Getting Enough Exercise – B1/B2 Listening
How active is your lifestyle? Do you think you get enough exercise, on the whole?
In this B1/B2 English listening lesson, Jade is talking about exercise and staying healthy. Jade speaks quite quickly, and she uses filler phrases and other natural language features when she speaks. Jade is from the UK and she has a slight south-eastern (London) accent.
When you’ve completed all of the exercises, read and listen to the transcript at the end to check what you heard is correct.
Listen and understand
Answer the questions Jade’s exercise routine. Check answers when you have finished all of the questions.
How does Jade feel about her current health and lifestyle?
What does Jade suggest about starting new healthy habits?
What tone does Jade use when talking about improving her habits?
What does Jade say about her mornings?
How does Jade describe her current eating habits?
What is Jade’s attitude toward snacks like crisps and biscuits?
What is Jade’s current pattern of physical activity?
Why does Jade say she might not take action immediately?
Train your ear
Listen and complete ONLY the missing words.
I know I should eat better
It’s find the motivation
It’s like I sit down and rest
And I do like my snacks
But I
Dictation and transcript
Listen to the speaker again, and write what you hear. Then check your answers. Pause, replay or restart if you want to.
Words and phrases
Here are some useful words and expressions from the text about feeling healthy that you might want to learn and use.
Words
motivation (n) – the reason or energy to do something
free time (n) – time when you are not working or busy
wiped out (adj) – extremely tired
a proper night’s sleep (n) – a full and good sleep during the night
low (adj) – feeling sad or without energy
a snack (n) – a small amount of food you eat between meals
a weakness (n) – something you like too much or find hard to resist
active (adj) – doing a lot of movement or exercise
scrolling (n) – moving up or down a phone or computer screen to look at posts or messages
a routine (n) – a regular plan or pattern of doing things
sluggish (adj) – slow and without energy
Phrases
find the motivation – get the energy or reason to start something
wake up feeling wiped out – get up feeling very tired
skip breakfast – not eat breakfast
a big fan of (something) – really like something
go for the quickest option – choose the easiest or fastest thing
used to be really active – was more energetic in the past
I find myself (doing something) – notice I am doing something without planning it
scrolling on my phone – using my phone to look through posts or messages
keep telling myself – say to myself again and again
feel so much better – feel healthier or happier
start small – begin with easy or simple steps
set a time – choose a fixed time to do something
plan my meals – decide what to eat ahead of time
too much effort – more work than you want to do
do something about it – take action to change a situation
Grammar from the transcript
Below are some of the key grammar points that appear in this transcript.
Modal phrases (should / must)
The speaker uses modal phrases to express things she thinks she needs to do:
- I know I should eat better
- I must admit, I do like my snacks
- I know I should be healthier
Used to (for past habits and states)
We use “used to” to describe past habits or states that are no longer true.
- I used to be really active when I was younger
- I used to walk everywhere
Verb pattern: verb + -ing
We use the -ing form after certain verbs to describe ongoing or repeated behaviour.
- I end up just going for the quickest option
- I keep telling myself I’ll go for a walk later
- I find myself sitting around too much
Future forms: will for intentions or spontaneous decisions
We use “will” (or ..‘ll) to talk about intentions or decisions made at the moment of speaking.
- I’ll start doing some exercise soon
- I’ll go for a walk later
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