Practice English Listening B1 Exercises – How do you stay healthy?

1 c   2 b   3 a

A

Flavio:   Long day, huh?

Su-min:   Yeah, it sure was. I can’t wait to get to the gym. After sitting in all those meetings, I need to move around.

Flavio:   I agree.

Su-min:   I like your gym bag!

Flavio:   Oh thanks.

Su-min:   Staying in shape can be tough when you travel a lot. How do you do it?

Flavio:   Who says I’m in shape? Honestly, going to the gym isn’t really my thing. I prefer doing stuff outdoors, like hiking or cycling.

Su-min:   You do? I go outdoors as often as I can, but I usually exercise at the gym.

Flavio:   Do you go every day?

Su-min:   Yeah, just about. I tend to be a bit hyper, and exercise calms me down.

Flavio:   You, hyper? Never! So, what kind of exercise do you like to do?

Su-min:   Well, I’m really into running these days.

Flavio:   Running is good.

Su-min:   Actually, I’m training for the Seoul International Marathon.

Flavio:   You are? That’s great! You know, I ran my first marathon last year.

Su-min:   You did? And I thought you said you were out of shape! Hey, I’ve got an idea. How about coming with me to the gym tonight? I know you prefer being outdoors, but my gym has an awesome indoor track.

Flavio:   That’s really nice of you, but…

Su-min:   Not at all. You’d be helping me—I hate running alone.

Flavio:   But…

Su-min:   Oh, don’t worry, you don’t have to run with me! I wouldn’t want to slow you down.

Flavio:   Oh no, that’s not it at all! I’d love to join you, but I’m on my way to the laundromat. I’ve been traveling for two weeks and I don’t have any clean clothes.

Su-min:   Oh. I just saw your gym bag and assumed.

Flavio:   Well, you weren’t totally wrong. There are some work-out clothes in here but, believe me, you don’t want me putting them on right now!

B

Su-min:   Staying in shape can be tough when you’re really busy. Do you do any kind of exercise?

Flavio:   I like doing things outdoors, like hiking and cycling.

Su-min:   You do? That’s cool.

Flavio:   How about you?

Su-min:   I’m really into running these days.

1 her workout   2 turn off their phones

3 keep a work-life balance

A

Flavio:   Hey Su-min. How was running last night?

Su-min:   Hi, Flavio. Not so great.

Flavio:   What happened?

Su-min:   Just as I started running, my phone went off. It was an email from Mexico about those new marketing plans, so I went back to the office.

Flavio:   Oh, Su-min! That’s not good! You need to take a break or you’re going to burn out!

Su-min:   I know. I said I was going to make more time for myself—and I was really going to do it, but…

Flavio:   But what?

Su-min:   Somehow work always gets in the way. How do you manage stress and keep a work–life balance?

Flavio:   I don’t have “the answer” but my wife and I do have one rule that works pretty well for us.

Su-min:   What’s that?

Flavio:   When we come home after work, we turn off our phones. No email, no social media, no texting…

Su-min:   You’re kidding, right?

Flavio:   No, not at all.

Su-min:   But what if there’s an emergency?

Flavio:   Honestly Su-min, was that email from Mexico really an emergency?

Su-min:   Well, maybe not. But after I saw it, how could I focus on my workout?

Flavio:   Exactly! That’s why we turn off our phones at home. OK, try this. Close your eyes and imagine you’re back at the gym last night, just before your phone went off.

Su-min:   OK? So?

Flavio:   How are you feeling?

Su-min:   Pretty good. I was still thinking about work, but I wasn’t worried about it. And then my phone went off, and…

Flavio:   Wait. Close your eyes again. Now, imagine that everything is exactly the same, except for one thing—no phone.

Su-min:   What happened, did I lose it?

Flavio:   No, you decided to leave it in your locker.

Su-min:   OK. OK, OK! No phone, no email, no stress, I finish my workout, and I feel better today.

Flavio:   Exactly!

Su-min:   Thanks, Flavio. That’s great advice. I’ll be sure to leave my phone in the locker at the gym tonight.

B

Flavio:   Hey, you need to take a break or you’re going to burn out!

Su-min:   I know. I was going to make more time for myself, but…

Flavio:   I know it’s hard. But it’s not healthy for you to work like this.

A

1 c   2 a

B

1     2     3

x      x     x

✓     ✓    ✓

Good afternoon, and welcome to A Fitter You. Today I’m going to talk about three things that you can do right now to start getting ft. I’m going to keep it simple, because I know that many of you are confused by all of the information out there—and sometimes too much information is worse than no information. The result? Many people who really want to get healthier end up doing nothing at all. So, how can you start getting ft? Here are three simple suggestions. You can do them right now, and they will cost you no money and very little time.

First, did you know that short periods of intense exercise, followed by a few minutes of rest, are a more effective way to burn calories and build strength than longer periods of moderate exercise? So, instead of taking an hour-long walk at a moderate pace, take a thirty-minute walk. Walk as fast as you can for three minutes, moving both your arms and your legs, until you are breathing hard. After three minutes, walk slowly for three minutes, giving your body time to rest. Repeat this fast/slow cycle five times.

