The e-Book
 
 

1,000 IDEAS & ACTIVITIES FOR
LANGUAGE
TEACHERS

See Sample


Home
Donate
E-mail this lesson to
a student /colleague


COPYRIGHT:
Please write to
me for permission.

 

Depression Makes Everything Grey (21st July, 2010)

Scientists have found out that depressed people do not see the world in full colour. They say depression causes people to see the world in shades of grey. The researchers say this makes the depression worse. When people are really unhappy, looking at a grey world all day makes them unhappier. Researchers from the University of Freiburg in Germany carried out tests on the eyes of depressed people. They found that depression affects vision and is similar to turning down the contrast on a television. The scientists believe they can measure levels of depression using this research.

Advertisements
 
 

Depression is a very dangerous thing. Many people have it without knowing. Many other people get so depressed they kill themselves. It kind of makes sense that depression affects your ability to see colour. All of the famous painters who made paintings about depression used grey and dark colours. It also might explain why depression is more common in darker countries. There are more suicides in countries like Sweden and Norway than in Caribbean countries. People in sunny countries wear more colourful clothes and seem happier.

Advertisements
 
 

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1


1.

see the world in

a.

worse

2

shades of

b.

world all day

3.

this makes the depression

c.

grey

4.

looking at a grey

d.

of depression

5.

carried out

e.

full colour

6.

measure levels

f.

tests

Paragraph 2


1.

Depression is a very

a.

sense

2

have it without

b.

and seem happier

3.

It kind of makes

c.

darker countries

4.

your ability

d.

dangerous thing

5.

more common in

e.

knowing

6.

wear more colourful clothes

f.

to see colour


LISTENING GAP FILL


Scientists _____________________ depressed people do not see the world in full colour. They say depression _____________________ the world in shades of grey. The researchers say this makes the depression worse. When people are really unhappy, looking _____________________ makes them unhappier. Researchers from the University of Freiburg in Germany carried _____________________ of depressed people. They found that depression affects _____________________ turning down the contrast on a television. The scientists believe _____________________ of depression using this research.
Depression _____________________ thing. Many people have it without knowing. Many other people get so depressed they kill themselves. It _____________________ depression affects your ability to see colour. All of the famous painters who made paintings about depression _____________________. It also might explain why depression _____________________ darker countries. There _____________________ countries like Sweden and Norway than in Caribbean countries. People in sunny countries wear more colourful _____________________.


MULTIPLE CHOICE


Scientists have found out that (1) ____ people do not see the world in full colour. They say depression causes people to see the world in (2) ____ of grey. The researchers say this makes the depression worse. When people are really unhappy, looking at a grey world (3) ____ day makes them unhappier. Researchers from the University of Freiburg in Germany carried (4) ____ tests on the eyes of depressed people. They found that depression affects vision and is similar to turning down the contrast on a television. The scientists believe they can (5) ____ levels of depression using this research.
Depression is a very dangerous thing. Many people have it without (6) ____. Many other people get so depressed they kill themselves. It kind of makes sense that depression affects your ability (7) ____ see colour. All of the famous painters who made paintings about depression used grey and dark colours. It also might explain why depression is more (8) ____ in darker countries. There are more (9) ____ in countries like Sweden and Norway than in Caribbean countries. People in sunny countries wear more colourful clothes and (10) ____ happier.
Put the correct words from this table into the article.


1.

(a)

depressed

(b)

depression

(c)

depress

2.

(a)

shadows

(b)

shading

(c)

shades

3.

(a)

all

(b)

whole

(c)

one

4.

(a)

in

(b)

out

(c)

away

5.

(a)

measures

(b)

measure

(c)

measuring

6.

(a)

knowledge

(b)

knowing

(c)

knowing

7.

(a)

at

(b)

by

(c)

to

8.

(a)

coming

(b)

common

(c)

comma

9.

(a)

suicides

(b)

suicidal

(c)

suicide

10.

(a)

seem

(b)

seems

(c)

seemingly


SPELLING


Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.


Paragraph 1

1.

pedsdseer people

2.

hssdae of grey

3.

people are really nypahup

4.

depression affects oiinvs

5.

rginnut down the contrast

6.

measure lseelv of depression

 

Paragraph 2

7.

a very ruogsedna thing

8.

they kill svlhmetees

9.

your tyiliab to see colour

10.

iaenpxl why

11.

There are more edsicsiu

12.

nnsyu countries


PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER


Number these lines in the correct order.


(    )

people to see the world in shades of grey. The researchers say this makes the depression worse. When people are

(    )

more common in darker countries. There are more suicides in countries like Sweden and Norway than in

(    )

turning down the contrast on a television. The scientists believe they can measure levels of depression using this research.

(    )

really unhappy, looking at a grey world all day makes them unhappier. Researchers from the University of Freiburg in

(    )

Germany carried out tests on the eyes of depressed people. They found that depression affects vision and is similar to

(    )

they kill themselves. It kind of makes sense that depression affects your ability to see colour. All of the famous painters

(    )

Caribbean countries. People in sunny countries wear more colourful clothes and seem happier.

(    )

who made paintings about depression used grey and dark colours. It also might explain why depression is

1  )

Scientists have found out that depressed people do not see the world in full colour. They say depression causes

(    )

Depression is a very dangerous thing. Many people have it without knowing. Many other people get so depressed


THE READING / TAPESCRIPT


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


1.

people    do    not    see    the    world    in    full    colour    Depressed.

2.

grey     of     shades     in     world     the     See.    

3.

Researchers     worse     depression     the     makes     this     say.    

4.

found     depression     vision     They     that     affects.    

5.

depression    can    measure    Scientists    levels    believe    of    they.   

6.

people     it     knowing     Many     have     without.    

7.

People     themselves     kill     they     depressed     so     get.    

8.

colour     see     to     ability     your     affects     Depression.    

9.

in     common     more     is     Depression     countries     darker.    

10.

clothes    countries    wear    People    more    in    colourful    sunny.   


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 depression 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. DEPRESSION: Search the Internet and find more information about depression. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about depression. Include imaginary an interview with someone who has depression. 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 a depressed person. Ask him/her three questions about depression. Give him/her three of your opinions on depression. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

Back to the top
 


 
 
 
 


Copyright © 2020 by Sean Banville | Privacy Policy | | Donate | Links