English Lesson 94
Instruments and healthy habits
Musical instruments, something healthy you enjoy doing, and stress and healthy lifestyles.
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
Musical instruments
Short answers. About 20 to 30 seconds each. Answer, give a reason, add one detail.
Which instrument do you like listening to most? Why?
I love listening to the piano. It can sound happy, sad or calm, depending on the music. I often listen to piano music while I'm working, because it helps me concentrate.
- depending on the musicit changes with the music
- while I'm workingduring work
- it helps me concentrateit helps me focus
Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument? Which one?
Yes, I learned the setar for two years when I was at university. It's a traditional Persian instrument with three strings. I stopped when I started working, but I'd like to start again one day.
- a traditional Persian instrumentan old Iranian instrument
- three stringsthree wires that make sound
- start again one daybegin again in the future
Should children learn to play an instrument at school? Why?
Yes, I think they should at least try. Music is good for the brain and for creativity. Playing in a group also teaches teamwork. Some children discover a talent they didn't know they had.
- at least trytry, even if they don't continue
- good for the brainhelps the mind
- discover a talentfind a natural ability
How easy would it be to learn an instrument without a teacher?
It's possible now, because there are many online videos and apps. But it's hard to learn the right technique alone. A teacher can correct small mistakes before they become bad habits. So I think it's best to have at least a few lessons.
- the right techniquethe correct way
- correct small mistakesfix little errors
- bad habitswrong ways that are hard to change
Part 2 · Cue card
Something healthy you enjoy doing
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 something healthy you enjoy doing.
You should say:
- what you do
- where you do it
- who you do it with
- and explain why you think doing this is healthy
Start
I'd like to talk about hiking in the mountains. It's my favourite healthy activity, and I do it almost every week.
What you do
Every Friday morning, I go hiking on the mountain trails north of my city. I usually walk for about three or four hours, up to a small waterfall and back.
Where you do it
We start early, at about six, from the bottom of the mountain. The trail is steep in some places, and there are small cafés along the way where you can drink tea.
Who you do it with
I go with a group of friends from work. There are usually five or six of us. We talk, laugh and sometimes have breakfast together at the top.
Why it is healthy
It's healthy for my body, because walking uphill is great exercise for my heart and legs. It's also healthy for my mind. The fresh air and the views help me forget the stress of the week. And spending time with friends makes me feel happy and connected. After a hike, I always sleep better.
- mountain trailspaths in the mountains
- The trail is steepthe path goes up sharply
- along the wayon the route
- walking uphillwalking up a slope
- happy and connectedjoyful and close to others
- I always sleep bettermy sleep improves
Part 3 · Discussion
Health and lifestyle
Longer answers. About 30 to 45 seconds. Give your opinion, explain why, and give an example.
What do most people do to keep fit in your country?
Many people go walking, especially in parks in the evening. Going to the gym is very popular among young people. Football and swimming are also common. In the mountains near big cities, hiking is very popular at the weekend.
- keep fitstay healthy and strong
- very popular among young peopleyoung people like it
- at the weekendon weekend days
Why do so many people suffer from stress these days?
Life is very fast now. People work long hours, worry about money and are always connected to their phones. They rarely have time to relax. Also, social media makes people compare their lives with others, which can cause stress.
- suffer from stresshave stress that causes problems
- always connected to their phonesalways using phones
- They rarely have time to relaxalmost never
Why do some people think modern lifestyles are not healthy?
Because many people sit all day, at work and at home. They eat fast food and processed food, and they don't sleep enough. In the past, people walked more and ate fresh, home-made food.
- sit all daydon't move much
- processed foodfood changed a lot in factories
- don't sleep enoughsleep too little
Why do some people choose to lead unhealthy lives?
Sometimes it's not really a choice. Healthy food can be expensive, and people may not have time to exercise. Some people also find unhealthy habits, like smoking, very hard to stop. And some just don't think about the future.
- it's not really a choicethey don't truly choose
- very hard to stopdifficult to quit
- don't think about the futureonly think about now
Should individuals or governments be responsible for making lifestyles healthy?
Both. Individuals should make good choices for themselves. But governments should make healthy choices easier, for example by building parks, controlling unhealthy food advertising and making sports facilities cheap.
- make good choicesdecide well
- make healthy choices easierhelp people choose healthy things
- sports facilitiesplaces for sport
What could be done to encourage people to live in a healthy way?
Schools should teach children about healthy food and exercise from a young age. Companies could give workers time for exercise. And cities should have more bike lanes, parks and free outdoor gyms.
- from a young agewhen they are small
- give workers time for exerciselet workers exercise during work
- free outdoor gymsexercise machines in parks
Audio: Microsoft neural voices. A British voice reads the examiner's questions, and an American voice reads the model answers.