FCE topics 11: well being

contents

well being

Reading and Use of English (Part 5)

Language development: clauses

writing: part 1 essay

Listening: health and fitness

speaking: long term

Language development: so/such, too enough very

Use of English: sentence transformation

Use of English: multiple choice

Language development: health (idiomatic expressions)

well-being

Reading and Use of English: Part 5

Discuss the questions. 1 How do you think the photos illustrate the theme of well being? 2 What is most important ta your wel being?

The secrets of true happiness

1 contentment 2 satisfaction 3 frustration

Look at the title of the article and discuss the questions.1 What do you think are 'the secrets of true happiness'? 2 ls it possible to learn how to be happy? 3 Change the nouns into adjectives using the suffixes in the box.

4 anxiety 5 depression

6 stress 7 misery

-(i)ed

able

-(i)ous

4 Have you experienced any of the feelings? When? 5 What advice in the article do you think you would Like to try?

well-being

Language development: clauses

CLAUSE OF REASON

1) What do you do to relax? Read extracts from an article about the Duchess of Cambridge and answer the questions. 1) What can make us healthier? 2) Why is Kate so positive?

A. Some scientists claim that happy people are healthier owing to the influence of happy emotions on our immune system. B. Kate's positive, cheerful outlook is said to be due to her close family upbringing. C. Because of her interest in sports - tennis, netball hockey, running, skiing athletics - she keeps very fit. D. She is popular with the nation as she is attractive and charming, with a warm personality. E. Since she comes from Reading, she supports the city's football team. F. People are interested in the way she dresses because she wears clothes from high street stores as well as designer labels.

CLAUSE OF REASON

Introduce an answer to the question Why? Which words /phrases can go in each sentence below? 1 Mark left his job________ it was stressful. (+ subject + verb) 2 Mark left his job ______ the stress. (* noun) 3 Mark left his Job______ the fact that it was stressful (+ the fact that * subject * verb) Complete the sentences with words and phrases fromthe first exercise. 1 Joe put on some music __________he wanted to relax. 2 He had lost his job ____________ his age. 3 The club had reduced its staff___________ the fact it was losing money. 4 But _________ he was a talented trainer, he knew he'd get another job. 5 __________his many interests, he was never bored. 6 A lot of unhappiness is __________ boredom.

CLAUSE OF PURPOSE

The expressions in bold express purpose They introduce an answer to the question what for?

The office closes early in order that/ so that we can have a longer weekend. I like to go away in order to/ so as to/ to relax. I take my phone in case anyone needs to contact me Read the information above, now decide which words and phrases from before can be used in each sentence. I I have a sauna once a week _________relax. (+ verb) 2 The fitness centre stays open late ______people can go after work. (* subject + verb) 3 I usually call before I go _____ they're closed for any reason. (* subject + verb: precaution)

The expressions in bold connect contrasting ideas.

CLAUSE OF CONTRAST

1. I ran all the way despite/ in spite of being exhausted. (+ -ing) my exhaustion. (+ noun), the fact that I was exhausted. (* the factthat)
2. I ran all the way even thouqh/ althouqh/ though it was very cold. (+ subject + verb)
3. Tom loves judo, whereas Mary prefers swimming. (* subject + verb: contrasting but not contradicting ideas)

match the sentence halves:

1. My mother goes out to work whereas2. Het still out of work despite3. jo is very active although4. David isn't getting better even though5. They always seem happy despite6. He’s unhappy in spite of the fact that7. Sam gets a huge salary while8. l'm feeling really tired in spite of

A. his appetite has returned. B. he makes a lot of money. C. going for three interviews a week. D. having slept well last night. E. my father stays at home. F. his assistant hardly earns anything. G. their poverty H. she hasn't been feeling well lately.

well-being

Writing: essay

Discuss the questions. 1 How can these things affect a person's happiness? a money b other people c exercise 2 Do you agree or disagree that happiness is something we are born with?

