A man who is 63 years old and has a sickness that makes it hard for him to walk got a special thing put in his back. This thing helps him walk again. Before he got this help, he could not leave his house much and he would fall down a lot. Now, he can walk for a long time and go up and down steps without any trouble. This special thing in his back makes walking much better for him.

The man’s name is Marc, and he lives in a place called Bordeaux in France. When the doctors turn on the special thing in his back, Marc can walk almost like he used to. He can go as far as four miles and is not scared of steps anymore. The doctors who made this special thing have helped other people who hurt their backs before. They hope this can help more people who have the same walking problems as Marc.

Original news source: Parkinson’s implant restores man’s ability to walk (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Write down actions related to the article (e.g., walking, falling, climbing stairs) on slips of paper. Students take turns drawing a slip and acting out the action without speaking. Their classmates guess the action in English, practicing vocabulary related to movement and health.

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. One student is the news reporter, and the other is Marc. The reporter asks Marc questions about his experience with the special device in his back, and Marc responds. This encourages students to practice asking and answering questions in English and to use vocabulary from the article.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Create a list of key vocabulary words from the article (e.g., walk, special, back, steps, doctors). Students take turns drawing a word from the list and illustrating it on the board without writing any words. The rest of the class tries to guess the word in English, linking the visual representation to the vocabulary.

– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: List some basic words from the article on the board (e.g., hard, special, walk, fall, help). Students work in pairs to come up with synonyms for these words, using a thesaurus if necessary. This helps expand their vocabulary and understanding of nuances in English.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Conduct a class survey by asking students if they think the special device in the man’s back is a good invention. Have them raise their hands for ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Then, ask volunteers to explain their opinion using simple English phrases. This activity encourages students to express their thoughts and practice speaking in front of others.

Comprehension Questions:

1. How old is the man who got help to walk again?
2. What did the doctors put in the man’s back?
3. What could the man not do before he got the special thing in his back?
4. Where does the man named Marc live?
5. What happens when the doctors turn on the special thing in Marc’s back?
6. How far can Marc walk now with the special thing in his back?
7. What are the doctors hoping to do for other people?
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A man who is 63 years old and has a sickness that makes it hard for him to walk got a special thing put in his (1)______. This thing helps him walk again. Before he got this help, he could not (2)______ his house much and he would fall down a lot. Now, he can walk for a long time and go up and down steps without any trouble. This (3)______ thing in his back makes walking much (4)______ for him.

The man’s name is (5)______, and he lives in a place called (6)______ in France. When the doctors turn on the special thing in his back, Marc can walk almost like he used to. He can go as far as four miles and is not scared of steps anymore. The doctors who made this special (7)______ have helped other (8)______ who hurt their backs before. They hope this can help more people who have the same walking problems as Marc.
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Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a special thing that helps you walk?
2. How would you feel if you could not walk?
3. Do you like to walk? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it is good to help people walk again? Why?
5. What is a doctor?
6. How would you feel if a doctor helped you walk?
7. Do you know someone who has trouble walking?
8. What can you do when you can walk?
9. Do you think walking up and down steps is easy or hard?
10. How far can you walk? Is it more or less than four miles?
11. Do you like to go outside your house? Why or why not?
12. Do you think it is important to help others? Why?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. walk
2. back
3. trouble
4. house
5. steps
6. doctors
7. hurt
8. special

Meanings:
(a) The part of your body behind your chest
(b) Problems or difficulties
(c) Things you go up and down to move between different levels
(d) Different and not like other things
(e) People who help you when you are sick
(f) Moving using your feet
(g) The place where you live
(h) To have pain in your body
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Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How old is the man who got the special thing in his back?
(a) 53
(b) 73
(c) 83
(d) 63

