The Reading / Listening - Level 2

Doctors at the famous Cambridge University think that hip-hop can help depressed and mentally ill people. They say with 'hip-hop therapy,' many of the words to the songs hip-hop can reach out to people with emotional problems. A team of doctors wrote a report about this in a special medical magazine. The doctors said a lot of hip-hop music speaks of getting over hardships and big difficulties in life. In particular, hip-hop talks about being poor, being unpopular, and about crime and drugs. These are all problems that can lead to depression and mental illnesses.

The report on hip-hop and mental health says hip-hop artists use their talents to describe their world and be free. There's often a message of hope in the lyrics. They describe how they want to be - the cars they want, the people they want to date. The doctors chose five hip-hop songs for the therapy. One is a classic 1982 tune by Grandmaster Flash. Another is a track called 'Juicy' by The Notorious BIG. This tells people they can be successful even if others say they cannot. BIG explains how teachers said he would be nothing, but then he became a superstar.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/11221425/Hip-hop-could-help-with-depression-and-mental-illness-says-Cambridge-University.html
  • http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-11-hip-psych-aims-tackle-mental.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

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

Doctors at the famous

a.

hardships

2.

depressed and mentally

b.

therapy

3.

hip-hop

c.

magazine

4.

reach out to people with emotional

d.

in life

5.

a special medical

e.

Cambridge University

6.

getting over

f.

to depression

7.

big difficulties

g.

ill people

8.

problems that can lead

h.

problems



MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

hip-hop

a.

to date

2.

use their

b.

be successful

3.

There's often a message of hope

c.

talents

4.

They describe how they

d.

1982 tune

5.

the people they want

e.

artists

6.

One is a classic

f.

a superstar

7.

This tells people they can

g.

want to be

8.

but then he became

h.

in the lyrics

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Doctors at the famous Cambridge University (1) ___________________ help depressed and mentally ill people. They say with (2) ___________________ many of the words to the songs hip-hop can (3) ___________________ with emotional problems. A team of doctors wrote a report about this in a special medical magazine. The doctors said (4) ___________________ music speaks of getting over hardships and big difficulties in life. In particular, hip-hop (5) ___________________, being unpopular, and about crime and drugs. These are all problems that can lead to depression (6) ___________________.

The report on hip-hop and mental (7) ___________________ artists use their talents to describe their (8) ___________________. There's often a message of hope in the lyrics. They describe how want to be - (9) ___________________, the people they want to date. The doctors chose five hip-hop (10) ___________________. One is a classic 1982 tune by Grandmaster Flash. Another is a track called 'Juicy' by The Notorious BIG. This tells people they can be (11) ___________________ others say they cannot. BIG explains how teachers said he would be nothing, (12) ___________________ a superstar.

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

DoctorsatthefamousCambridgeUniversitythinkthathip-hopca
nhelpdepressedandmentallyillpeople.Theysaywith'hip-hopth
erapy,'manyofthewordstothesongship-hopcanreachouttop
eoplewithemotionalproblems.Ateamofdoctorswroteareportaboutthi
sinaspecialmedicalmagazine.Thedoctorssaidalotofhip-hopmus
icspeaksofgettingoverhardshipsandbigdifficultiesinlife.Inparticular,
hip-hoptalksaboutbeingpoor,beingunpopular,andaboutcrimea
nddrugs.Theseareallproblemsthatcanleadtodepressionandmentalill
nesses.Thereportonhip-hopandmentalhealthsayship-hopartistsus
etheirtalentstodescribetheirworldandbefree.There'softenamessage
ofhopeinthelyrics.Theydescribehowtheywanttobe-thecarsthe
ywant,thepeopletheywanttodate.Thedoctorschosefivehip-
hopsongsforthetherapy.Oneisaclassic1982tunebyGrandmasterFlas
h.Anotherisatrackcalled'Juicy'byTheNotoriousBIG.Thistellspeopleth
eycanbesuccessfulevenifotherssaytheycannot.BIGexplainshowteac
herssaidhewouldbenothing,butthenhebecameasuperstar.

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)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about hip-hop for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You