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Health Resort For Stressed 5-Year-Olds (5th May, 2012)

At last, stressed kindergarten children have somewhere to go to get unstressed. Researchers in Germany have created a special “health resort” for 5-year-olds. Children feeling the pressure of life can de-stress with special massages and foot baths. They can also walk through wet grass without shoes and socks to get a feel for nature. Other therapies include skipping and lying quietly while thinking of their favourite things. The kindergarten has seen a 60 per cent reduction in children catching a cold.

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The researchers say they were worried about adult pressures passing on to children. Youngsters are very sensitive and easily pick up on their parents’ feelings. They are also learning to worry about things like money from a very young age. A spokeswoman for the project, Sylvia Gross, 49, said children also have hectic timetables, which increases their stress levels. She said: “Much is required from children today. They rush from one appointment to the next without barely a chance to breathe.”

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.
Paragraph 1

1.

children have somewhere

a.

reduction

2

feeling the pressure

b.

wet grass

3.

walk through

c.

quietly

4.

lying

d.

a cold

5.

a 60 per cent

e.

of life

6.

catching

f.

to go

Paragraph 2

1.

worried about adult

a.

very young age

2

easily pick up on their

b.

to the next

3.

from a

c.

pressures

4.

increases their

d.

to breathe

5.

rush from one appointment

e.

stress levels

6.

barely a chance

f.

parents’ feelings


LISTENING GAP FILL


At last, stressed kindergarten children have somewhere to go ____________________. Researchers in Germany have created a special “health resort” for 5-year-olds. Children feeling the ____________________ can de-stress with special massages and foot baths. They can also walk ____________________ without shoes and socks to ____________________ nature. Other therapies include skipping and ____________________ thinking of their favourite things. The kindergarten has seen a 60 per cent reduction in children ____________________.
The researchers say they were worried ____________________ passing on to children. Youngsters are very ____________________ pick up on their parents’ feelings. They are also ____________________ about things like money from a very young age. A spokeswoman for the project, Sylvia Gross, 49, said children also have ____________________, which increases their stress levels. She said: “____________________ from children today. They rush from one appointment to the next without ____________________ to breathe.”


MULTIPLE CHOICE


At last, stressed kindergarten children have somewhere to go to (1) ____ unstressed. Researchers in Germany have created a special “health resort” for 5-year-olds. Children (2) ____ the pressure of life can de-stress with special massages and foot baths. They can also walk through (3) ____ grass without shoes and socks to get a feel (4) ____ nature. Other therapies include skipping and lying quietly (5) ____ thinking of their favourite things. The kindergarten has seen a 60 per cent reduction (6) ____ children catching a cold.
The researchers say they were worried about adult pressures (7) ____ on to children. Youngsters are very sensitive and easily pick (8) ____ on their parents’ feelings. They are also learning to worry about things (9) ____ money from a very young age. A spokeswoman for the project, Sylvia Gross, 49, said children also have (10) ____ timetables, which increases their stress levels. She said: “(11) ____ is required from children today. They rush from one appointment to the next without (12) ____ a chance to breathe.”
Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.

(a)

let

(b)

set

(c)

get

2.

(a)

feeling

(b)

failing

(c)

falling

3.

(a)

rain

(b)

wet

(c)

tepid

4.

(a)

for

(b)

by

(c)

as

5.

(a)

whose

(b)

whichever

(c)

while

6.

(a)

on

(b)

in

(c)

up

7.

(a)

coming

(b)

heading

(c)

passing

8.

(a)

down

(b)

up

(c)

along

9.

(a)

like

(b)

hate

(c)

similar

10.

(a)

attic

(b)

arctic

(c)

hectic

11.

(a)

Much

(b)

Most

(c)

Many

12

(a)

beastly

(b)

barely

(c)

lastly


SPELLING


Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1

1.

eakgnirtdnre children

2.

get ssrsudtnee

3.

feeling the uerepssr

4.

special assemsga

5.

lying qyuteil

6.

iangtchc a cold

 

Paragraph 2

7.

very eiintesvs

8.

their parents’ geslefin

9.

spokeswoman for the pejtcor

10.

ecihtc timetables

11.

Much is reiuqder

12.

a chance to beatrhe


PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER


Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )

pressure of life can de-stress with special massages and foot baths. They can also walk through wet

(    )

skipping and lying quietly while thinking of their favourite things. The kindergarten has

(    )

seen a 60 per cent reduction in children catching a cold.

(    )

from one appointment to the next without barely a chance to breathe.”

(    )

unstressed. Researchers in Germany have created a special “health resort” for 5-year-olds. Children feeling the

(    )

increases their stress levels. She said: “Much is required from children today. They rush

(    )

on to children. Youngsters are very sensitive and easily pick up on their parents’

1  )

At last, stressed kindergarten children have somewhere to go to get

(    )

grass without shoes and socks to get a feel for nature. Other therapies include

(    )

The researchers say they were worried about adult pressures passing

(    )

feelings. They are also learning to worry about things like money from a very

(    )

young age. A spokeswoman for the project, Sylvia Gross, 49, said children also have hectic timetables, which


THE READING / TAPESCRIPT


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

1.

go     to     somewhere     have     children     kindergarten     Stressed.    

2.

of     life     can     de-stress     Children     feeling     the     pressure.    

3.

socks     grass     without     Walk     shoes     through     and     wet.    

4.

while     things     thinking     of     Lying     their     quietly     favourite.    

5.

a     A     reduction     catching     %     children     cold     60     in.    

6.

Worried    on    about     to     adult     children     pressures     passing.    

7.

Easily     feelings     parents’     their     on     up     pick.    

8.

things     about     worry     to     Learning     money     like.    

9.

required     children     is     from     today     Much.    

10.

next     one     appointment     They     to     rush     the     from.    


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 stress 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. STRESS: Search the Internet and find more information about stress. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about the health resort for kids. Include an imaginary interview with the project leader and a stressed kid. 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 stress expert. Ask him/her three questions about stress. Give him/her three of your opinions on it. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

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