Some people in the UK are getting sick and it’s making it hard for them to work. There are 3.7 million people like this now, and that’s more than before. Young people are getting sick just like older people used to. Sick people have things like heart problems, sad or worried feelings, and pain in their bones.

The group that learned this, the Health Foundation, says we need to help these sick people more. They want the bosses and the government to do something to make people healthier. They also say that women and people who don’t have much money get sick more often. If we don’t help, there will be less work done and more problems for everyone. So, it’s very important to try to make things better for sick people who work.

Original news source: More illness among young affecting work ability (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Prepare a set of flashcards with key vocabulary from the article (e.g., sick, work, health, heart problems, bones, feelings, government, etc.). Divide the class into two teams. Have one student from a team draw a picture on the board representing one of the words without speaking or writing any letters or numbers. The rest of their team must guess the word in English within a time limit. If they guess correctly, they earn a point. Then, it’s the other team’s turn. This activity helps with vocabulary recognition and teamwork.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write down some statements related to the article’s content on the board (e.g., “It’s important to help people who are sick at work,” “Young people are getting sick like older people,” “The government should do more to help sick people,” etc.). Students walk around the room and ask their classmates if they agree or disagree with each statement, tallying the results. Afterward, discuss the collective opinions as a class, providing a practical application of language used for expressing opinions and conducting surveys.

– Charades
Instructions: Prepare slips of paper with phrases from the article such as “having heart problems,” “feeling sad or worried,” “experiencing pain,” “working while sick,” etc. Divide the class into small groups. Students take turns acting out the phrases without speaking while their teammates try to guess the phrase in English. This activity encourages comprehension and active engagement with the article’s content.

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Assign pairs of students the roles of a news reporter and a citizen. The reporter interviews the citizen about the increase in sick people in the UK and how it affects work, using information from the article. They should come up with at least three questions and answers. Encourage the use of new vocabulary and expressions learned from the article. After practicing, pairs can present their role-play to the class. This activity promotes speaking skills and contextual language use.

– Mind Map
Instructions: On the board, write the central theme of the article (e.g., “Sickness in the Workplace”). Ask students to suggest related ideas or words from the article, and draw branches from the central theme to these ideas. For example, branches could include “causes,” “effects,” “solutions,” and “groups affected.” Under each branch, add more specific details. This visual activity helps students organize information and reinforces understanding of the article’s key points.

Comprehension Questions:

1. How many people in the UK are getting sick and can’t work well?
2. Are both young and old people getting sick?
3. What are some of the problems sick people have?
4. Who found out that many people are getting sick?
5. What does the Health Foundation want bosses and the government to do?
6. Who gets sick more, women or men?
7. What will happen if we don’t help the sick people?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Some people in the UK are getting sick and it’s making it (1)______ for them to work. There are 3.7 million people like this now, and that’s more than before. (2)______ people are getting sick just like older people used to. Sick people have (3)______ like heart problems, sad or worried feelings, and pain in their (4)______.

The group that learned this, the Health Foundation, says we need to help these (5)______ people more. They (6)______ the bosses and the government to do something to make people healthier. They also say that women and people who don’t have much money get sick more often. If we don’t help, there will be less work done and more problems for everyone. So, it’s very important to try to (7)______ things better for sick (8)______ who work.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a doctor?
2. How do you feel when you are sick?
3. Do you like going to work or school?
4. What do you do when you feel sad or worried?
5. Do you think it’s important to help sick people?
6. How do you feel when your friend is sick?
7. What can you do to stay healthy?
8. Do you think the government should help sick people?
9. Why do you think some people don’t have much money?
10. What is something nice you can do for someone who is sick?
11. Do you think bosses should help people feel better at work?
12. Why is it good to have healthy people at work?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. sick
2. work
3. people
4. hard
5. problems
6. help
7. bosses
8. government

Meanings:
(a) To assist or support someone
(b) People who are in charge at a job
(c) Not feeling well or healthy
(d) Something you do to earn money
(e) The group of people who make decisions for a country
(f) Difficulties or challenges
(g) Difficult or not easy
(h) Humans in general
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How many people in the UK are getting sick and finding it hard to work?
(a) 3.7 million
(b) 1 million
(c) 500,000
(d) 10 million

2. Who is getting sick in the UK?
(a) Only young people
(b) Only older people
(c) No one is getting sick
(d) Young people and older people

