B2 Listening worksheet 4 (plus)

Screen time

Warmer

1 Discuss the following in pairs

●● What is “screen time”?
●● How do different age groups spend their time looking at screens?
●● Do you think that looking at screens is bad for our health?

Vocabulary
Match the following words to their definition
1 to make a fuss a to become less strong or powerful
2 exposure b to grow very well, or to become very healthy/successful
3 imitate c able to do something well
4 addictive d to limit something
5 refreshing e to copy the way someone looks, sounds or behaves
6 competent f to complain about something
7 to thrive g a situation in which someone experiences something
8 well-being different and interesting
9 restrict h how healthy, happy, and comfortable someone is
10 to weaken i it makes you want more of it

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B2 Listening worksheet 4 (plus)
Screen time
Listening
05

You will hear five different people discussing their views on screen time and whether too much of it, affects
our health. For questions 1–5 choose from the list A–H. Use the letters only once. There are three extra letters
which you do not need to use. You will hear the recording twice.

A thinks that it is only adults who believe too much screen time is bad for our health.
 1
B feels that the younger generation are copying their parents when it comes to the amount of
time they spend on screens.
 2
C thinks that this interaction with technology is necessary in order to supply youngsters with
key life skills
 3
D believes that it is only human nature that people are worried about the impact of new inventions
 4
E thinks that screen time should not be limited at all because of a new report
 5
F feels that the issue has been significantly underestimated.
G thinks that experts have proven that too much screen time is bad for our eyesight.
H is pleased to have come across a different side to the issue.

Tip
Remember to listen carefully for the specific details. Read each of these statements carefully
and try to anticipate in advance any synonyms which might be used in the listening script.

Speaking
Discuss the following questions in pairs/groups.
1 How much time do you estimate that you spend looking at a screen each day?
2 Which device do you use the most? Why/ what for?
3 Do you think we should restrict our usage? Why/ why not?
4 Which speaker did you agree/disagree with the most? Why?

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B2 Listening worksheet 4 (plus)
Teacher’s notes
This worksheet stretches students towards
C1 by introducing vocabulary at this level,
most of which is pre-taught. Students will
also encounter some unknown words;
however, these will not need to be known
in order to complete the task.
In the following tasks students will need to
identify attitudes and opinions. They will
also need to listen carefully for detail. This
worksheet practises Listening part 3. In
this part candidates are required to listen
to a series of five themed monologues of
approximately 30 seconds each. On the
question, they have to select five correct
options from a list of eight possible answers.
Warmer
a) This task introduces the topic of “screen
time” and how too much of it can affect
our health. Ask students to discuss these
questions in pairs and then feedback to
the whole class.
Screen Time: time spent looking at screen
e.g phone, tablet, games console, TV etc.
Vocabulary
This exercise pre-teaches some of the C1 words
encountered in the listening task.
Answers
1 f 2 g 3 e 4 j 5 h 6 c 7 b 8 i
9 d 10 a
Listening
Tell students they are going to listen to
five people discussing screen time and its
possible effect on our health. Students will
hear the recording twice. Before playing the
recording direct students’ attention to the
tip box.
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05
Speaker 1
Personally, I just think that people are naturally suspicious
of any major change which occurs in society. For example,
I bet the same fuss was made when television was
invented. I don’t see how spending time on these new
devices is any different. I think it is superb that we can
access all this information while being totally mobile. Also,
there is no hard evidence to suggest that too much screen
time is actually bad for us. Like I said, I think people are
just overly cautious of the unknown, especially the older
generation. For digital natives like myself, it is simply a
way of life!
Speaker 2
I am of the firm opinion that the amount of screen time we
are all exposed to needs to be controlled and limited. And
I am not just talking about for children and teenagers, the
effects of too much exposure to this type of technology
is just as damaging for adults. In fact, it is adults who are
often the worst offenders. In my view parents should be
setting a better example to their children. It is only natural
that youngsters these days want to imitate their elders.
Parents should be reading books in front of their children,
not continually attached to phones or tablets. I tell you,
this type of technology can be very addictive!
Speaker 3
I read an article this week that I felt weakened all those
previous arguments, stating that too much screen time is
bad for our health. This report, which focused particularly
on teenagers, basically said that there was no firm
evidence to suggest that there was any link between too
much screen time and the impact it has on our mental
well-being. I was quite relieved when I read this really, as
my teenagers are always on their tablets or phones. I still
believe that too much of anything isn’t good, but it was
refreshing to read a counter argument for a change.
Speaker 4
As a parent, I just find the whole issue very confusing.
We are just given so much conflicting advice, it’s hard
to know how much to restrict usage sometimes. On the
one hand, you don’t want your child to be dependent on
their digital devices and you worry about what impact
it may have on their health. Yet, on the other hand you
want them to be competent with regards to technology,
so that they are able to thrive in this modern world.
I suppose it is all about achieving a balance. One thing is
for sure, the issue just isn’t so straightforward.
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B2 Listening worksheet 4 (plus)
Teacher’s notes
Speaker 5
If you ask me, staring at a screen all day is extremely
detrimental to our health, both physically and mentally.
For a start, because people are spending so much
time on their tablets and phones, they are not doing
as much exercise as they used to. There must also be a
big impact on our eyesight too. I am no expert, but this
type of activity can’t be good for the eyes. If you ask me,
as a society, we are facing a major health crisis and it
needs to be taken seriously by healthcare professionals,
educators and parents.

Answers
1 D   2 B   3 H   4 C   5 F

Speaking
Ask students to discuss these questions in pairs
or small groups and then feedback to the whole
class.
For Q4 you may need to play the recording again

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