In your English class you have been talking about happiness. Now your English teacher has asked you to write an essay. Write an essay using all the notes and give reasons for your point of view.

Whether you are happy or not depends on the personality you are born with. Do you agree?

Notes Write about. 1 money 2 health 3 (your own idea) Write your essay in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.

a Which of these would be good topics for Note 3?

1 caring for others 2 a positive attitude 3 keeping mentally active 4 family-upbringing 5 friends 6 fame

7 holidays 8 possessions 9 one's job 10 religions 11 hobbies 12 home

b Make a paragraph plan for an essay in which you: 1 state your opinion. 2 explain the reasons which support your opinion (or include one for contrast). 3 give your conclusion

cWrite a topic sentence for each of the paragraphs in your plan.

You can use these phrases or your own ideas. I lt is true that . . 2 Take .., for example 3 Then consider 4 The third thing I think is important is . 5 All of these ..

d Make notes which support each topic sentence. (Note: A supporting sentence may not be necessary in a conclusion.)

e. Write the linking words and phrases in the box in the correct place in the table

in fact just as on the other hand

similarly whereas yet

but however in addition

Adding a point of view

Making a contrast

EXPERT LANGUAGE: Spelling a Are there any words in English that you commonly misspell? b Correct the spelling mistakes in the words.

l imediately 2 seperate 3 unneccesary 4 truely 5 religous 6 therefor 7 niether

8 responsable 9 untill 10 definately '11 generaly 12 recieve 13 apparantly

Some people claim they are naturally cheerful. However, in my view, how we lead our lives is the main reason we are either happy or unhappy. Take money, for example. Money doesn’t automatically make us happy. In fact, it makes some people very unhappy because they are frightened of losing what they’ve got. On the other hand, if we’re not greedy and don’t spend it foolishly, it can reduce stress and give us security. Then consider health. If we eat badly, get too little sleep and don’t exercise, our health will decline and make us miserable. Eating well and going for lovely long walks in the countryside can make us feel better generally. The third thing I think is important is to have a positive outlook on life. We should all enjoy things like music and being with our friends. At the same time, it’s important to spend time alone and live as simply as possible, which is not easy in the 21st century! All of these make a big difference to our happiness, no matter what our natural temperament.

well-being

Listening: health and fitness

1 ln your view, what's the best way of improving: a strength? b stamina? c flexibility? d coordination? (examples weightlifting, swimming, running) 2 What advice would you give someone who wants to: a burn calories? b lose weight? c decrease Cholesterol? (to help prevent a heart attack) d strengthen their immune system? (to protect against infection and diseases) e lower their blood pressure? (to help prevent a stroke) f avoid obesity? g improve their circulation? h get more fiber in their diet? i look after their skin?

health quiz

3 a What are the symptoms of: a flu? b food poisoning? b Which part(s) of your body is/are affected by: a arthritis? b migraine? c bronchitis? d tonsillitis? 4 Are these statements True (T) or False (F)? a Bread and potatoes are good sources of carbohydrates. b There are no calories in lettuce. c A lot of processed food lacks the vitamins and minerals found in fresh vegetables. d Eggs and nuts are low in protein. e Pasta is a good source of iron.

health quiz

1 Unsaturated fats are much better____ you than saturated fats. 2 Tania is allergic ___ house dust. lt makes her sneeze and her eyes itch. 3 Jack went _____water for several hours in the heat and he got very dehydrated. 4 lt took me ages to recover ____a terrible virus that was going round. Antibiotics made no dlfference at all.

You will hear awoman called Penny Flack, who is a nutritionist, tatking about the effects of health and diet in some countries around the world. For questions 'l-'10, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.