Next, stand up whenever you can. Believe it or not, standing burns calories, builds strength, and is good for your heart and lungs. If you work on a computer, consider getting a standing desk. Your back will say “thank you,” too.

Finally, add small amounts of exercise to your everyday life. For example, park your car a little farther away from the office, or walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. And remember suggestion #1: during that walk, push yourself as hard and as fast as you can.

Ok, folks, that’s it for this week’s episode of A Fitter You. ‘Til next time…

A

c

B

THIS YEAR’S BEST FITNESS APPS

Today, with all the fitness apps available, staying fi t and eating right are a lot easier than before. But that’s also the problem. There are so many apps that it’s hard to know which one is right for you. I’ve reviewed some of the most popular fitness apps out there today. I hope this information helps you find an app that works for you.

Before you download an app, you need to ask yourself what kind of fitness program you like best. Do you prefer working out by yourself? Do you want data? How about some music? For some people, a little more encouragement—maybe from a coach or friends on social media—helps push them to the next level. For others, there is nothing like a little competition.

One of my favorite apps is FitVeu. It’s free to download, but there is a small monthly fee to use it. I like it because it lets you choose whether you want to exercise on your own, get help from a coach, or share your workouts on social media. After your first workout, you can rate the difficulty of each part of the workout and the app adjusts the workout to your fitness level. It also keeps track of how much and how fast you run, bike, etc. Its exercise programs are great, but it doesn’t keep track of your diet.

FitterNow is another great choice. Compared to FitVeu, FitterNow is more expensive, but I think it’s worth it. FitterNow does everything FitVeu does, but unlike FitVeu, it has a diet feature that helps you keep track of your food. It can read a product’s barcode and then calculate the number of calories it has. It has a few other features that FitVeu doesn’t have. One feature lets you and your friends set goals and compete. For example, you enter how many miles you’ll run and your friend enters how many miles she’ll bike. But this is the fun part: You use money as an incentive. You say how much money your goal is worth. The app checks your progress and if you don’t meet your goal, your friend gets your money.

This year’s best free app is YouGoPal. With just a few features, it is much easier to use than the other two. Some people just want to know how far and how fast they run, which is exactly what YouGoPal gives you. This one is a good choice if you prefer to exercise alone and you don’t need features like exercising with friends, a coach, or social media. And the best part? It’s completely free.

Answers will vary. Possible answer: She gives advice about how to reduce stress while studying.

B

Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1   She does chair yoga.

2   Answers will vary.

3   It makes her body feel better and she has less stress.

Hello everyone! It’s Camila. Studying makes me feel stressed and tired. So, after a couple of hours of studying, I do some chair yoga to reduce stress. You can do chair yoga at home, at work, in a classroom, or even in the library!

First, I stand up and lift my arms and legs. Stretching like this makes my body feel better. Next, I put one leg on the chair and touch my toes. This makes my back feel better. I try to hold this position for one minute.

After one minute, I sit down in my chair and bend my waist sideways. I reach for the ceiling with one arm and the floor with the other arm. This stretches out my neck and shoulders.

Finally, I sit quietly for a few minutes. When I’m done, my body feels better and I have less stress.

Part 1: Yesterday, Yoko…

1  got up early – in – the morning.

3  ran – until – 7.30.

4  had coffee and breakfast – after – her run.

5  went to the store – for – about an hour.

Part 2: Yesterday, Ben…

6  went rock climbing – in – the afternoon.

7  didn’t put away his phone – before – the climb.

8  couldn’t answer his phone – during – rock-climbing.

9  called his father back – in – the afternoon.

Part 1

A:   Hi, Yoko! What’s going on? You look tired!

B:   I know! I had such a busy day yesterday.

A:   You did? So, did you do anything fun?

B:   Well, I got up early in the morning, around 6:30, and went running. I ran until 7:30. The weather was just perfect for a run!

A:   It was nice weather yesterday!

B:   Then after my run, I stopped at the coffee shop to get coffee and breakfast.

A:   Sounds like a pretty good morning.

B:   Yep. Then I went to the grocery store and I spent about an hour shopping, which wasn’t much fun. But I had to get a lot of food because my family was flying in for a visit.

A:   Oh, that’s exciting!

B:   Yes. I haven’t seen them in a few months. I had to get the apartment ready and make dinner after they arrived. And then we stayed up pretty late talking.

Part 2

A:   What about you, Ben? What did you do yesterday?

B:   Well, yesterday afternoon was interesting. I tried rock climbing for the first time.

A:   You did? Wow. Where did you go?

B:   To this new rock-climbing place. It’s called The Big Rock Room.

A:   So, how was it? Did you like it?

B:   You’re not going to believe it, but before climbing, I didn’t put away my phone. You’re not supposed to have a phone when you climb.

A:   Oh, no! Did it fall out and break?

B:   No, it didn’t, thankfully. But it rang!

A:   What did you do?

B:   Well, I couldn’t do anything because I was halfway up the wall. It rang for at least a minute. And it was so loud. I was really embarrassed.

A:   That’s pretty funny! Who was it?

B:   It was my father. He didn’t leave a message, so I figured it wasn’t urgent. Anyway, I called him back after dinner.