Autism in U.S. children on the rise
Date: 2015-10-07; view: 638.
Fill in the gaps using the following words.
| Attention, estimates, possible, ruled, among, due, likely, figures, explore, analysis, cause, large, impact, produce, interact, other. |
Autism ____________ children in the USA is rising. This is according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It ____________ that 1 in 110 children in the United States suffers from the developmental disorder. It also says boys are four times more ____________ to suffer from autism than girls. Researchers compared the statistics of a 2002 report into autism with ____________ for 2006. Lead author of the report Dr Catherine Rice gave one ____________ reason for the increase. She said: “Some of the increases are ____________ to better detection, particularly among children who may not have come to our ____________ in the past.” She had no simple explanation for the rise and added that “a true increase in risk cannot be ____________ out”.
Autism has been the ____________ of great concern for many years now. The disease can hold back learning and have a negative ____________ on a child's social interaction. Scientists understand very little about it compared with ____________ medical conditions. It is extremely difficult to diagnose because it means a careful ____________ of a child's behaviour. Different tests on the same child can ____________ varying results. Autism specialist Geraldine Dawson said more money was needed to better understand autism. She explained: “The point is that we need to better ____________ both the role of genetics and environment, and how they may ____________ with each other.” She was worried that no one had answers for the ____________ increase in autism.
AFTER LISTENING
6. Answer the following questions.
1) What did you think when you read the headline?
2) What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘autism'?
3) What do you know about autism?
4) How great a difficulty do you think autism is?
5) How do you think governments can do more to educate people about things like autism?
6) Why don't governments spend more money on autism research?
7) Why do you think boys are four times more likely to be autistic than girls?
8) Why do you think scientists cannot find answers to why autism is rising?
9) How do you think parents of autistic children can encourage social interaction?
10) How rewarding or difficult do you think it is to work with autistic kids?
11) Would you like to be a researcher and try to find a cure for autism?
12) Would you be good at helping children with learning and developmental problems?
13) Did you have any problems when you were a child?
14) What things did you learn from this article?
15) What would you like to know about autism?
16) What questions would you like to ask Geraldine Dawson?
7. Match the following synonyms from the text.
| 1) to estimate 2) likely 3) figures 4) detection 5) to rule out 6) concern 7) negative 8) varying 9) to explore 10)to interact | a) statistics b) to relate c) to ignore d) worry e) differing f) to guess g) to investigate h) probably i) harmful j) discovery |
8. Match the following phrases from the text (sometimes more than one combination is possible).
| 1) Autism among 2) 1 3) boys are four times more 4) come to our 5) a true increase in risk cannot be 6) the cause of great 7) hold back 8) extremely difficult to 9) produce varying 10) how they may interact | a) attention b) diagnose c) results d) in 110 children e) learning f) ruled out g) children in the USA h) with each other i) likely to suffer j) concern |
9. Write down different words you associate with learning. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
10. In pairs or groups discuss how children with autism can be helped. Rate these and share your ratings with your partner.
| § more money for research § an autism awareness month § lessons about autism in schools § drugs | § TV shows about famous autistic people § special schools for kids with autism § more websites about autism |
11. Roleplay the dialogue between an autism specialist and a journalist, as a journalist try to find out more information about autism and how to prevent it and help children with this disease.
12. Search the Internet and find more information about autism. Talk about what you discover with your groupmates. If possible, try to make a presentation, because it will help you to present information in a way which contributes to better understanding and figures or different graphics which help to understand your report better. After presentations choose the best one.
13. Write a magazine article about autism. Include imaginary interviews with experts who want to make more people aware of it. Read what you wrote to your groupmates. Which article was best and why?
14. Write a letter to the expert on autism. Ask him/her three questions about the condition. Give him/her three suggestions on how to increase the amount of money spent on autism research. Read your letter to your groupmates. Your groupmates will answer your questions.
Unit 2
Children cost $50 a day
BEFORE LISTENING
1. Practice the pronunciation of the following words taken from the text which you are going to listen.
The cost of raising a child, to soar, double, decade, to fork out, from birth to the age of 21, the UK insurance company LV=, insurer, to reckon, expensive, early childhood, period, spokesman, statistics, sobering, current parents, staggering, unrealistic, income levels, in line with, rising level of expenditure, to be switched on, family finances, childcare, education, to account for, to feed a child, to clothe, mind-blowing, to keep amused, hobbies, pocket money, however, to decrease, sympathy, rocketing expenses, to face, experience, sacrifice, to manage, worth, provision, extra planning.
2. Give Russian equivalents to the following English words and word combinations.
The cost of raising a child, to soar, in the next decade, to fork out around $365,000 on raising a child, from birth to the age of 21, the UK insurance company LV=, insurer, to reckon, the early childhood period between two and five, spokesman, to be quite sobering, would-be and current parents, to be quite staggering, people's income levels, to increase in line with this rising level of expenditure, to be switched on about family finances, childcare, to account for, to feed a child, to clothe, mind-blowing, to keep amused with smth, toy, hobbies, presents, pocket money, however, to decrease by, to have sympathy for parents, the rocketing expenses, to face, experience, sacrifice, to put some plans on hold, to manage the costs associated with raising a family, to be worth, to make small provisions, to do a little extra planning.
WHILE LISTENING
3. Listen to the text “Children cost $50 a day” twice. First time make notes about the numbers, geographical, proper or personal names which you might hear. When you are listening to the text for the second time, try to catch the events and the order in which they are spoken about.
4. Agree or disagree to the following statements.
1) A secret market in buying and selling kids has started in the UK.
2) The early childhood years are the most expensive for parents.
3) A report said income levels will rise for parents to raise their kids.
4) The report said parents must be more aware about childcare costs.
5) Spending on education is higher than the cost of feeding kids.
6) Children received less pocket money than usual in 2007.
7) An insurance spokesman suggested sacrificing a few children.
8) The spokesman said putting money aside now was a good idea.
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