The Reading / Listening - Level 4

Researchers have found a good reason why women take so long in the morning to get ready – they get paid more with makeup and nice hair. Sociologists said attractive people get paid 20 per cent more than "average" people. Attractive men and women usually earned more. A sociologist said: "For men, only about half of the effect of attractiveness is due to grooming." She said we judge women more, so looks become more important to them.

The study was from universities in Chicago and California. Researchers looked at data from 14,000 people who spoke about their salary, job, education and other things. The interviewers also rated each person on how attractive they were. People are biased about beauty because of a 'halo effect'. People think someone who is attractive on the outside is also beautiful on the inside. This idea is not new.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/news/a58728/income-of-attractive-people-versus-well groomed/
  • http://www.medicaldaily.com/attractive-women-well groomed-getting-ready-387163
  • http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3600296/Women-care-appearance-ahead-office-study-shows-men-s-naturally-good-looking-are.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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. found a good reason
  2. women take so
  3. get
  4. makeup and
  5. get paid 20 per cent more than "average"
  6. attractiveness is due
  7. we judge women
  8. looks become more important
  1. more
  2. ready
  3. to grooming
  4. to them
  5. long
  6. people
  7. why
  8. nice hair

Paragraph 2

  1. The study was from
  2. looked at data from
  3. and other
  4. rated each person on how attractive
  5. People are biased about
  6. because of a
  7. attractive on the outside is also beautiful
  8. This idea is not
  1. beauty
  2. on the inside
  3. universities
  4. new
  5. 14,000 people
  6. things
  7. they were
  8. 'halo effect'

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Researchers have found a (1) ___________________ women take so long in the morning to get ready – they (2) ___________________ with makeup and nice hair. Sociologists (3) ___________________ people get paid 20 per cent more than (4) ___________________. Attractive men and women usually earned more. A sociologist said: "For men, (5) ___________________ of the effect of attractiveness is (6) ___________________." She said we judge women more, so looks become more important to them.

The study was (7) ___________________ in Chicago and California. Researchers looked (8) ___________________ 14,000 people who spoke (9) ___________________, job, education and other things. The interviewers also rated each person (10) ___________________ they were. People are biased about beauty because (11) ___________________. People think someone who is attractive (12) ___________________ is also beautiful on the inside. This idea is not new.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Researchershavefoundagoodreasonwhywomentakesolonginthemo
rningtogetready–theygetpaidmorewithmakeupandnicehair.Socio
logistssaidattractivepeoplegetpaid20percentmorethan"average"pe
ople.Attractivemenandwomenusuallyearnedmore.Asociologistsaid:
"Formen,onlyabouthalfoftheeffectofattractivenessisduetogrooming
."Shesaidwejudgewomenmore,solooksbecomemoreimportanttothe
m.ThestudywasfromuniversitiesinChicagoandCalifornia.Researcher
slookedatdatafrom14,000peoplewhospokeabouttheirsalary,job,ed
ucationandotherthings.Theinterviewersalsoratedeachpersononhow
attractivetheywere.Peoplearebiasedaboutbeautybecauseofa'haloef
fect'.Peoplethinksomeonewhoisattractiveontheoutsideisalsobeautif
ulontheinside.Thisideaisnotnew.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic 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.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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