In the UK, more people who have jobs are getting sick in ways that make it hard for them to work. About 3.7 million workers have health problems that limit their work, which is more than before. Young people are getting sick just like older workers used to. This is a big change from 10 years ago.
The sicknesses that stop people from working well are often long-lasting, like heart problems, feeling very sad or worried, and pain in their bones. The Health Foundation, which studied this, says the government and bosses need to help workers stay healthy. They also say that women and people who don’t have much money get sick more often. When workers are not healthy, they can’t do their best at work, and this can cost everyone money and make more work for doctors and hospitals.
The Health Foundation is worried because more workers in the UK are getting sick. They say we need to do something fast to help. The government and bosses should make sure workers can stay healthy. If we don’t help sick workers, it will be bad for them, cost a lot of money, and make things hard for everyone.
Original news source: More illness among young affecting work ability (BBC)
Listen
Slow
Normal
Fast
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs. Have each pair read the article and work together to write a short summary of the main points in their own words. Encourage them to focus on the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the article. After they have written their summaries, ask a few pairs to share their work with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write some statements about workplace health on the board (e.g., “Employers should do more to prevent workplace illnesses,” “Young people are more stressed at work than before,” etc.). Students walk around the room and sign their names under the statements they agree with. Afterward, discuss which statements had the most signatures and why students agree or disagree with them.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Prepare a list of key vocabulary words from the article (e.g., “workers,” “health problems,” “government,” “bosses,” “heart problems,” etc.). Divide the class into two teams. One student from a team comes to the front and selects a word. They must draw it on the board without writing any letters or numbers, while their team tries to guess the word. Continue until all words have been guessed, and then tally up the points to see which team wins.
– Role-play: News Reporter
Instructions: Divide students into groups of three. Assign roles within each group: one student is the news reporter, another is a worker affected by health problems, and the third is a representative from the Health Foundation. Each group prepares a short news interview based on the article’s information, with the reporter asking questions and the other two responding based on their assigned roles. After preparation, groups perform their role-plays in front of the class.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask a question related to the article such as, “What can employers do to help improve the health of their workers?” Students first think about the question individually, then pair up with another student to discuss their thoughts. After sharing with their partner, pairs will share their ideas with the larger class. This activity encourages students to think critically and articulate their ideas in English.
Comprehension Questions:
1. How many workers in the UK have health problems that make it hard for them to work?
2. Are young people getting sick in the same way as older workers?
3. What kinds of sicknesses are making it hard for people to work?
4. Who needs to help workers stay healthy, according to the Health Foundation?
5. Which groups of people get sick more often?
6. What happens when workers are not healthy?
7. Why is the Health Foundation worried about sick workers?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
In the UK, more people who have (1)______ are getting sick in ways that make it hard for them to work. About 3.7 million (2)______ have health problems that limit their work, which is more than before. Young people are getting sick just like older workers (3)______ to. This is a big change from 10 years ago.
The sicknesses that (4)______ people from working well are often long-lasting, like heart problems, feeling very sad or worried, and pain in their bones. The (5)______ Foundation, which (6)______ this, says the government and bosses need to help workers stay healthy. They also say that women and people who don’t have (7)______ money get sick (8)______ often. When workers are not healthy, they can’t do their best at work, and this can cost everyone money and make more work for doctors and hospitals.
The Health Foundation is (9)______ because more workers in the UK are getting sick. They say we need to do something fast to help. The government and (10)______ should (11)______ sure workers can stay healthy. If we don’t help sick workers, it will be bad for them, (12)______ a lot of money, and make things hard for everyone.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is a job?
2. How would you feel if you got sick and couldn’t go to your job?
3. Do you like going to the doctor when you are sick? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it is important for bosses to help their workers stay healthy? Why?
5. What can people do to not get sick?
6. Have you ever felt very sad or worried? What did you do to feel better?
7. Why do you think women and people with less money get sick more often?
8. How do you stay healthy so you can do your best at school or work?
9. Do you think the government should help sick workers? Why or why not?
10. What happens when someone in your family gets sick? Who takes care of them?
11. Do you know anyone with a long-lasting sickness? How does it affect their life?
12. If you were a boss, what would you do to make sure your workers are healthy?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. jobs
2. sick
3. workers
4. health problems
5. young people
6. long-lasting
7. government
8. help
Meanings:
(a) People who have jobs
(b) People who are not old yet
(c) The things people do to earn money
(d) Something that lasts for a long time
(e) Issues with the body that make it hard to be healthy
(f) Not feeling well or being unwell
(g) The people who make rules and decisions for a country
(h) To give support or assistance to someone in need
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. How many workers in the UK have health problems that limit their work?