Eating for health Penny explains why financial support for (1) _ is a current concern in many European country. Penny would like certain (2) _aimed at children io be made illegal. Until recently, more money has been spent on food for (3)_____ than for schoolchildren in the UK. Penny mentions the recommendation to reduce (4)___ intake by 5o % Penny points out that eating unhealthy (5)____ is less common in France than in some other nations. Penny suggests that a re-think of the timing of their (6) _ may benefit people. In a traditional Japanese diet, (7) ___make up most of the daily calorie intake. The risk of (8) __ in both Greenland and Japan is quite low. A link between omega-3 oils and better (9)__ has just been found. Penny says that eating curry could improve the (10) ___in old age

well-being

speaking: long turn

1. Know what to expect: the best thing to do is to find some sample FCE tests from previous years. For example, there are books with exam compilations that you can use or you can download our worksheet with part 2 examples. 2. Listen to a lot of spoken English: use Youtube videos (if you search for them there are some FCE speaking exams online). However, anything that you enjoy watching will be helpful. Netflix, HBO or any other platform have an amazing variety of shows. Look for what interests you the most and take advantage of listening and watching something at the same time. Use subtitles in English and you’ll see how you can understand much more than you think. 3. Make lists: it’s useful to write a list of all the vocabulary that is part of the core B2 level. That will help you to find synonyms and to expand your vocabulary range so that you don’t end up always using the same safe words. 4. Find some structure answering the questions: when you know what to expect in each part of the exam then you can practice using some phrases to give some structure to what you want to say. At the same time, this will give you a feeling of calmness as well as some confidence, which will certainly improve your answer.

Helpful Phrases: In order to compare the two pictures, you can use connectors to highlight similarities and contrasts. Similarities:

In the first picture I/we can see…as well as in the second one. In both pictures I/we can see Similarly,… In addition… Equally important… Likewise,… Also,… In the same way… Just as… …too

Differences:

…but… By contrast… On the contrary… …whereas… However,… On the other hand… Nevertheless… Yet… Despite… Although / Even though… Unlike…

Another good option to use when we are not 100% sure about what the picture is about is the use of modal of deduction, possibility or speculation.

must + infinitive: when we are almost sure about something. For example: She’s wearing a white coat, she must be the doctor. may, might, could + infinitive: when we want to say that something is possible. For example, we see someone crying and we say: She might be sad. may, might, could not + infinitive: when we want to say that something is not possible. can’t + infinitive: to say that something is clearly not possible. For example: He’s too young, he can’t be the new teacher.

One can also express deduction, possibility or speculation through phrases:

I am certain that… I believe… It seems that… It is possible/ probable… Perhaps… Maybe… It is likely… I think that… In my opinion… I’d say that…

What might the people enjoy about baing active in these situations?

The idea behind the task is always the same: You have to compare the two photographs and answer the question in one minute. In addition, you answer a brief question about your partner’s pictures. All of that sounds simple, but as you might already have guessed nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Luckily, I have seen dozens of students preparing for the exam and there are two strategies that get you through this part safe and sound.

1. Compare and then answer the question In my opinion, this is the best way to go about Speaking Part 2 because my students have had the most success using this strategy. Of course, it is not perfect (Nothing is!), but it gives candidates a clear structure to follow and I think that’s exactly what you need in a situation which is as stressful as the FCE speaking exam. Basically, you point out the biggest similarity and the biggest difference between the two photos and then you move on to answering the question. The comparison should last for around 20-25 seconds while the question should always get a little bit more attention with 35-40 seconds. Obviously, the timings can be flexible and it is sometimes difficult to find a similarity and/or difference really quickly, but in most cases it works just fine.

However, there are two major issues with this approach that I have to point out. Firstly, many students struggle with keeping the comparison short and they don’t have enough time to fully answer the question. Secondly, it happens very often that candidates only describe the photos instead of comparing them. The reason for this is normally a lack of useful expressions, but in this article I’m going to fix this problem with you as you will find some nice language further down this page.

