Key2e_TG1_PCMs_track_05_unit_5.

Adults living with parents

Unit 5. Listening Traditionally in Britain, young people left home after finishing university or when
they got their first job and stayed financially independent for the rest of their lives. Recently,
though, more and more young adults are living with their parents throughout their 20s, 30s and even
their 40s.

Today, on our podcast, we discuss what the reasons might be for this change. 20 years ago, a young
British adult still living at home would have been considered a social or economic failure, but now
it's become acceptable and normal.

Is the desire to escape from your parents and live an independent life less strong these days? Is the
importance of family relationships growing, perhaps? Or is the change simply due to financial
problems?

I've been talking to Chris and Tracy, who are both in their late 20s and living at home. Tracy, why
are you living with your parents? Personally, I've never wanted to move out. I get on well with my
parents, so living with them is fine.

We've all got full -time jobs and my parents give me the freedom to do what I want. Do you pay
them rent? Yes, I do. I think it's fair that I help with the household costs because my parents are
paying the bills and buying all the food.

I'm paying a lot less than I would if I had my own flat, though, so I'm helping them and they're
helping me. I would only choose to move out if I wanted to live with my boyfriend. What about
you, Chris?

Why do you still live at home. I've only got a part -time job so I just can't afford to move out. I hate
living at home. I would definitely prefer to have my own place. My parents still treat me like a
child.

They have rules about when I can come and go and they won't let me invite my friends round. They
don't make me pay rent which is good so I'm saving some money but I want to live my own life not
theirs.

Are your friends in the same position? Some are but other friends have got girlfriend or boyfriend
so between them they can afford to rent their own place. Even if I had a full -time job though I still
couldn't afford to live on my own.

I'm now with Marjorie. She's a parent whose 35 year old son Paul still lives with her. Marjorie how
do you feel about the situation? I like having Paul living with me. I got divorced recently, so
without Paul I'd be on my own.

Paul's unemployed at the moment, so he doesn't really have any choice. I know he'd prefer to have
his own flat and be financially independent, but actually, I think he quite likes living with his mum.

Are there any disadvantages to having Paul living at home? Well, financially he's making life harder
for me, because I have to feed two people instead of one. However, we both enjoy the company and
I'd worry if he were on his own.

At least we can look after each other. So, it seems that the main reason some adults stay at home is
financial, but perhaps it's not always a bad thing. Sometimes the parents and the children benefit
from this arrangement.

Key2e_TG1_PCMs_track_01_unit_1 The London Marathon

Unit 1 Listening The highlight of today's sporting action was the London Marathon, one of the
world's greatest sporting events. It's taken place every spring since 1981 and attracts runners from
all over the world.

But as well as being a serious race, it's also a lot of fun, with many runners wearing crazy costumes
and raising money for charity. After today's marathon, we spoke to several people who had just
completed their first marathon.

First of all, we spoke to Susan. We asked her what it was like and why it was special for her. Unit 2
Season 3 Susan, congratulations! Thank you very much. Can you tell us why you wanted to run the
London Marathon?

Well, I've enjoyed running for years, but I've always run fairly short distances. I used to run with my
best friend Polly, but two years ago she discovered that she had cancer. She had to go through a lot
of treatment and she almost died.

I was very affected by what happened to her and I wanted to support the charity that had helped her
to get better. I realised that by running the marathon, I could set myself a great challenge and raise
money at the same time.

So I decided to run the marathon and started training every day. just before the race. How did you
feel? Over the last few days, I'd been getting really nervous and I wasn't confident that I could finish
the race.

But when I arrived this morning and saw the TV cameras and thousands of people watching
preparing to take part, it was so exciting that I stopped worrying and just enjoyed being a part of
something so huge and amazing.

I imagine there were some tough moments during the race. Oh yes, there were many. It wasn't a
great feeling when someone dressed as a giant banana overtook me in the first mile for a start. But it
did make me smile and I was doing fine until I'd run about 20 miles.

I was exhausted, but I still had 6 miles to go. I had to walk for a while at that point, which made me
feel that I'd failed. It was terrible and I almost gave up. But when I got to the last 4 miles, I found
some more energy and managed to run the last part of the course.

What helped you to get through those difficult moments? The other runners were great. If they saw
that you were having difficulty, they'd run with you for a while, or shout encouraging things as they
passed.

My parents were in the crowd too, which also meant a lot. But the biggest help for me were the
spectators. They made so much noise, and they never stopped cheering us on and waving flags, so
that really motivated me to keep going.

You mentioned your parents. Where were they watching from? They didn't want to choose one
place and just wait ages for me to run past, so they planned a route across London using the
underground. That way, they could see me several times along the course.
The city was incredibly busy though, so they actually reached the finishing line after I did. It sounds
like an amazing day for all of you. Congratulations, Susan, on your fantastic achievement. I'm sure
your friend Polly is very proud.

Thank you.

Key2e_TG2_PCMs_track_02_unit_2. Yoga (2). mp3 (online-audio-converter.com)

Unit 2. Listening. Today on Your Health, we're talking about a type of exercise that's been popular
for many years. Jane Nichols is a yoga teacher and she's going to tell us about the classes she runs
and explain how yoga can help your physical and mental health.

That's right Mike. Yoga is something that everyone can try and it can help people in lots of ways.
Can you tell us how you got into yoga? I only started yoga when I was 30. I'd never been keen on
the idea of it before then because I'd always preferred more energetic classes like aerobics or
zumba.

I'd also heard that it could be really hard but everyone seemed to really enjoy it so I eventually
decided to try it. I loved it straight away. I went to classes for about a year then I decided to train to
be a yoga teacher.

So what kind of classes do you teach? I teach half a yoga which is based on standing or sitting in
particular positions combined with focusing on your breathing. It's suitable for beginners but people
who've done yoga before enjoy it too and it doesn't matter how fit or unfit you are.

We also have classes for children and teenagers. It's a quiet and relaxing kind of yoga although there
are other types that are more energetic. And why is half a yoga good for your health? It's good for
developing strength and flexibility.

Stretching the body always makes you feel good and it develops your balance too. Hatha yoga has a
very calming and relaxing effect and because you have to focus on your breathing, it helps you to
forget about your problems for a while and think more clearly afterwards.

In this way, it can help to reduce stress and anxiety. It sounds a bit like meditation where you sit
very still and focus on your breathing. Yes, it's very similar to meditation but Hatha yoga involves
using the body as well.

You mentioned other types of yoga. Can you tell us more about those? Well, there are lots of
different kinds. One of them is called vinyasa yoga. which is similar to Hatha yoga but the positions
are more joined up so they flow together smoothly, almost like a dance.

As with all yoga though, breathing correctly is still very important and there's another type called
Bikram yoga or hot yoga. That sounds interesting. Yes, it's done in a very warm room, usually
around 40 degrees Celsius.

The heat makes it safer to stretch your muscles without injuring yourself. This type of yoga is much
more challenging and it works your heart as well as the rest of your body. It's good for people who
want to try something a bit different but unfortunately there aren't many places that do it and it's
usually quite expensive.

What should people do if they want to try your classes? You can visit our website for more
information about class times and prices. Alternatively, you can just come to a class whenever you
want or you can pay for a course of eight lessons which is slightly cheaper overall.

We lend people yoga mats if they haven't got their own and you don't need any special clothing. A t
-shirt with shorts or leggings is fine. It's important that people arrive five minutes early though so
the classes can start on time.

Thanks Jane. I might try it myself. Well, I hope to see you there Mike.