A report says young people today are more often not working because they feel very sad or sick in their minds than older people. This is different from before when older people were more likely not to work because they were sick. Now, many young people feel very sad or have trouble with their feelings, which makes it hard for them to go to school or find jobs. About 5 out of 100 young people can’t work because they are not feeling well in their minds. The report also says young people are the most unhappy group, with about 34 out of 100 feeling very sad or having problems with their feelings.

The report talks about how not going to university makes things harder for young people who feel very sad, especially if they don’t have many school papers. More young women feel sadder than young men. The report says schools need to help students feel better and learn more. Some people who know a lot about health say it’s very important to have good jobs and learn a lot to stay healthy. They don’t want young people to miss out on life because they are feeling very sad. They also say that looking for likes on the internet makes young people feel worse, not better.

Original news source: More people in early 20s out of work from ill health than early 40s – study (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will read the article and summarize the main points. They should take turns sharing their summaries with their partner and compare their understanding of the article.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a list of vocabulary words from the article. One student from each group will choose a word and draw a picture representing that word, while the other group members try to guess the word. The group that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– Charades
Instructions: Write down different emotions and feelings from the article on separate pieces of paper. One student will pick a paper and act out the emotion or feeling without speaking, while the other students try to guess what it is. The student who guesses correctly gets a point and then takes a turn acting out the next emotion or feeling.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Have students think individually about the following question: “What do you think are some reasons why young people today feel sad or have trouble with their feelings?” Then, pair them up and have them discuss their thoughts with their partner. Finally, bring the class back together and have a few pairs share their ideas with the whole group.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article (e.g. “Young people today are more unhappy than older people”). Have students stand on one side of the room if they agree with the statement and on the other side if they disagree. Then, ask a few students from each side to explain their opinion. Finally, have a class discussion about the different viewpoints.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. Why are some young people not working?
2. How do young people feel when they are not feeling well in their minds?
3. How many young people out of 100 can’t work because they are not feeling well?
4. Who is the most unhappy group of people?
5. Why is it harder for young people who feel very sad if they don’t go to university?
6. Who feels sadder, young women or young men?
7. Why is it important for schools to help students feel better and learn more?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

A report says young people today are more often not working because they feel very sad or sick in their (1)______ than older people. This is different from before when older people were more likely not to work because they were sick. Now, (2)______ young people feel very sad or have trouble with their feelings, which makes it hard for them to go to school or find jobs. About 5 out of 100 young (3)______ can’t work because they are not feeling well in their minds. The report also (4)______ young people are the most unhappy group, with about 34 out of 100 feeling very sad or having problems with their (5)______ings.

The report talks about how not going to university makes things (6)______ for young people who feel very sad, especially if they don’t have many school papers. More young women feel sadder than young men. The report says schools need to help students feel better and learn more. Some people who know a lot about (7)______ say it’s very important to (8)______ good jobs and learn a lot to stay healthy. They don’t want young people to miss out on life because they are feeling very sad. They also say that looking for likes on the internet makes young people feel worse, not better.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is it like to feel sad or sick in your mind?
2. How would you feel if you couldn’t go to school or find a job?
3. Do you like going to school? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to have good jobs and learn a lot? Why or why not?
5. How do you think schools can help students feel better and learn more?
6. Why do you think more young women feel sadder than young men?
7. How do you feel when you get a lot of likes on the internet?
8. Do you think looking for likes on the internet makes young people feel better or worse? Why or why not?
9. What do you think can make young people feel better when they are feeling very sad?
10. How do you think missing out on life because of feeling sad would make you feel?
11. Do you know anyone who feels very sad or has trouble with their feelings? How does it affect them?
12. What do you think can be done to help young people who feel very sad or sick in their minds?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. report
2. university
3. jobs
4. health
5. students
6. internet
7. unhappy
8. learn
9. feelings
10. important

Meanings:
(A) A story that tells us what’s happening or what was found out
(B) To get new knowledge in your head
(C) How your heart feels, like happy, sad, or mad
(D) Work that people do to earn money
(E) Something that you really need to pay attention to because it matters a lot
(F) A place on computers where you can see lots of pictures and words
(G) When you feel sad or not good
(H) A big school where older kids go to learn after high school
(I) Kids who go to school to know new things
(J) How your body feels, if it’s sick or strong
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Why are young people today more likely to not work?
(a) Because they feel very sad or sick in their minds
(b) Because they are lazy
(c) Because they don’t want to go to school
(d) Because they are too busy playing video games

2. How many young people out of 100 can’t work because they are not feeling well in their minds?
(a) 10
(b) 50
(c) 5
(d) 100

3. According to the report, who is the most unhappy group?
(a) Older people
(b) Middle-aged people
(c) Babies
(d) Young people

