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
- Vocab List
- Reading and Audio
- Main Idea Choose the overall message of the text.
- True or False Check understanding.
- Multiple Choice Check understanding.
- Vocab Match Connect words to meanings.
- New Sentences Choose words to complete sentences in new contexts.
- Discussion Builder Choose connecting expressions for discussion ideas.
- Discussion Questions Open speaking questions for discussion (or writing practice).
- Answers Answer key for the printed tasks.
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in the story?
a) Water has a strong smell.
b) Smelling chocolate made people want to eat chocolate.
c) Dark chocolate made people feel less hungry.
VOCAB LIST
Reading
Could the smell of chocolate help you exercise longer? A new study suggests that it might.
Researchers asked a group of young men to smell dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or water before and during a leg exercise. All of the men lifted weights regularly. During the experiment, they smelled the chocolate but did not eat it.
After smelling chocolate, the men were able to do more reps. Dark chocolate had the strongest effect, while milk chocolate also improved their performance.
The two scents seemed to work differently. Dark chocolate reduced the men’s appetite, so they felt less hungry. However, they found the sweeter smell of milk chocolate more pleasant. Researchers are not yet sure why either scent helped them exercise longer.
The results are surprising. The study was small and only included young men who exercised regularly. Researchers now want to repeat the experiment with different groups to learn more about how smells affect exercise.
Smelling Chocolate Could Help You Exercise
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in the story?
a) Water has a strong smell.
b) Smelling chocolate made people want to eat chocolate.
c) Dark chocolate made people feel less hungry.
-
researcher (n.)
-
experiment (n.)
-
rep (n.)
-
performance (n.)
-
scent (n.)
-
appetite (n.)
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effect (n.)
-
pleasant (adj.)
Could the smell of chocolate help you exercise longer? A new study suggests that it might.
Researchers asked a group of young men to smell dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or water before and during a leg exercise. All of the men lifted weights regularly. During the experiment, they smelled the chocolate but did not eat it.
After smelling chocolate, the men were able to do more reps. Dark chocolate had the strongest effect, while milk chocolate also improved their performance.
The two scents seemed to work differently. Dark chocolate reduced the men’s appetite, so they felt less hungry. However, they found the sweeter smell of milk chocolate more pleasant. Researchers are not yet sure why either scent helped them exercise longer.
The results are surprising. The study was small and only included young men who exercised regularly. Researchers now want to repeat the experiment with different groups to learn more about how smells affect exercise.
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:
Could the smell of chocolate help you exercise longer? A new (1) suggests that it might.
Researchers asked a group of young men to smell dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or water before and during a leg exercise. All of the men lifted weights regularly. During the (2) , they smelled the chocolate but did not eat it.
After smelling chocolate, the men were able to do more (3) . Dark chocolate had the strongest effect, while milk chocolate also improved their performance.
The two scents seemed to work differently. Dark chocolate reduced the men’s (4) , so they felt less hungry. However, they found the sweeter smell of milk chocolate more pleasant. Researchers are not yet sure why either scent helped them exercise longer.
The results are surprising. The study was small and only included young men who exercised regularly. Researchers now want to repeat the experiment with different (5) to learn more about how smells affect exercise.
Main Idea
Choose one answer, then click CHECK to see your result.
Main Idea
Choose one:
- Smelling chocolate may help people exercise longer. Correct answer
- Dark chocolate may make people feel less hungry during exercise.
- Young men found milk chocolate more pleasant than dark chocolate.
True or False
Answer each question by selecting True or False, then click CHECK to see your results.
True or False
1. The men ate chocolate before doing the leg exercise. TRUEFALSE False
2. Milk chocolate had a stronger effect than dark chocolate. TRUEFALSE False
3. The men found the smell of milk chocolate more pleasant. TRUEFALSE True
Multiple Choice
Answer each question by selecting A, B, or C, then click CHECK to see your results.
Multiple Choice
1. What did the men smell during the experiment?
a) Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or waterCorrect
b) Dark chocolate, coffee, or water
c) Milk chocolate, fruit, or coffee
2. What happened after the men smelled chocolate?
a) They became tired more quickly.
b) They were able to do more reps.Correct
c) They lifted heavier weights.
