[Health ★★]
(P1) People who sit down a lot must exercise for one hour a day to live longer. Sitting down a lot makes our life shorter. It is like smoking or being overweight. Sitting for eight hours increases the risk of dying early by 60 percent. But, one hour’s exercise each day means we may not die early, even if we sit down all day.
(P2) Researchers hope this news will get people to exercise more. Watching TV all day is also unhealthy because we eat snacks. No exercise increases the risk of heart disease. People should get out of their seat more. They should take breaks every hour, or walk upstairs. We need to add more physical activity into our daily life.
WORDS: 121
SOURCE: http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1607/160730-exercise-0.html
VOCABULARY: shorter, overweight, risk, unhealthy, heart disease, upstairs
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.
- Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
- Why is it important to exercise?
- Why do some people like to watch TV a lot?
- Should companies have mandatory hourly breaks for their employees who sit a lot? Why or why not?
READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
- If a person sits a lot, how long must they exercise each day?
- Sitting a lot is similar to what 2 things?
- If a person sits for 8 hours, the chance of dying goes up by what percentage?
- What do people do if they watch television the entire day?
- People who sit a lot should stand up or exercise every 1/2 hour. (T or F)
EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:
What do the following expressions or phrases mean?a
- live longer (p1)
- increases the risk of dying (P1)
- get out of their seat more (P2)
- daily life (P2)
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