The Reading / Listening - Stress Baking - Level 0

The US election was stressful. A company said it caused stress in 49% of people. Only COVID-19 was more stressful. Around 55% of adults said November the 3rd was the most stressful day of this year. They wanted 2020 to be over. A woman said: "It's not just the election - this year has been a marathon of stress."

Months of non-stop news made people stressed. They baked cakes and bread to feel better, especially before the election. About 27% of people baked to help their stress, but 41% put on weight. One woman said baking lowered her election stress. She said: "We probably won't have a clear winner for weeks after election day."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Stress Baking - Level 1,  Stress Baking - Level 2   or  Stress Baking - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.cnet.com/news/the-psychology-of-stress-baking-why-everyone-is-making-bread-in-2020/
  • https://www.delish.com/food/a31669795/stress-baking/
  • https://www.swnsdigital.com/2020/10/more-than-half-of-americans-expect-election-day-to-be-the-most-stressful-day-of-their-lives-thus-far/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The US election
  2. it caused stress in 49%
  3. Only COVID-19 was
  4. Around
  5. the most stressful day of
  6. They wanted 2020
  7. It's not just the
  8. this year has been a marathon
  1. to be over
  2. more stressful
  3. of stress
  4. was stressful
  5. election
  6. of people
  7. this year
  8. 55% of adults

Paragraph 2

  1. Months of non-
  2. They baked
  3. before the
  4. people baked to
  5. 41% put on
  6. One woman said baking lowered
  7. We probably won't have a clear
  8. for weeks after election
  1. election
  2. winner
  3. help their stress
  4. day
  5. stop news
  6. weight
  7. cakes and bread
  8. her election stress

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The US (1) ___________________. A company said it caused stress in 49% of people. Only COVID-19 was more stressful. Around 55% (2) ___________________ November the 3rd was the most stressful (3) ___________________ year. They wanted 2020 (4) ___________________. A woman said: "It's (5) ___________________ election - this year has been a (6) ___________________."

Months (7) ___________________ made people stressed. They baked (8) ___________________ to feel better, especially (9) ___________________. About 27% of people baked (10) ___________________ stress, but 41% put on weight. One woman said baking lowered (11) ___________________. She said: "We probably won't have (12) ___________________ for weeks after election day."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheUSelectionwasstressful.Acompanysaiditcausedstressin49%ofp
eople.OnlyCOVID-19wasmorestressful.Around55%ofadultssaidNo
vemberthe3rdwasthemoststressfuldayofthisyear.Theywanted2020
tobeover.Awomansaid:"It'snotjusttheelection-thisyearhasbeenam
arathonofstress."Monthsofnon-stopnewsmadepeoplestressed.The
ybakedcakesandbreadtofeelbetter,especiallybeforetheelection.Abo
ut27%ofpeoplebakedtohelptheirstress,but41%putonweight.Onew
omansaidbakingloweredherelectionstress.Shesaid:"Weprobablywo
n'thaveaclearwinnerforweeksafterelectionday."

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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