Emilia Clarke gives heartfelt advice to her 18-year-old self. From her career, to dating, to school, to family, and everything in-between, Emilia reveals what she wishes she knew at that formative age.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.
1. What is the journey going to bring for Emilia?
2. What doesn’t she need to do at parties?
3. How does she see herself physically?
4. How does she feel with some relationships?
5. What effect is a heartbreak going to have on her?
6. What does she have to do with the people she really loves?
Dear Emilia,
You just turned 18. So, as your future self, here is some advice that I'd like to give you.
This particular journey that you're on is unlike any one of your friends that you're with right now. What they're doing is gonna bring them joy and happiness, and what you're doing is also gonna bring you maybe a little more struggle, and some joy and happiness as well. There are gonna be times when someone says that dream that you've had, your entire life, the moment when someone says that's not possible, it is. I know you didn't get into drama school this time around, but you will. You have the strength to overcome it.
And you can go to the parties, and you're gonna have fun at the parties, but you don't need to do everything that everyone's doing. You know, ain't nothing wrong with a Diet Coke, ain't nothing wrong.
Eighteen-year-old Emilia, I'm gonna quote this sunscreen song at you. I know you know it. You are not as fat as you think you are. There are some women who look some way, and there are other women who look another way, like, a whole other way. And the way that the other women look, people love, because they look like women.
So, when it comes to relationship advice, there's other things that come along with relationships. You think that they're, like inspecting everything and, you know, and kinda looking at you in a way of, sort of, that makes you feel uncomfortable or judged or whatever it is. Chances are they're not. Chances are they're just super happy to be there.
You're gonna feel some serious heartbreak. You're gonna feel some, like, proper... some proper things. And the reason why it's gonna hurt so much... It's because that heartbreak is gonna make you doubt yourself. You put yourself out on a plate and you bare everything, and someone says that they don't really like that. So that makes you feel... like you're not worth it. But you are, and there's lots of people who are gonna tell you that you are worth it.
The people in your life, when all the lights are off, the real people who you really love, just hug them, like, every day.
Okay. So parting words, little Emilia... littler Emilia, I'm just gonna say that, um, you know, it's autumn right now, because it's October, but... winter is coming. And wear sunscreen!
Love, Emilia
KEY:
1 struggle, happiness, joy
2 everything that everyone is doing
3 fat
4 uncomfortable or judged
5 it’s going to make her doubt herself
6 hug them every day
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Age. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Age. Mostrar todas las entradas
jueves, 8 de junio de 2017
domingo, 26 de marzo de 2017
Extensive listening: What I learned from 2,000 obituaries
Lux Narayan starts his day with scrambled eggs and the question: "Who died today?" Why?
By analyzing 2,000 New York Times obituaries over a 20-month period, Narayan gleaned, in just a few words, what achievement looks like over a lifetime. Here he shares what those immortalized in print can teach us about a life well lived.
Lakshmanan aka Lux Narayan mans Unmetric, a social media intelligence company that helps digital marketers, social media analysts, and content creators control social signals to track and analyze competitive content and campaigns, and to create better content and campaigns of their own.
Outside of work, he is a perpetual learner of various things, from origami and molecular gastronomy to stand-up and improv comedy. He enjoys reading obituaries and other non-fiction and watching documentaries with bad ratings. Narayan makes time every year for trekking in the Himalayas or scuba diving in tropical waters, and once he learns to fly, he hopes to spend more time off land than on it.
You can read a full transcript for the talk here.
By analyzing 2,000 New York Times obituaries over a 20-month period, Narayan gleaned, in just a few words, what achievement looks like over a lifetime. Here he shares what those immortalized in print can teach us about a life well lived.
Lakshmanan aka Lux Narayan mans Unmetric, a social media intelligence company that helps digital marketers, social media analysts, and content creators control social signals to track and analyze competitive content and campaigns, and to create better content and campaigns of their own.
Outside of work, he is a perpetual learner of various things, from origami and molecular gastronomy to stand-up and improv comedy. He enjoys reading obituaries and other non-fiction and watching documentaries with bad ratings. Narayan makes time every year for trekking in the Himalayas or scuba diving in tropical waters, and once he learns to fly, he hopes to spend more time off land than on it.
You can read a full transcript for the talk here.
miércoles, 1 de marzo de 2017
Talking point: Generation divide
This week's talking point is generation divide. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas come to mind more easily the day you get together with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.
What do you understand by the term ‘generation gap’?
How different are your attitudes and opinions from those of other generations in your family? Think about the following:
Look at the names of different generations, as used by demographers and the media. Which are you?
Could you outline a stereotypical profile for each generation based on the people you know? Give examples.
Veteran, Traditionalist, Silent Generation: Born before 1945
Baby Boomer, Boomer: Born between 1946 and 1964
Generation X: Born between 1964 and 1980
Millennial, Generation Y, Gen Why? Echo Boomer: Born since 1980
Generation Z: Born after 2000
What are some of the challenges which face those who work in a multi-generational workplace?
In what ways are people who were brought up in the age of social media different from older generations?
What are the factors that affect the beliefs and attitudes of a generation?
How do you think people who are born after 2020 will be different?
To illustrate the topic you can watch Patrice Thompson's Talk at TED London Closing the gap: A millennial proposal for a happy multigenerational workplace.
What do you understand by the term ‘generation gap’?
How different are your attitudes and opinions from those of other generations in your family? Think about the following:
Bringing up children
Importance of social status
New technology
Saving and spending money
Other cultures and nationalities
Fashion
Manners
Music
Working hard
Look at the names of different generations, as used by demographers and the media. Which are you?
Could you outline a stereotypical profile for each generation based on the people you know? Give examples.
Veteran, Traditionalist, Silent Generation: Born before 1945
Baby Boomer, Boomer: Born between 1946 and 1964
Generation X: Born between 1964 and 1980
Millennial, Generation Y, Gen Why? Echo Boomer: Born since 1980
Generation Z: Born after 2000
What are some of the challenges which face those who work in a multi-generational workplace?
In what ways are people who were brought up in the age of social media different from older generations?
What are the factors that affect the beliefs and attitudes of a generation?
How do you think people who are born after 2020 will be different?
To illustrate the topic you can watch Patrice Thompson's Talk at TED London Closing the gap: A millennial proposal for a happy multigenerational workplace.
lunes, 13 de febrero de 2017
Listening test: My secret to long life
Listen to a report on Emma Morano, who is the oldest person in the world. Complete the blanks in the sentences with up to THREE WORDS. 0 is an example.
0 Example:
Emma Morano was born in November 1899.
1. She is ____________________ years old.
2. As a teenager, her doctor recommended raw eggs to protect her ______________________ .
3. She has eaten over ______________________ eggs in her life.
4. Another secret of Emma’s longevity is ______________________ .
5. At the time of her separation divorce ______________________ .
6. Emma has never been lonely. On the contrary, she has many ______________________ .
7. For her birthday Emma received ______________________ from people all over Italy.
8. The idea that a person needs a romantic relationship to be happy comes from ______________________ , but it might not be for everyone.
Italian Emma Morano is the oldest person in the world. Born in November of 1899, she is the only living person to have lived in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. At 117 years young, she is in great health and has a sharp mind. Her doctor says, “She’s in great form.”
Emma eats a diet of eggs, bananas, and cookies. When she was just a teenager, her doctor recommended raw eggs to protect against anemia, and she has stuck to it religiously. Until recently, she ate three raw eggs a day, which totals more than 100,000 over a lifetime. She has recently cut down to just two raw eggs, but she still believes they are what have kept her going all these years.
In addition to raw eggs, her other secret to a long life is staying single. In 1938, she separated from her husband after the death of her child. It was an unhappy marriage, but Emma bravely decided to go her own way at a time when separation was rare and divorce wasn’t even legal. She had many suitors over the years but rebuffed them all preferring to stay single. She said, “I didn’t want to be dominated by anyone.”
This is not to say she has lived the life of a loner. In fact, she has many deep relationships. Her doctor pins her longevity on these relationships over the eggs and staying single. He says, “The secret is in growing old with people who love you, which is different from growing old and being put up with.” Indeed, Emma was surrounded by loved ones at her birthday and received well wishes from people all over Italy.
Emma Morano’s longevity might have nothing to do with eggs or staying single, but she certainly thinks it does. And this belief flies in the face of everything that most people believe. Tropes like needing a romantic partner to complete us are all around us in popular culture. But perhaps not everyone is meant to be with someone. And maybe the key to a long and happy life has nothing to do with finding a life partner.
