Practice English Listening A2 Exercises – Think positive or negative?

A

It helps you enjoy life more. Positive people are healthier and live longer.

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 following the news online or 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.

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. They get better more quickly when they are sick, and they live longer. A recent study has shown that people who are optimistic and think positively live, on average, nine years longer than pessimistic people. So, let’s hear what you, the listeners, think. Do you have any ideas to help us be more positive in our lives?

1 b   2 c   3 c   4 b   5 a

1

I = interviewer, K = Katelyn

I   Do you have more free time than three years ago?

K   I actually definitely do have more free time than I did a couple of years ago, so I actually just graduated from college. This is my first year working full time, so working nine to five frees up your evenings, so definitely more free time than before.

2

I = interviewer, S = Susie

I   What’s the most beautiful city you’ve ever been to?

S   That’s such a good question. Um, I think probably Athens. I Why?

S   It’s, it’s just, it’s absolutely gorgeous – the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the sights are beautiful. Yeah, it’s the best place to go.

3

I = interviewer, A = Anna

I   What do you drink in a typical day?

A   In a typical day I usually just drink, er, a lot of coffee and water, sometimes juice.

I   Is there anything you drink too much of?

A   I probably drink too much coffee.

I   Is there anything you don’t drink enough of?

A   I don’t drink enough water most days, but I’m trying to get better.

4

I = interviewer, L = Laura

I   Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

C   I am a realist. Um, yeah, more pessimistic than optimistic.

5

I = interviewer, P = Paula

I   Do you often dream about the same thing?

P   Yes, I do. I had a really, really awful teacher at high school for history, and she was always really mean. And when I finished high school, I always dreamed that she would say, ‘You will never pass your A levels’. And now I always dream of the same teacher from high school telling me, ‘You will never finish your degree,’ so that’s kind of weird, yeah.