The Reading / Listening - Knee Surgery - Level 1

Thousands of people have knee surgery. A new study says many surgeries might be a waste of money. Some knee surgery can make knee problems worse, not better. The researchers spent 10 years studying knee operations. They found that surgery on knee cartilage rarely worked. They added that some operations increased cartilage damage. One doctor said that patients who have this operation can "have more pain".

In happier knee news, doctors in the USA have found a new way to help long-term knee pain. One doctor has performed simple operations that lower the flow of blood to painful areas in the knee. This lowers swelling and pain. The doctor says her method is better than drugs and therapy. She also thinks people can avoid knee surgery. She said her method could "provide years of relief". She added that 70 per cent of patients have great results.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Knee Surgery - Level 0 Knee Surgery - Level 2   or  Knee Surgery - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260622091502.htm
  • https://scitechdaily.com/this-tiny-bead-procedure-is-helping-patients-avoid-knee-replacement/
  • https://www.aol.com/articles/common-knee-surgery-may-more-090018699.html


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. Thousands of people have
  2. surgeries might be a waste
  3. surgery can make knee
  4. researchers spent 10 years
  5. surgery on knee cartilage rarely
  6. cartilage
  7. patients who have this
  8. have more
  1. damage
  2. problems worse
  3. studying
  4. pain
  5. knee surgery
  6. operation
  7. of money
  8. worked

Paragraph 2

  1. happier knee
  2. a new way
  3. long-term knee
  4. One doctor has performed simple
  5. lower the flow
  6. painful areas in
  7. better than drugs and
  8. 70 per cent of patients
  1. of blood
  2. operations
  3. have great results
  4. news
  5. therapy
  6. to help
  7. the knee
  8. pain

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

(1) _________________________________________________ have knee surgery. A new study says many surgeries might be a (2) _________________________________________________. Some knee surgery can make (3) _________________________________________________, not better. The researchers spent 10 years studying knee operations. They (4) _________________________________________________ on knee cartilage rarely worked. They added that some operations (5) _________________________________________________. One doctor said that patients who have this operation can "(6) _________________________________________________".

In (7) _________________________________________________, doctors in the USA have found a new way to (8) _________________________________________________ knee pain. One doctor has performed simple operations that (9) _________________________________________________ of blood to painful areas in the knee. This lowers swelling and pain. The doctor (10) _________________________________________________ is better than drugs and therapy. She also thinks people can (11) _________________________________________________. She said her method could "provide (12) _________________________________________________". She added that 70 per cent of patients have great results.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Thousandsofpeoplehavekneesurgery.Anewstudysaysmanysurgerie
smightbeawasteofmoney.Somekneesurgerycanmakekneeproblem
sworse,notbetter.Theresearchersspent10yearsstudyingkneeoperat
ions.Theyfoundthatsurgeryonkneecartilagerarelyworked.Theyadde
dthatsomeoperationsincreasedcartilagedamage.Onedoctorsaidthat
patientswhohavethisoperationcan"havemorepain".Inhappierkneen
ews,doctorsintheUSAhavefoundanewwaytohelplong-termkneepai
n.Onedoctorhasperformedsimpleoperationsthatlowertheflowofbloo
dtopainfulareasintheknee.Thislowersswellingandpain.Thedoctorsa
yshermethodisbetterthandrugsandtherapy.Shealsothinkspeopleca
navoidkneesurgery.Shesaidhermethodcould"provideyearsofrelief".
Sheaddedthat70percentofpatientshavegreatresults.

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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