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FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Loss of Hearing
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

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Hearing in Young People Worsening (1st September, 2010)

A recent study shows the hearing of young people is getting worse. The report, appearing in the Journal of Adolescent Health, says there are two possible causes. One is because of the rise in popularity of personal music players like the iPods. Lead researcher professor Abbey Berg said, “just because there’s an association, it doesn’t mean cause and effect”. Other reasons include things like poor diet and environmental factors. Children from low-income families may not eat healthily, which can create hearing problems.

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The report showed that between 2001 and 2008, personal music player use rose fourfold. In that same period, hearing loss increased from 12.4 per cent to 19.2 per cent. The number of teenage girls reporting a ringing or buzzing in their ears nearly tripled. Researchers claim teenagers using headphones are 80 per cent more likely to suffer from poor hearing. Dr Berg suggested careful use of headphones. She recommends an hour a day is enough and the volume should be less than 60 per cent maximum.

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PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	getting	a.	in popularity
2	the rise	b.	diet
3.	cause and	c.	problems
4.	poor	d.	families
5.	low-income	e.	worse
6.	create hearing	f.	effect

Paragraph 2

1.	music player use rose	a.	to suffer
2	hearing loss increased	b.	than 60% maximum
3.	buzzing in	c.	fourfold
4.	80 per cent more likely	d.	their ears
5.	She recommends	e.	from 12.4 per cent
6.	the volume should be less	f.	an hour a day

LISTENING GAP FILL

A recent ______________________ of young people is getting worse. The report, appearing in the Journal of Adolescent Health, says ______________________. One is because of the ______________________ personal music players like the iPods. Lead researcher professor Abbey Berg said, “just because there’s an association, it doesn’t ______________________”. Other reasons ______________________ diet and environmental factors. Children from low-income families may not eat healthily, which can ______________________.

The report ______________________ and 2008, personal music player use rose fourfold. ______________________, hearing loss increased from 12.4 per cent to 19.2 per cent. The number of teenage girls ______________________ buzzing in their ears nearly tripled. Researchers claim teenagers using headphones are 80 per cent more ______________________ poor hearing. Dr Berg ______________________ of headphones. She recommends an hour a day is enough and the ______________________ than 60 per cent maximum.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A recent study shows the hearing of young people is getting (1) ____. The report, appearing in the Journal of Adolescent Health, says there are two possible (2) ____. One is because of the rise (3) ____ popularity of personal music players like the iPods. Lead researcher professor Abbey Berg said, “just because there’s an association, it doesn’t (4) ____ cause and effect”. Other reasons include things like poor (5) ____ and environmental factors. Children from low-income families may not eat healthily, which can create hearing problems.

The report showed that between 2001 and 2008, personal music player use (6) ____ fourfold. In that same period, hearing (7) ____ increased from 12.4 per cent to 19.2 per cent. The number of teenage girls reporting a ringing or buzzing in their ears nearly (8) ____. Researchers claim teenagers using headphones are 80 per cent more likely to suffer from poor hearing. Dr Berg suggested careful (9) ____ of headphones. She recommends an hour a day is enough and the volume should be less than 60 per cent (10) ____.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	worsen	(b)	worst	(c)	worse
2.	(a)	causes	(b)	cases	(c)	because
3.	(a)	on	(b)	in	(c)	by
4.	(a)	meaning	(b)	meant	(c)	mean
5.	(a)	dietary	(b)	diet	(c)	dietician
6.	(a)	rose	(b)	rising	(c)	rise
7.	(a)	lost	(b)	loss	(c)	lose
8.	(a)	threefold	(b)	triple	(c)	tripled
9.	(a)	use	(b)	abuse	(c)	reuse
10.	(a)	maximum	(b)	minimum	(c)	premium

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	A necrte study
2.	tinegtg worse
3.	two olbipses causes
4.	the rise in oripyputla
5.	cause and feetfc
6.	create inrgaeh problems
Paragraph 2
7.	eanlpors music player
8.	hearing loss rcasiende from 12.4
9.	egaeent girls
10.	gzznibu in their ears
11.	80 per cent more lileyk
12.	the uvlome should be less

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	the iPods. Lead researcher professor Abbey Berg said, “just because there’s an association, it doesn’t mean cause
( )	The report showed that between 2001 and 2008, personal music player use rose fourfold. In that same
( )	buzzing in their ears nearly tripled. Researchers claim teenagers using headphones are 80 per cent more
( )	period, hearing loss increased from 12.4 per cent to 19.2 per cent. The number of teenage girls reporting a ringing or
( 1 )	A recent study shows the hearing of young people is getting worse. The report, appearing in the Journal of Adolescent Health,
( )	hour a day is enough and the volume should be less than 60 per cent maximum.
( )	likely to suffer from poor hearing. Dr Berg suggested careful use of headphones. She recommends an
( )	says there are two possible causes. One is because of the rise in popularity of personal music players like
( )	factors. Children from low-income families may not eat healthily, which can create hearing problems.
( )	and effect”. Other reasons include things like poor diet and environmental

THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

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

1.	people The is hearing getting of worse young.
2.	in players popularity of The personal rise music.
3.	mean and doesn’t cause effect It.
4.	Other diet poor like things include reasons.
5.	healthily Children from low-income families may not eat.
6.	and personal use 2001 player Between 2008, music rose.
7.	to increased % 19.2 from Hearing % 12.4 loss
8.	of ringing teenage girls The reporting number a.
9.	poor hearing More . likely to suffer from
10.	is an enough hour a She day recommends.

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

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about hearing. Include imaginary an interview with a young person who is losing his/her hearing. 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 maker of personal music players. Ask him/her three questions about headphone use and loss of hearing. Give him/her three of your opinions on how people can save their hearing. 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 Loss of Hearing (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)