5 READING &

LISTENING EXTRA
ADVANCED PLUS UNIT 5
1 Work in pairs or small groups and discuss.
1 Is there a body type that most people find
attractive? Does this change from culture to
culture? Give an example.
2 What is your definition of ‘thin’? What is your
definition of ‘overweight’?
3 What things make up a person’s appearance?
4 Where does our notion of ‘the ideal body’ come
from?
5 Oliver’s health suffered as a result of his
weight loss.
6 Oliver no longer monitors what he eats.
7 According to the article, Oliver believes that
those who love you don’t care about how much
you weigh.
8 People sometimes feel insecure when they step on
the scales.

2 Read the article and the questionnaire on body

image and compare the information with your
answers to Exercise 1. Would you say you are
preoccupied with, or disinterested in, your own
body image?

Oliver’s story
When I was 22, I started to have major issues with my
weight. I’ve never been really overweight, but I’m not
naturally skinny either. I was well-built with ginger hair. I
foolishly thought that women would be more attracted to
me if I were slimmer. So I almost starved myself in order to
achieve the body type I wanted. It didn’t take me a long
time to lose the weight. In fact, it’s now frightening to
think of how quickly the kilos fell off.
I got thin – at least that’s what I believed. My friends and
family thought quite differently about my appearance. I’ve
heard them use adjectives like scrawny, skeletal, Am I obsessed with my body image?
emaciated and gaunt. Strangely enough, I only heard 1 When I look at myself in the mirror, I am
what I wanted to hear, which was ‘thin’.
never satisfied with how I look.
I ended up with a lot of health problems as the reward for
my obsession with being thin. The physical problems were sometimes satisfied with how I look.
later resolved, but the emotional effects still linger. To this
day I have issues with what I eat. There is not a single always satisfied with how I look.
meal placed in front of me where I don’t do a mental 2 The thing I would like to change about my physical
calorie count. The good news is that I’ve slowly come to appearance is my
terms with my body. I eat healthily and exercise. But when
I’m upset with myself about something, my knee-jerk height.
reaction is to punish myself by not eating. weight.
Today I tell other people to remember that beauty is
body shape.
entirely subjective. No matter what you look like, there will
always be some people who think of you as attractive and hair.
others who don’t. The important thing is to be healthy. This
is what matters to those who truly care about you. complexion.
muscle size.
3 I feel most insecure about my body

3 Read the article and questionnaire again. Are the when I get on the scales.
sentences true (T) or false (F)? Correct the false when I look in the mirror.
sentences.
when I compare myself with other people.
1 Oliver was a young teenager when he become
4 I weigh myself
overly concerned about his body image.
2 Oliver exercised to achieve his ideal weight. daily.

3 Oliver’s friends and family thought that he was weekly.

severely underweight. less than once a week.
4 Oliver’s body image contradicted the opinion of
those around him?

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Speakout Reading and Listening Extra Advanced Plus Unit 5.indd 64 16/06/18 8:14 PM
 5 READING &
LISTENING EXTRA
4 Match the words and phrases 1–8 with the a) ‘Negative body image’ is an expression.
synonyms a)–h). b) A well-built person is fat.
1 well-built c) Trends are for young people.
2 come to terms with d) Trends have nothing to do with fashion.
3 gaunt e) We’re lucky if we live to an old age.
4 ginger f) It’s weird for fathers to think about body image.
5 knee-jerk g) People with low self-esteem have a negative
6 linger body image.
7 obsession h) Media makes us think we’re fat.
8 subjective
8 The words in the box are from the recording.
a) skinny Complete the sentences with the correct form of
b) bulky the words.
c) red-headed bombarded call the shots get over it
d) remain hare-brained loathe picked up on
e) preoccupation reckon Rubenesque
f) automatic
1 Was she implying that I can’t afford it? I didn’t
g) biased
that.
h) accept
2 Since we placed the ad, we’ve been with
5 Work in pairs or small groups and discuss. How was calls all week.
Oliver’s approach to losing weight unhealthy? Does 3 That’s just another scheme of his. His
it seem as if Oliver was overweight? How do we goal has always been to get rich quick.
know that Oliver still struggles with weight issues? 4 Who at home? You or your partner?
5 I know he’s upset that I won the game, but he’ll
6 5.1 Listen to the interviews and choose the just have to .
correct word or phrase to complete each statement. 6 I absolutely gossip. It’s a lot of
1 The interviewer asks questions that concern a unnecessary chatter.
person’s . 7 Cynthia is very comfortable with her
a) physical appearance b) mental health figure.
2 The people interviewed can be best described 8 It’ll rain today, I .
as .
a) teenagers b) adults 9 Work in pairs or small groups and discuss.
3 A balanced body image is NOT usually 1 Which of the speakers in the recording do you
characterised by . agree with, if any? Why?
a) reasonable thinking b) negative thoughts 2 Can you think of other reasons why someone
would have a negative body image?
7 Listen again and match the people 1–8 with the 3 Do you follow any fashion trends? If so, why?
opinions a)–h).
1 Annabel 5 Mary
2 Iona 6 Noah
3 Nadia 7 Phoebe
4 Sam 8 interviewer

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Speakout Reading and Listening Extra Advanced Plus Unit 5.indd 65 16/06/18 8:14 PM