The Reading / Listening - Freakshake Milkshakes - Level 5

There are calls to ban the latest food to shock nutrition experts. The campaign group Action on Sugar wants a ban on freakshakes - "monstrous" milkshakes packed with "grotesque" levels of sugar. The shake could be banned from restaurants and cafes as it has up to 1,280 calories. An adult would have to jog for three hours to burn off these calories. Freakshakes are usually full of whipped cream, chocolate and even slices of cake. A freakshake can contain 39 teaspoons of sugar - more than six times the recommended daily amount for a 10-year-old, and the same as four cans of Coke.

Freakshakes originated in Australia and spread around the world. A restaurant mentioned by Action on Sugar said it took nutrition seriously and was adhering to a sugar-reduction programme. It said it was not targeting children with high-calorie shakes. A spokesperson said: "Freakshakes only feature on our main menu and are not targeted at children....We regularly work with our suppliers to explore ways we can reduce sugar levels in our dishes." A public health spokesman said the government needed to put a limit of 300kcal per serving on all shakes.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Freakshake Milkshakes - Level 4 or  Freakshake Milkshakes - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/freakshake-ban-pushed-because-monstrous-13582337
  • https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/7726420/sugar-milkshake-possible-ban-toby-carvery-pizza-hut-mcdonalds/
  • https://metro.co.uk/2018/11/13/milkshakes-containing-39-tablespoons-of-sugar-should-be-banned-campaigners-say-8133706/?ito=cbshare


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. nutrition
  2. packed with "grotesque"
  3. it has up to
  4. jog for three hours to burn
  5. full of whipped
  6. contain 39 teaspoons
  7. the recommended daily
  8. the same as four
  1. cream
  2. experts
  3. amount
  4. levels of sugar
  5. cans of Coke
  6. 1,280 calories
  7. off these calories
  8. of sugar

Paragraph 2

  1. Freakshakes originated
  2. spread
  3. it was not targeting
  4. high-
  5. We regularly work
  6. we can reduce sugar
  7. A public health
  8. a limit of 300kcal
  1. levels in our dishes
  2. calorie shakes
  3. per serving
  4. around the world
  5. in Australia
  6. spokesman
  7. children
  8. with our suppliers

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There are calls to ban the latest food (1) ___________________ experts. The campaign group Action on Sugar (2) ___________________ on freakshakes - "monstrous" milkshakes packed with "grotesque" (3) ___________________. The shake could be banned from restaurants and cafes as it has up to 1,280 calories. An adult would have to jog for three hours (4) ___________________ these calories. Freakshakes are usually full of whipped cream, chocolate and (5) ___________________ cake. A freakshake can contain 39 teaspoons of sugar - more than six times the recommended daily amount for a 10-year-old, and (6) ___________________ four cans of Coke.

Freakshakes originated in Australia (7) ___________________ the world. A restaurant mentioned by Action on Sugar said (8) ___________________ seriously and (9) ___________________ a sugar-reduction programme. It said it was not targeting children with high-calorie shakes. A spokesperson said: "Freakshakes (10) ___________________ our main menu and are not targeted at children....We regularly work (11) ___________________ to explore ways we can reduce sugar levels in our dishes." A public health spokesman said the government needed to (12) ___________________ of 300kcal per serving on all shakes.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Therearecallstobanthelatestfoodtoshocknutritionexperts.Thecamp
aigngroupActiononSugarwantsabanonfreakshakes-"monstrous"mil
kshakespackedwith"grotesque"levelsofsugar.Theshakecouldbeban
nedfromrestaurantsandcafesasithasupto1,280calories.Anadultwou
ldhavetojogforthreehourstoburnoffthesecalories.Freakshakesareus
uallyfullofwhippedcream,chocolateandevenslicesofcake.Afreaksha
kecancontain39teaspoonsofsugar-morethansixtimestherecomme
ndeddailyamountfora10-year-old,andthesameasfourcansofCoke.Fr
eakshakesoriginatedinAustraliaandspreadaroundtheworld.Arestaur
antmentionedbyActiononSugarsaidittooknutritionseriouslyandwas
adheringtoasugar-reductionprogramme.Itsaiditwasnottargetingchi
ldrenwithhigh-calorieshakes.Aspokespersonsaid:"Freakshakesonl
yfeatureonourmainmenuandarenottargetedatchildren....Weregular
lyworkwithoursupplierstoexplorewayswecanreducesugarlevelsinou
rdishes."Apublichealthspokesmansaidthegovernmentneededtoput
alimitof300kcalperservingonallshakes.

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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