The Reading / Listening - Level 4

Watching sad movies can be just what the doctor ordered. A study shows that sad movies may boost our tolerance to pain. Researchers say that sad movies can increase the amount of endorphins released by the brain. These chemicals are our body's natural painkillers. They relieve physical or emotional pain. Dr Robin Dunbar said the distress people get from tragedy triggers the endorphin system and relieves our pain.

Dr Dunbar conducted tests to find out the effect sad stories have on us. One group of people watched a sad movie about a disabled man fighting homelessness, drugs and alcohol. Another group watched a film on Britain's geology. The pain tolerance of those who watched the sad film increased by 13.1%, while the pain tolerance for those who watched the documentary decreased by 4.6%. One reason we like sad movies is the natural high we get from the endorphins.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/sep/21/watching-a-sad-films-boosts-endorphin-levels-in-your-brain-psychologists-say
  • http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/09/sad-movies-help-us-bond-those-around-us-and-alleviate-pain
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37418551


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. be just what the doctor
  2. boost our tolerance
  3. increase the amount of endorphins
  4. our body's natural
  5. They relieve physical or
  6. the distress people
  7. tragedy triggers the endorphin
  8. relieves our
  1. to pain
  2. emotional pain
  3. system
  4. ordered
  5. pain
  6. released by the brain
  7. painkillers
  8. get

Paragraph 2

  1. Dr Dunbar conducted tests to find
  2. the effect sad
  3. fighting homelessness, drugs
  4. The pain tolerance of those
  5. those who watched
  6. decreased
  7. One reason we
  8. the natural high we get
  1. the documentary
  2. like sad movies
  3. stories have on us
  4. from the endorphins
  5. out
  6. who watched the sad film
  7. by 4.6%
  8. and alcohol

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Watching sad movies (1) ___________________ the doctor ordered. A study shows that sad movies (2) ___________________ tolerance to pain. Researchers say that sad movies can increase (3) ___________________ endorphins released by the brain. These chemicals (4) ___________________ painkillers. They relieve physical or emotional pain. Dr Robin Dunbar explained (5) ___________________ people get from tragedy triggers the endorphin system and (6) ___________________.

Dr Dunbar conducted tests (7) ___________________ effect sad stories have on us. One (8) ___________________ watched a sad movie about a disabled man (9) ___________________, drugs and alcohol. Another group watched a film on Britain's geology. The pain (10) ___________________ who watched the sad film increased by 13.1%, while the pain tolerance for those who watched (11) ___________________ decreased by 4.6%. One reason we like sad movies is the natural (12) ___________________ the endorphins.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Watchingsadmoviescanbejustwhatthedoctorordered.Astudyshowst
hatsadmoviesmayboostourtolerancetopain.Researcherssaythatsad
moviescanincreasetheamountofendorphinsreleasedbythebrain.The
sechemicalsareourbody'snaturalpainkillers.Theyrelievephysicalore
motionalpain.DrRobinDunbarexplainedsaidthedistresspeoplegetfro
mtragedytriggerstheendorphinsystemandrelievesourpain.DrDunba
rconductedteststofindouttheeffectsadstorieshaveonus.Onegroupof
peoplewatchedasadmovieaboutadisabledmanfightinghomelessnes
s,drugsandalcohol.AnothergroupwatchedafilmonBritain'sgeology.T
hepaintoleranceofthosewhowatchedthesadfilmincreasedby13.1%,
whilethepaintoleranceforthosewhowatchedthedocumentarydecrea
sedby4.6%.Onereasonwelikesadmoviesisthenaturalhighwegetfrom
theendorphins.

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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