Contents
The Article

Warm-ups
Before Reading / Listening

While Reading / Listening

Listening Gap Fill

After Reading / Listening

Student Survey

Discussion

Language Work

Writing

Homework

Answers

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THE ARTICLE
A study carried out in Germany has found that chocolate may be good for
your heart. This is fantastic news for all chocolate lovers. The extensive
research was conducted over eight years. The research team followed the
chocolate-eating habits and health of almost 20,000 people. They
compared how much chocolate was in their diet to the number of heart
attacks and strokes people had. Lead researcher Brian Buijsse said: "The
good news is that chocolate is not as bad as we used to think, and may
even lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. Mr Buijsse said his team
found that dark chocolate was the healthiest kind to eat: "Dark chocolate
exhibits the greatest effects, milk chocolate fewer, and white chocolate
no effects," he said.
The German study showed that people who ate the most chocolate (at
least one bar per week) reduced their risk of having a heart attack by 27
per cent. The risk of suffering a stroke was cut by as much as 48 per
cent. Nutrition experts believe that natural compounds in chocolate called
flavonols are good for our heart. Flavonols also help reduce blood
pressure. They are found in cocoa beans so dark chocolate (which has
more cocoa) contains more of them than milk chocolate (which has more
fat). Buijsse warns people not to suddenly eat lots of chocolate: "Eating
higher amounts will most likely result in weight gain. If people start
eating small amounts of chocolate, it should replace something else,
preferably other high-calorie sweets or snacks."



WARM-UPS
1. CHOCOLATE: Walk around the class and talk to other students about chocolate.
Change partners often. Sit with your first partner(s) and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are
most interesting and which are most boring.
studies / fantastic news / research / diet / heart attacks / milk chocolate / risks /
suffering a stroke / nutrition / blood pressure / weight gain / calories / sweets / snack
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. NAUGHTY BUT NICE: Complete this table. Talk with your partner(s) about
what you wrote. Change partners and share what you heard.
4. HEALTH: Students A strongly believe that one day, we will all eat very healthily;
Students B strongly believe the opposite. Change partners again and talk about your
conversations.
5. HEALTHY: Are these healthy? Rate them and share your ratings with your partner:
10 = Super healthy 1 = Will send you to an early grave Change partners and share again.
chocolate
raw fish (sushi / sashimi)
KFC
pizza
cheese
ice cream
red wine
coffee
6. HEART: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with
the word ‘heart’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put
the words into different categories.



BEFORE READING / LISTENING
1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).
a. The article says German chocolate is the healthiest in the world. T / F
b. A study looked at 20,000 people over an eight-year period. T / F
c. Researchers followed people who were on a chocolate diet. T / F
d. Researchers found white chocolate helped reduce heart attacks. T / F
e. Chocolate cut the chances of strokes more than heart attacks. T / F
f. Chemicals in chocolate called flavonols are not found in nature. T / F
g. The lead researcher warned people not to eat too much chocolate. T / F
h. The researcher suggested replacing sweets with chocolate. T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.
1. found

2 fantastic

3. extensive

4. risk

5. exhibits

6. reduced

7. suffering

8. compounds

9. amounts

10. preferably

a. chance
b. experiencing
c. cut
d. volumes
e. discovered
f. wide-ranging
g. mixtures
h. wonderful
i. if possible
j. shows




3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)
1. chocolate may

2 This is fantastic news for

3. They compared how much chocolate c. eat lots of chocolate
4. lower the risk

5. dark chocolate was the healthiest

6. at least one

7. The risk of suffering a

8. natural compounds in chocolate

9. Buijsse warns people not to suddenly i. bar per week
10. other high-calorie

a. of heart disease
b. called flavonols
c. eat lots of chocolate
d. be good for your heart
e. stroke was cut
f. sweets or snacks
g. was in their diet
h. kind to eat
i. bar per week
j. all chocolate lovers



WHILE READING / LISTENING
GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.

A study ____________ out in Germany has found that chocolate
may be good for your heart. This is ____________ news for all
chocolate ____________. The extensive research was conducted
over eight years. The research team followed the chocolate-eating
____________ and health of almost 20,000 people. They
compared how much chocolate was in their ____________ to the
number of heart attacks and strokes people had. Lead researcher
Brian Buijsse said: "The good news is that chocolate is not as bad
as we used to think, and may even lower the ____________ of
heart disease and stroke. Mr Buijsse said his team found that
dark chocolate was the healthiest ____________ to eat: "Dark
chocolate exhibits the ____________ effects, milk chocolate

fewer, and white chocolate no effects," he said.
The German study showed that people who ate the most chocolate
(at ____________ one bar per week) reduced their risk of having
a heart attack by 27 per cent. The risk of suffering a stroke was
____________ by as much as 48 per cent. Nutrition
____________ believe that natural compounds in chocolate called
flavonols are good for our heart. Flavonols also help reduce blood
____________. They are found in cocoa beans so dark chocolate
(which has more cocoa) ____________ more of them than milk
chocolate (which has more fat). Buijsse warns people not to
____________ eat lots of chocolate: "Eating higher amounts will
most likely result in weight ____________. If people start eating
small amounts of chocolate, it should replace something
____________, preferably other high-calorie sweets or snacks.
to be continued
TOPIC : Chocolate is good for your heart  SOURCE : Linguistic Studies ** http://languages.forumactif.org/