Key:
1 117
2 against anaemia
3 100,00
4 staying single
5 was illegal / wasn’t (even) legal
6 deep relationships
7 well wishes
8 popular culture
Source: Deep English
0 Example:
Emma Morano was born in November 1899.
1. She is ____________________ years old.
2. As a teenager, her doctor recommended raw eggs to protect her ______________________ .
3. She has eaten over ______________________ eggs in her life.
4. Another secret of Emma’s longevity is ______________________ .
5. At the time of her separation divorce ______________________ .
6. Emma has never been lonely. On the contrary, she has many ______________________ .
7. For her birthday Emma received ______________________ from people all over Italy.
8. The idea that a person needs a romantic relationship to be happy comes from ______________________ , but it might not be for everyone.
Italian Emma Morano is the oldest person in the world. Born in November of 1899, she is the only living person to have lived in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. At 117 years young, she is in great health and has a sharp mind. Her doctor says, “She’s in great form.”
Emma eats a diet of eggs, bananas, and cookies. When she was just a teenager, her doctor recommended raw eggs to protect against anemia, and she has stuck to it religiously. Until recently, she ate three raw eggs a day, which totals more than 100,000 over a lifetime. She has recently cut down to just two raw eggs, but she still believes they are what have kept her going all these years.
In addition to raw eggs, her other secret to a long life is staying single. In 1938, she separated from her husband after the death of her child. It was an unhappy marriage, but Emma bravely decided to go her own way at a time when separation was rare and divorce wasn’t even legal. She had many suitors over the years but rebuffed them all preferring to stay single. She said, “I didn’t want to be dominated by anyone.”
This is not to say she has lived the life of a loner. In fact, she has many deep relationships. Her doctor pins her longevity on these relationships over the eggs and staying single. He says, “The secret is in growing old with people who love you, which is different from growing old and being put up with.” Indeed, Emma was surrounded by loved ones at her birthday and received well wishes from people all over Italy.
Emma Morano’s longevity might have nothing to do with eggs or staying single, but she certainly thinks it does. And this belief flies in the face of everything that most people believe. Tropes like needing a romantic partner to complete us are all around us in popular culture. But perhaps not everyone is meant to be with someone. And maybe the key to a long and happy life has nothing to do with finding a life partner.
Key:
1 117
2 against anaemia
3 100,00
4 staying single
5 was illegal / wasn’t (even) legal
6 deep relationships
7 well wishes
8 popular culture
viernes, 10 de febrero de 2017
It's your future
It’s Your Future is a film about getting involved and playing an active part in democracy. Politics affects everyone, especially young people. No matter how disengaged you feel, the only way to make a difference is to take action. For change to begin, you must make your voice heard.
Self-study activity:
Complete the blanks in the transcript with the missing words.
When I was 18, politics seemed boring. I didn't go and vote, I didn't pay attention. I didn't really (1) … at what age people got their pension. That seemed (2) … away. I was just starting out. I really had no interest in what politics was about but I should have. The young are most (3)… . Most 18 to 24s don't care who gets elected, and I'm not surprised. I once felt that way, too. Why vote for a system that doesn't represent you?
Middle-aged, middle-classed, old men in old buildings, too (4) … and too rich to care about the small things, from the same schools and clubs, the same suits and same tailors to the same privileged (5) … with no experience of failures.
When we see them answer questions, a chance they should be seizing, they forget about us and resort to (6) … teasing, like children, taking part in a food fight, wasting words that have power on a false appetite that lies, that only wants first (7) … , that cares less about its people, and more what power buys.
But the government works for you, and this can all be (8) … if you stand up for what you believe in, and do your part to get involved. There is (9) … in your numbers. You are not the minority.
You only feel this way as you've been made a low priority by politicians who are chasing the vote. They won't try and please you if they think there's no (10) … . So prove them all wrong. Prove you have a voice. Do the (11) … and accept you have a choice and vote. But first, find out the truth. Look at their policies, and how they affect the (12) … .
This world is yours to inherit. It's more your future than theirs. Don't let your life be dictated by the old and billionaires. It's the young that pay (13) … . It's the young that fight the wars. It's the young who need jobs or could end up living outdoors. It's the young who adopt the planet. It's the young who clean up the (14) … . It's the young that care for the old. So why do the young vote less?
You have a say that needs to be respected. People are (15) … for the right to have a leader that's elected.
So register to vote, be a part of democracy. Doing nothing and (16) … is outright hypocrisy. You don't have to be a whisper, your voices are real. You can be the generation that gets a better deal. If you want to make a difference, you have to grow up. Our country's (17) … is decided by those who show up.
KEY:
1 care
2 ages
3 affected
4 posh
5 upbringings
6 playground
7 prize
8 resolved
9 strength
10 hope
11 unexpected
12 youth
13 tuition
14 mess
15 dying
16 complaining
17 fate
Self-study activity:
Complete the blanks in the transcript with the missing words.
When I was 18, politics seemed boring. I didn't go and vote, I didn't pay attention. I didn't really (1) … at what age people got their pension. That seemed (2) … away. I was just starting out. I really had no interest in what politics was about but I should have. The young are most (3)… . Most 18 to 24s don't care who gets elected, and I'm not surprised. I once felt that way, too. Why vote for a system that doesn't represent you?
Middle-aged, middle-classed, old men in old buildings, too (4) … and too rich to care about the small things, from the same schools and clubs, the same suits and same tailors to the same privileged (5) … with no experience of failures.
When we see them answer questions, a chance they should be seizing, they forget about us and resort to (6) … teasing, like children, taking part in a food fight, wasting words that have power on a false appetite that lies, that only wants first (7) … , that cares less about its people, and more what power buys.
But the government works for you, and this can all be (8) … if you stand up for what you believe in, and do your part to get involved. There is (9) … in your numbers. You are not the minority.
You only feel this way as you've been made a low priority by politicians who are chasing the vote. They won't try and please you if they think there's no (10) … . So prove them all wrong. Prove you have a voice. Do the (11) … and accept you have a choice and vote. But first, find out the truth. Look at their policies, and how they affect the (12) … .
This world is yours to inherit. It's more your future than theirs. Don't let your life be dictated by the old and billionaires. It's the young that pay (13) … . It's the young that fight the wars. It's the young who need jobs or could end up living outdoors. It's the young who adopt the planet. It's the young who clean up the (14) … . It's the young that care for the old. So why do the young vote less?
You have a say that needs to be respected. People are (15) … for the right to have a leader that's elected.
So register to vote, be a part of democracy. Doing nothing and (16) … is outright hypocrisy. You don't have to be a whisper, your voices are real. You can be the generation that gets a better deal. If you want to make a difference, you have to grow up. Our country's (17) … is decided by those who show up.
KEY:
1 care
2 ages
3 affected
4 posh
5 upbringings
6 playground
7 prize
8 resolved
9 strength
10 hope
11 unexpected
12 youth
13 tuition
14 mess
15 dying
16 complaining
17 fate
viernes, 14 de octubre de 2016
Japan's retirees: industrial waste or a silver lining?
Working after retirement is not something many plan for, especially in Japan, where most white collar workers - known as salarymen - still devote their lives to one employer for an average of four decades.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions.
1 What is the retirement age in Japan?
2 What does Koreisha mean in Japanese?
3 What are some of the occupations retirees can choose from in Koreisha?
4 What is the reason why Japanese retired workers want to work?
5 What does 'one third' refer to?
6 What is one of the problems retirees have to face when working after retirement?
Tending to a client's rooftop garden in central Tokyo. Three years after retiring from his lifelong employment with Tokyo Gas, 68-year-old Rikizo Takano signed up for part-time work. This is the company which got him the gig. Koreisha means "the elderly" in Japanese. Its mission is to help retirees who are still keen to be part of the country's workforce. Today it has over 750 registered members. The average age is 69, with the oldest at 81 years old. They can choose from various assignments, such as cooking at restaurants or being personal drivers.
At our age, most of us don't want to work full-time, but putting in two to three days a week doesn't affect pensions, and being able to earn an extra 1000 US dollars a month is nice. But more than that, our members say it's great to be able to work again, because myself included, we feel like our energy and talent is wasted.
Japan has one of the fastest ageing populations in the world, and it is a burden on the economy, with a falling birth rate, it means there are fewer people paying social security. Spending on health care and pensions already accounts for a third of the national budget, and it's ballooning fast. But instead of doing away with the old, the Government wants companies and communities to see them as a silver lining.
