Science & Technology
Teen Finds Caffeine Changes Developing Brain Cells
1 Jul 2026
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Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Think Ahead:
Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) A student does a science experiment about tea and coffee.
b) A student builds a new computer for schools.
c) A teacher buys a pet mouse for the science classroom.
Ask:
(1) Do you drink cola or tea?
(2) How do you feel after you drink them?
VOCABULARY
Brain
noun
Teenager
noun
Scientist
noun
Connection
noun
Different
adjective
Experiment
noun
The organ inside your head that thinks and feels.
Example:Your brain helps you read and learn new things.
A person who is between thirteen and nineteen years old.
Example:My older brother is a teenager.
A person who studies science and does research.
Example:The scientist looked at the stars.
A link between two or more things.
Example:There is a strong connection between food and health.
Not the same as something else.
Example:The two birds have different colours.
A scientific test to find out information.
Example: We did a fun experiment in class today.
Many children and teenagers drink caffeine every day. They drink it in sweet cola or energy drinks. A clever sixteen-year-old student called Sophia Zeng wanted to study this popular drug. She noticed that she and her mother reacted in different ways to tea. Sophia got bad headaches, but her mother felt happy and focused. Sophia decided to do an important science experiment in a laboratory. First, she used a computer to look at past studies on mice. She discovered that caffeine changes how cells work. Next, she grew rat brain cells in small dishes. She added different amounts of caffeine to the cells. She used special bright dyes to see the cells under a microscope. Sophia saw a sad pattern. The cells with more caffeine grew fewer neurons. They also made fewer connections with other cells. Caffeine made the brain networks look very empty and simple.
Listen
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Do you drink drinks with caffeine like cola or tea?
2. Do you think teenagers drink too many energy drinks?
3. Why is science an important subject to learn at school?
4. How do you feel when you have a headache?
5. Would you like to do an experiment in a big laboratory?
6. What helps you focus when you are studying for an exam?
FILL IN THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: brain, connections, different, experiment
Many children and teenagers drink caffeine every day. They drink it in sweet cola or energy drinks. A clever sixteen-year-old student called Sophia Zeng wanted to study this popular drug. She noticed that she and her mother reacted in _______(1) ways to tea. Sophia got bad headaches, but her mother felt happy and focused. Sophia decided to do an important science _______(2) in a laboratory. First, she used a computer to look at past studies on mice. She discovered that caffeine changes how cells work. Next, she grew rat _______(3) cells in small dishes. She added different amounts of caffeine to the cells. She used special bright dyes to see the cells under a microscope. Sophia saw a sad pattern. The cells with more caffeine grew fewer neurons. They also made fewer _______(4) with other cells. Caffeine made the brain networks look very empty and simple.
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the main idea of this story?
a) Why mothers love to drink hot tea in the afternoon.
b) How a teenager found that caffeine affects growing brain cells.
c) How to build computers for science labs.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
1. Sophia and her mother had the same reaction to tea. T/F
2. Sophia used a computer to look at past studies on mice. T/F
3. Cells with more caffeine made more connections. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Put these events in the correct order from 1 to 3:
A. Sophia looked at past data on mice using a computer.
B. Sophia grew rat brain cells and looked at them under a microscope.
C. Sophia noticed she got headaches from tea while her mother felt focused.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
1. Brain
2. Teenager
3. Scientist
4. Experiment
a. A person between 13 and 19 years old
b. A test to find out new information
c. The organ inside your head used for thinking
d. A person who studies the natural world
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
1. In my opinion, teenagers should not drink too much caffeine because it can change how their _______ works.
a) hair b) brain c) shoes d) clothes
2. If a student wants to do a science _______, they should look at data first.
a) song b) game c) experiment d) holiday
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
1. Unscramble the sentence: A) science / B) a / C) Sophia / D) experiment / E) did
2. Unscramble the sentence: A) connections / B) need / C) cells / D) brain / E) good
ANSWER KEY
Warm Up:
Answer: a
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
(1) different (2) experiment (3) brain (4) connections
Section 2:
Main Idea b
Section 3: True or False
False
True
False
Section 4: Put Events in Order
C
A
B
Section 5: Vocab Match
c
a
d
b
Section 6: Discussion Builder
b
c
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
C, E, B, A, D (Sophia did a science experiment.)
D, C, B, E, A (Brain cells need good connections.)
Section 8: Discussion Questions
Student answers will vary.