English Lesson 109
Animals and useful websites
Animals and wildlife, a website that helps you in your work or studies, and the internet and social media.
How to practise
- Listen to an answer two times. Read the text while you listen.
- Shadow it. Set the speed to 0.75×. Play it again and speak at the same time as the voice.
- Turn on practice mode. The answers are hidden. Read each question and answer it out loud.
- Make it yours. Use the same phrases, but say true things about your city, your job and your life.
- Practise with a partner. One person reads the questions. The other answers without looking.
Part 1 · Interview
Animals
Short answers. About 20 to 30 seconds each. Answer, give a reason, add one detail.
Are there many animals or birds where you live? Why?
Not many wild animals, because I live in a big city. But there are lots of birds, like sparrows and pigeons, and many street cats. In the parks, you can sometimes see squirrels too.
- wild animalsanimals that live in nature
- street catscats that live outside, without owners
- squirrelssmall animals with big tails that live in trees
How often do you watch programmes or read articles about wild animals?
Quite often, maybe once a week. I love nature documentaries, especially about animals in Africa or the ocean. They're relaxing, and I always learn something surprising.
- Quite oftenfairly often
- nature documentariesfilms about real nature
- something surprisingsomething unexpected
Have you ever been to a zoo or a wildlife park? Why?
Yes, I went to a zoo when I was a child, and I loved seeing the lions and elephants. But now I feel a bit sad in zoos, because the animals are in small spaces. I prefer wildlife parks, where animals have more freedom.
- I feel a bit sadI feel a little unhappy
- in small spacesin little areas
- have more freedomcan move more freely
Would you like to have a job working with animals? Why?
Maybe as a hobby, but not as a job. I love animals, but I don't think I could handle seeing them sick or hurt every day. I really respect vets and people who work in animal shelters.
- I could handle…I could deal with
- sick or hurtill or injured
- animal sheltersplaces that care for homeless animals
Part 2 · Cue card
A website that helps you a lot in your work or studies
You get 1 minute to prepare and then speak for 1 to 2 minutes. Follow the four points on the card in order.
Candidate task card
Describe a website you use a lot that helps you in your work or studies.
You should say:
- what the website is
- how often you use it
- what information it gives you
- and explain how your work or studies would change without it
Start
I'd like to talk about Stack Overflow. It's a website for programmers, and I use it almost every day at work.
What it is
It's a question-and-answer website. Programmers from all over the world ask technical questions, and other programmers answer them. The best answers are voted to the top.
How often you use it
I use it several times a day. Every time I have a problem in my code that I can't solve, I search there first.
What information it gives
It gives answers to millions of programming problems, with examples of code. Many answers also explain why a solution works, so I learn something, not just copy it.
Without it
Without it, my work would be much slower. I'd spend hours reading long documents to find answers. Sometimes, I'd have to ask my colleagues and interrupt their work. Honestly, I think most programmers in the world would find their job much harder without it.
- a question-and-answer websitea site where people ask and answer
- are voted to the toppeople choose them as best
- several times a daymany times each day
- I search there firstI look there before other places
- not just copy itnot only take it
- interrupt their workstop them while they work
Part 3 · Discussion
The internet and social media
Longer answers. About 30 to 45 seconds. Give your opinion, explain why, and give an example.
Why do some people find the internet addictive?
The internet always has something new: new videos, messages and posts. Apps are designed to keep us scrolling. Every like or comment gives us a small feeling of pleasure, so we want more. It's very hard to stop.
- addictivevery hard to stop using
- are designed to keep us scrollingare made to make us continue
- a small feeling of pleasurea little happy feeling
What would the world be like without the internet?
It would be much slower. Communication would take longer, and many jobs wouldn't exist. Banking, shopping and studying would all be harder. But maybe people would talk more face to face and read more books.
- much slowerless fast
- many jobs wouldn't existthere would be no such jobs
- face to facein person
How might the way people use the internet change in the future?
I think we'll talk to the internet more than type, using voice assistants and AI. We might also use virtual reality to meet friends or visit places. And more things in our homes will be connected, like cars and fridges.
- voice assistantsprograms you talk to, like Siri
- virtual realitytechnology that makes you feel inside a computer world
- will be connectedwill use the internet
How can social media be used for positive purposes?
Social media can help people find lost family members, raise money for people in need and share important information quickly, for example during natural disasters. It also helps small businesses and artists reach more people.
- positive purposesgood reasons
- raise moneycollect money for a good cause
- reach more peoplebe seen by more people
Why do some people post very negative comments about others online?
Online, people feel anonymous, so they think there are no consequences. Some people are unhappy or angry, and they take it out on others. Also, it's easier to be rude when you can't see the other person's face.
- anonymouswithout their real name
- no consequencesno bad results for them
- take it out on othersshow their anger to other people
Will companies mainly advertise through social media in the future?
I think so. It's cheaper than TV, and companies can show adverts to exactly the right people, based on their interests. Influencers are also very powerful now. But TV and billboards will probably still be used for big brands.
- exactly the right peoplethe perfect audience
- based on their interestsusing what they like
- billboardslarge signs with adverts beside roads
Audio: Microsoft neural voices. A British voice reads the examiner's questions, and an American voice reads the model answers.