EF p 162. The Impact Of Food and Exercise On Our Health. Speaking Interaction Sample. Cloze

 

Tom: Hi, Emily! Lovely to see you—how have you been?

Emily: Hi, Tom! I’m doing really well, thanks. Just wrapped up a session at the gym, actually.

Tom: Oh really? Good for you! I must admit, I’ve been meaning to get back into exercising, but somehow I keep putting it (1)__________________. Has it made much of a difference for you?

Emily: Absolutely! It’s been transformative, both physically and mentally. Not only (2)_____________ I feel fitter, butI’ve also noticed a boost in my mood and energy levels. To be honest, I never expected it to have such a wide-ranging impact.

Tom: Wow, that’s impressive. I’ve been feeling sluggish lately, and frankly, a bit out of shape. If I’d known it would make such a difference, I might (3)_____________ started sooner! Any suggestions for getting back into it?

Emily: Definitely. First and foremost, start small—setting unrealistic goals only leads to frustration. For instance, even going for a brisk walk every (4)_____________ day can be a great place to begin.

Tom: That seems doable. I always thought I needed to go all in from the start, but your way sounds more sustainable.

Emily: Exactly. And another thing—choose activities you actually enjoy. Were you to pick something dull just for the sake of fitness, chances (5)_____________ you won’t stick with it. Dancing, swimming, football—whatever keeps you moving and smiling.

Tom: That’s a good point. I’ve always loved playing football, so perhaps I should join a casual team or have a kickabout with some friends.

Emily: That’s the spirit! And finally, consistency is key. (6)_______________ missing a session now and then is no disaster, making exercise a habit is what really brings results.

Tom: Thanks for the encouragement, Emily. I genuinely feel more motivated now. Speaking of health, I suppose food plays an equally important role, doesn’t it?

Emily: It certainly does! In fact, even if you exercise regularly, a poor diet can seriously undermine your efforts. You know what they say— you are (7)______________ you eat!

Tom: I’ve heard that one before. I must confess, though, my diet’s been rather dreadful lately—too much fast food and not enough greens.

Emily: Don’t beat yourself up—we all fall into bad habits sometimes. The good news is, making even a few changes can have a big impact. For starters, try to prioritise whole, unprocessed foods—think fresh vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains.

Tom: Right, makes sense. And I suppose cutting back (8)______________ snacks is part of the plan too?

Emily: Spot on. Portion control is another game-changer. All (9)____________ often, we eat mindlessly, especially when we’re stressed or distracted. Smaller plates, conscious eating—it all helps.

Tom: Guilty as charged! I definitely snack more when I’m anxious or bored.

Emily: You’re not alone. Being aware of that is already a step in the right direction. Oh, and one more thing—stay hydrated. People often underestimate how vital water is for everything from digestion to concentration.

Tom: I always forget that! I’ll start keeping a bottle of water on me more often.

Emily: That’s a great idea. Remember, making lasting changes isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being consistent. Small, manageable steps will get you there.

Tom: Thanks, Emily. I really appreciate all the advice—you’ve given me a lot to think about!

Emily: Anytime, Tom. I’m rooting (10)_______________ you! Let me know how it goes—I’d love to hear about your progress.

 

 

 

 

 

KEY

 

 

1. off 

2. do

 

 

 

 

3. have 

4. other

 

 

 

 

 

5. are 

6. Although

 

 

 

 

7. what 

8. on

 

 

 

 

9. too 

10. for

EF p 77. The Chocolate Meditation. Listening

It is believed that mindfulness (1)_________________ the delights of everyday living. As a matter of fact, even the most insignificant experiences can become (2)________________ again.

Firstly, before (3)___________________ the chocolate bar, choose one you are not so familiarised with. It doesn't matter if it's dark and (4)___________________, organic, or (5)________________. It could be one you consume only (6)_______________.

As you unwrap it, become aware of how the (7)_____________________ feels.

While you are (8)_____________________ the aroma, let it (9)_________________ over you.

Having broken a piece off, let your eyes (10)______________/ ______________ its appearance at the same time that you also examine every (11)______________/ _____________/ _____________.

When (12)________________ it in your mouth, observe how the tongue receives it.

Pay attention to any attempts to (13)_____________ it.

In case your mind starts (14)_____________________ imagine gently (15)_________________ it back to the present moment.

While you are (16)_____________________ it let it (17)____________________ down your throat.

What do you (18)____________/_____________ the fact that it seemed to taste better?

If we weren't on (19)_____________________, we wouldn't miss so much of our everyday lives.

Mindfulness helps us to bring (20)______________________ to the ordinary tasks of daily living.