Here in Kashiwa, these retired businessmen greet the children every morning and make sure they get to school safely. 75-year-old Masatoshi Tsuneno is the leader of the group, and he's been volunteering for ten years.
He says the key to a successful transition after retirement is to shake up the hierarchy entrenched in the working world.
I was an engineer for a company, he told me. But he won't discuss his professional past. He says it's important for people in his group to be able to treat each other equally, even if someone was a chief executive or diplomat.
It’s the end of the academic year and the school children have put together this surprise ceremony to thank the volunteers. The mix of young and old has been a hit for this community, but it's still a rare success story.
Mariko Oi, BBC News, in Kashiwa.
Key:
1 65
2 the elderly
3 cooking at restaurants or being personal drivers
4 they feel their energy and talent is wasted
5 public spending out of the national budget on health care and pensions
6 the traditional hierarchy of Japanese companies is difficult to get rid of
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions.
1 What is the retirement age in Japan?
2 What does Koreisha mean in Japanese?
3 What are some of the occupations retirees can choose from in Koreisha?
4 What is the reason why Japanese retired workers want to work?
5 What does 'one third' refer to?
6 What is one of the problems retirees have to face when working after retirement?
Tending to a client's rooftop garden in central Tokyo. Three years after retiring from his lifelong employment with Tokyo Gas, 68-year-old Rikizo Takano signed up for part-time work. This is the company which got him the gig. Koreisha means "the elderly" in Japanese. Its mission is to help retirees who are still keen to be part of the country's workforce. Today it has over 750 registered members. The average age is 69, with the oldest at 81 years old. They can choose from various assignments, such as cooking at restaurants or being personal drivers.
At our age, most of us don't want to work full-time, but putting in two to three days a week doesn't affect pensions, and being able to earn an extra 1000 US dollars a month is nice. But more than that, our members say it's great to be able to work again, because myself included, we feel like our energy and talent is wasted.
Japan has one of the fastest ageing populations in the world, and it is a burden on the economy, with a falling birth rate, it means there are fewer people paying social security. Spending on health care and pensions already accounts for a third of the national budget, and it's ballooning fast. But instead of doing away with the old, the Government wants companies and communities to see them as a silver lining.
Here in Kashiwa, these retired businessmen greet the children every morning and make sure they get to school safely. 75-year-old Masatoshi Tsuneno is the leader of the group, and he's been volunteering for ten years.
He says the key to a successful transition after retirement is to shake up the hierarchy entrenched in the working world.
I was an engineer for a company, he told me. But he won't discuss his professional past. He says it's important for people in his group to be able to treat each other equally, even if someone was a chief executive or diplomat.
It’s the end of the academic year and the school children have put together this surprise ceremony to thank the volunteers. The mix of young and old has been a hit for this community, but it's still a rare success story.
Mariko Oi, BBC News, in Kashiwa.
Key:
1 65
2 the elderly
3 cooking at restaurants or being personal drivers
4 they feel their energy and talent is wasted
5 public spending out of the national budget on health care and pensions
6 the traditional hierarchy of Japanese companies is difficult to get rid of
domingo, 9 de octubre de 2016
Extensive listening: The life-longer learner
Wofford College president Ben Dunlap tells the story of Sandor Teszler, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor who taught him about passionate living and lifelong learning.
Ben Dunlap is a true polymath, whose talents span poetry, opera, ballet, literature and administration. He is the president of South Carolina’s Wofford College.
You can read the transcript here.
Ben Dunlap is a true polymath, whose talents span poetry, opera, ballet, literature and administration. He is the president of South Carolina’s Wofford College.
You can read the transcript here.
miércoles, 29 de junio de 2016
Talking point: Ageing and health
This week's talking point is ageing and health.
Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go
over the questions below so that ideas come to mind more easily the day
you get together with your friends and you can work out vocabulary
problems beforehand.
‘Ageing is one of the most profitable fears of our time’. How do you interpret this quote?
Which of these anti-aging treatments would you be willing to try? Money is no object:
Would you like to live for 1,000 years? Why (not)?
Why do people follow special diets?
Have you (or has someone you know) ever had to follow a diet? How was it?
What are your opinions of these statements? Talk about your own experiences.
-How old someone feels depends entirely on their health.
-TV ads represent older people in realistic ways.
-It’s easier for people under 40 to get a job than those over 40.
-The longer you live, the more eccentric you become.
-Companies which sell anti-ageing products don’t want people to feel good about themselves.
INTERACTION -Choosing a diet
You and your partner have decided to start a diet. Read about the diets below and choose the most convenient diet for you to go on. If none of the diets is of your liking, suggest another one.
The 5:2 diet
The 5:2 diet is based on a principle known as intermittent fasting (IF) – where you eat normally for five days a week and fast on the other two days. On top of losing weight, fans claim the 5:2 diet can improve lifespan and brain function, and protect against conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer's.
The Dukan diet
The diet has four phases. During phase one you can eat chicken, turkey, eggs, fish and fat-free dairy. This is for an average of five days to achieve quick weight loss. No vegetables are allowed and seriously restricts fat. The next three phases of the plan see the gradual introduction of some fruit, veg and carbs, and eventually all foods. There's no time limit to the final phase, which involves having a protein-only day once a week and taking regular exercise.
The alkaline diet
The alkaline diet, whose celebrity fans reportedly include Gywneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and Victoria Beckham, recommends cutting back on meat, wheat and other grains, refined sugar, dairy products, caffeine, alcohol and processed foods in favour of "alkaline foods": Plenty of fruit and vegetables. Some followers adopt the "80/20 rule", consisting of a diet based on 80% fruit and veg and 20% grains and protein.
The Cambridge diet
It iis based around buying and eating a range of meal-replacement products. There are six flexible diet plans ranging from 415 calories to 1,500 calories or more a day. The bars, soups, porridges and shakes can be used as your sole source of nutrition or together with low-calorie regular meals. While on the programme, you receive advice and support on healthy eating and exercise from a Cambridge adviser.
‘Ageing is one of the most profitable fears of our time’. How do you interpret this quote?
Which of these anti-aging treatments would you be willing to try? Money is no object:
- Snail slime cream –potents anti-ageing treatment that helps to reduce acne and skin rashes as well as smoothing wrinkles
- Emu oil –Used for centuries for its healing powers, emu oil leaves you with a glowing complexion
- Bee sting venom –The venom from the sting is tranferred into a gel and then rubbed on the face as part of an intensive facial.
Would you like to live for 1,000 years? Why (not)?
Why do people follow special diets?
Have you (or has someone you know) ever had to follow a diet? How was it?
What are your opinions of these statements? Talk about your own experiences.
-How old someone feels depends entirely on their health.
-TV ads represent older people in realistic ways.
-It’s easier for people under 40 to get a job than those over 40.
-The longer you live, the more eccentric you become.
-Companies which sell anti-ageing products don’t want people to feel good about themselves.
INTERACTION -Choosing a diet
You and your partner have decided to start a diet. Read about the diets below and choose the most convenient diet for you to go on. If none of the diets is of your liking, suggest another one.
The 5:2 diet
The 5:2 diet is based on a principle known as intermittent fasting (IF) – where you eat normally for five days a week and fast on the other two days. On top of losing weight, fans claim the 5:2 diet can improve lifespan and brain function, and protect against conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer's.
The Dukan diet
The diet has four phases. During phase one you can eat chicken, turkey, eggs, fish and fat-free dairy. This is for an average of five days to achieve quick weight loss. No vegetables are allowed and seriously restricts fat. The next three phases of the plan see the gradual introduction of some fruit, veg and carbs, and eventually all foods. There's no time limit to the final phase, which involves having a protein-only day once a week and taking regular exercise.
The alkaline diet
The alkaline diet, whose celebrity fans reportedly include Gywneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston and Victoria Beckham, recommends cutting back on meat, wheat and other grains, refined sugar, dairy products, caffeine, alcohol and processed foods in favour of "alkaline foods": Plenty of fruit and vegetables. Some followers adopt the "80/20 rule", consisting of a diet based on 80% fruit and veg and 20% grains and protein.
The Cambridge diet
It iis based around buying and eating a range of meal-replacement products. There are six flexible diet plans ranging from 415 calories to 1,500 calories or more a day. The bars, soups, porridges and shakes can be used as your sole source of nutrition or together with low-calorie regular meals. While on the programme, you receive advice and support on healthy eating and exercise from a Cambridge adviser.
jueves, 19 de mayo de 2016
Mother goes through surgery to look like daughter
Watch this video where Janet Horrocks explains the reasons why she wants to look like her daughter Jane and answer the questions below about it.