2. Answer and compare at the same time The second technique is often described in coursebooks and, just as the first option, it can work perfectly if you practise and feel comfortable doing it. Here, you answer the question from the beginning and compare the two photos as part of your answer. The advantage is that the question is already there for you and it might be easier to jump into that. Starting with the comparison means that you first have to come up with something to say and that could be tough in a stressful exam situation. Unfortunately, this strategy also comes with a couple of problems. The main dilemma is that students often don’t know how to include comparisons and they only describe what they can see and finish before the minute is up. Similarly to the other technique I described above, you can avoid this problem by studying useful expressions. If you keep those in mind, it will be a lot easier for you to stay on track and not get confused.

The decision is yours… Whichever technique you choose, make sure that you give both of them a chance until you are sure about one. You don’t want to decide on the day of the exam, so practise a lot and then pick the one that feels more natural to you. So, choose your weapon wisely to get all the power! Compare, speculate, deduce – but how? As you read a little bit earlier there are some problems candidates face in the speaking exam. One of the most common ones is definitely a lack of specific language to answer the task perfectly. Those phrases and expressions can be broken up into two groups: comparing as well as speculating/deducing. Each of them is important for different reasons and we’ll have a look at them one by one. I will also give you example sentences for each expression based on the two pictures from before.

1. Comparing In Speaking Part 2 one of the two main tasks is to compare the two photographs in front of you. This means that you should be able to point out similarities as well as contrast the two pictures instead of just describing what you can see. As mentioned above, a lot of students aren’t able to make good comparisons because they don’t know the right language to do so.

Similarities In both pictures there are / I can see… In both pictures there are men being physically active. both Both men could be in danger if they make a mistake. as well (as) The second man is practising a sport as well. like Like in the first photograph the man in the second one seems to be very focused. Likewise… The man in the first photo is using a surfboard to practise his sport. Likewise, in the other picture the person is using some equipment. also Not only does the man in the first photo seem to enjoy the activity, but also the person in the second picture. too In the first picture the man seems to be fully immersed in his experience.In the second photo the athlete appears to be very focused too.

Differences unlike Unlike the first photo the person in the bottom one is practising his activity indoors. in contrast to In contrast to the top photograph the person in the bottom photo won’t get wet if he falls. while While the surfer needs a good sense of balance the climber depends more on his strength. whereas The climber at the bottom is trying to reach the top whereas the surfer probably wants to stay in contact with the water as we would fall otherwise. but The surfer is in nature, but the climber is moving in a man-made environment. on the other hand The surfer is practising his sport outdoors. On the other hand, the climber seems to be indoors.

Comparative forms The activity in the second picture seems more dangerous to me. The surfer appears to be more relaxed than the climber. In my opinion, surfing and climbing are just as dangerous. Surfing is not as easy as you might think.

2. Speculating/Deducing Another great tool to be successful in Speaking Part 2 are phrases to speculate about the photos or deduce from what you can see. It is a little bit like being the famous detective Sherlock Holmes who always looks at the evidence at a crime scene and then comes to conclusions based on what he can see. Can we be 100% sure about the things we are seeing in each photograph? No, probably not, but if you use the right language the examiner will understand that you are only speculating instead of making concrete statements. Let’s have a look at some examples:

Speculating/Deducing modal verbs (must, might, may, could, can’t) + be + -ing/adjective The climber might be a bit scared because he can hurt himself if he falls. look(s)/seem(s) The surfer looks very focused because of his body language. The man in the second photo seems as if he is more advanced because there aren’t many holds on the wall. appear(s) Both athletes appear to be very skilled. maybe/perhaps/possibly Maybe the surfer generally enjoys being outdoors. Perhaps the man in the photo below can’t continue because he looks trapped. They’ve possibly been training for a very long time. I can imagine I can imagine that both of the men are exhausted after an intense practice like the ones in the photos. I think/believe I think/believe that climbing is more tiring than surfing. for me For me, surfing looks as if it is more fun than indoor climbing.

