Practice English Listening B1 Exercises – Topic: Health and Fitness

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1; 2; 4; 5

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1 1975   2 19%   3 1 in 10   4 1.6%   5 1 in 5   6 60%

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Some answers are paraphrased.

1 being overweight or obese than being underweight

2 be more active

3 a sandwich with a protein filling and salad.

4 crisps

5 help children control their weight / control what they eat at lunch

Childhood obesity

Narrator:   There are now three times as many people in the world who are obese than there were in 1975. These days you are more likely to live in a country where being overweight or obese kills more people than being underweight. The problems can begin in childhood, when bad diet choices and not enough exercise become habits. Across the world, 19% of children between the ages of 5 and 19 are overweight or obese. In the UK, people are looking for ways to deal with the problem from childhood. They are looking at what happens during the school day. This report shows how good teachers can help.

Mr Clark:   One, two, good steps, lovely, and again!

Reporter:   Laurence Clark is a PE teacher on a mission, trying to revolutionize his lessons to encourage the kids to be more active.

Pupil 1:   When you get fitter you also get healthier, so you can get more muscles what make them stronger.

Reporter:   I bet you like eating sweets and chocolates.

Pupil 2:   Only on Saturday, my mum says.

Reporter:   But with 1 in 10 children in the UK now obese, Mr Clark believes his role is now more important than ever.

Mr Clark:   If we can instil that confidence and get them moving properly, and get that confidence about their body and self-efficacy, then I feel if they … as they get older, they’re more inclined to lead that healthy lifestyle, especially when they get to secondary school and so on.

Narrator:   So teaching children good exercise habits can help. But eating habits are equally important. A recent study found that only 1.6% of children’s packed lunches were as healthy as the meals provided by schools. The healthy boxes all contained the traditional sandwich with a protein filling, such as meat or egg, and some salad. But 98.4% of parents are filling lunch boxes with too many snack foods and sugary drinks. Vegetables or salad were found in only 1 in 5. Salty snacks, such as crisps, were found in 60% of packed lunches. The researchers understood that many find it difficult to pack healthy meals for their children because of cost, lack of time or demands from their children. But, they said parents must control what their children are eating at lunch, for example by weighing out small amounts. If adults do not do something to help children control their weight soon, it looks certain that health problems caused by being obese will continue to increase.

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1   No, they don’t. Some older people may have eaten an unhealthy diet or not exercised regularly.

2   Genes are more important than lifestyle for having a long life.

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1   it’s great news!

2   the key to a healthy life is to enjoy yourself.

3   get too worried about healthy eating and exercise!

4   genes are more important than our lifestyle.

5   exercise and eat well.

6   it’s always better to have a healthy lifestyle.

7   bad health habits increase the chances of getting a serious illness.

8   be careful and look after myself because I don’t know if I have good genes!

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Host:   Today we’re talking about the key to a long and happy life. Recent studies of people who live to be 100 years old have shown that a healthy diet and exercise may not be enough. In fact, many of the people who celebrate their hundredth birthday have not eaten a healthy diet and have never exercised regularly. This had led many people to believe that our lifestyles are not important. What’s most important is that we have good genes. It seems that if you have the right genes, then you’ll live for a long time, whatever you do

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Host:   So, new research shows that having a healthy lifestyle is not the most important thing if you want to live a long life. We asked four people on the street for their reactions to this news.

A:   I think it’s great news! Most people think that if they eat healthy food and exercise a lot, they’ll live forever. These people never drink coffee or sugary drinks. They spend hours working out in the gym or doing yoga. And none of this matters if you have the wrong genes. I think that the key to a healthy life is to enjoy yourself. If you focus all your energy on what to do and what not to do, you’ll be unhappy eventually. There’s no question that happy people live longer. I’d much rather go out and have a pizza with friends than spend time in the gym. I’m really happy about this new research!

