EF p 85. The Conversation: Stress. Listening

 Do you think life today is more stressful than it used to be?

 

Sample answer:

I Do you think life today is more stressful than it used to be?
J I (1)____________ think it’s more stressful than it used to be, and I think a big part of that is, sort of, online culture and social media. (2)______________, everything you do is online, everyone can comment on what you’re doing. You’re, sort of, seeing yourself against – you’re pitted against everyone else in your career field, doing everything, the same things as you and, and you never, sort of, get satisfaction anymore, because you’ll do something and think you’ve done really well, and then you’ll go online, share it, look at what other people have done and then suddenly everyone else seems to be doing so much more than you.
Id I think it’s – using that phrase ‘pitted against other people’ is really interesting, because it, it sort of highlights the fact that life at the moment is more about being in competition with other people (3)_________ than achieving things for yourself. And I think you’re (4)_____________ right, it’s all about comparing yourself, this constant comparing, (5)____________ consciously or unconsciously, with other people. I (6)____________, I remember a time – I imagine you do as well – where things were slower, as well. The pace of life and the things that you did were slower so that was a different kind of stress. So, you know if you’d write a letter to achieve something you’d have to wait for that response and there was nothing you could do in between, (7)_______________ now you send an email, you’re expected to do a million things before you get a response and you’re expected to be reachable at all times, whereas before it was more about doing things because of need, rather than want, I think.
Jo Sure, sure. There’s no hiding place nowadays, that’s the problem, and you are so easily exposed to everybody around you and there’s reality shows and all sorts of things. People want to succeed so quickly, whereas many, many times, years ago, you, you (8)____________ never succeed that quickly, you would begin to build a career for yourself, or, um, meet people and, and then open yourself out to the outside world. But nowadays it’s like ‘Now. I want it now.’
Id Yeah.
Jo And it’s a need, rather than a want.
Id And I think the definition of success has changed as well.
Jo (9)_________________. 

KEY

 

 

 

1. definitely 

2. So

 

 

 

 

3. rather 

4. absolutely

 

 

 

 

 

5. whether 

6. mean

 

 

 

 

 

7. whereas  

8. would

 

 

 

 

9. Absolutely

EF p 84. Talking About Stress and Relaxation. Part 3. Listening

Not only can life at University be fun and exciting, but it may also be (1)________________.

 

Apart from feeling the stress of their studies, young people may miss the (2)_____________ they were used to getting when they were at home. 

 

When people are under the influence of stress they may find it much more challenging to (3)___________ information. 

Another source of stress is in some cases what (4)__________ students after they finish their studies i.e. (5)___________ to repay.

 

The five-minute free back (6)___________ are given in order to provide students with other stress reduction and wellness (7)____________. 

 

The stressbusters experiences help students complete the tasks at (8)____________.

 

 

 

 

KEY 

1. rewarding

 

 

 

 

 

2. support

 

 

 

 

 

3. recall 

4. awaits

 

 

 

 

5. loans 

6. rubs

 

 

 

 

7. resources 

8. hand

buster: (usually in compounds; often used in newspapers) a person or thing that stops or gets rid of something. Sp. que combate, destructor. E.g. crime-busters.

 

task at hand: the work someone is doing now. Sp. tarea en cuestión/ que nos ocupa. E.g. I need to concentrate on the task at hand. 

Script:

Part 3
I Are some age groups more susceptible to stress than others?
J Stress is a very democratic occurrence, so older people are stressed, college students are stressed, babies get stressed, 30-somethings get stressed, men are stressed, women are stressed, so, er, it’s hard to say if one group is more stressed than another.
I What makes students stressed? How does stress affect their lives or their studies, and what are the most stressful times in a typical student's life?
J College, and being a student can be really fun and exciting and rewarding. There are also a lot of stressors associated with it: there’s the studying, there’s the pressure to do well on exams so that you can get a better job and perhaps make more money. You are in a different environment that doesn’t have the same support that you used to have, especially if you were back home. Er, there is the social stress of needing to meet new people, and also for a lot of young people, especially those in their teens and twenties, we see a lot of mental, er, health issues arise and there’s a greater need to get help for, er, them while in school, but if you’re not with your usual support network, it’s even more challenging sometimes to do so. Stress makes it difficult to study, to focus, to concentrate. When you’re sitting down to take an exam and you studied really hard for the exam, and then all of a sudden you're having trouble remembering what you studied, stress can play a big role in making it more difficult for us to recall information. If you're doing a presentation, public speaking, that can be very stressful for a lot of students as well as professionals. In fact, still, public speaking is feared more than death by most people. Then there’s the financial stress of being in school, not only, er, not having a lot of money to spend on things that you want to do, fun activities, but what awaits you when you graduate, which for many, er, students is a lot of financial, er, stress and loans to repay. So being a student – great fun, and also can provide a lot of – great stress.
I You set up Stressbusters as an anti-stress programme for students. Can you tell us something about it and how it works?
J We train teams of students to provide five-minute free back rubs at events all over campus, all year long, and people on campus come to the events, and not only do they get an amazing stress-relieving back rub, but they also learn about other stress reduction and wellness resources on campus that we train our students to provide. And we have seen incredible reductions in feelings of stress, tension, anxiety, lowering of feelings of being overwhelmed, from before someone has the Stressbusters experience to after. We also find students telling us that they're better able to cope with their stressors and they're better able to complete the tasks that they have at hand after they have one of our Stressbusters experiences.

