Lower-Intermediate Skill Builders: Listening

DISCUSSS

Skill Builders: Listening ? Travel Abroad

Lower-Intermediate

Discuss the following questions with a partner for at least five minutes.

1: Have you ever traveled abroad? If yes, where did you go? 2: What countries would you like to visit? Why do you want to go there? 3: Why should someone travel abroad?

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: You will listen to an article about the benefits of travel. The article is about four and a half minutes long. Listen only, and don't worry about understanding everything.

Step 2: Read and understand the questions, then listen again. As you are listening, try to answer the questions in your head. Don't write the answers yet. Next, listen again and write the answers this time. Check your answers with a partner.

Step 3: Read the article. Check in your dictionary any unknown words. Now listen again. Can you understand more?

Step 4: Listen! Listen! Listen! Listen to the article on the train or in your free time. Each time you listen, you will slowly improve!

QUESTIONS

Answer the questions to check your comprehension. If you don't know an answer, don't worry. Skip it, then try to answer it when after you listen again.

1: According to the article, why don't some people travel overseas?

2: According to the article, why isn't college like the real world?

3: Why does travel overseas look good on a resume?

4: Why should a person in their fifties travel overseas?

5: According to the article, what happens when a person stays at home for vacation?

6: Why can a retired person stay abroad for a long time?

7: According to the article, why should a retired person go abroad?

Heads Up English

the ARTICLE

Skill Builders: Listening ? Travel Abroad

Lower-Intermediate

Some people prefer home. They rarely leave the city or state where they were born and raised. They aren't very interested in exotic places or different cultures, so they travel abroad only once or twice in their lives. In fact, most US citizens don't even have a passport. But other people are the opposite. They love to travel abroad. They realize that travel to foreign countries has many benefits. So if you haven't thought about it before, here are some reasons to get on a plane sooner rather than later.

If you're young and have just finished university, travel provides the chance to learn about the world. Of course you faced challenges at school, such as getting a student loan or renting an apartment. But college isn't the real world. If there's a problem, for example, you can usually and easily get help from your parents. A mistake may have serious consequences, but it's easier to bounce back. You don't have children, a mortgage, and other responsibilities yet.

Overseas travel looks good on your resume too. There are many new challenges abroad. The society may have different rules and expectations. The society may also have a language barrier. You'll need to solve problems with initiative and resourcefulness. You may even have the chance to use your foreign language skills.

If you're in your thirties, forties, or even fifties, the challenges of travel overseas stimulate the brain. New problems require new skills. After many new experiences abroad, you'll feel refreshed and ready to face the pressures of work. On the other hand, if you spend two weeks at home without any challenges, you actually won't feel as recharged when you return to work.

If you're retired, you should still travel because you don't have a job to worry about. You also don't have children to take care of. This means you can take longer vacations. Instead of two weeks, you can stay two months or longer. You can take language lessons and try new hobbies unique to that country. The new experiences will keep your mind and body young. You'll also realize that there's still a lot to discover in the world.

So what are you waiting for? Make your reservations and get on a plane today!

Heads Up English

Skill Builders: Listening ? Travel Abroad

Lower-Intermediate

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES (optional)

1: Which paragraph was the easiest to listen to? Which paragraph was the most difficult? Look at the vocabulary and sentence structure, then think why one paragraph was easy and another difficult.

2: Read or listen to the article again. Can you give a one or two sentence summary for each paragraph? Compare your summary with a partner.

paragraph 1:

paragraph 2:

paragraph 3:

paragraph 4:

paragraph 5:

3: Where would you like to travel to and what would you like to do: When you are in your 20s? When you are in your 30s, 40s, and 50s? When you are in your 60s, 70s, and older?

ANSWERS

QUESTIONS 1: They aren't very interested in exotic places or different cultures. 2: If there's a problem, for example, you can usually and easily get help from your parents. 3: You'll need to solve problems with initiative and resourcefulness while you're overseas. 4: The challenges stimulate the brain, so you'll feel refreshed and ready to face the pressures of work. 5: You actually won't feel as recharged when you return to work. 6: He doesn't have a job to worry about or children to take care of. 7: The new experiences will keep his mind and body young. There's still a lot to discover in the world.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES - Give a one or two sentence summary of each paragraph. 1. Paragraph one introduces the topic. It mentions people who dislike travel and people who love it. 2. This paragraph lists the reasons to travel for people in their 20s. In particular, young people can

experience the world. 3. This paragraph talks about the benefits travel overseas has on a young person's resume. 4. This paragraph lists the reasons to travel for people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. In particular, overseas

travel helps a person feel refreshed and ready to face the pressures of work. 5. Paragraph five talks about the benefits of travel for people who have retired. It keeps their bodies and

minds young.

Heads Up English

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