1 How old are Janet and Jane?
2 How does Janet feel when she is mistaken for Jane's sister?
3 How does Jane feel?
4 Why does Janet have the right to copy Jane’s look?
5 What surgeries has Janet had?
6 How does Jane feel about cosmetic surgery?
I based my transformation on my daughter because she is beautiful, I created her, and I wanted her look.
With their matching long blonde hair and size 8 figures, these women are often mistaken for sisters. But 57-year-old Janet Horrocks has spent £40,000 and endured extensive surgery to look like her 36-year-old daughter Jane.
When people mistake Jane and I as sisters, I feel great about myself, I feel on top of the world. And it makes me think that all the money I spent was well worth every penny. They would never in a million years think that I was her mother and she was my daughter, and it’s great, it’s a great feeling. We dress alike, we look alike, we have the same hairstyle, we have the same hair colour, we are both very slim. So why wouldn’t they mistake us for sisters?
However Jane has been less than thrilled about the comparisons between her and her mum.
When I found out first that my mum wanted to base herself on me I was terrified. I was not impressed. I didn’t want my mum to look like me. I didn’t want people thinking that she was my sister. I wanted them to know that she was my mum. My mum does not take my feelings into consideration. If my mum’s going to have surgery or do what she wants to do, she is going to do it whether I like it or not.
Jane was against it at first; she didn’t like me looking like her. It was embarrassing for her, but now she is kind of accepted it because she knows I am not going to back down, and I am just going to keep going. I have the right to copy Jane’s look because I created her in the first place. And she has already got my looks anyway so all I am doing is just emphasising, you know, that look again. To be honest I don’t care what she thinks because I am still gonna copy her anyway. It’s me and that’s just how I am.
Over the years I have had several surgeries, the first being breast augmentation. After that I had upper eyes, lower eyes, I had nose, I had laser resurfacing, I had Botox, I had fillers, I had my lips done and then I had another breast augmentation. I never want to look old. I always want to look like my daughter. So to further improve it, I will be, you know, seeking more surgeries.
Unlike her surgery obsessed mum, Jane plans to grow old gracefully.
I wouldn’t do it myself, have cosmetic surgery. I am concerned that my mum is having surgery. I’m worried that maybe something could go wrong or she might just push it too far and look totally fake. But I can’t stop her so she will just carry on.
I always want to maintain that look. It’s just me, I can’t help it, and I will continue to do so till the day I die.
1 How old are Janet and Jane?
2 How does Janet feel when she is mistaken for Jane's sister?
3 How does Jane feel?
4 Why does Janet have the right to copy Jane’s look?
5 What surgeries has Janet had?
6 How does Jane feel about cosmetic surgery?
I based my transformation on my daughter because she is beautiful, I created her, and I wanted her look.
With their matching long blonde hair and size 8 figures, these women are often mistaken for sisters. But 57-year-old Janet Horrocks has spent £40,000 and endured extensive surgery to look like her 36-year-old daughter Jane.
When people mistake Jane and I as sisters, I feel great about myself, I feel on top of the world. And it makes me think that all the money I spent was well worth every penny. They would never in a million years think that I was her mother and she was my daughter, and it’s great, it’s a great feeling. We dress alike, we look alike, we have the same hairstyle, we have the same hair colour, we are both very slim. So why wouldn’t they mistake us for sisters?
However Jane has been less than thrilled about the comparisons between her and her mum.
When I found out first that my mum wanted to base herself on me I was terrified. I was not impressed. I didn’t want my mum to look like me. I didn’t want people thinking that she was my sister. I wanted them to know that she was my mum. My mum does not take my feelings into consideration. If my mum’s going to have surgery or do what she wants to do, she is going to do it whether I like it or not.
Jane was against it at first; she didn’t like me looking like her. It was embarrassing for her, but now she is kind of accepted it because she knows I am not going to back down, and I am just going to keep going. I have the right to copy Jane’s look because I created her in the first place. And she has already got my looks anyway so all I am doing is just emphasising, you know, that look again. To be honest I don’t care what she thinks because I am still gonna copy her anyway. It’s me and that’s just how I am.
Over the years I have had several surgeries, the first being breast augmentation. After that I had upper eyes, lower eyes, I had nose, I had laser resurfacing, I had Botox, I had fillers, I had my lips done and then I had another breast augmentation. I never want to look old. I always want to look like my daughter. So to further improve it, I will be, you know, seeking more surgeries.
Unlike her surgery obsessed mum, Jane plans to grow old gracefully.
I wouldn’t do it myself, have cosmetic surgery. I am concerned that my mum is having surgery. I’m worried that maybe something could go wrong or she might just push it too far and look totally fake. But I can’t stop her so she will just carry on.
I always want to maintain that look. It’s just me, I can’t help it, and I will continue to do so till the day I die.
miércoles, 13 de abril de 2016
Talking point: Age
This week's talking point is age. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas flow more easily when you meet up with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.
Are you happy with the age you are?
What is your perfect age? Why?
And what is the most challenging stage of life?
'Age is just a number. You are as young as you feel.' Do you agree?
What problems do generation gaps bring about?
What advantages/disadvantages are there to being young/old today compared to in the past?
What age range do you consider to be in the prime of life?
Would you exchange maturity and wisdom for the bloom of youth?
Medical science has enabled more people than ever to live to a ripe old age. Do you think this is always desirable? And what are the disadvantages?
These are the seven stages in a person's life. What typical behaviour and characteristics do you associate with each? An example is given for each stage.
infancy: crawling
childhood: grazing your knee
teenagers: playing truant
young adult: working out
adulthood: getting a mortgage
retirement: going grey
old age: memory loss
To illustrate the issue, you can watch this Speakout video where passers-by answer these three questions:
In what ways do you feel different today than you did ten years ago?
What’s the best time of life do you think?
In what ways has ageing affected your life?
N: My life has changed a lot in the last ten years. I’ve moved away from home and into central London, and that’s
made me feel much more independent. How about you? In what ways do you feel different today than you did ten years ago?
Ni: Well, I feel very different. I’m retired now and I wasn’t retired then, so today I play and ten years ago I worked.
G: About ten years ago, I guess I was just, kind of, starting out uh, along the road of being a freelance artist, and, um, a little bit nervous at that stage uh, and, sort of scared of the future a little bit.
C: Today, I probably feel more relaxed. Um, I don’t try and stress about things too much, try and take life easy – well, not too easy obviously, but um – try not to worry about things and know that everything will turn out all right in the end.
Ja: Well, I’m a lot less fit. I used to think I was going to be a professional footballer and then the reality of it all kicked in and ten years down the line I’m just a wasted rock star.
Na: I guess more, I’m more confident and erm, I, you kind of don’t have to rely on your parents, which is always a good
thing.
R: Well, very different because ten years ago I was still in business and in charge of a small company and so, quite often there was stress and certainly a lot of work.
W: Ten years ago I wasn’t as open-minded as I am now. But, um, I think about eight years ago I made a big decision to quit sport at quite a high level, to, erm, just live a life in the world of art, which is quite an open-minded thing to do. And, kind of, makes you a better person I think.
Je: I suppose I feel more grown up, more worldly-wise. Erm, I’ve seen a lot more of the world. Erm … But in many ways I feel just the same – I can’t believe that I’m actually ten years older. If I think about that, that, you know kind
of 21-year-old self, I, it seems strange.
E: I was just trying to think back to what I was doing ten years ago. Erm, so, I’d just started a new job, erm, I was
actually in the middle – I had just been diagnosed with cancer, so erm, I guess from, from ten years ago exactly to today I feel a lot more mature. I feel very much, very much glad of the life that I have, erm, which could have been, could have been taken away. Erm, and I feel more ready to tackle the ups and downs that life throws at me.
N: What’s the best time of life do you think?
Ni: The best time of my life – well, now. I’m retired; ten years ago I wasn’t retired. And I can do whatever I want with
whoever I want whenever I want. I can stay here or go abroad. So yeah, now, definitely.
C: The best time of life would be, hopefully, when you retire. Erm, because you’ve got no stresses of work, erm, or anything to worry about. Maybe just your health.
G: I think the best time of life is, is when you’re about two years old. Uh, my son is two right now and he’s just totally
open to all learning – coming up with new words every day, being just generally excited about everything. When he wakes up he’s lively, excited, just wanting to do something new, and get away with all kinds of mischief.
W: I think probably now, in my early twenties because that’s where you get tested the most.
Je: I think I would have to say the ‘now’. Definitely. Ultimately because, erm, I always remember reading er, a saying which is that if you um, regret the past and worry about the future you forget to live in the ‘now’.
