For the press (article with tasks)

 

 

Why thinking makes us feel tired   (18th August, 2022)

Have you ever wondered why thinking too much makes you tired? A new study has found out some answers to this question. Researchers from the Paris Brain Institute looked at why mental effort makes us tired. They found that when people think a lot, the brain releases a chemical called glutamate. Too much glutamate upsets the brain's functions. It means the brain tells the body it is tired and that it must rest. People who spend more than six hours working on a task that requires a lot of thought are more likely to feel tired. A period of rest allows the brain to return to normal. This explains why a power nap is good for us. A power nap can be as short as 20 minutes, but can make us feel totally refreshed.
        The research team looked at the behaviour of 40 participants in their research. Twenty-four of these had to perform challenging tasks. These included looking at a computer screen and matching different letters that appeared. The other 16 participants did a similar, but easier task. Both teams worked for six hours, and had two ten-minute breaks. The researchers scanned the brains of the participants. They found that the group who had the more difficult task had higher levels of glutamate in their brain. Study author Antonius Wiehler said: "It would be great to find out more about how glutamate levels are restored." He asked: "Is sleep helpful? How long do breaks need to be to have a positive effect?"

Warm-up

1.      THINKING: What do you think about regarding these things? Are they happy thoughts? Why? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	What You Think?	Happy?	Why?
Money
English
Love
Next weekend
The world
Dinner

 

2.      Rank these with your partner. Put the thinks that make you most tired thinking about at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

·         Money

·         Health

·         English

·         Work

·         Family

·         Friends

·         Social media

·         The World

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

1.	wondered	a.	Activities that are natural to or the purpose of a person or thing.
2.	study	b.	A short sleep during the day.
3.	effort	c.	Wanted to know more about something.
4.	chemical	d.	A piece of research.
5.	functions	e.	A thing from nature that other things are made from (O2, H2O, Fe....)
6.	task	f.	A piece of work that we need to do.
7.	nap	g.	Hard physical or mental work.

    Paragraph 2

8.	behaviour	h.	Returned something to as it was before.
9.	perform	i.	The writer of something.
10.	appeared	j.	Made a surface or part of the body to be looked at by an electromagnetic beam.
11.	scanned	k.	The way people act towards other people.
12.	author	l.	A short rest from work or from doing something.
13.	restored	m.	Do an action, job or function.
14.	break	n.	Came into view so we could see it/them.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

1. The Paris Brain Institute looked into why thinking makes us tired.     T / F
2. The chemical glutamate tells the body that it is tired and needs rest.     T / F
3. The article says we should go to bed after working for six hours.     T / F
4. We need to have a nap for longer than 20 minutes to feel refreshed.     T / F
5. In the research, 16 participants worked for 24 hours.     T / F
6. In the tests, 24 people had to look at a computer screen.     T / F
7. People who did more difficult tasks had higher levels of glutamate.     T / F
8. The author of the study wants to know if sleep is helpful.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. wondered
2. found out
3. task
4. requires
5. period
6. perform
7. breaks
8. difficult
9. author
10. effect

1. rests
2. needs
3. carry out
4. discovered
5. writer
6. time
7. piece of work
8. result
9. hard
10. thought about

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1. A new study has found
2. why mental effort
3. People who spend more than six hours
4. A period of rest allows the brain
5. A power nap can be
6. The research team looked at the behaviour
7. perform challenging
8. researchers scanned the
9. higher levels of glutamate
10. have a positive

1. of 40 participants
2. effect
3. as short as 20 minutes
4. in their brain
5. out some answers
6. brains
7. makes us tired
8. to return to normal
9. tasks
10. working on a task

Guess the answers.

1) They found that when people think a lot, the brain ______
     a.  release is chemical
     b.  release as a chemical
     c.  releases a chemically
     d.  releases a chemical
2)  It means the brain tells the body it is tired and that ______
     a.  it must rest
     b.  it must lest
     c.  it must tress
     d.  it must trust
3)  People who spend more than six hours working on a task that requires a ______
     a.  lot off thought
     b.  lot of thought
     c.  lot oft thought
     d.  lots of thought
4)  A period of rest allows the brain to ______
     a.  return tomb normal
     b.  return too normal
     c.  return to normal
     d.  return tune normal
5)  A power nap can be as short as 20 minutes, but can make us ______
     a.  feels totally refreshed
     b.  feel totally refreshment
     c.  feels totally refreshing
     d.  feel totally refreshed

6)  looking at a computer screen and matching different ______
     a.  letters that tap pared
     b.  letters that upper
     c.  letters that app eared
     d.  letters that appeared
7)  Both teams worked for six hours, and had two ______
     a.  ten-minute brakes
     b.  ten-minute break
     c.  ten-minute breaks
     d.  ten-minute bleaks
8)  The researchers scanned the brains ______
     a.  of the participant
     b.  of the party sip ants
     c.  of the part icy pants
     d.  of the party sip pants
9)  the group who had the more difficult task ______
     a.  had higher level
     b.  had higher levels
     c.  had heighten levels
     d.  had high are levels
10)  find out more about how glutamate ______
     a.  levels are restore
     b.  levels are rest stored
     c.  levels are re-storied
     d.  levels are restored

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Have you (1) ____________________ thinking too much makes you tired? A new study has found out some answers to this question. Researchers from the Paris Brain Institute looked at why (2) ____________________ us tired. They found that when people think a lot, the brain releases a chemical called glutamate. Too much glutamate upsets (3) ____________________. It means the brain tells the body it is tired and that it must rest. People who spend more than six hours working on a task that requires a lot of thought are more likely to feel tired. A period (4) ____________________ the brain to return to normal. This explains why (5) ____________________ is good for us. A power nap can be as short as 20 minutes, but can make us (6) ____________________.

