The Reading / Listening - Married People - Level 5

A new study says marital bliss has beneficial health effects. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University said being married reduces levels of a stress hormone called cortisol. Researchers tested for cortisol in the saliva of 572 adults on three different days. Multiple samples were taken throughout each day. The researchers found that the married people had less cortisol than people who were single, separated, divorced or widowed. The researchers said: "Married people tend to be healthier…but the mechanisms through which this occurs remain unclear."

The hormone cortisol has different functions in our body. It regulates blood sugar levels, immune responses and inflammation. It can increase the risk of heart disease and the chances of surviving cancer. High levels of cortisol are linked to mental conditions like anxiety and depression. Dr Sheldon Cohen said the data provide, "important insights into the way in which our intimate social relationships can…influence our health". Researcher Brian Chin added: "It is exciting to discover a physiological pathway that may explain how relationships influence health and disease."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Married People - Level 4 or  Married People - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.thehealthsite.com/news/did-you-hear-that-marriage-makes-you-happier-ag0217/
  • http://www.medicaldaily.com/married-people-have-lower-levels-stress-hormones-study-says-411108
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4221046/Marriage-makes-stressed-study-claims.html


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. marital
  2. being married
  3. a stress
  4. Multiple samples were taken
  5. married people had less
  6. single, separated, divorced or
  7. Married people tend
  8. mechanisms through which this
  1. throughout each day
  2. occurs remain unclear
  3. cortisol
  4. to be healthier
  5. bliss
  6. reduces levels
  7. hormone
  8. widowed

Paragraph 2

  1. It regulates
  2. It can increase the risk
  3. the chances of surviving
  4. mental conditions like
  5. provide important
  6. our intimate social
  7. discover a physiological
  8. how relationships
  1. relationships
  2. blood sugar levels
  3. influence health
  4. of heart disease
  5. pathway
  6. cancer
  7. insights
  8. anxiety

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A new study says (1) ___________________ has beneficial health effects. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University said being married reduces levels (2) ___________________ called cortisol. Researchers tested for cortisol (3) ___________________ of 572 adults on three different days. Multiple samples were taken throughout each day. The researchers found that the married people had less cortisol than people (4) ___________________, separated, divorced or widowed. The researchers said: "Married people (5) ___________________ healthier…but the mechanisms through which this occurs (6) ___________________."

The hormone cortisol has different (7) ___________________ body. It regulates blood sugar levels, immune responses and inflammation. It can (8) ___________________ of heart disease and the chances of surviving cancer. High levels of cortisol (9) ___________________ mental conditions like anxiety and depression. Dr Sheldon Cohen said the data provide, "important insights (10) ___________________ in which our intimate social relationships can…influence our health". Researcher Brian Chin added: "It is (11) ___________________ a physiological pathway that may explain how relationships (12) ___________________ disease."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Anewstudysaysmaritalblisshasbeneficialhealtheffects.Researchersf
romCarnegieMellonUniversitysaidbeingmarriedreduceslevelsofastr
esshormonecalledcortisol.Researcherstestedforcortisolinthesalivao
f572adultsonthreedifferentdays.Multiplesamplesweretakenthrough
outeachday.Theresearchersfoundthatthemarriedpeoplehadlesscort
isolthanpeoplewhoweresingle,separated,divorcedorwidowed.There
searcherssaid:"Marriedpeopletendtobehealthier…butthemechanis
msthroughwhichthisoccursremainunclear."Thehormonecortisolhas
differentfunctionsinourbody.Itregulatesbloodsugarlevels,immune
esponsesandinflammation.Itcanincreasetheriskofheartdiseaseandt
hechancesofsurvivingcancer.Highlevelsofcortisolarelinkedtomental
conditionslikeanxietyanddepression.DrSheldonCohensaidthedatap
rovide,"importantinsightsintothewayinwhichourintimatesocialrelati
onshipscan…influenceourhealth".ResearcherBrianChinadded:"Itise
xcitingtodiscoveraphysiologicalpathwaythatmayexplainhowrelation
shipsinfluencehealthanddisease."

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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