In both photos the people seem to be very focussed because the girl on the left has to be very concentrated and needs to know how to keep her body in balance body for a feww seconds while the girl in the second photo looks as if he is in tricky situation climbing a wall with only few holds, this wall might be taking several minutes to climb. There is also an element of danger to both situations even though the women move in different environments. This kind of danger is perhaps the reason why they enjoy their sports. I have watched videos in which surfers get wiped out by big waves and it appears to me that that is actually part of the fun. I also think that the climber enjoys the challenge of combining strength and flexibility to get to the top of the wall and I can imagine that it must feel great to achieve this kind of goal. On top of that, climbing can also be practised in the outdoors and, just like surfing, it brings people closer to nature. For me, that would also be a reason to do these types of sport.

why might these people have chosen to study in this situations?

The people in the two photographs are studying in very different environments. Firstly, the person in the top picture might be at home as he’s sitting at a desk with a few books and a typewriter which makes me believe that he’s in an apartment or house. On the other hand, the two men at the bottom are probably sitting at the table of a café or restaurant or maybe it is at their workplace. The person in the first photo could have chosen his own flat because he might want to concentrate on his task without getting distracted by other people whereas the two people in the second photo probably don’t mind being in a public space. I think they might be studying together for a university project or something work-related because they have a laptop and papers to make notes or possibly to prepare a presentation while the other man could be studying for an important exam so he needs to be able to focus

well-being

Language development: so/such, too enough very

so/such

Why is it so difficult to lose weight? You shouldn't eat so many sweets - they're bad for you! He walks so fast (that) t can hardly keep up with him Such bad behaviour is not acceptable. He's such a nice person - everyone likes him. There was such a lot of salt in the food (that) I couldn't eat it.

We use _____before adjectives, adverbs, and quantifiers. We use _____ before a noun phrase with an uncountable noun. We use _______+________ before singular countable nouns.

enough/too/very

Five hours a night isn't enough sleep. There aren't enough facilities for young people. It isn't warm enough (for you) to go swimming. He didn't run fast enough to win the race. Too much red meat isn’t good for you. That health club is so expensive! it’s much too expensive (for me) to join. l'm very tired - but not too tired to go out!

1 enough goes in front of a/an ____and after a/an _____or a/an____

Match the words (1-3) with the definitions (a-c). 1 too (+ adjective/quantifier) 2 very (+ adjective) 3 enough (+ noun/adjective)

a a lot b as much as we want/need c more than is good reasonable or acceptable

as/ like

a) Comparison: Like + noun, as if/though + clause He's just like his father. I wish I could sing like Pavarotti (did). This looks/seems like a nice place. It seems as if/like (informal) he's going to be late. (Likely situation) They treat me like their daughter/as though I was their daughter. (Imaginary situation) The following verbs are often followed by like + noun or as if + clause. feel, look seem, smell, sound, taste. it looks like rain/as if it is going to rain. He looks as if he had seen a ghost.

1 The film was very sad. Everyone cried. (so) ...................................................................................................... 2 I can’t understand him. He speaks fast. (too) ...................................................................................................... 3 How much money have we got? Can we pay for the tickets? (enough) ...................................................................................................... 4 It was a very good meal. We ate far too much. (such) ...................................................................................................... 5 The teacher was very stupid. He believed the children. (enough) ...................................................................................................... 6 The trousers were very cheap. I bought six pairs. (such) ...................................................................................................... 7 How much food is there? Can we feed everyone?. (enough) ...................................................................................................... 8 The film was very bad. Most people walked out. (so) ...................................................................................................... 9 He can’t walk far. He’s old. (too) ...................................................................................................... 10 My boss was kind. He paid for the meal. (enough)

as/ like

b) Role, function: as + noun; manner: as + clause He's found a job as a barman. Please think of me as a friend. He arrived late, as he had warned us. Please do as I tell you. c) Other verbs followed by as are: describe, be known, recognize, regard, treat. Examples: Like/such as + noun Foods like/such as beans are a rich source of protein.

