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Beyond B1 Culture Worksheet 1
Beyond B1 Culture Worksheet 1
Aim: To explore the positive and negative aspects of life at different ages in different cultures. Use the teenage
years as a starting point for reflections on the experience of childhood, middle age and old age in the students
own country/countries compared with other countries.
1 3
Encourage students to think about the first question Now have students read the texts in more detail and
on their own and note down the first three things answer the questions on their own.
they think of that they like and dont like about being
their age. Background note
Then get them to work in pairs and compare their Okinawa Island is an island in the south of Japan.
answers with their partners. Write the headings Its famous because people live longer there than
Good and Bad on the board and ask the students anywhere else in the world. Japan is famous for
to share some of their ideas, taking turns to write having a very high life expectancy compared with
them under each heading. other countries and five times as many Okinawans
Another question you might like to ask is: Do you live to be 100 years old as the rest of the Japanese
think your country is a good place to be a teenager*? population. This is thought to be a result of their
Encourage students to justify their answers. healthy diet consisting mainly of fish, seaweed and
*adapt according to the age of your students other vegetables, and a low stress lifestyle.
2
Ask students to work in pairs and see who can Answers
finish the task first. 1 Heidi Lund
Then nominate one student to give the correct 2 Marvin Lewis
answers. 3 Satu Iwasaki, Heidi Lund
4 Heidi Lund, Marvin Lewis
Answer 5 Satu Iwasaki
12 years old 6 Olia
7 Marvin Lewis
Answers
1 Olia (Text D) 4
2 Marvin Lewis (Text A) Use the first question as the basis of a follow-up
3 Heidi Lund (Text B) discussion with the class as a whole.
4 Satu Iwasaki (Text C) Then explain to students that they are going to
discuss the second question in groups and choose
one person in each group to be the secretary, who
will take notes.
After the discussions, each of the secretaries should
report back on their groups opinions.
Homework
Interview someone in your family. Write a list of five
questions about their age, occupation, likes and
dislikes and write their answers. Report back on the
interview to the class.