E: Very much the ‘now’. So, yeah, if you asked me this question ten years ago I would say it’s all about being twenty-
four and er, getting out of university and starting your first job. Ask me, ask me now and it’s, yes, here. Ask me in ten years and it’ll be with kids, etc., so yeah, always live for the now.
R: I, I don’t think there is a best time of life. I think … they’re all; they all have their own, erm, specific nice things and happy things. I think that er, that whether you’re a student or older or in business or whatever, that there are very nice times.
N: In what ways has ageing affected your life?
C: Hopefully I’m becoming wiser, but er, others may disagree with that!
G: I think as I get older, the responsibilities that I have, are sort of making me a little bit more boring, erm – mean that I can’t get away with things and do the things that I used to do when I didn’t have the responsibilities.
Ni: I thought I’d be devastated to be as old as I am but, actually, I’m not.
W: As I get older I’m noticing you’re not as clever as you think you are! And there’s always time for improvement.
Je: In terms of getting older, I think I just see it as an opportunity to, um, yeah, to go forward, to have a family and to, to see a bit more of the world.
Are you happy with the age you are?
What is your perfect age? Why?
And what is the most challenging stage of life?
'Age is just a number. You are as young as you feel.' Do you agree?
What problems do generation gaps bring about?
What advantages/disadvantages are there to being young/old today compared to in the past?
What age range do you consider to be in the prime of life?
Would you exchange maturity and wisdom for the bloom of youth?
Medical science has enabled more people than ever to live to a ripe old age. Do you think this is always desirable? And what are the disadvantages?
These are the seven stages in a person's life. What typical behaviour and characteristics do you associate with each? An example is given for each stage.
infancy: crawling
childhood: grazing your knee
teenagers: playing truant
young adult: working out
adulthood: getting a mortgage
retirement: going grey
old age: memory loss
To illustrate the issue, you can watch this Speakout video where passers-by answer these three questions:
In what ways do you feel different today than you did ten years ago?
What’s the best time of life do you think?
In what ways has ageing affected your life?
N: My life has changed a lot in the last ten years. I’ve moved away from home and into central London, and that’s
made me feel much more independent. How about you? In what ways do you feel different today than you did ten years ago?
Ni: Well, I feel very different. I’m retired now and I wasn’t retired then, so today I play and ten years ago I worked.
G: About ten years ago, I guess I was just, kind of, starting out uh, along the road of being a freelance artist, and, um, a little bit nervous at that stage uh, and, sort of scared of the future a little bit.
C: Today, I probably feel more relaxed. Um, I don’t try and stress about things too much, try and take life easy – well, not too easy obviously, but um – try not to worry about things and know that everything will turn out all right in the end.
Ja: Well, I’m a lot less fit. I used to think I was going to be a professional footballer and then the reality of it all kicked in and ten years down the line I’m just a wasted rock star.
Na: I guess more, I’m more confident and erm, I, you kind of don’t have to rely on your parents, which is always a good
thing.
R: Well, very different because ten years ago I was still in business and in charge of a small company and so, quite often there was stress and certainly a lot of work.
W: Ten years ago I wasn’t as open-minded as I am now. But, um, I think about eight years ago I made a big decision to quit sport at quite a high level, to, erm, just live a life in the world of art, which is quite an open-minded thing to do. And, kind of, makes you a better person I think.
Je: I suppose I feel more grown up, more worldly-wise. Erm, I’ve seen a lot more of the world. Erm … But in many ways I feel just the same – I can’t believe that I’m actually ten years older. If I think about that, that, you know kind
of 21-year-old self, I, it seems strange.
E: I was just trying to think back to what I was doing ten years ago. Erm, so, I’d just started a new job, erm, I was
actually in the middle – I had just been diagnosed with cancer, so erm, I guess from, from ten years ago exactly to today I feel a lot more mature. I feel very much, very much glad of the life that I have, erm, which could have been, could have been taken away. Erm, and I feel more ready to tackle the ups and downs that life throws at me.
N: What’s the best time of life do you think?
Ni: The best time of my life – well, now. I’m retired; ten years ago I wasn’t retired. And I can do whatever I want with
whoever I want whenever I want. I can stay here or go abroad. So yeah, now, definitely.
C: The best time of life would be, hopefully, when you retire. Erm, because you’ve got no stresses of work, erm, or anything to worry about. Maybe just your health.
G: I think the best time of life is, is when you’re about two years old. Uh, my son is two right now and he’s just totally
open to all learning – coming up with new words every day, being just generally excited about everything. When he wakes up he’s lively, excited, just wanting to do something new, and get away with all kinds of mischief.
W: I think probably now, in my early twenties because that’s where you get tested the most.
Je: I think I would have to say the ‘now’. Definitely. Ultimately because, erm, I always remember reading er, a saying which is that if you um, regret the past and worry about the future you forget to live in the ‘now’.
E: Very much the ‘now’. So, yeah, if you asked me this question ten years ago I would say it’s all about being twenty-
four and er, getting out of university and starting your first job. Ask me, ask me now and it’s, yes, here. Ask me in ten years and it’ll be with kids, etc., so yeah, always live for the now.
R: I, I don’t think there is a best time of life. I think … they’re all; they all have their own, erm, specific nice things and happy things. I think that er, that whether you’re a student or older or in business or whatever, that there are very nice times.
N: In what ways has ageing affected your life?
C: Hopefully I’m becoming wiser, but er, others may disagree with that!
G: I think as I get older, the responsibilities that I have, are sort of making me a little bit more boring, erm – mean that I can’t get away with things and do the things that I used to do when I didn’t have the responsibilities.
Ni: I thought I’d be devastated to be as old as I am but, actually, I’m not.
W: As I get older I’m noticing you’re not as clever as you think you are! And there’s always time for improvement.
Je: In terms of getting older, I think I just see it as an opportunity to, um, yeah, to go forward, to have a family and to, to see a bit more of the world.
lunes, 19 de octubre de 2015
Listening test: Driving ability and age
Listen to this news report on driving and age and choose the option a, b or c which best completes the sentences below. 0 is an example.
0 Example:
In the accident the reporter talks about the driver was
a) 68 years old.
b) a young girl.
c) reversing.
1 The man interviewed
a) hardly ever has problems to stay focused when driving.
b) sometimes mistakes the car pedals.
c) thinks old age is sometimes a serious problem.
2 This man
a) doesn’t drive unless he has to.
b) drives as much as when he was younger.
c) usually drives around 20,000 km (clicks) a month.
3 The interviewer
a) says the minimum age to get a driving licence is 16.
b) says the maximum age to get a driving licence is 80.
c) wants the minimum age to get a driving licence to be 18.
4 The man interviewed
a) knows his ideas are unpopular.
b) thinks drivers in their 60’s and 70’s are really dangerous.
c) thinks older people are usually the victims of accidents.
5 The first woman interviewed
a) considers elderly people know their limits.
b) says no senior drivers are involved in accidents.
c) thinks adults who drink are the real problem.
6 The second woman interviewed knows … who voluntarily gave up driving.
a) one person
b) two people
c) three people
7 The person with the … problem was angry about having to give up driving.
a) vision
b) leg
c) heart
Hi I'm Marcy Markusa. The question of how to best monitor the abilities of senior drivers is top of mind again, after a recent accident where an 86 year old man seriously injured a young girl. He was backing up in a parking lot. It’s a touchy subject because for many seniors, being able to drive is critical to their independence. We asked reporter Christopher Read to talk to senior drivers about senior drivers. Let’s listen to what he found out.
Do you think the issue of older drivers deserves as much scrutiny as it tends to get?
In some cases, yes. I know some older drivers for some reason don’t stay focused and when they do that, they forget that the brake pedal isn’t the gas pedal and invariably they get into trouble.
Do you mind me asking, how old are you?
Seventy-seven.
How has your driving ability changed with age?
I wanna do it less. I travelled a lot in my time, sometimes 20,000 clicks a month and now, I only like to drive where I’m going if there’s a decent reason.
In our society we can’t get a licence until we’re sixteen, which you know is a kind of ageism, which is accepted, so why not do the reverse, you know, set an age at which everyone’s licence is automatically re-tested, like they do it in Ontario at 80, what do you think about that?
Well I feel a little bit like a traitor here but I do believe that when we get up around the 60’s and 70’s we should be tested because it’s not just our lives at stake here, we can do some very, very bad harm.
The attention should be on teenage drivers who are drinking or coming from parties. If you watched the news, the list of accidents, it was least with senior drivers.