KEY

1. (greatly) enhances

2. captivating

3. unwrapping

4. flavoursome

flavoursome: having a lot of flavour 

E.g. The sauce was particularly flavoursome.

5. fair-trade

fair-trade: involving trade that supports producers in low-income countries by paying fair prices and making sure that workers have good working conditions and fair pay.

E.g.

We buy our bananas from fair-trade sources. 

a range of fair-trade foods

6. rarely

7. wrapping

8. inhailing

9. sweep 

sweep over: to move over and cover someone or something.

E.g. 

Floodwaters swept over the small town.

10. drink in

drink something in ​to look at or listen to something with great interest and pleasure. Sp. absorber.

E.g.

We just stood there drinking in the scenery.

11. nook and cranny

every nook and cranny every part of a place; every aspect of a situation.

E.g.

The wind blew into every nook and cranny. 

We looked in every nook and cranny. Sp. buscamos hasta el último rincón

She always explored every nook and cranny of a business deal.

12. popping

13. chew

14. wandering

wander: 

(mind) to move without much control to other ideas.

E.g.

Try not to let your mind wander.

15. escorting

16. swallowing

17. trickle

trickle: to flow slowly in a thin stream.

E.g.

Tears were trickling down her cheeks.

18. make of

make of something: If you ask a person what they make of something, you want to know what their impression, opinion, or understanding of it is.

19. autopilot

autopilot: /ˈɔːtəʊpaɪlət/ (also automatic pilot /ˌɔːtəmætɪk ˈpaɪlət/)

be on autopilot/automatic pilot ​to do something without thinking because you have done the same thing many times before.

E.g.

I got up and dressed on autopilot.

20. awareness

EF C1.1 p 83. Pasta Evangelists. Listening

EF C1.1 p 83. (Audio 5.14 ) Listen to Alessandro Savellione, one of the co-founders of Pasta Evangelists, talking about the business and decide whether the following sentences are True or False.

1. Sfoglini is an Italian word that means “pasta artisans”.


2. Only Italians make fresh pasta.


3. Alessandro says that they go after quality and freshness of the produce rather than authenticity.


4. Alessandro raised money for their business on a TV programme.


5. Alessandro thinks that they don’t have any direct competitors.


6. Alessandro thinks that their competition is Italian restaurants.


7. Small villages are where they ship to the most.


8. They are hoping to grow outside of the UK this year.

KEY

Answer key:

1. Sfoglini is an Italian word that means “pasta artisans”. T

2. Only Italians make fresh pasta. F

3. Alessandro says that they go after quality and freshness of the produce rather than authenticity. F

4. Alessandro raised money for their business on a TV programme. F

5. Alessandro thinks that they don’t have any direct competitors. T

6. Alessandro thinks that their competition is Italian restaurants. T

7. Small villages are where they ship to the most. F

8. They are hoping to grow outside of the UK this year. F

Speakout Advanced p 95. Digital Human: Taste. Extra Listening

Listen to the audio

Food is a universal necessity, human brains light up more for food than any other experience, so it's little wonder that food culture has exploded online. Social media is festooned with pictures, recipes, cooking videos and we can't seem to ever get enough. But, is the digital world doing more than getting our mouths watering? Could technology be changing the very way we taste? In this episode, Aleks Krotoski explores how food trends develop and shape our culture and spread on social media, as well as exploring new tech that may change the way we eat - from 3D printed delights, to Chef Watson who creates recipes in the cloud, and even how we might manipulate our brains to change how we perceive flavour.

festoon somebody/something (with something) /feˈstuːn/ to decorate somebody/something with flowers, coloured paper, etc., often as part of a celebration. E.g. The streets were festooned with banners and lights.

Speakout Advanced p 95. The Sense of Smell and Taste. Extra Listening

THE SENSE OF TASTE

0.       What has our sense of smell and taste  stopped us from doing?
1.       Why are these scuba divers 40 foot under the sea in the Bahamas?
2.       What do sharks have a reputation for?
3.       In spite of what do the people in the documentary like Stilton cheese?
In spite of the fact that there is __________ dripping off it.
And ________________ growing through it.
4.       What have the duck eggs been buried in?
5.       What would the Briton in the documentary do if he ate another piece of the 1000-year-old egg?
6.       What do the Pei-Dan lovers in the documentary think of Stilton cheese?
7.       What kind of food do koala bears have an only taste for?
8.       Where do koalas get the water from?
9.       Why is the koala bear threatened with extinction?

KEY

0. To prevent us from poisoning.



1. To do a taste test.

2. For being the garbage cans of the sea.

3. In spite of the fact that there is SWEAT dripping off it.

 And MOULD growing through it.

