B2 – Upper Intermediate
Dementia is an umbrella term for loss of thinking ability, memory attention, problem-solving, and other cognitive abilities that are severe enough to interfere with daily life. In our every day lives, habits create a pattern that we often overlook. While some habits contribute to our well-being, some may harbor hidden risks especially to our mental health.
Read this article to learn about those seemingly harmless habits that may actually increase your risk of dementia.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/habits-raise-dementia-risk_l_6595a041e4b0912833aeb922
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “somebody’s way or the highway” mean? “Additionally, “try to be flexible with your reactions and avoid the ‘my way or the highway’ mentality, which can be common in older adults,” Steel said.” Use this in a sentence.
- Define the expression “put something on the back burner“. “Let’s face it, sleep tends to be put on the back burner.” Make a sentence with this.
- What does “unplug” mean in this context, “Try unplugging at least 30 minutes before bed.”? Give two synonyms and make a sentence with “unplug”.
Discussion Questions:
- Which habits mentioned in the article do you have?
- Are there other habits in your daily routine that seem harmless, but might potentially pose a risk to your cognitive health?
- How do you prioritize activities that promote brain health in your personal lifestyle?
- What specific cognitive health goals have you set for yourself, considering your current habits and lifestyle?
2 replies on “Harmless Habits May Increase Risk of Dementia”
Discussion Questions:
Which habits mentioned in the article do you have?
Well, I try to avoid all of them but is not easy. Not socializing enough maybe is one of the habits I have, but I can’t see it like a problem because always I liked to be alone, I don’t like big meeting and so on… maybe is because I’m a shy and uneasy person.
Are there other habits in your daily routine that seem harmless, but might potentially pose a risk to your cognitive health?
I’m not sure, maybe try to do a lot of thinks that is my case, can be counterproductive or harmless, but I’m not sure.
How do you prioritize activities that promote brain health in your personal lifestyle?
A lot, I do sport everyday try to learn English, French, dabbed piano, try to paint, go to exhibitions, go to conference, and so forth. I think is easier right now because I don’t work and I don’t have the stress of the job I really had.
What specific cognitive health goals have you set for yourself, considering your current habits and lifestyle?
As I said before: improving my English, my French, learning piano, be aware of conferences and exhibition, read, and so on.
It is good to hear your thoughts on this subject.
Here are a few minor changes you can make to improve the following sentences:
Note that since you started with “improving”, the rest should also be in gerund form. Be sure to observe parallelism in a series.
Keep at it!