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17 Oct 2026
A mom's voice can soothe a daughter after a stressful situation, a study suggests. MStudioImages/E+/Getty Images
Did You Know That Your Voice Is Special?
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Section: Warm Up
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) A mum's voice helps her daughter feel calm.
b) A dog learns to talk on the phone.
c) A girl sings in a big concert.
Ask:
(1) Whose voice makes you feel happy?
(2) Do you like to talk on the phone or send a text?
VOCABULARY
voice (/vɔɪs/, noun)
Meaning: The sound you make when you talk or sing.
Example: My little brother has a very loud voice.
mum (/mʌm/, noun)
Meaning: Another word for your mother.
Example: My mum reads me a story every night.
phone (/fəʊn/, noun)
Meaning: A machine you use to talk to people who are far away.
Example: I talk to my grandma on the phone.
text (/tekst/, noun)
Meaning: A short written message that you send on a phone.
Example: My friend sends me a text after school.
muscles (/ˈmʌsəlz/, noun)
Meaning: Parts inside your body that help you move.
Example: I use my leg muscles when I run.
robot (/ˈrəʊbɒt/, noun)
Meaning: A machine that can move or talk like a person.
Example: The toy robot says hello to me.
computer (/kəmˈpjuːtə/, noun)
Meaning: A machine that helps you write, play and learn.
Example: We play a fun word game on the computer.
Your voice is very special. Your voice tells people how you feel. It shows if you are happy or sad. Scientists are studying voices. They want to learn more.
Some girls are doing a hard test. They feel worried. Then some girls talk to their mum. They talk on the phone or face to face. Other girls only send a text. Who feels better? Some girls hear their mum's voice. They feel calm. A text does not help in the same way.
Jules lives in Miami, in the USA. He is a dad and a very funny man. He has an illness. His muscles are getting weak. People use about 100 muscles to talk! Now Jules cannot talk with his own voice.
Jules uses a computer to speak. The first computer voice sounds like a robot. It is flat and boring. Now a new computer voice sounds just like him. His wife hears it and she cries. Jules is very happy. He feels like himself again.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Section 8: Discussion Questions
1. How does your voice sound when you are happy?
2. Why do the girls feel calm when they talk to their mum?
3. Who do you call when you feel sad?
4. How does Jules feel when he hears his new voice?
5. Do you like a robot voice or your own voice? Why?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: robot, phone, computer, muscles
Your voice is very special. Your voice tells people how you feel. It shows if you are happy or sad. Scientists are studying voices. They want to learn more.
Some girls are doing a hard test. They feel worried. Then some girls talk to their mum. They talk on the _______(1) or face to face. Other girls only send a text. Who feels better? Some girls hear their mum's voice. They feel calm. A text does not help in the same way.
Jules lives in Miami, in the USA. He is a dad and a very funny man. He has an illness. His _______(2) are getting weak. People use about 100 muscles to talk! Now Jules cannot talk with his own voice.
Jules uses a _______(3) to speak. The first computer voice sounds like a _______(4). It is flat and boring. Now a new computer voice sounds just like him. His wife hears it and she cries. Jules is very happy. He feels like himself again.
Section 2: Main Idea
Which sentence tells the main idea of the story?
a) Voices are special, and a new computer voice helps Jules.
b) Girls like to play games on the phone.
c) Robots are funny and boring.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
1. A text helps the girls feel calm, just like a voice. T/F
2. Jules lives in Miami. T/F
3. The first computer voice sounds like a robot. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Write 1, 2 or 3 to put the events in order.
a) ____ The first computer voice sounds like a robot.
b) ____ Jules's muscles get weak and he cannot talk.
c) ____ A new computer voice sounds just like Jules.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
1. voice
2. mum
3. text
4. muscles
5. robot
a) a machine that can move or talk like a person
b) the sound you make when you talk or sing
c) parts of your body that help you move
d) a short written message on a phone
e) another word for your mother
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
1. I feel calm when I talk to my ______.
a) mum
b) robot
c) computer
2. The new computer voice is ______ because it sounds like Jules.
a) great
b) boring
c) flat
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
1.
A) special
B) Your voice
C) to people.
D) is
E) very
2.
A) to
B) a computer
C) Jules
D) speak.
E) uses
ANSWER KEY
Warm Up
a) A mum's voice helps her daughter feel calm.
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
(1) phone
(2) muscles
(3) computer
(4) robot
Section 2: Main Idea
a) Voices are special, and a new computer voice helps Jules.
Section 3: True or False
1. False – a text does not help in the same way.
2. True
3. True
Section 4: Put Events in Order
a) 2
b) 1
c) 3
Section 5: Vocab Match
1 – b
2 – e
3 – d
4 – c
5 – a
Section 6: Discussion Builder
1. a) mum (answers may vary)
2. a) great (answers may vary)
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
1. B, D, E, A, C – Your voice is very special to people.
2. C, E, B, A, D – Jules uses a computer to speak.
Section 8: Discussion Questions
Answers will vary. Encourage full sentences, reasons and examples from the article.
Thank you for your feedback!