3. What are some problems that sick people have?
(a) Happy feelings and strong bones
(b) No problems at all
(c) Headaches and stomachaches
(d) Heart problems, sad or worried feelings, and pain in their bones

4. Who is the group that wants to help sick people?
(a) The Government
(b) The Bosses
(c) The Health Foundation
(d) No one wants to help

5. Who gets sick more often?
(a) Men and people who have a lot of money
(b) Women and people who don’t have much money
(c) Women and people who have a lot of money
(d) Men and people who don’t have much money

6. What will happen if we don’t help sick people?
(a) Everything will stay the same
(b) Everyone will be happy
(c) There will be less work done and more problems for everyone
(d) More work will be done and fewer problems for everyone

7. Who should do something to make people healthier?
(a) No one should do anything
(b) The bosses and the government
(c) The sick people themselves
(d) The doctors and nurses

8. Why is it important to help sick people who work?
(a) So there will be less work done and more problems for everyone
(b) So sick people can take a break and relax
(c) So everyone can be healthy and happy
(d) So sick people can keep working and not feel bad

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. It’s not important to make things better for sick people who work.
2. Sick people can have heart problems, sad or worried feelings, and pain in their bones.
3. Men and people with more money get sick more often.
4. Young people are getting sick just like older people used to.
5. In the UK, few people are getting sick and it’s easy for them to work.
6. The Health Foundation does not want the bosses and the government to help sick people more.
7. If we don’t help sick people, there will be less work done and more problems for everyone.
8. There are now more than 3.7 million sick people in the UK.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. How many people in the UK are getting sick and can’t work?
2. Are young people getting sick too?
3. What kinds of problems do the sick people have?
4. Who wants to help the sick people?
5. Why do we need to help the sick people?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. How many people in the UK are getting sick and can’t work well?
3.7 million people are getting sick and it’s hard for them to work.

2. Are both young and old people getting sick?
Yes, young people and old people are both getting sick.

3. What are some of the problems sick people have?
Sick people have heart problems, feel sad or worried, and have pain in their bones.

4. Who found out that many people are getting sick?
The Health Foundation found out that many people are getting sick.

5. What does the Health Foundation want bosses and the government to do?
The Health Foundation wants bosses and the government to help make people healthier.

6. Who gets sick more, women or men?
Women and people with less money get sick more often.

7. What will happen if we don’t help the sick people?
If we don’t help, there will be less work done and more problems for everyone.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) hard
(2) Young
(3) things
(4) bones
(5) sick
(6) want
(7) make
(8) people
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. sick
Answer: (c) Not feeling well or healthy

2. work
Answer: (d) Something you do to earn money

3. people
Answer: (h) Humans in general

4. hard
Answer: (g) Difficult or not easy

5. problems
Answer: (f) Difficulties or challenges

6. help
Answer: (a) To assist or support someone

7. bosses
Answer: (b) People who are in charge at a job

8. government
Answer: (e) The group of people who make decisions for a country
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How many people in the UK are getting sick and finding it hard to work?
Answer: (a) 3.7 million

2. Who is getting sick in the UK?
Answer: (d) Young people and older people

3. What are some problems that sick people have?
Answer: (d) Heart problems, sad or worried feelings, and pain in their bones

4. Who is the group that wants to help sick people?
Answer: (c) The Health Foundation

5. Who gets sick more often?
Answer: (b) Women and people who don’t have much money

6. What will happen if we don’t help sick people?
Answer: (c) There will be less work done and more problems for everyone

7. Who should do something to make people healthier?
Answer: (b) The bosses and the government

8. Why is it important to help sick people who work?
Answer: (a) So there will be less work done and more problems for everyone
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. It’s not important to make things better for sick people who work. (Answer: False)
2. Sick people can have heart problems, sad or worried feelings, and pain in their bones. (Answer: True)
3. Men and people with more money get sick more often. (Answer: False)
4. Young people are getting sick just like older people used to. (Answer: True)
5. In the UK, few people are getting sick and it’s easy for them to work. (Answer: False)
6. The Health Foundation does not want the bosses and the government to help sick people more. (Answer: False)
7. If we don’t help sick people, there will be less work done and more problems for everyone. (Answer: True)
8. There are now more than 3.7 million sick people in the UK. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