B:   This research proves what I’ve known for a long time. It’s ridiculous to get too worried about healthy eating and exercise! My grandfather lived until he was 95, even though he never exercised. He ate lots of sugar and never ate vegetables. He was brought up in a different world. He had different habits. He certainly never went to a gym. Yes, I’m sure that genes are more important than our lifestyle. Of course, I’m not going to give up exercising or start eating fast food every day. The research shows I should stay in shape because it makes me feel better – but I won’t allow fitness to take over my whole life.

C:   Well, first of all, I prefer to exercise and eat well. What’s wrong with being healthy? I also think that you won’t know whether or not you have the right genes until you get sick. So why take the risk and be unhealthy? Also, don’t forget that you might get the flu or a cold much more easily when you don’t eat healthy food or exercise. I’d say that it’s always better to have a healthy lifestyle. There’s no doubt that bad health habits increase the chances of getting a serious illness.

D:   Oh, that’s great. So now we should all eat fast food and stop exercising? I mean I look around and I see overweight children everywhere. No matter how good their genes are, I’m sure that these children won’t be able to enjoy a long and healthy life unless they give up crisps, chocolate bars, sugary drinks … Well, it’s great that some people can live to be 100 and do whatever they want in their lives, but I prefer to be careful and take care of myself because I don’t know if I have good genes!

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1 taekwondo   2 a football club   3 a cycling tour

4 acupuncture

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Programme 1: improves health and well-being; improves concentration; makes you feel good about yourself; improves confidence; reduces stress

Programme 2: improves social life; improves intellectual performance; improves physical fitness; improves team building skills

Programme 3: exercise; fascinating cultural experience; improves memory and thinking skills

Programme 4: reduces pain; helps people lose weight

Presenter 1:   Do you have problems focusing on your work? Are you under a lot of stress? Do you want to get more exercise while trying something new and exciting? If so, it’s time to take up taekwondo! Taekwondo is great exercise. And as we all know, exercise is good for your health. Taekwondo also has mental benefits – it has been shown to improve your concentration. In addition, it makes you feel good about yourself. This martial art was developed in Korea, and is now popular around the world. Whether you are looking for physical well-being, increased confidence or a life with less stress, Black Belt Taekwondo has it all. Sign up now for a free introductory class, starting on January the 15th.

Presenter 2:   Would you like to improve your social life, your intellectual performance, your physical fitness and your team-building skills? Scientific research has proven that team sports offer all of these benefits. Join us and take advantage of the many benefits of team sports. We’re a group of energetic adults of all ages who get together on Sunday afternoons to play football and we’re always looking for new players to join in the fun. Whether you’ve been playing football for years or want to take up a new sport, you’re welcome to participate. Everyone can play – you don’t even need to try out! If you’re interested in learning more about our group, check out our website at www.footballsudays.cup.com. Sign up today and you can be part of a team as early as this weekend! Hope to see you on the field soon!

Presenter 3:   Hi, my name’s Angie Stratton and I’m the director of CultureCycle. CultureCycle is a new concept in travel: educational fitness touring! We offer courses all over the world which combine learning with exercise and travel. Each course has an educational theme, such as Brazilian cooking or the history of Turkey. As a small group, we cycle from place to place, stopping for several days in each location to rest, relax and do some hands-on learning. Not only does this trip provide terrific exercise and a fascinating cultural experience, it’s the best way to learn. There’s no question that physical activity improves our memory and thinking skills – so after a few days of cycling, your brain will be ready to learn. So, be kind to your body and your mind and come with us on an amazing adventure you’ll never forget!

Presenter 4:   Are you interested in alternative treatments? Have you ever wanted to explore the secrets of traditional Chinese medicine? This spring, join our six-month course in acupuncture – a treatment for pain or illness which involves putting needles under the skin at special points on the body. The course covers the theory of acupuncture and practical skills in using needles. Acupuncture is known to reduce pain, but it’s also a great alternative for people who want to lose weight in an easy way. Learn more about the course and visit us on our open house days on the first Saturday of every month.