2. Where does Marc live?
(a) Paris
(b) London
(c) Bordeaux
(d) Berlin

3. What does the special thing in Marc’s back help him do?
(a) Walk
(b) Run
(c) Swim
(d) Jump

4. Before getting the special thing, what was hard for Marc to do?
(a) Talk
(b) Eat
(c) Walk
(d) Sleep

5. How far can Marc walk now with the special thing in his back?
(a) Four miles
(b) Four feet
(c) Four kilometers
(d) Four yards

6. What country is Bordeaux in?
(a) Spain
(b) France
(c) Italy
(d) Germany

7. What does the special thing in Marc’s back help him with?
(a) Dancing
(b) Walking
(c) Singing
(d) Reading

8. What do the doctors hope to do with the special thing?
(a) Play games
(b) Watch TV
(c) Go on vacation
(d) Help more people

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The man’s name is Marc and he lives in Paris, France.
2. Now, he struggles to walk for a long time and go up and down steps without any trouble.
3. They hope this can help more people with the same walking problems as Marc.
4. Before he got the special thing, he had trouble walking and would fall down a lot.
5. He can only walk as far as four blocks and is still scared of steps.
6. The doctors who made the special thing have helped other people with back problems before.
7. When the doctors turn on the special thing in his back, Marc can walk almost like he used to.
8. A 63-year-old man got something removed from his back, which worsened his ability to walk.
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. What did the doctors put in Marc’s back?
2. How did Marc feel before he got the special thing in his back?
3. Where does Marc live?
4. Can Marc walk up and down steps now?
5. What do the doctors want to do for other people?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. How old is the man who got help to walk again?
The man is 63 years old.

2. What did the doctors put in the man’s back?
The doctors put a special thing in his back.

3. What could the man not do before he got the special thing in his back?
Before, the man could not walk much and he would fall down a lot.

4. Where does the man named Marc live?
Marc lives in Bordeaux, France.

5. What happens when the doctors turn on the special thing in Marc’s back?
When the doctors turn it on, Marc can walk almost like he used to.

6. How far can Marc walk now with the special thing in his back?
Marc can walk up to four miles now.

7. What are the doctors hoping to do for other people?
The doctors hope to help more people walk better, like they did for Marc.
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Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) back
(2) leave
(3) special
(4) better
(5) Marc
(6) Bordeaux
(7) thing
(8) people
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Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. walk
Answer: (f) Moving using your feet

2. back
Answer: (a) The part of your body behind your chest

3. trouble
Answer: (b) Problems or difficulties

4. house
Answer: (g) The place where you live

5. steps
Answer: (c) Things you go up and down to move between different levels

6. doctors
Answer: (e) People who help you when you are sick

7. hurt
Answer: (h) To have pain in your body

8. special
Answer: (d) Different and not like other things
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How old is the man who got the special thing in his back?
Answer: (d) 63

2. Where does Marc live?
Answer: (c) Bordeaux

3. What does the special thing in Marc’s back help him do?
Answer: (a) Walk

4. Before getting the special thing, what was hard for Marc to do?
Answer: (c) Walk

5. How far can Marc walk now with the special thing in his back?
Answer: (a) Four miles

6. What country is Bordeaux in?
Answer: (b) France

7. What does the special thing in Marc’s back help him with?
Answer: (b) Walking

8. What do the doctors hope to do with the special thing?
Answer: (d) Help more people
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The man’s name is Marc and he lives in Paris, France. (Answer: False)
2. Now, he struggles to walk for a long time and go up and down steps without any trouble. (Answer: False)
3. They hope this can help more people with the same walking problems as Marc. (Answer: True)
4. Before he got the special thing, he had trouble walking and would fall down a lot. (Answer: True)
5. He can only walk as far as four blocks and is still scared of steps. (Answer: False)
6. The doctors who made the special thing have helped other people with back problems before. (Answer: True)
7. When the doctors turn on the special thing in his back, Marc can walk almost like he used to. (Answer: True)
8. A 63-year-old man got something removed from his back, which worsened his ability to walk. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