Smoking - a good or bad habit?

Undoubtedly, adolescence is the time of rebellion. Until they find the right path to follow, teenagers eagerly experiment with various things. Unfortunately, these include substances that can seriously damage their health.

 

Smoking and, to be more precise, its effects on our health still remain a part of a hotly debated issue. Not only parents, but also teachers struggle with teenagers smoking cigarettes. The question is - how to make them quit smoking? The answer is really simple – make them realise that this bad habit has definitely more dark sides than the bright ones.

However, don’t do it straightforwardly! Don’t try to harangue teenagers in any way since it will only bring about effects contrary to what has been intended. How to make them realise it by themselves then? Let’s use a short video about the negative effects of smoking and adapt it to listening comprehension! Below you will find a short video by iheedinstitute, entitled Smoking and its effects on health – stop today!

Below you will find pre-, while- and post-listening tasks specially designed on the basis of the abovementioned video.

Smoking – a good or bad habit?

Cigarette ingredients
Source: http://www.medicaldaily.com

 

1.    Think of the word SMOKING. What associations come to your mind first? Note down some
vocabulary items which are related to smoking. Share with your classmates.

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2.    Look at the picture. Work with a partner and answer the following questions:

What is in a cigarette?

What are the negative effects of smoking? 

Share your ideas with others.

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3.    Listen to and watch a video about smoking and the effects it has on your health. Note down
the bad effects that are mentioned in the video. Compare them with those you came up with
in Exercise 2.

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4.    Listen to and watch the video again. Decide if the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

1) There are more than 400 chemicals in tobacco smoke.                                            T / F

2) 60 of the chemicals in tobacco smoke cause cancer.                                                 T / F

3) Smoking has no effects on your bones.                                                                               T / F

4) Smokers may suffer from pneumonia more often than non-smokers.                 T / F

5) Passive smoking also damages health.                                                                              T / F

6) Children are more affected by passive smoking than adults.                                  T / F

7) Smoking can’t be more addictive than heroine.                                                             T / F

5.    Look at the list of diseases that smoking can cause. Match them with appropriate definitions.

                                                                                      
                                                                                       A medical condition in which:

1) osteoporosis                                                 a) blood is suddenly blocked and cannot reach
                                                                                             the brain, or in which a blood vessel in the brain                                                                                              breaks

2) pneumonia                                                      b) it is difficult to breathe

3) cancer                                                c) your eyes become white and you gradually lose
                                                                                             the ability to see

4) heart attack                                                   d) your bones become more likely to break

5) stroke                                                                 e) your breath has a very unpleasant smell

6) cataract                                                            f) your lungs fill with liquid and it is difficult to breathe

7) bad breath                                         g) someone suddenly has a lot of pain in their chest
                                                                                             and their heart stops working

8) asthma                                               h) cells in the body grow in a way that is uncontrolled
                                                                                             and not normal

6.    Work in a group. Discuss the following questions.

       1) Is smoking popular among your peers?

       2) How would you make your best friend quit smoking?

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HOMEWORK!

Imagine that your best friend cannot quit smoking. Write a composition in which you would try
to persuade him or her to do so. Use the ideas mentioned in the video as well as your own. Try to
be as convincing as possible. Your composition should not be longer than 150 words.