4. Why does not going to university make things harder for young people who feel very sad?
(a) Because they don’t have many school papers
(b) Because they don’t like school
(c) Because they are not smart enough
(d) Because they are too busy with their hobbies

5. Who feels sadder, young women or young men?
(a) Young men
(b) Both feel the same
(c) Babies
(d) Young women

6. What do some people who know a lot about health say is important to stay healthy?
(a) Eating a lot of junk food
(b) Having good jobs and learning a lot
(c) Watching TV all day
(d) Sleeping all the time

7. Why do some people say looking for likes on the internet makes young people feel worse?
(a) Because it makes them feel happy
(b) Because it doesn’t make them feel better
(c) Because it helps them make friends
(d) Because it gives them money

8. What does the report say schools need to do to help students?
(a) Give them lots of homework
(b) Make them feel worse and learn less
(c) Make them feel better and learn more
(d) Give them more video games to play

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Before, older people were more likely not to work because they were sick.
2. About 5 out of 100 young people can work even if they are not feeling well in their minds.
3. More young women feel sadder than young men.
4. Many young people feel very happy and have no trouble with their feelings, which makes it easy for them to go to school or find jobs.
5. Going to university makes things easier for young people who feel very sad, especially if they have many school papers.
6. Young people today often don’t work because they feel very sad or sick in their minds.
7. Schools don’t need to help students feel better and learn more.
8. Young people are the most unhappy group, with about 34 out of 100 feeling very sad or having problems with their feelings.
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. Why are young people not working?
2. How do young people feel when they are not working?
3. What makes it hard for young people to go to school or find jobs?
4. How many young people can’t work because they are not feeling well in their minds?
5. Who feels sadder, young women or young men?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Why are some young people not working?
Some young people are not working because they feel sad or sick in their minds.

2. How do young people feel when they are not feeling well in their minds?
When young people are not feeling well in their minds, they feel very sad or have trouble with their feelings.

3. How many young people out of 100 can’t work because they are not feeling well?
About 5 out of 100 young people can’t work because they are not feeling well.

4. Who is the most unhappy group of people?
Young people are the most unhappy group of people.

5. Why is it harder for young people who feel very sad if they don’t go to university?
It is harder for young people who feel very sad if they don’t go to university because not going to university makes things harder for them.

6. Who feels sadder, young women or young men?
Young women feel sadder than young men.

7. Why is it important for schools to help students feel better and learn more?
It is important for schools to help students feel better and learn more because it helps them stay healthy and not miss out on life.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) minds
(2) many
(3) people
(4) says
(5) feel
(6) harder
(7) health
(8) have
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. report
Answer: (A) A story that tells us what’s happening or what was found out

2. university
Answer: (H) A big school where older kids go to learn after high school

3. jobs
Answer: (D) Work that people do to earn money

4. health
Answer: (J) How your body feels, if it’s sick or strong

5. students
Answer: (I) Kids who go to school to know new things

6. internet
Answer: (F) A place on computers where you can see lots of pictures and words

7. unhappy
Answer: (G) When you feel sad or not good

8. learn
Answer: (B) To get new knowledge in your head

9. feelings
Answer: (C) How your heart feels, like happy, sad, or mad

10. important
Answer: (E) Something that you really need to pay attention to because it matters a lot
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Why are young people today more likely to not work?
Answer: (a) Because they feel very sad or sick in their minds

2. How many young people out of 100 can’t work because they are not feeling well in their minds?
Answer: (c) 5

3. According to the report, who is the most unhappy group?
Answer: (d) Young people

4. Why does not going to university make things harder for young people who feel very sad?
Answer: (a) Because they don’t have many school papers

5. Who feels sadder, young women or young men?
Answer: (d) Young women

6. What do some people who know a lot about health say is important to stay healthy?
Answer: (b) Having good jobs and learning a lot

7. Why do some people say looking for likes on the internet makes young people feel worse?
Answer: (b) Because it doesn’t make them feel better

8. What does the report say schools need to do to help students?
Answer: (c) Make them feel better and learn more
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Before, older people were more likely not to work because they were sick. (Answer: True)
2. About 5 out of 100 young people can work even if they are not feeling well in their minds. (Answer: False)
3. More young women feel sadder than young men. (Answer: True)
4. Many young people feel very happy and have no trouble with their feelings, which makes it easy for them to go to school or find jobs. (Answer: False)
5. Going to university makes things easier for young people who feel very sad, especially if they have many school papers. (Answer: False)
6. Young people today often don’t work because they feel very sad or sick in their minds. (Answer: True)
7. Schools don’t need to help students feel better and learn more. (Answer: False)
8. Young people are the most unhappy group, with about 34 out of 100 feeling very sad or having problems with their feelings. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