The UK wants to make a plan to help men be healthier. Right now, men in the UK often do things like smoke and drink too much, which makes them live shorter lives than women. Men also get sick more often with things like heart problems and lung cancer. Some experts say men don’t know enough about health, so they don’t go to the doctor when they should. This new plan will try to help men understand health better.

Many men feel they have to be tough and not ask for help, which can make them ignore health problems. This is worse in places where people don’t have much money, and men die younger there. Health services don’t always work well for men, especially those with jobs that make it hard to see a doctor. Even though there are health checks available, not many men go to them. The new plan will try to make health services easier for men to use.

Original news source: Why men are so unhealthy – and what can be done (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– CHARADES
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will take turns acting out health-related words or phrases from the article, such as “doctor,” “smoking,” or “heart problems,” while the other groups guess what they are.

– OPINION POLL
Instructions: Prepare a few statements related to men’s health (e.g., “Men should visit the doctor regularly” or “Smoking is bad for health”). Have students walk around and ask their classmates to agree or disagree by showing thumbs up or thumbs down.

– VOCABULARY PICTIONARY
Instructions: Write key vocabulary words from the article (like “health,” “doctor,” “smoking,” “tough”) on slips of paper. Students take turns drawing a word and illustrating it on the board while the rest of the class guesses the word.

– THINK-PAIR-SHARE
Instructions: Ask students to think about why they think men might ignore their health. Have them share their ideas with a partner, then invite a few pairs to share their thoughts with the whole class.

– HEADLINE CREATION
Instructions: In small groups, have students create a catchy headline for the article about men’s health. Encourage them to use simple language and focus on the main idea of the article. Then, have each group share their headline with the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What does the UK want to help men with?
2. Why do men in the UK live shorter lives than women?
3. What are some health problems that men often have?
4. Why don’t some men go to the doctor?
5. How do many men feel about asking for help?
6. Where do men die younger, according to the article?
7. What will the new plan try to do for men?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The UK wants to make a plan to (1)______ men be healthier. Right now, men in the UK often do things like smoke and drink too much, which (2)______ them live shorter lives than women. Men also get sick more often with things like heart problems and lung cancer. Some experts say men don’t know (3)______ about health, so they don’t go to the doctor when they should. This new plan will try to help men understand health better.

(4)______ men feel they have to be tough and not ask for help, which can make them (5)______ health problems. This is (6)______ in places where people don’t have much money, and men die younger there. Health services don’t always work well for men, especially those with jobs that make it hard to see a doctor. Even though there are health checks (7)______, not many men go to them. The new plan will try to make health services (8)______ for men to use.
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💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is health to you?
2. Do you like to go to the doctor? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if someone you know is sick?
4. What is your favorite healthy food?
5. Do you think it is okay for men to ask for help? Why?
6. How do you feel when you see someone smoke?
7. What do you think makes people healthy?
8. Do you like to exercise? Why or why not?
9. How would you feel if you had to go to the doctor often?
10. What is a good way to help friends be healthy?
11. Do you think it is important to know about health? Why?
12. What do you do when you feel sick?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. plan
2. healthier
3. smoke
4. experts
5. ignore
6. tough
7. services
8. available
9. understand
10. easier

Meanings:
(A) Feeling better and strong
(B) Things that help people, like doctors and hospitals
(C) To not pay attention to something
(D) People who know a lot about something
(E) To breathe in the bad stuff from a cigarette
(F) Strong and not showing weakness
(G) To know what something means
(H) Ready for you to use or get
(I) A set of steps to do something
(J) Not hard to do or use
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What does the UK want to help men with?
(a) Money
(b) Health
(c) Food
(d) Work

2. What do many men in the UK do too much?
(a) Sleep
(b) Eat
(c) Smoke
(d) Play

3. What do men often get sick with?
(a) Headaches
(b) Colds
(c) Heart problems
(d) Stomach aches

4. Why don’t men go to the doctor?
(a) They don’t like doctors
(b) They don’t know enough about health
(c) They are too busy
(d) They are afraid of needles

5. How do many men feel about asking for help?
(a) Tough
(b) Happy
(c) Excited
(d) Sad

6. Where do men die younger?
(a) In big cities
(b) In warm places
(c) In cold places
(d) In places with little money

7. What do health services not always do well for men?
(a) Help them
(b) Give them food
(c) Teach them
(d) Make them happy

8. What will the new plan try to make easier for men?
(a) School
(b) Work
(c) Sports
(d) Health services

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Some men do not go to the doctor when they should.
2. The new plan will help men understand health better.
3. Health services are easy for men to use.
4. Men get sick more often with heart problems.
5. Men live shorter lives than women in the UK.
6. Many men think they should not be tough and ask for help.
7. The UK wants men to be less healthy.
8. Men in the UK do not smoke and drink too much.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Check your writing now with the best free AI for English writing!

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
Check your answers with our free English writing assistant!

1. What does the UK want to help men with?
2. Why do some men get sick more often?
3. What do some men think about asking for help?
4. Where do men live that have more health problems?
5. What will the new plan try to make easier for men?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What does the UK want to help men with?
The UK wants to help men be healthier.

2. Why do men in the UK live shorter lives than women?
Men live shorter lives than women because they smoke and drink too much.

3. What are some health problems that men often have?
Men often have heart problems and lung cancer.

4. Why don’t some men go to the doctor?
Some men don’t go to the doctor because they don’t know enough about health.

5. How do many men feel about asking for help?
Many men feel they have to be tough and not ask for help.

6. Where do men die younger, according to the article?
Men die younger in places where people don’t have much money.

7. What will the new plan try to do for men?
The new plan will try to help men understand health better and make it easier for them to see a doctor.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) help
(2) makes
(3) enough
(4) Many
(5) ignore
(6) worse
(7) available
(8) easier
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. plan
Answer: (I) A set of steps to do something

2. healthier
Answer: (A) Feeling better and strong

3. smoke
Answer: (E) To breathe in the bad stuff from a cigarette

4. experts
Answer: (D) People who know a lot about something

5. ignore
Answer: (C) To not pay attention to something

6. tough
Answer: (F) Strong and not showing weakness

7. services
Answer: (B) Things that help people, like doctors and hospitals

8. available
Answer: (H) Ready for you to use or get

9. understand
Answer: (G) To know what something means

10. easier
Answer: (J) Not hard to do or use
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What does the UK want to help men with?
Answer: (b) Health

2. What do many men in the UK do too much?
Answer: (c) Smoke

3. What do men often get sick with?
Answer: (c) Heart problems

4. Why don’t men go to the doctor?
Answer: (b) They don’t know enough about health

5. How do many men feel about asking for help?
Answer: (a) Tough

6. Where do men die younger?
Answer: (d) In places with little money

7. What do health services not always do well for men?
Answer: (a) Help them

8. What will the new plan try to make easier for men?
Answer: (d) Health services
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Some men do not go to the doctor when they should. (Answer: True)
2. The new plan will help men understand health better. (Answer: True)
3. Health services are easy for men to use. (Answer: False)
4. Men get sick more often with heart problems. (Answer: True)
5. Men live shorter lives than women in the UK. (Answer: True)
6. Many men think they should not be tough and ask for help. (Answer: False)
7. The UK wants men to be less healthy. (Answer: False)
8. Men in the UK do not smoke and drink too much. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