(a) 3.7 million
(b) 2 million
(c) 5 million
(d) 1 million
2. What kind of sicknesses can stop people from working well?
(a) Short-term sicknesses like the flu or a cold
(b) Sicknesses that only affect older people
(c) Sicknesses that only affect women
(d) Long-lasting sicknesses like heart problems, feeling very sad or worried, and pain in their bones
3. Who did the Health Foundation say needs to help workers stay healthy?
(a) The government and bosses
(b) Doctors and hospitals
(c) Teachers and students
(d) Parents and children
4. Who gets sick more often, according to the Health Foundation?
(a) Men and people who have a lot of money
(b) Women and people who don’t have much money
(c) Young people and people who have a lot of money
(d) Older people and people who don’t have much money
5. Why is it important for workers to stay healthy?
(a) It costs a lot of money if workers get sick
(b) It makes things hard for everyone if workers get sick
(c) They can’t do their best at work if they’re not healthy
(d) All of the above
6. What is the Health Foundation worried about?
(a) More workers in other countries getting sick
(b) More bosses in the UK getting sick
(c) More doctors in the UK getting sick
(d) More workers in the UK getting sick
7. Who should make sure workers can stay healthy, according to the Health Foundation?
(a) Doctors and hospitals
(b) Teachers and students
(c) The government and bosses
(d) Parents and children
8. What will happen if we don’t help sick workers, according to the article?
(a) It will only be bad for them
(b) It will be bad for them, cost a lot of money, and make things hard for everyone
(c) It will only cost a lot of money
(d) It will only make things hard for everyone
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. When workers are healthy, it has no effect on their performance at work and can lead to decreased costs for everyone, including doctors and hospitals.
2. The Health Foundation is concerned about the rising number of sick workers in the UK and urges immediate action to help them.
3. Young people are now getting sick like older workers used to, which is a big change from 10 years ago.
4. Around 3.7 million workers in the UK have health problems that limit their ability to work.
5. The sicknesses that enable people to work well are often short-lived and include heart problems, feeling happy or indifferent, and bone strength.
6. The Health Foundation suggests that the government and employers should support workers in staying healthy.
7. Men and people with high income tend to get sick more frequently.
8. In the UK, fewer people with jobs are getting sick and finding it easy to work.
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 is happening to workers in the UK?
2. Are young people or older workers getting sick more often now?
3. What kinds of health problems are making it hard for people to work?
4. Who does the Health Foundation think should help workers stay healthy?
5. Why is it a problem if workers are not healthy?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. How many workers in the UK have health problems that make it hard for them to work?
About 3.7 million workers have health problems that make their work difficult.
2. Are young people getting sick in the same way as older workers?
Yes, young people are getting sick just like older workers used to.
3. What kinds of sicknesses are making it hard for people to work?
Sicknesses like heart problems, feeling very sad or worried, and pain in the bones are making it hard for people to work.
4. Who needs to help workers stay healthy, according to the Health Foundation?
The government and bosses need to help workers stay healthy.
5. Which groups of people get sick more often?
Women and people who don’t have much money get sick more often.
6. What happens when workers are not healthy?
When workers are not healthy, they can’t do their best at work. This costs money and creates more work for doctors and hospitals.
7. Why is the Health Foundation worried about sick workers?
The Health Foundation is worried because if we don’t help sick workers, it will be bad for them, cost a lot of money, and make things hard for everyone.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) jobs
(2) workers
(3) used
(4) stop
(5) Health
(6) studied
(7) much
(8) more
(9) worried
(10) bosses
(11) make
(12) cost
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. jobs
Answer: (c) The things people do to earn money
2. sick
Answer: (f) Not feeling well or being unwell
3. workers
Answer: (a) People who have jobs
4. health problems
Answer: (e) Issues with the body that make it hard to be healthy
5. young people
Answer: (b) People who are not old yet
6. long-lasting
Answer: (d) Something that lasts for a long time
7. government
Answer: (g) The people who make rules and decisions for a country
8. help
Answer: (h) To give support or assistance to someone in need
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. How many workers in the UK have health problems that limit their work?
Answer: (a) 3.7 million
2. What kind of sicknesses can stop people from working well?
Answer: (d) Long-lasting sicknesses like heart problems, feeling very sad or worried, and pain in their bones
3. Who did the Health Foundation say needs to help workers stay healthy?
Answer: (a) The government and bosses
4. Who gets sick more often, according to the Health Foundation?
Answer: (b) Women and people who don’t have much money
5. Why is it important for workers to stay healthy?
Answer: (c) They can’t do their best at work if they’re not healthy
6. What is the Health Foundation worried about?
Answer: (d) More workers in the UK getting sick
7. Who should make sure workers can stay healthy, according to the Health Foundation?
Answer: (c) The government and bosses
8. What will happen if we don’t help sick workers, according to the article?
Answer: (b) It will be bad for them, cost a lot of money, and make things hard for everyone
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. When workers are healthy, it has no effect on their performance at work and can lead to decreased costs for everyone, including doctors and hospitals. (Answer: False)
2. The Health Foundation is concerned about the rising number of sick workers in the UK and urges immediate action to help them. (Answer: True)
3. Young people are now getting sick like older workers used to, which is a big change from 10 years ago. (Answer: True)
4. Around 3.7 million workers in the UK have health problems that limit their ability to work. (Answer: True)
5. The sicknesses that enable people to work well are often short-lived and include heart problems, feeling happy or indifferent, and bone strength. (Answer: False)
6. The Health Foundation suggests that the government and employers should support workers in staying healthy. (Answer: True)
7. Men and people with high income tend to get sick more frequently. (Answer: False)
8. In the UK, fewer people with jobs are getting sick and finding it easy to work. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧
