Scientists think they know why some people get a headache from a little bit of red wine. They say it might be because of something in the grapes called quercetin. Quercetin is a good thing in grapes that can mess up how our bodies handle alcohol. They also say that fancier red wines might make headaches worse than cheaper ones.

People used to think that headaches from red wine were caused by other things in the wine. But the scientists aren’t sure that’s true. They also say that some people from Asia can’t handle alcohol well because of their genes. The scientists did tests and saw that quercetin can stop our bodies from breaking down alcohol, which might cause headaches.

The scientists want to do a test with people who get headaches from red wine. They would give some people quercetin and others a fake pill to see what happens. Other experts think there could be different things in wine that cause headaches. But everyone agrees that drinking too much alcohol is really bad for your health.

Original news source: Red-wine headache explained – and it is not about volume (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Split the class into pairs. One student is a news reporter, and the other is a scientist who conducted the study on red wine and headaches. The reporter interviews the scientist about their findings, asking questions about quercetin, how it affects the body, and the proposed study on people who get headaches. Encourage the use of past simple for the study’s findings and future simple for the proposed study.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary from the article (headache, red wine, quercetin, grapes, alcohol, genes, test) on separate pieces of paper. Students take turns drawing the vocabulary items on the board without using any letters or numbers, while the rest of the class tries to guess the word. This activity will help students remember the new vocabulary in a fun and interactive way.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements based on the article (e.g., “Red wine always gives me a headache,” “Expensive wine is better than cheap wine,” “Some people are more sensitive to alcohol due to genetics”). Students walk around the room and ask their classmates whether they agree or disagree with each statement, tallying the results. Discuss the class’s opinions as a group, encouraging students to use expressions of agreement and disagreement.

– Mind Map
Instructions: On the board, write the word “Red Wine Headaches” and circle it. Ask the students to brainstorm everything they know or have learned from the article related to this central idea. As students shout out ideas, draw branches from the central idea and add their contributions to create a mind map. This activity helps with recall and the organization of information.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: After discussing the article, ask students to make predictions about the future based on the information provided. Students can predict the outcomes of the proposed study with quercetin, the potential for new treatments for red wine headaches, or how this discovery might influence wine consumption. Encourage the use of “will” for future predictions. Students can share their predictions with the class, and the class can vote on which they think are the most likely to happen.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What do scientists think might cause headaches when some people drink a little red wine?
2. What is quercetin and where is it found?
3. Do more expensive red wines cause more headaches than cheaper ones?
4. What did people used to blame for headaches caused by red wine?
5. Why do some people from Asia have trouble with alcohol?
6. What kind of test do scientists want to do with people who get headaches from red wine?
7. Do all experts agree on what causes headaches from wine?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Scientists think they know why some (1)______ get a headache from a little bit of red wine. They say it might be because of some(2)______ in the grapes called quercetin. Quercetin is a good thing in grapes that can mess up how our bodies (3)______ alcohol. They also say that fancier red (4)______ might make headaches worse than cheaper ones.

People used to think that headaches from red wine were (5)______ by (6)______ things in the wine. But the scientists aren’t sure that’s true. They also say that some people from Asia can’t handle alcohol well because of their genes. The (7)______ did (8)______s and saw that quercetin can stop our bodies from (9)______ down alcohol, which might cause headaches.

The scientists want to do a test with people who get headaches from red wine. They would give some people quercetin and others a (10)______ pill to see what happens. Other experts think there could be different (11)______ in wine that cause headaches. But everyone agrees that drinking too much (12)______ is really bad for your health.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a headache?
2. How would you feel if you got a headache after drinking a little red wine?
3. Do you like to drink grape juice? Why or why not?
4. Do you think expensive things are always better than cheap ones? Why or why not?
5. Have you or someone you know ever had a headache after drinking something? What was it?
6. What is something that is good for you but can also cause problems?
7. Why do you think some people get headaches from red wine but others don’t?
8. Do you think it’s a good idea for scientists to give people a fake pill in their tests? Why or why not?
9. What do you do when you have a headache to feel better?
10. Do you think people should stop drinking wine if it gives them headaches? Why or why not?
11. Have you ever heard of something making people feel sick because of their genes?
12. Do you think drinking a lot of alcohol is bad for your health? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. headache
2. red wine
3. grapes
4. quercetin
5. alcohol
6. genes
7. test
8. health

Meanings:
(a) How well your body is and if you are sick or not
(b) A pain in your head that hurts
(c) An experiment to see what happens
(d) A substance that can make you feel drunk
(e) A type of drink made from grapes
(f) Something in grapes that can cause headaches
(g) Things inside your body that make you who you are
(h) Small fruits that can be purple or green
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What might be the reason why some people get a headache from red wine?
(a) Something in the grapes called quercetin
(b) Something in the grapes called vitamin C
(c) Something in the grapes called calcium
(d) Something in the grapes called iron

2. According to the scientists, what effect does quercetin have on our bodies?
(a) It can make our bodies handle alcohol better
(b) It can mess up how our bodies handle alcohol
(c) It can make our bodies immune to alcohol
(d) It can make our bodies break down alcohol faster

3. What did people used to think caused headaches from red wine?
(a) Quercetin in the grapes
(b) The color of the wine
(c) The shape of the wine glass
(d) Other things in the wine

4. According to the scientists, why can some people from Asia not handle alcohol well?
(a) Because of their diet
(b) Because of their age
(c) Because of their genes
(d) Because of their height