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 p 98. Clive’s Digital Detox. Listening

 

1. Being a journalist…

1. Clive needs to be available any time.

2. Clive gets to travel at all times.

3. he gets calls non-stop.

2. How would you rate Clive’s phone usage?

1. He’s hooked on his phone.

2. He’s more of a work-based phone user.

3. He’s a regular phone user with some game apps.

3.  During the first days of the challenge…

1. he would struggle in the evenings.

2. he forgot his phone at home.

c. he managed to control his football addiction.

4. As for his last days of the challenge…

a. he was bored as he was not working.

b. he desperately checked the news.

c. he admitted cheating for work purposes.

5. What did the experiment teach him?

a. It revealed a misconception he had.

b. He is more of a face-to-face person.

c. He realised he could control his phone.

6. How did the overall experience work?

1. He spent longer on his phone with less interruptions.

2. His phone time increased along with the frequency.

3. All in all, it was as successful as it could be.

KEY: 

1A 

2B 

3C 

4C 

5A 

6B

EF p 96. The School of Life. Listening

 

Fill in the gaps with the correct word from the listening.

1. We often think that something _____________ to find is likely to give us more pleasure.

2. The pineapple’s price has dropped and this has made it become _____________ .

3. We have an _____________ bias towards the cheap and ordinary stuff.

4. We _____________ that travelling in the Caribbean is bound to be more fun than cycling in the park.

5. Something striking and contradictory about pleasure is that it is _____________ .

6. Having a bath or _____________ in bed in the dark are examples of small pleasures in life.

7. The speaker highlights the importance of relying on our _____________ about what really matters.

KEY:

1. We often think that something hard to find is likely to give us more pleasure.

2. The pineapple’s price has dropped and this has made it become unremarkable.

3. We have an unhelpful bias towards the cheap and ordinary stuff.

4. We assume that travelling in the Caribbean is bound to be more fun than cycling in the park.

5. Something striking and contradictory about pleasure is that it is unpredictable.

6. Having a bath or whispering in bed in the dark are examples of small pleasures in life.

7. The speaker highlights the importance of relying on our instincts about what really matters.

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

EF p 78. Ex 5. The Timex Survey. Listening

EF p 78. Ex 5. You will hear an American journalist, Sam Greenspan, talking about the Timex survey. Choose the correct answer.

1. Given Sam’s experience on how people tend to behave before losing patience, the results of the survey…

1. All of them seemed about right

2. Some could be right but some were implausible

3. Seemed wildly unlikely

2. When waiting for people to stop talking at the movie theatre, the times vary depending on…

1. If you are in happy atmosphere

2. If you are watching a moving story  

3. It doesn’t really bug them at all

3. When it comes to waiting for a blind date…

1. Romantic comedies had created false expectations when it comes to this

2. People don’t seem to be bothered at all by waiting almost half an hour

3. He believes the survey got this one right 

4. If you have someone talking too loudly on the phone next to you, Sam recommends…

1. using your face to express your discontent 

2. telling them you are annoyed

3. having more patience than him

KEY

1. B

2. B

3. C

4. A

EF p 65. Sounds. Listening

The dog has a (1)________   /   ___________ bark.

She dislikes the crunch of the little (2)_______________ in her daughter's mouth.

The steady breathing of her children when they are asleep makes her feel (3)__________________ that they are healthy.

The sound of the waves whether they are gentle or are (4)____________ / ____________ rocks makes him feel relaxed.

Having to (5)______________ / _____________ the household appliances when she is having a relaxing evening watching TV annoys her.

She loved the videos of babies (6)______________ / ________________ laughter.

He doesn't like hearing background music like (7)_____________ / ____________.

The (8)___________ backwards and forwards of the train relaxes her.

KEY

1. high-pitched yappy

high-pitched: A high-pitched noise is high and sometimes also loud or unpleasant

E.g.

the high-pitched scream of the fire alarm.

yappy: (of a dog) often making short high sounds. Sp. con ladrido agudo.

E.g.

a yappy little dog 

Yorkshire Terriers have a reputation for being yappy.

2. kernels

kernel: /ˈkɜːnl/ the inner part of a nut or seed. E.g. pine/apricot kernels

3. reassured

4. crashing against

5. attend to

attend to: to deal with somebody/something; to take care of somebody/something. Sp. atender, ocuparse de.

E.g.

 I have some urgent business to attend to. 

A nurse attended to his needs constantly. 

(British English, formal) Are you being attended to, Sir? (= for example, in a shop).

6. roaring with

roar: to laugh very loudly.

E.g.

 He looked so funny, we all roared. 

roar with laughter It made them roar with laughter. Sp. reírse a carcajadas

7. lift music

 lift music (also known as Muzak /ˈmjuːzæk/, piped music, or elevator music) is a type of background music played in elevators, in rooms where many people come together for reasons other than listening to music, and during telephone calls when placed on hold.

8. jolting

jolt: /dʒəʊlt/ to move or to make somebody/something move suddenly and roughly. Sp. sacudir.

E.g.

The truck jolted along the rough track through the field.