Sexist poll says women moody 10 days a year

Sexist poll says women moody 10 days a year (24th September, 2014)

The Reading / Listening - Level 4

'Metro' newspaper has said researchers who said women are grumpy for ten days a year are sexist. A vitamin company carried out a survey of the moods of 1,000 women and 1,000 men. It said the average woman is in a bad mood for five hours a week. 'Metro' called the study "incredibly" and "extraordinarily" sexist, and that it strengthened stereotypes of over-emotional women. It said the researchers should spend their time "doing something useful".

The vitamin company, said: "Moods are a barometer of our overall well being…both men and women are susceptible to being in a bad mood." It added that: "Women crave 'me time' and men tend to rely on their partners." The study listed reasons for women's moods. These include "everyday challenges from bad traffic to failing technology". Other "triggers" were feeling fat, money worries, breaking a nail, and fearing their partners never listened.

Try the same news story at these levels:

Level 5 or Level 6

Sources

http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/21/incredibly-sexist-study-finds-women-are-all-really-moody-and-breaking-a-nail-ruins-their-day-4876723/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11112652/Women-spend-10-days-every-year-grumpy-survey-finds.html

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

The Activities

BAD-MOOD TRIGGERS

28 Triggers for a bad mood, according to the study.

Complete the table and talk to your partner(s) about it.

Trigger	Is this you?	How to get over it?
Partner not listening
Feeling under the weather
Weather/ bad weather
Not having enough money
Technology
Feeling undervalued
No one helping with anything
Having nothing to wear
Having a bad hair day
Keeping on top of housework
A boring life
Heavy workload
The traffic
Colleagues not helping
Being hungry
Children not listening
Public transport being late
Hating your job
Waking up with a spot
Knowing what to cook
Pressure from your boss
Rubbish on TV
Ungrateful children
Your friends' Facebook
Colleagues being late for work
No one making you a drink
Breaking a nail
Being overweight

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.	researchers who said	a.	emotional women
2.	carried out	b.	stereotypes
3.	"incredibly" and "extraordinarily"	c.	doing something useful
4.	it strengthened	d.	women are grumpy
5.	over-	e.	sexist
6.	spend their time	f.	a survey

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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.	Moods are a barometer of	a.	challenges
2.	susceptible	b.	'me time'
3.	Women crave	c.	on their partners
4.	men tend to rely	d.	a nail
5.	everyday	e.	our overall well being
6.	breaking	f.	to being in a bad mood

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

'Metro' newspaper has said researchers who said (1) ___________________ ten days a year are sexist. A vitamin company (2) ___________________ of the moods of 1,000 women and 1,000 men. It said (3) ___________________ is in a bad mood for five hours a week. 'Metro' called the study "incredibly" and (4) ___________________, and that it strengthened (5) ___________________-emotional women. It said the researchers should (6) ___________________ "doing something useful".

The vitamin company, said: "Moods are (7) ___________________ overall well being…both men and women (8) ___________________ being in a bad mood." It added that: "Women (9) ___________________ and men tend to rely on their partners." The study listed reasons for women's moods. These include "(10) ___________________ from bad traffic to failing technology". Other "triggers" were feeling fat, (11) ___________________, breaking a nail, and fearing their (12) ___________________.

MOODINESS SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about moodiness in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.

Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)	________________________________________________________
b)	________________________________________________________
c)	________________________________________________________
d)	________________________________________________________
e)	________________________________________________________
f)	________________________________________________________
g)	________________________________________________________
h)	________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about moodiness for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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