3. Why do researchers want to repeat the experiment?
a) They want to test more kinds of chocolate.
b) They want the men to eat chocolate next time.
c) They want to study different groups of people.Correct
Vocab Match
Drag each vocabulary word to its matching definition, or select a word and then select its definition:
Loading vocabulary activity...
Vocab Match
Write each vocabulary word next to its matching definition.
1. Rep (n)e) One complete movement of an exercise.
2. Performance (n)d) How well someone does an activity.
3. Scent (n)c) A smell, usually a pleasant one.
4. Appetite (n)b) The feeling that you want to eat.
5. Effect (n)a) A change caused by something.
a) A change caused by something.
b) The feeling that you want to eat.
c) A smell, usually a pleasant one.
d) How well someone does an activity.
e) One complete movement of an exercise.
New Sentences
Choose the best word for each new sentence.
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I usually do ten {blank} of each exercise.
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The team is working to improve its {blank}.
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The flowers gave the room a sweet {blank}.
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The long walk gave me a big {blank}.
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The medicine had no {blank} on my headache.
New Sentences
Use the words in the bank to complete the new sentences.
appetite / effect / performance / reps / scent
- I usually do ten of each exercise.
- The team is working to improve its .
- The flowers gave the room a sweet .
- The long walk gave me a big .
- The medicine had no on my headache.
Discussion Builder
1) Reason 2) Result 3) Contrast
Q: Do you think pleasant smells can help people do things? Why or why not?
A:Q: What helps you keep going when exercise becomes difficult?
A:
Discussion Builder
Choose the best phrase for each gap:
Q: Do you think pleasant smells can help people do things? Why or why not?
A: Pleasant smells are helpful they make people feel good and think positively.
because / but / so
Pleasant smells are helpful because they make people feel good and think positively.
Q: What helps you keep going when exercise becomes difficult?
A: Music can help me forget I'm tired, I listen to music with a fast beat.
so / because / but
Music can help me forget I'm tired, so I listen to music with a fast beat.
Dark chocolate and milk chocolate are both nice, dark chocolate seems stronger.
but / because / so
Dark chocolate and milk chocolate are both nice, but dark chocolate seems stronger.
Discussion Questions
- Do you like the smell of chocolate? If not, what smells better?
- Do you think pleasant smells can help people do things? Why or why not?
- Would you try smelling chocolate during a workout? Why or why not?
- What helps you keep going when exercise becomes difficult?
- Why might dark chocolate and milk chocolate have different effects?
- Would you rather eat chocolate or exercise?
- Do you do leg exercises? How do you exercise your legs?
- What other scents could researchers test during exercise?
Discussion Questions
- Do you like the smell of chocolate? If not, what smells better?
- Do you think pleasant smells can help people do things? Why or why not?
- Would you try smelling chocolate during a workout? Why or why not?
- What helps you keep going when exercise becomes difficult?
- Why might dark chocolate and milk chocolate have different effects?
- Would you rather eat chocolate or exercise?
- Do you do leg exercises? How do you exercise your legs?
- What other scents could researchers test during exercise?
Answers
Think Ahead: c
Listening: (1) study, (2) experiment, (3) reps, (4) appetite, (5) groups
Main Idea: Smelling chocolate may help people exercise longer.
True or False:
- False. They smelled the chocolate but did not eat it.
- False. Dark chocolate had the strongest effect.
- True. They found its sweeter smell more pleasant.
Multiple Choice: a, b, c
Vocabulary:
- Rep (n): One complete movement of an exercise.
- Performance (n): How well someone does an activity.
- Scent (n): A smell, usually a pleasant one.
- Appetite (n): The feeling that you want to eat.
- Effect (n): A change caused by something.
New Sentences: 1. reps; 2. performance; 3. scent; 4. appetite; 5. effect
Discussion Builder:
Hints: 1) Reason. 2) Result. 3) Contrast.
- because
- so
- but