The Reading / Listening - Egg Freezing - Level 4

Companies are thinking of offering their female workers egg freezing as a perk. Apple and Facebook already do this. Other companies may soon follow. British companies are in talks with the UK's largest chain of fertility clinics, CARE Fertility. There is a very high cost to employers. Apple and Facebook have been offering cut-price egg freezing to their female staff at a cost of up to £16,000 ($20,000) per worker.

The perk will let women in their 20s or 30s focus on their careers. Women could use their frozen eggs in their 40s when they settle down or have more money. CARE said: "Successful pregnancy at that age is very low…so by freezing eggs…they will…have that guarantee." Critics say it is wrong to offer the perk. One said: "When [IVF] is done purely to protect their job, I think it's extraordinary that women think this is liberating."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Egg Freezing - Level 5 or  Egg Freezing - Level 6

Sources
  • http://news.sky.com/story/egg-freezing-offered-as-perk-to-female-employees-10848413
  • http://www.londonlovesbusiness.com/business-news/business/british-companies-in-talks-to-offer-egg-freezing-as-a-perk-to-female-employees/15313.article
  • https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/egg-freezing-perk-for-female-staff-qv5rnsx2q


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. offering their female workers egg freezing
  2. Other companies may
  3. the UK's largest
  4. fertility
  5. There is a very high
  6. offering cut-
  7. at a cost of
  8. $20,000 per
  1. cost to employers
  2. up to £16,000
  3. as a perk
  4. chain
  5. worker
  6. clinics
  7. soon follow
  8. price egg freezing

Paragraph 2

  1. women in their
  2. Women could use their frozen eggs
  3. when they settle
  4. Successful pregnancy at that
  5. Critics say it is wrong
  6. done purely to protect
  7. I think it's
  8. women think this
  1. age is very low
  2. extraordinary
  3. 20s or 30s
  4. is liberating
  5. down
  6. in their 40s
  7. their job
  8. to offer the perk

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Companies are (1) ___________________ their female workers egg freezing as a perk. Apple and Facebook already do this. Other companies (2) ___________________. British companies are in talks with the UK's largest (3) ___________________ clinics, CARE Fertility. (4) ___________________ high cost to employers. Apple and Facebook (5) ___________________ cut-price egg freezing to their female staff at a cost of up to £16,000 ($20,000) (6) ___________________.

The perk will let (7) ___________________ 20s or 30s focus on their careers. Women (8) ___________________ frozen eggs in their 40s when they settle (9) ___________________ more money. CARE said: "Successful pregnancy at that (10) ___________________…so by freezing eggs…they will…have that guarantee." Critics (11) ___________________ to offer the perk. One said: "When [IVF] is done purely to protect their job, I think it's extraordinary that women think (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Companiesarethinkingofofferingtheirfemaleworkerseggfreezingasa
perk.AppleandFacebookalreadydothis.Othercompaniesmaysoonfoll
ow.BritishcompaniesareintalkswiththeUK'slargestchainoffertilitycli
nics,CAREFertility.Thereisaveryhighcosttoemployers.AppleandFace
bookhavebeenofferingcut-priceeggfreezingtotheirfemalestaffataco
stofupto£16,000($20,000)perworker.Theperkwillletwomenintheir2
0sor30sfocusontheircareers.Womencouldusetheirfrozeneggsinth
eir40swhentheysettledownorhavemoremoney.CAREsaid:"Successf
ulpregnancyatthatageisverylow…sobyfreezingeggs…theywill…have
thatguarantee."Criticssayitiswrongtooffertheperk.Onesaid:"When[
IVF]isdonepurelytoprotecttheirjob,Ithinkit'sextraordinarythatwom
enthinkthisisliberating."

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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