as/ like

1. She works __________ a teacher (it’s her job). 2. I’m very __________ my mother. 3. Julie loves mangoes as much __________ I do. 4. He arrived __________ I was leaving. 5. He works in a bank, __________ his father. 6. I used a tea towel __________ an oven glove and I burned it! 7. Your perfume smells __________ flowers. 8. __________ it was cold, I took a scarf.

well-being

Use of English: sentence transformation

For questions 1-6, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given. 1) You could stay with us next time you're in town. PUT We could______________-next time you're in town. 2) Jane had never eaten a meal that was as delicious as that one. SUCH Jane had never eaten_____________________ meal before. 3) 'Do you want to buy my car or not?'Alan asked Judy. WHETHER Alan asked_____________________ to buy his car.

This car is too small for any more luggage. ENOUGH There______________in this car for any more luggage. 5 Tom is not usually so bad-tempered LIKE It is______________so bad-tempered 6 )azz is less popular now than it was 50 years ago NOT Jazz ______________________________________ it was 50 years ago

well-being

Use of English: multiple-choice cloze

Discuss the questions. 1 How do you improve your mood when you,re feeling low? 2 How does shopping affect your mood? 3 What is retail therapy? 4 ln what ways can it be good and bad for you?

Some people like to go shopping when they're feeling a bit under the (0) C, as they claim that it (1) _ them up. Unfortunately, while buying yourself treats may give a temporary 'buzz', in the long (2) _ it is not to be recommended, as it can be the first (3) _ towards shopping addiction and a debt problem. However, some recent research proves that shopping also has its advantages. Walking is (4)_ as being a good way of reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and on average, British women cover 214 km a year by going to the shops. This (5)_ at about 4.45 km and ,193 calories burnt for every two-hour trip. Going with a friend was found to be even better than shopping on your own because people (6) _ to stay out longer and cover more distance. So while retail therapy may not be the (7) _of all happiness, it can offer some health benefits, (8)_, of course, that we don't do it online!

0 A_clouds B_mood C_weather D_moon 1 A_comforts B_cheers C_takes D_raises 2 A_ time B_period C _moment D_run 3 A_step B_position C_point D_direction 4 A_believed B_said C_declared D_regarded 5 A_gets round B_gives over C_works out D_makes up 6 A_tend B_turn C_take D_hold 7 A_branch B_heart C_plant D_root 8 A_however B_provided C_nevertheless D_although

well-being

Language development: Health (idiomatic expressions)

Some people like to go shopping when they're feeling a bit under the weather. a unhappy b unwell

George was (1) feeling his age. He hadn't (2) been himself for a while and he had been (3) off his food, which was unusual for him. He went to see his doctor, who said he was (4) run-down and needed a rest The doctor told George to take a holiday and (5) recharge his batteries. He also said George needed to change his lifestyle, stop smoking and take more exercise. So George went lo the south of France for three months and when he got back, he was (6) in good shape. His doctor gave him (7) a clean bill of health. That was 2 years ago. George is (8) still going strong today.

1) George felt older and less energetic / wanted advice about staying young when he went to the doctor’s 2) He went to the doctor's because he felt different / unwell 3) Also, he had no more food / didn’t want to eat. 4) The doctor said he was very tired / had run too much. 5) The doctor told George to get back his energy / get a new battery. 6) When George got back from holiday, he had a good future / was physically fit. 7) His doctor said he was clean / healthy. 8) Today George is fit and healthy / strong.

Health Phrasal verbs Complete the sentences with the correct form of the phrasal verbs in the box. -come down with -cut down on -cut out -get over -give up -pick up -put on -take up

1 I think you need to ______ some weight after so long without food. 2 Why don't you _____smoking altogether? You know rt's bad for your health. 3 You've probably______ a bug - there's something going round. 4 You ought______sweet things and ________ to chocolate completely. 5 You must be ____a cold. You’ll soon _____it though. 6 You should______ yoga to strengthen your muscles.

1 Have you taken up a sport recently? 2 When did you last come down with something? Did you get over it quickly? 3 What do you think you should cut down on or cut out?