4. Ash, tea, lime and salt.

5. He would throw up / vomit / be sick.

6. Even the look of it worries them./ It tastes like something rotten / something gone off. It’s disgusting.

7. (only a certain type of) eucalyptus.

8. From the leaves they eat.

9. Because they refuse to try new tastes.

VOCABULARY

Garbage can: dustbin.
Garbage: (UK rubbish) waste material or unwanted things that you throw away.
Mouldy: covered with mould.
Pei-Dan eggs: a type of duck egg which is also called “The thousand-year-old egg”.
Picky: describes someone who is very careful about choosing only what they like.
To gag: to experience the sudden uncomfortable feeling of tightness in the throat and stomach that makes you feel you are going to vomit.

Speakout Advanced p 94. Food. Extra Speaking

A. Have a conversation as natural as possible with a partner about the topic. Use the pictures above and the questions below to help you.

1. When was the last time you had a raging appetite and felt you could eat a horse? Have you ever felt faint with hunger?

2. What's the best way to quench your thirst?

3. When was the last time you had dinner with someone who picked at his food? Do you feel comfortable having dinner with people who eat like a bird? Are there any fussy eaters in your family? Do you have any friends who you would consider squeamish eaters?

4. Can you think of a time when someone ate you out of house and home?

5. What shouldn't you do on an empty stomach? or on a full stomach?

6. When do people lose their appetite?

7. What helps you to work up an appetite? 

B. MONOLOGUE

Student A 

1.What side dishes do you like to order when you eat out? 

2. Can you talk about a celebratory dinner you have recently attended? When was the last time you had a celebratory drink?

3. What could be done to help people sleeping rough to have at least one square meal a day?

Student B

1.What savoury dishes do you like best? What are your favourite hors d'oeuvres?

2. When was the last time you saw a mouth-watering display of food?

3. What are the advantages of having a leisurely meal? When was the last time you savoured every mouthful? What did you have? Don't you think we too often gobble down our food, never taking the time to enjoy the flavours and sensations of the things we crave?

Vocabulary

Gulp something down: 



 to swallow large amounts of food or drink quickly. Sp. Engullir, tomarse de un trago. E.g. he gulped down the rest of his tea and went out. Gulp down food.

wolf something (down) 



(informal) to eat food very quickly, especially by putting a lot of it in your mouth at once. E.g. he wolfed down his breakfast.

gobble: 



 to eat something very fast, in a way that people consider rude or greedy. E.g. gobble (something) Don't gobble your food like that! Gobble something up/down They gobbled down all the sandwiches. He gobbled up the last of the chocolates.

devour something 



 /dɪˈvaʊə(r)/ to eat all of something quickly, especially because you are very hungry. E.g.  He devoured half of his burger in one bite. The animal quickly devoured its prey.

  

polish something off:  



(informal) to finish something, especially food, quickly. E.g. He polished off the remains of the apple pie.

big eater:  



a person who eats a lot.

famished: 



 /ˈfæmɪʃt/ very hungry. E.g. When's lunch? I'm famished! I’m famished—is there anything to eat? The evacuees were famished, having had no food for 12 hours.

junk food: 



food that is quick and easy to prepare and eat but that is thought to be bad for your health. E.g. I was eating too much junk food.

Pre-prepared: 



Prepared or produced (especially food) in advance. E.g. a takeaway or pre-prepared meal.

packaged: 



 put into a box, bag, etc. to be sold or transported. E.g. packaged food.

a ready meal: 



a meal that you buy already prepared and which only needs to be heated before you eat it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_dinner 

live on something 



(often disapproving) to eat only or a lot of a particular type of food. E.g. She lives on burgers. 

satisfy something  



to provide what is wanted, needed or asked for. The food wasn't enough to satisfy his hunger. 

Have a sweet tooth: 



(informal) to like food that contains a lot of sugar. E.g. add more sugar if you have a sweet tooth.

 

Gooey: 


 /ˈɡuːi/ (informal) soft and sticky. E.g. gooey cakes. 

 

Smothered with/in something: 



/ˈsmʌðə(r)/ 1. thickly covered or with too much of something. E.g. a rich cake smothered in fluffy (soft, light and containing air) whipped cream/ meringue /məˈræŋ/. 

Fluffy: 



/ˈflʌfi/ (of food) soft, light and containing air. E.g. Beat the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy.

Spongy: 



/ˈspʌndʒi/ soft and able to absorb water easily like a sponge. E.g. The bread had a spongy texture. A spongy cake.
 

Icing sugar: 



(US confectioner's sugar, powdered sugar) fine white powder made from sugar, that is mixed with water to make icing (US frosting). 