5. What did the scientists find out about quercetin in their tests?
(a) It can make our bodies break down alcohol faster
(b) It can stop our bodies from breaking down alcohol
(c) It can make our bodies immune to alcohol
(d) It can make our bodies handle alcohol better

6. What do the scientists want to do with people who get headaches from red wine?
(a) Give them vitamin C and a fake pill to see what happens
(b) Give them calcium and a fake pill to see what happens
(c) Give them quercetin and a fake pill to see what happens
(d) Give them iron and a fake pill to see what happens

7. What do some other experts think could cause headaches from wine?
(a) Different things in the wine
(b) Quercetin in the grapes
(c) The color of the wine
(d) The shape of the wine glass

8. What do all the experts agree on?
(a) Drinking red wine is really bad for your health
(b) Drinking any type of alcohol is really bad for your health
(c) Drinking wine in moderation is good for your health
(d) Drinking too much alcohol is really bad for your health

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The scientists conducted tests and found that quercetin cannot prevent our bodies from breaking down alcohol, which may lead to headaches.
2. Quercetin is a harmful thing in grapes, and it can affect how our bodies handle alcohol and potentially cause headaches.
3. Scientists believe that a substance called quercetin in grapes might not be the reason why some people get headaches from red wine.
4. While some experts believe that there could be other substances in wine that cause headaches, everyone agrees that excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to our health.
5. Previously, people thought that other things in red wine were responsible for causing headaches, but the scientists are not sure if that is true.
6. Some people from Asia may not have difficulty handling alcohol due to their genes, according to the scientists.
7. The scientists have discovered that fancier red wines could make headaches worse compared to cheaper ones.
8. The scientists plan to conduct a test with people who experience headaches from red wine, giving some of them quercetin and others a placebo to observe the effects.
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 do some people get headaches when they drink a little red wine?
2. What is quercetin and where is it found?
3. Do expensive red wines cause more headaches than cheaper ones?
4. Why might some people from Asia have trouble with alcohol?
5. What kind of test do the scientists want to do with people who get headaches from red wine?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What do scientists think might cause headaches when some people drink a little red wine?
Scientists think something called quercetin in grapes might cause headaches.

2. What is quercetin and where is it found?
Quercetin is a thing in grapes that can mess up how our bodies handle alcohol.

3. Do more expensive red wines cause more headaches than cheaper ones?
Yes, scientists say fancier red wines might make headaches worse than cheaper ones.

4. What did people used to blame for headaches caused by red wine?
People used to think other things in the wine caused headaches, but now they are not sure.

5. Why do some people from Asia have trouble with alcohol?
Some Asian people have genes that make it hard for their bodies to handle alcohol.

6. What kind of test do scientists want to do with people who get headaches from red wine?
Scientists want to give some people quercetin and others a fake pill to see what happens.

7. Do all experts agree on what causes headaches from wine?
No, not all experts agree on what causes headaches from wine.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) people
(2) thing
(3) handle
(4) wines
(5) caused
(6) other
(7) scientists
(8) test
(9) breaking
(10) fake
(11) things
(12) alcohol
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. headache
Answer: (b) A pain in your head that hurts

2. red wine
Answer: (e) A type of drink made from grapes

3. grapes
Answer: (h) Small fruits that can be purple or green

4. quercetin
Answer: (f) Something in grapes that can cause headaches

5. alcohol
Answer: (d) A substance that can make you feel drunk

6. genes
Answer: (g) Things inside your body that make you who you are

7. test
Answer: (c) An experiment to see what happens

8. health
Answer: (a) How well your body is and if you are sick or not
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What might be the reason why some people get a headache from red wine?
Answer: (a) Something in the grapes called quercetin

2. According to the scientists, what effect does quercetin have on our bodies?
Answer: (b) It can mess up how our bodies handle alcohol

3. What did people used to think caused headaches from red wine?
Answer: (d) Other things in the wine

4. According to the scientists, why can some people from Asia not handle alcohol well?
Answer: (c) Because of their genes

5. What did the scientists find out about quercetin in their tests?
Answer: (b) It can stop our bodies from breaking down alcohol

6. What do the scientists want to do with people who get headaches from red wine?
Answer: (c) Give them quercetin and a fake pill to see what happens

7. What do some other experts think could cause headaches from wine?
Answer: (a) Different things in the wine

8. What do all the experts agree on?
Answer: (d) Drinking too much alcohol is really bad for your health
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The scientists conducted tests and found that quercetin cannot prevent our bodies from breaking down alcohol, which may lead to headaches. (Answer: False)
2. Quercetin is a harmful thing in grapes, and it can affect how our bodies handle alcohol and potentially cause headaches. (Answer: False)
3. Scientists believe that a substance called quercetin in grapes might not be the reason why some people get headaches from red wine. (Answer: False)
4. While some experts believe that there could be other substances in wine that cause headaches, everyone agrees that excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to our health. (Answer: True)
5. Previously, people thought that other things in red wine were responsible for causing headaches, but the scientists are not sure if that is true. (Answer: True)
6. Some people from Asia may not have difficulty handling alcohol due to their genes, according to the scientists. (Answer: False)
7. The scientists have discovered that fancier red wines could make headaches worse compared to cheaper ones. (Answer: True)
8. The scientists plan to conduct a test with people who experience headaches from red wine, giving some of them quercetin and others a placebo to observe the effects. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