Practice English Listening A2 Exercises – Positive thinking

B

1   Live in the present, not in the past.

2   Think positive thoughts, not negative ones.

3   Don’t spend a lot of time reading the papers or watching the news on TV.

4   Every week make a list of all the good things that happened to you.

5   Try to use positive language when you speak to other people.

A

Presenter:   Today’s topic is ‘positive thinking’. We all know that people who are positive enjoy life more than people who are negative and pessimistic. But scientific studies show that positive people are also healthier, get better more quickly when they are ill, and live longer. A recent study shows that people who are optimistic and think positively live, on average, nine years longer than pessimistic people who think negatively. So, let’s hear what you the listeners think. Do you have any tips to help us be more positive in our lives?

B

P = presenter, C = caller

P     And our first caller this evening is Andy. Hi Andy. What’s your tip for being positive?

C1   Hello. Well, I think it’s very important to live in the present and not in the past. Don’t think about mistakes you made in the past. You can’t change the past. The important thing is to think about how you will do things better in the future.

P     Thank you, Andy. And now we have another caller. What’s your name, please?

C2   Hi. My name’s Julie. My tip is: think positive thoughts, not negative ones. We all have negative thoughts sometimes but when we start having them we need to stop and try to change them into positive ones. Like, if you have an exam tomorrow and you start thinking ‘I’m sure I’ll fail’, then you’ll fail the exam. So you need to change that negative thought to a positive thought. Just think to yourself ‘I’ll pass,’ I do this and it usually works.

P     Thank you, Julie. And our next caller is Giovanna. Hi Giovanna.

C3   Hi. My tip is don’t spend a lot of time reading the papers or watching the news on TV. It’s always bad news and it just makes you feel depressed. Read a book or listen to your favourite music instead.

P     Thanks, Giovanna. And our next caller is Miriam. Miriam?

C4   Hi.

P     Hi Miriam. What’s your tip?

C4   My tip is every week make a list of all the good things that happened to you. Then keep the list with you, in your bag or in a pocket, and if you’re feeling a bit sad or depressed, just take it out and read it. It’ll make you feel better.

P     Thanks, Miriam. And our last call is from Michael. Hi Michael. We’re listening.

C5   Hi. My tip is to try to use positive language when you speak to other people. You know, if your friend has a problem, don’t say ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘Oh poor you’, say something positive like. ‘Don’t worry! Everything will be OK.’ That way you’ll make the other person think more positively about their problem.

P     Thank you, Michael. Well that’s all we’ve got time for. A big thank you to all our callers. Until next week then, goodbye.