales are lower because of the recent smoking ban in pubs and restaurants. Higher prices and the cold weather have also turned people away from beer.

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I don’t understand how you can have a love affair with beer. It’s just a drink. I don’t think it’s a very nice drink. It gives a lot of people a headache and makes some people fight. I also read that beer is bad for your health. I know if you drink too much beer, you get a big stomach. That can’t be good for you. People should stop drinking so much beer. They can still have a good time if they drink other drinks. Hot chocolate or strawberry milkshake are really yummy. They are also cheaper and healthier than beer and wine.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	beer	a.	with beer is over
2	their love affair	b.	biggest beer drinkers
3.	the latest figures	c.	ban
4.	the world’s third-	d.	lovers
5.	the recent smoking	e.	away from beer
6.	turned people	f.	on alcohol drinking

Paragraph 2

1.	I don’t understand	a.	be good for you
2	It gives a lot of people	b.	how
3.	beer is bad	c.	a headache
4.	That can’t	d.	drinking so much beer
5.	People should stop	e.	than beer and wine
6.	cheaper and healthier	f.	for your health

LISTENING GAP FILL

German _________________ drinking so much beer these days. It seems their love _________________ over. Germany has released the latest figures on alcohol drinking. Beer sales are at their _________________ records began. They are 4.5% lower than this time last year. This is serious news because Germans _________________ -biggest beer drinkers, behind the Irish and Czechs. Beer sales are lower ___________________ smoking ban in pubs and restaurants. Higher prices and the cold weather _________________ urned people away from beer.

I don’t understand _________________ love affair with beer. It’s just a drink. I don’t think it’s a very nice drink. _________________ people a headache and makes some people fight. I also read that beer _________________ health. I know if you drink too much beer, you get a big stomach. That can’t be good for you. People should stop _________________ beer. They can still have a good time if they drink other drinks. Hot chocolate or strawberry milkshake _________________. They are also _________________ than beer and wine.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

German beer (1) ____ are not drinking so much beer these days. It seems their love affair with beer is (2) ____. Germany has released the latest figures on alcohol drinking. Beer sales are at their lowest levels since (3) ____ began. They are 4.5% lower than this time last year. This is serious news because Germans are the world’s third-biggest beer drinkers, (4) ____ the Irish and Czechs. Beer sales are lower because of the recent smoking ban in pubs and restaurants. Higher prices and the cold weather have also (5) ____ people away from beer.

I don’t understand how you can (6) ____ a love affair with beer. It’s just a drink. I don’t think it’s a very nice drink. It gives a lot of people a headache and (7) ____ some people fight. I also read that beer is bad for your health. I know if you drink too (8) ____ beer, you get a big stomach. That can’t be good for you. People should stop (9) ____ so much beer. They can still have a good time if they drink other drinks. Hot chocolate or strawberry milkshake are really (10) ____. They are also cheaper and healthier than beer and wine.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	lovers	(b)	loves	(c)	loving
2.	(a)	over	(b)	end	(c)	finish
3.	(a)	CDs	(b)	mp3s	(c)	records
4.	(a)	before	(b)	behind	(c)	back
5.	(a)	turning	(b)	turns	(c)	turned
6.	(a)	have	(b)	do	(c)	be
7.	(a)	made	(b)	making	(c)	makes
8.	(a)	much	(b)	many	(c)	most
9.	(a)	drink	(b)	drinking	(c)	drunk
10.	(a)	yummier	(b)	yummy	(c)	yum-yum

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	beer rvosel
2.	love fafrai
3.	sales are at their lowest eelvsl
4.	This is ersosiu news
5.	the ecertn smoking ban
6.	tndreu people away
Paragraph 2
7.	a edhaheca
8.	bad for your hlehat
9.	a big scohatm
10.	Hot oaoetcchl
11.	really mumyy
12.	elhrthiae than beer and wine

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	recent smoking ban in pubs and restaurants. Higher prices and the cold weather have also turned people away from beer.
( )	your health. I know if you drink too much beer, you get a big stomach. That can’t be good for you. People
( )	strawberry milkshake are really yummy. They are also cheaper and healthier than beer and wine.
( )	records began. They are 4.5% lower than this time last year. This is serious news because Germans
( )	should stop drinking so much beer. They can still have a good time if they drink other drinks. Hot chocolate or
( )	I don’t understand how you can have a love affair with beer. It’s just a drink. I don’t think it’s a very
( )	nice drink. It gives a lot of people a headache and makes some people fight. I also read that beer is bad for
( 1 )	German beer lovers are not drinking so much beer these days. It seems their love affair with beer is
( )	are the world’s third-biggest beer drinkers, behind the Irish and Czechs. Beer sales are lower because of the
( )	over. Germany has released the latest figures on alcohol drinking. Beer sales are at their lowest levels since

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	German drinking beer so lovers much are not.
2.	with affair love Their over is beer.
3.	since at levels began are lowest records Sales their.
4.	world’s biggest the - drinkers are third beer Germans.
5.	pubs The smoking in recent ban.
6.	beer a love You affair can with have.
7.	a a headache lot of It people gives.
8.	you That be for can’t good.
9.	a have still can They time good.
10.	also beer cheaper and They healthier are than.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

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

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about beer for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

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 more information about beer around the world. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about beer in your country. Include imaginary interviews with one person who loves beer and another person who hates it. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. 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.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to the boss of a German beer factory. Ask him/her three questions about beer. Give him/her three of your opinions on how to sell more beer. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Beer (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)