Sickly: 



that makes you feel sick, especially because it is too sweet or full of false emotion. E.g. a sickly sweet smell. She gave me a sickly smile.

  

Scrumptious: 



/ˈskrʌm(p)ʃəs/ (of food) extremely appetizing or delicious. E.g. a scrumptious chocolate tart.

Tantalizing: 



/ˈtæntəˌlaɪzɪŋ/ Something tantalizing is tempting: like a meal that smells amazing and makes you want to eat it. Tantalizing things are very appealing. Sp. tentador. E.g. The tantalizing aroma of fresh coffee wafted (drifted) towards them. The tantalizing fragrance of fried bacon. A tantalizing display of chocolates.
Smells — when they're good smells — can be very tantalizing. Just walking through a good restaurant, smelling and looking at the food, is a tantalizing experience.  

Raging:  



/ˈreɪdʒɪŋ/ very strong. E.g. a raging appetite/thirst. Raging jealousy. Raging hunger: Sp. hambre atroz.

I could eat a horse. 



something that you say when you are very hungry. E.g. I've had nothing but a sandwich all day - I could eat a horse.

Quench: /kwentʃ/ quench your thirst: 



 to drink so that you no longer feel thirsty. Sp. Saciar la sed.  

Quench something (formal): to stop a fire from burning.  Synonym: extinguish. E.g. firemen tried to quench the flames raging (spreading very quickly) through the building.

Pick at something: 



 to eat food slowly, taking small amounts or bites because you are not hungry. E.g. she sat at the table in silence, picking at her dinner. Pick at food. To pick at one's food: picar, comer sin ganas. 

eat like a bird 



to eat only small amounts of food; to peck at one's food. E.g. Jane is very slim because she eats like a bird. Bill is trying to lose weight by eating like a bird.

Fussy: 



fastidious (Sp. meticuloso, maniático) about one’s needs or requirements; hard to please. E.g. A fussy eater. He is very fussy about what he eats. He's such a fussy eater (Sp. tiquismiquis).‘Where do you want to go for lunch?’ ‘I'm not fussy (= I don't mind: Sp. me da lo mismo).

Squeamish:  



easily made to feel sick or disgusted. E.g.  I've never been squeamish about food. One of my favourite dishes is steamed chicken feet.

eat somebody out of house and home  



(informal, often humorous) to eat a lot of somebody else’s food. How much longer is he staying? He’s eating us out of house and home. 

 


on an empty/a full stomach: 



It's not a good idea to drink (= alcohol) on an empty stomach (= without having eaten anything). You shouldn't exercise on a full stomach. 

work something up:  


to develop or improve something with some effort. E.g. I can't work up any enthusiasm for his idea. She went for a long walk to work up an appetite.

side dish: 



(also a side order) a small amount of food, for example a salad, served with the main course of a meal. E.g. a side dish of fresh vegetables. 

side salad: a salad served with the main course of a meal. 

eat out:  



to have a meal in a restaurant, etc. rather than at home. E.g. Do you feel like eating out tonight? 

celebratory: 


 /ˌseləˈbreɪtəri/ celebrating something or marking a special occasion. E.g. a celebratory drink/dinner. We had a celebratory drink: Sp. nos tomamos una copa para celebrarlo.

live/sleep rough 



 (British English) to live or sleep outdoors, usually because you have no home and no money. E.g. young people sleeping rough on the streets 

a square meal 



a good, satisfying meal. E.g. He looks as though he hasn't had a square meal for weeks. Three square meals a day.

Savoury:  



/ˈseɪvəri/ having a taste that is salty not sweet. E.g. savoury snacks. 

Hors d'oeuvre: 



/ˌɔː ˈdɜːv/ plural hors d'oeuvres /ˌɔː ˈdɜːv/ a small amount of food, usually cold, served before the main part of a meal.

Mouth-watering: 



mouth-watering food looks or smells so good that you want to eat it immediately. Tempting. E.g. a mouth-watering display of cakes.

Leisurely: 



/ˈleʒəli/ Adj. done without hurrying. E.g. A leisurely meal. 

Savour: 



/ˈseɪvə(r)/ (V) to enjoy the full taste or flavour of something, especially by eating or drinking it slowly. E.g. He ate his meal slowly, savouring every mouthful. 

Gobble: 



/ˈɡɒbl/ to eat something very fast, in a way that people consider rude or greedy. E.g. Don't gobble your food like that! Gobble something up/ down They gobbled down all the sandwiches. 

Crave (for) something / crave to do something 



 to have a very strong desire for something. Long for. E.g. She has always craved excitement.