Has your driving ability changed with age do you think?
No. But I recognize my age and if it’s stormy or late at night, I don’t go out. I think that older drivers have to recognize the weather and the conditions.
Do you know people in your own life who have had to get re-tested or who have had their licence taken away?
Yes, because of ill health. I have a friend who gave up her licence herself. She didn’t do it because of the doctor, because she lost her peripheral vision and so she just gave up her licence. I had another friend who had to give up her licence because her legs, they said her legs weren’t working properly for her to control a car. And I had another friend that had to give it up because of heart problems.
And how did they take that?
Two of them were fine and the other one was very angry. The person with the heart problem was the one that was angry about it.
KEY:
1C 2A 3A 4A 5A 6A 7C
0 Example:
In the accident the reporter talks about the driver was
a) 68 years old.
b) a young girl.
c) reversing.
1 The man interviewed
a) hardly ever has problems to stay focused when driving.
b) sometimes mistakes the car pedals.
c) thinks old age is sometimes a serious problem.
2 This man
a) doesn’t drive unless he has to.
b) drives as much as when he was younger.
c) usually drives around 20,000 km (clicks) a month.
3 The interviewer
a) says the minimum age to get a driving licence is 16.
b) says the maximum age to get a driving licence is 80.
c) wants the minimum age to get a driving licence to be 18.
4 The man interviewed
a) knows his ideas are unpopular.
b) thinks drivers in their 60’s and 70’s are really dangerous.
c) thinks older people are usually the victims of accidents.
5 The first woman interviewed
a) considers elderly people know their limits.
b) says no senior drivers are involved in accidents.
c) thinks adults who drink are the real problem.
6 The second woman interviewed knows … who voluntarily gave up driving.
a) one person
b) two people
c) three people
7 The person with the … problem was angry about having to give up driving.
a) vision
b) leg
c) heart
Hi I'm Marcy Markusa. The question of how to best monitor the abilities of senior drivers is top of mind again, after a recent accident where an 86 year old man seriously injured a young girl. He was backing up in a parking lot. It’s a touchy subject because for many seniors, being able to drive is critical to their independence. We asked reporter Christopher Read to talk to senior drivers about senior drivers. Let’s listen to what he found out.
Do you think the issue of older drivers deserves as much scrutiny as it tends to get?
In some cases, yes. I know some older drivers for some reason don’t stay focused and when they do that, they forget that the brake pedal isn’t the gas pedal and invariably they get into trouble.
Do you mind me asking, how old are you?
Seventy-seven.
How has your driving ability changed with age?
I wanna do it less. I travelled a lot in my time, sometimes 20,000 clicks a month and now, I only like to drive where I’m going if there’s a decent reason.
In our society we can’t get a licence until we’re sixteen, which you know is a kind of ageism, which is accepted, so why not do the reverse, you know, set an age at which everyone’s licence is automatically re-tested, like they do it in Ontario at 80, what do you think about that?
Well I feel a little bit like a traitor here but I do believe that when we get up around the 60’s and 70’s we should be tested because it’s not just our lives at stake here, we can do some very, very bad harm.
The attention should be on teenage drivers who are drinking or coming from parties. If you watched the news, the list of accidents, it was least with senior drivers.
Has your driving ability changed with age do you think?
No. But I recognize my age and if it’s stormy or late at night, I don’t go out. I think that older drivers have to recognize the weather and the conditions.
Do you know people in your own life who have had to get re-tested or who have had their licence taken away?
Yes, because of ill health. I have a friend who gave up her licence herself. She didn’t do it because of the doctor, because she lost her peripheral vision and so she just gave up her licence. I had another friend who had to give up her licence because her legs, they said her legs weren’t working properly for her to control a car. And I had another friend that had to give it up because of heart problems.
And how did they take that?
Two of them were fine and the other one was very angry. The person with the heart problem was the one that was angry about it.
KEY:
1C 2A 3A 4A 5A 6A 7C
sábado, 10 de octubre de 2015
Reading test: I couldn't live on my pension
In this week's reading test we are going to practise the insert-a-sentence type of task. To do so we are going to use the Guardian feature Not the retiring type, where readers write about their experience of carrying on working in their 70's, 80's and 90's. Sidney Htut is the psychiatrist who writes about his experience in his article I couldn't live on my pension.
Read the text and insert one of the sentences A-J below in the corresponding gap 1-8. There are two sentences you do not need to use. 0 is an example.
I lost my job as a research scientist in my 50s and I was discouraged from (0) ……….. . Then I came across someone who became a psychiatrist at the age of 60 and that gave me inspiration. The training was very challenging, but (1) ……….. .
I applied for training jobs but didn’t get them – they gave all sorts of reasons, but the main reason was my age. I eventually got a senior house officer job in Wolverhampton. After a year, I applied to the Kent & Medway NHS Trust and I got the job. But it (2) ……….. , so I moved and I am very happy: the atmosphere, colleagues, patients. I’ve got job satisfaction and it makes me smile.
Working as a psychiatrist suits me since it is less demanding physically, but does involve mental strain – I am quite tolerant of that. I love working with people (3) …………….. . Nearly all of my clients have difficulty expressing themselves and are reacting to something going wrong. My duty is to determine what that is – is it their mental health or their environment, their carers or are they in pain? I relish the challenge of (4) ………………. and trying to help them. I still do this work, because it gives me deep satisfaction.
But I also work because I need money. I lost my job, sold my house, then bought this flat in 2005, (5) …………… . My first wife died of cancer and Nita and I got married just three years ago. If I retire, (6) ………… , because my service in the NHS is less than 10 years and I wouldn’t get a substantive pension and be able to live on it. I came to the UK from Burma in 1989, and Nita left Burma to live with me – we lived on the same street when we were children; (7) ……………. , it wouldn’t be fair on her, because she comes from a very rich family. As long as my health permits, I am thinking of working for roughly another five years, but I might (8) …………. . I do a lot of meditation and that is very helpful for my health and my work. I’ve just taken up the guitar again – I’ve not played it since I was at school. Nita and I, we’re very happy together – we like our life like this.
Read the text and insert one of the sentences A-J below in the corresponding gap 1-8. There are two sentences you do not need to use. 0 is an example.
I couldn't live on my pension
I lost my job as a research scientist in my 50s and I was discouraged from (0) ……….. . Then I came across someone who became a psychiatrist at the age of 60 and that gave me inspiration. The training was very challenging, but (1) ……….. .
I applied for training jobs but didn’t get them – they gave all sorts of reasons, but the main reason was my age. I eventually got a senior house officer job in Wolverhampton. After a year, I applied to the Kent & Medway NHS Trust and I got the job. But it (2) ……….. , so I moved and I am very happy: the atmosphere, colleagues, patients. I’ve got job satisfaction and it makes me smile.
Working as a psychiatrist suits me since it is less demanding physically, but does involve mental strain – I am quite tolerant of that. I love working with people (3) …………….. . Nearly all of my clients have difficulty expressing themselves and are reacting to something going wrong. My duty is to determine what that is – is it their mental health or their environment, their carers or are they in pain? I relish the challenge of (4) ………………. and trying to help them. I still do this work, because it gives me deep satisfaction.
But I also work because I need money. I lost my job, sold my house, then bought this flat in 2005, (5) …………… . My first wife died of cancer and Nita and I got married just three years ago. If I retire, (6) ………… , because my service in the NHS is less than 10 years and I wouldn’t get a substantive pension and be able to live on it. I came to the UK from Burma in 1989, and Nita left Burma to live with me – we lived on the same street when we were children; (7) ……………. , it wouldn’t be fair on her, because she comes from a very rich family. As long as my health permits, I am thinking of working for roughly another five years, but I might (8) …………. . I do a lot of meditation and that is very helpful for my health and my work. I’ve just taken up the guitar again – I’ve not played it since I was at school. Nita and I, we’re very happy together – we like our life like this.
A - continuing because people said I was too old – 0 Example
B - finding out what is wrong
C - I do look after myself
D - I knew I could do it
E - I won’t be able to support her
F - if we didn’t have money
G - involved driving long distances
H - keep going
I - so I still have a mortgage
J - who have learning disabilities
Photograph: David Yeo for the Guardian
KEY:
1D 2G 3J 4B 5I 6E 7F 8H
1D 2G 3J 4B 5I 6E 7F 8H
viernes, 24 de julio de 2015
Will I lose my memory when I get old?
Our brain is like plasticine. It bends and adapts when faced with mental challenges, and we can keep it in fit shape by staying mentally active.
