A growing library of level-graded English lessons for classroom or self-study, with reading, listening, vocabulary, activities, and discussion practice from A1 to B2.
Lesson Info
In this lesson:
- Warm-up Prediction task and general discussion questions.
- Vocab List Useful words and meanings.
- Reading Read the main text.
- Listen and Fill Gaps Listen for missing words.
- True or False Check understanding.
- Vocab Match Connect words to meanings.
- Discussion Questions Open speaking questions for discussion (or writing practice).
- Answers Answer key for the printed tasks.
Think Ahead: What do you think broken heart syndrome is?
a) A sports injury.
b) A problem caused by cold weather.
c) A real heart problem after strong stress.
Ask: (1) What is most important to you? (2) What do you do when you feel very sad?
VOCAB LIST
Reading
A broken heart is not just a feeling. It can make people very sick. A new study shows that men who get it die more often than women.
The condition is called broken heart syndrome. The real medical name is takotsubo cardiomyopathy. About 83% of patients are women. But men who get it have bigger problems.
The study looked at almost 200,000 cases from 2016 to 2020. The average age of patients was 67 years old.
Fewer men got the condition, but they died more often. About 11% of men died. Only 5.5% of women died. That is two times more deaths for men.
What causes broken heart syndrome? Doctors say it can happen after a big shock. This can be the loss of a loved one. It can be a car accident. It can be very bad news.
When something terrible happens, your body makes stress hormones. These hormones can hurt part of your heart. The heart gets weak. It cannot pump blood well.
The condition is not very common. That makes it hard to study. Doctors still don't know how to prevent it.
Much about broken heart syndrome is unknown. But one thing is clear. A broken heart can really make you sick.
Men Die More from Broken Heart Syndrome
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
Think Ahead: What do you think broken heart syndrome is?
a) A sports injury.
b) A problem caused by cold weather.
c) A real heart problem after strong stress.
Ask: (1) What is most important to you? (2) What do you do when you feel very sad?
-
Syndrome (n.)
-
Study (n.)
-
Condition (n.)
-
Patient (n.)
-
Loss (n.)
-
Stress (n.)
-
Hormone (n.)
-
Heart (n.)
-
Unknown (adj.)
A broken heart is not just a feeling. It can make people very sick. A new study shows that men who get it die more often than women.
The condition is called broken heart syndrome. The real medical name is takotsubo cardiomyopathy. About 83% of patients are women. But men who get it have bigger problems.
The study looked at almost 200,000 cases from 2016 to 2020. The average age of patients was 67 years old.
Fewer men got the condition, but they died more often. About 11% of men died. Only 5.5% of women died. That is two times more deaths for men.
What causes broken heart syndrome? Doctors say it can happen after a big shock. This can be the loss of a loved one. It can be a car accident. It can be very bad news.
When something terrible happens, your body makes stress hormones. These hormones can hurt part of your heart. The heart gets weak. It cannot pump blood well.
The condition is not very common. That makes it hard to study. Doctors still don't know how to prevent it.
Much about broken heart syndrome is unknown. But one thing is clear. A broken heart can really make you sick.
Two ways to use this audio:
- Method 1: Listen for the main idea: what is the article about in one sentence? Listen a second time for more details, then try the Understanding activities below.
- Method 2: Read the article first to learn the vocabulary and ideas. Then look at the gap-fill sentences to see what to listen for, and listen to fill them in.
Listen and Fill Gaps
Listen to the audio and complete the gaps below:
Loading listening activity...
Listen and Fill Gaps
Listen to the audio on eslnewsstories.com and complete the gaps below:
A broken heart is not just a feeling. It can make people very (1) . A new study shows that men who get it die more often than women.
The condition is called broken heart syndrome. The real medical name is takotsubo cardiomyopathy. About 83% of patients are (2) . But men who get it have bigger problems.
The study looked at almost 200,000 cases from 2016 to 2020. The average age of patients was 67 years old.
Fewer men got the condition, but they died more often. About 11% of men died. Only 5.5% of women died. That is two times more deaths for men.
What causes broken heart syndrome? Doctors say it can happen after a big shock. This can be the (3) of a loved one. It can be a car accident. It can be very bad news.
When something terrible happens, your body makes (4) hormones. These hormones can hurt part of your heart. The heart gets weak. It cannot pump blood well.
The condition is not very common. That makes it hard to study. Doctors still don't know how to prevent it.
Much about broken heart syndrome is (5) . But one thing is clear. A broken heart can really make you sick.
True or False
Answer each question by selecting True or False, then click CHECK to see your results.
True or False
1. Broken heart syndrome is a real health problem. TRUEFALSE True
2. Most people with broken heart syndrome are men. TRUEFALSE False
3. Broken heart syndrome can happen after a sad event. TRUEFALSE True
4. Doctors know exactly what causes broken heart syndrome. TRUEFALSE False
Vocab Match
Drag each vocabulary word to its matching definition:
Loading vocabulary activity...
Vocab Match
Write each vocabulary word next to its matching definition.
1. Syndromee) A group of health problems that happen together.
2. Conditiond) A health problem or disease.
3. Patientc) A person who gets medical help from a doctor.
4. Lossb) When someone dies or you lose something important.
5. Stressa) Worry or pressure that makes you feel bad.
a) Worry or pressure that makes you feel bad.
b) When someone dies or you lose something important.
c) A person who gets medical help from a doctor.
d) A health problem or disease.
e) A group of health problems that happen together.
Discussion Questions
- What do you do to feel better when something bad happens?
- Can feelings make us sick?
- Do you talk to friends or family about your feelings?
- Have you ever had a "broken heart" feeling? What happened?
- The article talks about stress hormones. What things give you stress?
- What are good ways to reduce stress in your life?
- Are men or women more romantic?
- What do you prefer? A love story that ends happily or sadly?
- What exercise can we do for heart health?
- What foods are healthy for our hearts? What foods are bad for our hearts?
Discussion Questions
- What do you do to feel better when something bad happens?
- Can feelings make us sick?
- Do you talk to friends or family about your feelings?
- Have you ever had a "broken heart" feeling? What happened?
- The article talks about stress hormones. What things give you stress?
- What are good ways to reduce stress in your life?
- Are men or women more romantic?
- What do you prefer? A love story that ends happily or sadly?
- What exercise can we do for heart health?
- What foods are healthy for our hearts? What foods are bad for our hearts?
Answers
Think Ahead: c
Listening: (1) sick, (2) women, (3) loss, (4) stress, (5) unknown
True or False:
- True. The article says it is a real heart condition, not just a feeling.
- False. The article says 83% of people with the condition are women.
- True. The article mentions the loss of a loved one as a possible cause.
- False. The article says much is unknown and researchers don't fully understand it.
Vocabulary:
- Syndrome: A group of health problems that happen together.
- Condition: A health problem or disease.
- Patient: A person who gets medical help from a doctor.
- Loss: When someone dies or you lose something important.
- Stress: Worry or pressure that makes you feel bad.