The Reading / Listening - Dirt and Babies - Level 0

Parents make sure their baby is clean. Parents do their best to keep dirt away from babies. However, a scientist says dirt makes babies stronger. Dr Jack Gilbert did research into dirt, germs and children. His research is in a book. He said: "It's fine to wash their hands….but if a dog licks their face, that's not a bad thing."

Dr Gilbert said babies should get dirty. Dirt helps babies to fight illnesses. Children get allergies or asthma because parents clean everything too much. This makes children's bodies weaker. Gilbert likes the "five-second rule". This is when you eat something that fell on the floor for fewer than five seconds.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Dirt and Babies - Level 1,  Dirt and Babies - Level 2   or  Dirt and Babies - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.scarymommy.com/jack-gilbert-scientist-dirt-good-for-kids/
  • https://www.immortal.org/34249/dirt-good-kids/
  • http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/07/16/537075018/dirt-is-good-why-kids-need-exposure-to-germs


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. Parents make
  2. Parents do their
  3. keep dirt
  4. dirt makes babies
  5. Dr Jack Gilbert did research
  6. It's fine to wash
  7. a dog licks
  8. that's not a bad
  1. their face
  2. stronger
  3. into dirt
  4. best
  5. their hands
  6. sure their baby is clean
  7. thing
  8. away from babies

Paragraph 2

  1. Dr Gilbert said babies should
  2. Dirt helps babies to fight
  3. Children get allergies
  4. parents clean
  5. This makes children's
  6. the five-
  7. you eat something that fell
  8. fewer
  1. or asthma
  2. than five seconds
  3. bodies weaker
  4. illnesses
  5. on the floor
  6. get dirty
  7. everything too much
  8. second rule

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Parents make sure their (1) ___________________. Parents do their (2) ___________________ dirt away from babies. However, a scientist (3) ___________________ makes babies stronger. Dr Jack Gilbert did (4) ___________________ dirt, germs and children. His research (5) ___________________. He said: "It's fine to wash their hands….but if (6) ___________________ their face, that's not a bad thing."

Dr Gilbert said babies (7) ___________________. Dirt helps babies to (8) ___________________. Children get allergies or asthma because (9) ___________________ everything too much. (10) ___________________ children's bodies weaker. Gilbert likes the "(11) ___________________". This is when you eat something that fell on the (12) ___________________ than five seconds.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Parentsmakesuretheirbabyisclean.Parentsdotheirbesttokeepdirtaw
ayfrombabies.However,ascientistsaysdirtmakesbabiesstronger.DrJ
ackGilbertdidresearchintodirt,germsandchildren.Hisresearchisinab
ook.Hesaid:"It'sfinetowashtheirhands….butifadoglickstheirface,tha
t'snotabadthing."DrGilbertsaidbabiesshouldgetdirty.Dirthelpsbabie
stofightillnesses.Childrengetallergiesorasthmabecauseparentsclea
neverythingtoomuch.Thismakeschildren'sbodiesweaker.Gilbertlike
sthe"five-secondrule".Thisiswhenyoueatsomethingthatfellonthefl
oorforfewerthanfiveseconds.

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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