Self-study activity:
Watch this Brit Lab video on memory and age and complete the gaps in the transcript with the missing words. The activity is suitable for intermediate 2 and Advanced 1 students.
Will I lose my memory when I get old?
Your brain is (1) ... . Well if you're over 30 it is. After that, on average, you lose a bit less than 0.5 percent of your brain volume every year. Reach ninety and you may have lost over (2) ... ... of your hippocampus, the seahorse-shaped bit of the brain vital for making memories, and you’ll have said goodbye to 14 percent of your cerebral cortex, the (3) ... ... responsible for useful things like thinking, emotions and speech. Worse still, scientists used to believe the adult brain’s fixed and unable to change like (4) ... . So losing some was a serious matter.
In 2000 researchers began to investigate a group of London taxi and bus drivers. The bus drivers trained for six weeks and then rode the same (5) ... every day, whereas the taxi drivers had trained for up to four years memorizing some 25,000 streets. The researchers took MRI scans of both bus and taxi drivers but it was the (6) ... brain that showed something incredible: Their brains contained far more gray matter in the back part of the hippocampus than the bus drivers.
Here is what scientists think was going on. Inside our brains are trillions of synaptic connections, chemical and electrical (7) ... , that transfer messages between the body and the brain like millions of cabbies taking millions of (8) ... to different destinations. In memorizing and using their mental matter, the cabbies’ brains adapted and changed creating more synaptic connections. So it turns out the brain isn't like concrete but more like putty or plastic, able to adapt to (9) ... ... . Scientists call this adaptability neuroplasticity. This new discovery is great news because while you might not be able to stop your brain shrinkage it seems you can compensate by building new connections if you stay mentally active, (10) ... your brain like a London cabbie.
To discover more about your plastic brain go to you www.hellobrain.eu.
Key:
1 shrinking 2 a third 3 grey matter 4 concrete 5 routes 6 cabbies’ 7 impulses 8 patrons 9 our demands 10 challenging
Self-study activity:
Watch this Brit Lab video on memory and age and complete the gaps in the transcript with the missing words. The activity is suitable for intermediate 2 and Advanced 1 students.
Will I lose my memory when I get old?
Your brain is (1) ... . Well if you're over 30 it is. After that, on average, you lose a bit less than 0.5 percent of your brain volume every year. Reach ninety and you may have lost over (2) ... ... of your hippocampus, the seahorse-shaped bit of the brain vital for making memories, and you’ll have said goodbye to 14 percent of your cerebral cortex, the (3) ... ... responsible for useful things like thinking, emotions and speech. Worse still, scientists used to believe the adult brain’s fixed and unable to change like (4) ... . So losing some was a serious matter.
In 2000 researchers began to investigate a group of London taxi and bus drivers. The bus drivers trained for six weeks and then rode the same (5) ... every day, whereas the taxi drivers had trained for up to four years memorizing some 25,000 streets. The researchers took MRI scans of both bus and taxi drivers but it was the (6) ... brain that showed something incredible: Their brains contained far more gray matter in the back part of the hippocampus than the bus drivers.
Here is what scientists think was going on. Inside our brains are trillions of synaptic connections, chemical and electrical (7) ... , that transfer messages between the body and the brain like millions of cabbies taking millions of (8) ... to different destinations. In memorizing and using their mental matter, the cabbies’ brains adapted and changed creating more synaptic connections. So it turns out the brain isn't like concrete but more like putty or plastic, able to adapt to (9) ... ... . Scientists call this adaptability neuroplasticity. This new discovery is great news because while you might not be able to stop your brain shrinkage it seems you can compensate by building new connections if you stay mentally active, (10) ... your brain like a London cabbie.
To discover more about your plastic brain go to you www.hellobrain.eu.
Key:
1 shrinking 2 a third 3 grey matter 4 concrete 5 routes 6 cabbies’ 7 impulses 8 patrons 9 our demands 10 challenging
domingo, 8 de junio de 2014
Extensive listening series: Living to be 90 and beyond
In May CBS's programme 60 minutes aired this segment about the factors that determine that we will make it past age 90?
This is the way reporter Lesley Stahl introduced the segment:
'It's always been a dream of mankind to live forever. Since the start of the 20th century, we have increased life expectancy in this country by a remarkable 30 years -from just 49 in 1900, to almost 79 today. And more and more of us are making it into that group we all hope -and kinda dread- joining, the over 90 crowd, affectionately dubbed "the oldest old."
Men and women above the age of 90 are now the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. Yet very little is known about the oldest old, since until recently, there were so few of them. So what determines which of us will make it past age 90? What kind of shape we'll be in if we do? And what can we do now to up our odds? Finding out is the goal of a groundbreaking research study known as "90+."
You can read the transcript here.
This is the way reporter Lesley Stahl introduced the segment:
'It's always been a dream of mankind to live forever. Since the start of the 20th century, we have increased life expectancy in this country by a remarkable 30 years -from just 49 in 1900, to almost 79 today. And more and more of us are making it into that group we all hope -and kinda dread- joining, the over 90 crowd, affectionately dubbed "the oldest old."
Men and women above the age of 90 are now the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. Yet very little is known about the oldest old, since until recently, there were so few of them. So what determines which of us will make it past age 90? What kind of shape we'll be in if we do? And what can we do now to up our odds? Finding out is the goal of a groundbreaking research study known as "90+."
You can read the transcript here.
lunes, 9 de diciembre de 2013
Modern love: Falling in love at 71
Nora Johnson, long divorced, wasn't looking for love when she met George, a widowed 83-year-old. It just happened.
Watch her story in this New York Times video.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and complete the blanks in the transcript with the missing words.
The activity is suitable for intermediate students.
Modern Love: Falling in Love at 71 from NYT Video on Vimeo.
When I met George I was not looking for anybody, and the (1) ... that I was in love was ridiculous at the age of 71, I really shouldn’t be doing this.
Getting ready to go out when I was younger was much more complicated than it had to be, ‘oh, my God these stockings have a (2) ... , girdles and garter belts’. Much (3) ... around with make-up, which really was unnecessary when you’re 21, I mean people are so pretty at 21 they don’t need make-up.
When I’m getting ready for a date at 71 I kind of do it in five minutes. Finding things in common with somebody… I remember that was (4) ... , I would go out with a young man, and we both liked Chinese food that made me feel we were (5) ... .
Dating is different at 71 because you do have less time and we went to bed a lot faster than I would have gone (6) ... there wasn’t much time for that either.
George loved women and I was always glad I hadn’t met him thirty, forty years ago because I wouldn’t have been able to stand it. But by the time I met him he couldn’t run very far. There is a (7) ... , somebody wasn’t going to last very long, because he was older it was going to be George. I didn’t feel like I was (8) ... die if George left me. At 21 I really felt if the (9) ... turned around and left me I would just die. When it was George I knew I would survive. I have a little more (10) ... than I had before.
You can also read the related New York Times article Age is no obstacle to Love or Adventure.
Key:
1) realization 2) runner 3) fooling 4) thrilling 5) soulmates 6) ‘cause 7) sadness 8) gonna 9) guy 10) sensibility
Watch her story in this New York Times video.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and complete the blanks in the transcript with the missing words.
The activity is suitable for intermediate students.
Modern Love: Falling in Love at 71 from NYT Video on Vimeo.
When I met George I was not looking for anybody, and the (1) ... that I was in love was ridiculous at the age of 71, I really shouldn’t be doing this.
Getting ready to go out when I was younger was much more complicated than it had to be, ‘oh, my God these stockings have a (2) ... , girdles and garter belts’. Much (3) ... around with make-up, which really was unnecessary when you’re 21, I mean people are so pretty at 21 they don’t need make-up.
When I’m getting ready for a date at 71 I kind of do it in five minutes. Finding things in common with somebody… I remember that was (4) ... , I would go out with a young man, and we both liked Chinese food that made me feel we were (5) ... .
Dating is different at 71 because you do have less time and we went to bed a lot faster than I would have gone (6) ... there wasn’t much time for that either.
George loved women and I was always glad I hadn’t met him thirty, forty years ago because I wouldn’t have been able to stand it. But by the time I met him he couldn’t run very far. There is a (7) ... , somebody wasn’t going to last very long, because he was older it was going to be George. I didn’t feel like I was (8) ... die if George left me. At 21 I really felt if the (9) ... turned around and left me I would just die. When it was George I knew I would survive. I have a little more (10) ... than I had before.
You can also read the related New York Times article Age is no obstacle to Love or Adventure.