The research team looked at (7) ____________________ 40 participants in their research. Twenty-four of these had to (8) ____________________. These included looking at a computer screen and matching different letters that appeared. The other 16 participants (9) ____________________, but easier task. Both teams worked for six hours, and had two ten-minute breaks. The researchers (10) ____________________ of the participants. They found that the group who had the more difficult task had (11) ____________________ glutamate in their brain. Study author Antonius Wiehler said: "It would be great to find out more about how glutamate levels are restored." He asked: "Is sleep helpful? How long do breaks need to be to have (12) ____________________?"

Comprehension questions

1. Who conducted this research?
2. What's the name of the chemical the brain releases when we are tired?
3. How long do people usually work before feeling tired?
4. What does a period of rest allow the brain to do?
5. How can a 20-minute power nap make us feel?
6. How many participants did the research team look at?
7. What did participants have to look at?
8. How many 10-minute breaks did the participants get?
9. What did the researchers scan?
10. Who is Antonius Wiehler?

Multiple choice quiz

1) Who conducted this research?
a) Paris Brainy Institute
b) Paris Institute of Brains
c) Paris Brain Institute
d) Brainy Institute of Paris
2) What's the name of the chemical the brain releases when we are tired?
a) glutamate
b) guacamole
c) glucose
d) glutens
3) How long do people usually work before feeling tired?
a) six hours
b) six days
c) sixteen hours
d) sixty hours
4) What does a period of rest allow the brain to do?
a) think
b) return to normal
c) dream
d) have nice thoughts
5) How can a 20-minute power nap make us feel?
a) sleepy
b) more tired
c) groggy
d) totally refreshed

6) How many participants did the research team look at?
a) fifty
b) forty
c) thirty
d) sixty
7) What did participants have to look at?
a) a computer screen
b) books
c) tests
d) ants working
8) How many 10-minute breaks did the participants get?
a) three
b) one
c) two
d) none
9) What did the researchers scan?
a) questionnaires
b) barcodes
c) QR codes
d) the participants' brains
10) Who is Antonius Wiehler?
a) the study's author
b) a participant
c) head of the institute
d) a brain expert

Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

Have you ever (1) ____ why thinking too much makes you tired? A new study has found out some answers to this question. Researchers from the Paris Brain Institute looked at why mental (2) ____ makes us tired. They found that when people think a lot, the brain releases a chemical (3) ____ glutamate. Too much glutamate upsets the brain's functions. It means the brain tells the body it is tired and that it must (4) ____. People who spend more than six hours working on a task that requires a lot of thought are more (5) ____ to feel tired. A period of rest allows the brain to return to normal. This explains why a power nap is good for us. A power nap can be as (6) ____ as 20 minutes, but can make us feel totally refreshed.

The research team looked at the behaviour of 40 participants in their research. Twenty-four of these had to (7) ____ challenging tasks. These included looking at a computer screen and matching different letters that (8) ____. The other 16 participants did a similar, but easier task. Both teams worked for six hours, and had two ten-minute breaks. The researchers (9) ____ the brains of the participants. They found that the group who had the (10) ____ difficult task had higher levels of glutamate in their brain. Study author Antonius Wiehler said: "It would be great to find out more about how glutamate levels are (11) ____." He asked: "Is sleep helpful? How long do breaks need to be to have a (12) ____ effect?"

Which of these words go in the above text?

1. (a)     wondered     (b)     winded     (c)     wandered     (d)     wended    
2. (a)     effect     (b)     affront     (c)     effort     (d)     affect    
3. (a)     shouted     (b)     whispered     (c)     called     (d)     voiced    
4. (a)     best     (b)     nest     (c)     lest     (d)     rest    
5. (a)     happily     (b)     freely     (c)     likely     (d)     tiredly    
6. (a)     shorten     (b)     short     (c)     shorts     (d)     shorty    
7. (a)     perfume     (b)     perform     (c)     pre-frame     (d)     puffing    
8. (a)     appear     (b)     appeared     (c)     tapped     (d)     tapered    
9. (a)     skimmed     (b)     scones     (c)     scanned     (d)     skinned    
10. (a)     some     (b)     much     (c)     many     (d)     more    
11. (a)     roasted     (b)     cooked     (c)     lived     (d)     restored    
12. (a)     positivity     (b)     positively     (c)     positives     (d)     positive

Put the words in the right order

1. makes   tired   .   thinking   you   much   Wondered   too   why
2. people   found   lot   .   think   They   a   when   that
3. a   of   task   lot   that   requires   A   thought   .
4. to   Rest   return   normal   .   allows   to   brain   the
5. why   explains   good   .   a   is   power   This   nap
6. the   behaviour   participants   .   Researchers   of   looked   40   at
7. challenging   to   these   tasks   .   perform   Twenty-four   had   of
8. the   the   researchers   brains   participants   .   scanned   of   The
9. had   task   .   group   the   more   who   difficult   The
10. would   to   find   out   more   .   great   It   be