HEALTH AND SPORTS

In this lesson we will practice speaking using the topics below:

staying fit, lifestyle and sports
 I. Preparation

II. PRACTICE - IELTS EXAM PART 1

III. PRACTICE - IELTS EXAM PART 2

C O N T E N T S
IV. EXPRESSING YOUR OPINION

V. PRACTICE - IELTS EXAM PART 3

VI. HOMEWORK
 I

PREPARATION
Look for the definition of the following words/phrases

Metabolism
keep in shape
gradually
Jogging
fanatical
workout/work out
diet
exhilarating
tedious
exhausting
metabolism (noun) - After about age 30, your metabolism slows down and you start to gain weight.

gradually (adverb) - The number of persons unable to read and write has gradually decreased over the year.

fanatical (adjective) - She's fanatical about healthy eating.

Diet (noun) - Diets that are rich in fruits and vegetables have been shown to help prevent disease.

tedious (adjective) - For the bride and groom, repeating all of the details over and over again can be tedious.

keep in shape / keep in good shape (Idiom) - It's hard to keep in good shape when you sit behind a desk all day.

Jogging (verb) - He goes jogging every evening.

workout (noun) - Then again, Wilson is said to have the most intense workout on the team.

work out (verb) - If this plan doesn’t work out, we might lose the company.

exhilarating (adjective) - My first parachute jump was an exhilarating experience.

exhausting (adjective) - I find her exhausting—she never stops complaining.

 Vocabulary

A.Underline the phrases in sentences 1-3 that best describe your lifestyle or the lifestyle of
people in your country.

1.Most people in my country think it is important to keep fit/don’t really do anything specific to
keep in shape.
2.I keep fit by going jogging/going to the gym/walking everywhere.
3.I work out all the time./I'm quite an active person./I never do any exercise.

B.Underline the words or phrases in sentences 1-3 that best describe how you feel about sport.

1.Watching sport is tedious/entertaining/all right if there's nothing else on TV.

2.Playing sport is exhilarating/good fun/exhausting/a great way to keep fit.
3.I’m quite into sport/fanatical about sport/not the least bit interested in sport.
 Match the definition on the left with the correct word on the right.

1.physically weak because you do not eat enough food or do not eat the right kind of food A.Weight loss
2.the way that chemical processes in your body cause food to be used in an efficient way, for B Underweight
example, to make new cells and to give you energy
C.Vitamins
3.substances, found in certain kinds of food, that provide you with energy
D. Carbohydrates
4.substances that you need in order to remain healthy, which are found in food or can be
eaten in the form of pills E.Calories

5.units used to measure the energy value of food F.Crash diet

6.an attempt to lose a lot of weight quickly by strictly limiting how much you eat G.Obese
7.[of a person] become heavier H.Metabolism
8.[of a person] become lighter I.Put on weight
9.extremely fat
J.Malnourished
10.too thin, and therefore not healthy
 GRAMMAR - COLLOCATIONS
Collocations are words that are often found together. Using them will make your English
sound more natural. You should not just learn isolated words; you should also look for
new collocations and make a note of them. Below are different ways to form a collocation.

verb + adjective ( keep + fit )

verb + noun ( play + volleyball )

verb + adjective + noun ( lead + healthy + lives )

noun + noun ( public + places )

adjective + noun ( balanced + diet )

 balanced stay lead places sense form keep passive play set

Complete sentences 1-10 with the words on the right that collocate with the words in italics.
1. The best way to ____ fit is to do exercise that raises your heart rate.
2. Golf, in my opinion, is not the best _____ of exercise.
3. You can have fun while exercising if you ____ volleyball with your friends a few
times a week.
4. Without a TV people are much more likely to ____ active.
5. Parents should ____ a good example to their children as far as exercise is concerned.
6. Schools can teach children about eating a _____diet.
7. Children will love the _________ of achievement sport can give you.
8. People ought to be encouraged to ________ healthy lives .
9. Even if you don't smoke yourself, ____ smoking can harm your health.
10. People should not be allowed to smoke in public ___.
1. keep 2. form 3. play 4. stay 5. set
6. balanced 7. sense 8. lead 9. passive 10. places

I I

PRACTICE - IELTS EXAM PART 1

 Tell me about yourself Tip no. 1
It is important to listen carefully to
the questions that the examiner
uses. Make sure you answer the
Below are questions that are typical of Part 1 of the question that is asked.
exam. Let your teacher read the question first and
then give your answer.
Tip no. 2
What's your favorite sport? In Speaking Part l:
• keep to the topic
• extend your answers
Do you like watching sports on TV? • don't speak too much
• do not try to memorise answers to questions.
Are you a fan of any sports team?

What kinds of exercise are popular in your Tip no. 3

country? In Part 1 you need to give full
answers to the questions, but don't talk for too long.
Do you think children should play sports Three sentences is plenty.
regularly?
 I I I

PRACTICE - IELTS EXAM PART 2

Tip no. 4
Make sure that your words will
match your intonation. If you are
trying to describe an exciting
event, make sure that the way
you speak will make the listener
feel the excitement as well.

Tip no. 5
It is important that you
introduce your talk (a signal to
let your interviewer know that
you will start answering the
task.). Here are some
suggestions of ways you can
begin.
-I'm going to talk about a time
when I learnt something new.
-I'd like to tell you about ...
-I want to talk about ...
 IV. Expressing opinions

There are many phrases that indicate we are expressing an

opinion, the most simple of which is probably I think ... Below
are more ways of expressing your opinion. Make sure to
familiarize them.
If you ask me, . . .
I believe that . . .
In my view, . . .
I would say . . .

Now express your opinion using the phrases above

to complete sentences 1-4.

1. .. the most interesting sport is . ..

2. .. the best sport for keeping fit is . ..
3 .. . the most difficult sport is ...
4 . .. the most dangerous sport is ...
 V

PRACTICE - IELTS EXAM PART 3

 Let’s discuss!
Let’s discuss!
Try to use some of the phrases you learned earlier to express your
opinion.

1.What kinds of outdoor sports are popular in your country?

2. Is teamwork important in playing team sports?
3. What are the advantages of playing outdoor sports?
 Sample answers to PART 3

1. What kinds of outdoor sports are popular in your country?

From my experience, basketball is quite popular among Chinese boys and men, while for middle-
aged and old people, the most popular outdoor sport is perhaps square dancing. Running and
jogging have also gained popularity in recent years among Chinese people of all ages and genders.

2. Is teamwork important in playing team sports?

Yes, I strongly believe that teamwork is necessary in playing team sports. It helps players develop
important skills that they can use to help them face challenges and attain victory. These skills are
taking responsibility, trust, loyalty and cooperation.

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of playing outdoor sports?

If you ask me playing outdoor sports will let you enjoy sunshine and fresh air. You can also get
close to nature, which is good for the body and the mind. But the disadvantes are also obvious,
you can play outdoor sports only when the weather is fine, and some spotrs are quite dangerous,
such as climbing, surfing and sky diving.
 VI
HOMEWORK

Instructions: Pen and paper are not allowed. Listen carefully to the
audio and answer each question one at a time.

Activity 1. Open CD1 track 9

Activity 2. Open CD1 track 14

T H A N K S