Key:
1) realization 2) runner 3) fooling 4) thrilling 5) soulmates 6) ‘cause 7) sadness 8) gonna 9) guy 10) sensibility
domingo, 29 de septiembre de 2013
Extensive listening: Growing old
Don't grow old is a Horizon documentary the BBC aired in 2010.
In the programme, we are told about remarkable discoveries that suggest that ageing is something flexible and can be manipulated.
The documentary shows us the scientists who are attempting to demonstrate why we age and what we can do to prevent it. Does the 95-year-old woman who smokes two packets of cigarettes a day hold the clue? Do blueberries really delay signs of ageing or is it more a question of attitude? Does the real key to controlling how we age lie with a five-year-old boy with an extraordinary ageing disease or with a self-experimenting Harvard professor?
Could one of these breakthroughs really see our lives extend past 120 years?
You can read the transcript for the first ten minute of the programme here.
In the programme, we are told about remarkable discoveries that suggest that ageing is something flexible and can be manipulated.
The documentary shows us the scientists who are attempting to demonstrate why we age and what we can do to prevent it. Does the 95-year-old woman who smokes two packets of cigarettes a day hold the clue? Do blueberries really delay signs of ageing or is it more a question of attitude? Does the real key to controlling how we age lie with a five-year-old boy with an extraordinary ageing disease or with a self-experimenting Harvard professor?
Could one of these breakthroughs really see our lives extend past 120 years?
You can read the transcript for the first ten minute of the programme here.
martes, 20 de agosto de 2013
Speakout Advanced: Time
There are very few episodes of our Speakout series left. As a matter of fact, this video podcast about time is the last one but two.
This week passers-by are asked the following questions:
In what ways do you feel different today than you did ten years ago?
What’s the best time of life do you think?
In what ways has ageing affected your life?
Now it's over to you. Go over the questions above and answer them about yourself. Try and use some of the expressions you heard in the video.
You can read the transcript here.
This week passers-by are asked the following questions:
In what ways do you feel different today than you did ten years ago?
What’s the best time of life do you think?
In what ways has ageing affected your life?
Now it's over to you. Go over the questions above and answer them about yourself. Try and use some of the expressions you heard in the video.
You can read the transcript here.
lunes, 15 de julio de 2013
Is age an advantage for entrepreneurs?
This is a BBC video clip aired in early June which touches on the topic of unemployment in older workers and how older entrepreneurs can be the solution to the economic growth.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video clip and answer the questions below.
The activity is suitable for intermediate students.
1 What age bracket and what kind of business are we likely to associate the word 'entrepreneur' with?
2 What does 'forty' refer to?
3 How old was Adam Shuter when he founded Exact Logistics?
4 Why is it more difficult to start a business at that age?
5 Why is it easier?
6 What made Tom Cullingford start his business Rubber4Roofs?
7 Where had he worked previously?
8 According to Tom Cullingford, what is the main reason why people change?
To check your answers, you can read the transcript below.
The word entrepreneur these days tends to conjure up an image of someone in their early twenties, running a software start-up and selling it to millions. But the average age of people starting high-growth business in America is increasing to forty, according to the Kauffman Foundation, a think-tank especialising in businesses. But what about for Europe, where economies are finding it tough to return to growth? Could old entrepreneurs be the answer? So if you’re an older entrepreneur, is it easier or more difficult to start a business? Well, I have come up here, to Exact Logistics in Rugby, to ask an entrepreneur who started this company.
Exact Logistics really was started because I was made redundant from my previous job and we had an opportunity to start a small business on our own, as I really just didn’t want to work for any other company ever again other than myself. I was 50 when I started the business. And I think it makes it harder in some respects because perhaps you don’t have the same level of energy, but I think it makes easier in that you’ve got more experience, and I think bringing all that experience together definitely makes this a more successful business.
This is Rubber4Roofs up in Coventry, a business started by Tom Cullingford back in 2008, and he did it then precisely because he was an older entrepreneur, and he had commitments like a family and a mortgage to pay. Tom was a property developer who previously worked in the car industry, so when the bottom fell out of the mortgage market he saw a niche selling rubber to make water proof roofs on homes.
I suppose there are more entrepreneurs now in this country that have been born out of hard times than are out of good times. It’s often necessity that drives that change in what we do. As a slightly older entrepreneur who’s had those life experiences arguably it’s easier for me to see the pitfalls and ensure that the business is a success long-term.
So for countries looking to jump start their economies, it could be that older more risk-aware entrepreneurs provide a more stable return to future growth.
Philip Hampsheir, BBC News.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video clip and answer the questions below.
The activity is suitable for intermediate students.
1 What age bracket and what kind of business are we likely to associate the word 'entrepreneur' with?
2 What does 'forty' refer to?
3 How old was Adam Shuter when he founded Exact Logistics?
4 Why is it more difficult to start a business at that age?
5 Why is it easier?
6 What made Tom Cullingford start his business Rubber4Roofs?
7 Where had he worked previously?
8 According to Tom Cullingford, what is the main reason why people change?
To check your answers, you can read the transcript below.
The word entrepreneur these days tends to conjure up an image of someone in their early twenties, running a software start-up and selling it to millions. But the average age of people starting high-growth business in America is increasing to forty, according to the Kauffman Foundation, a think-tank especialising in businesses. But what about for Europe, where economies are finding it tough to return to growth? Could old entrepreneurs be the answer? So if you’re an older entrepreneur, is it easier or more difficult to start a business? Well, I have come up here, to Exact Logistics in Rugby, to ask an entrepreneur who started this company.
Exact Logistics really was started because I was made redundant from my previous job and we had an opportunity to start a small business on our own, as I really just didn’t want to work for any other company ever again other than myself. I was 50 when I started the business. And I think it makes it harder in some respects because perhaps you don’t have the same level of energy, but I think it makes easier in that you’ve got more experience, and I think bringing all that experience together definitely makes this a more successful business.
This is Rubber4Roofs up in Coventry, a business started by Tom Cullingford back in 2008, and he did it then precisely because he was an older entrepreneur, and he had commitments like a family and a mortgage to pay. Tom was a property developer who previously worked in the car industry, so when the bottom fell out of the mortgage market he saw a niche selling rubber to make water proof roofs on homes.
I suppose there are more entrepreneurs now in this country that have been born out of hard times than are out of good times. It’s often necessity that drives that change in what we do. As a slightly older entrepreneur who’s had those life experiences arguably it’s easier for me to see the pitfalls and ensure that the business is a success long-term.
So for countries looking to jump start their economies, it could be that older more risk-aware entrepreneurs provide a more stable return to future growth.
Philip Hampsheir, BBC News.
martes, 30 de abril de 2013
Speakout starter: People
In today's video in our Speakout series, Pearson Longman, a group of passers-by answer some personal information about themselves.
Who’s in your family?
How old are they? And what are their jobs?
Who are you with today?
Watch the video and try to understand as much as possible.
You can read the transcript for the video here.
Who’s in your family?
How old are they? And what are their jobs?
Who are you with today?
Watch the video and try to understand as much as possible.
You can read the transcript for the video here.
miércoles, 28 de noviembre de 2012
Talking point: Growing up
This week's conversation topic touches on the topic of age and growing up. To support the discussion I came across a Telegraph online article informing about the upcoming broadcast of the documentary 7-Up, a Granada TV programme that started back in 1964 and which regularly features the lives of 14 seven-year-old British children from a wide variety of social and economic backgrounds. Every seven years the TV channel shows an episode with an update on the participants' lives.
What age would you like to be? Why?
What are typical interests/worries of people in their 20's, 40's, 60's?
What's the best age to do the following?
- get married
- have children
- go to university
- travel round the world
- retire
Do you feel happier as you get older?
Do you develop a stronger sense of purpose in life as you get older?
Do you feel your background has helped you or hindered you?
How have your life changed in the last seven years?
Would you be interested in appearing in a documentary series or reality show that featured your life changes every seven years? Why or Why not?
Do you think the idea of the Up Series is an interesting one?
What age would you like to be? Why?
What are typical interests/worries of people in their 20's, 40's, 60's?
What's the best age to do the following?
- get married
- have children
- go to university
- travel round the world
- retire
Do you feel happier as you get older?
Do you develop a stronger sense of purpose in life as you get older?
Do you feel your background has helped you or hindered you?
How have your life changed in the last seven years?
Would you be interested in appearing in a documentary series or reality show that featured your life changes every seven years? Why or Why not?
Do you think the idea of the Up Series is an interesting one?
Suscribirse a:
Entradas (Atom)