Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. persuade
    • ex. My dad said no pets, but we persuaded him to buy a hamster.
  2. late
    • ex. My birthday is in late July.
  3. shortly afterward
    • ex. At the wedding, several people gave speeches. Shortly afterward, dinner was served.
  4. roadkill
    • ex. The highways are cleaned regularly, so you don’t see much roadkill here.
  5. a shack
    • ex. My children like to play in an old shack in the woods.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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After taking a bath for the first time in over 60 years, the “world’s dirtiest man” has died. According to Iranian media, 94-year-old Amou Haji was afraid that using soap and water would make him sick. However, worried neighbors persuaded him to finally take a bath in late 2021. Shortly afterward, he became sick and passed away.

Haji lived in a village in southern Iran. His favorite meal was porcupine roadkill, and he loved to smoke. Haji also drank five liters of water from a dirty bucket every day. His neighbors said that they often tried to give him clean drinking water, but he always became sad and said that he didn’t need it. Just a few months before Haji’s death, doctors from Tehran said that he was in good health.

Haji didn’t have any family, but he was very popular in his village. He lived in a hole in the ground until his neighbors built him a small brick shack. They had tried to get Haji to take a bath for many years, but he always said no. No one knows why he finally agreed to take a bath.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

The “World’s Dirtiest Man”

  • Haji was afraid that using soap and water would make him sick. Do you think that Haji died because he took a bath? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • No one knows why Haji finally agreed to take a bath. What do you think was the reason (ex. he was tired of always talking about it, he wanted to be clean)? Discuss.
  • Haji's favorite meal was porcupine roadkill, he smoked a lot, and he drank dirty water, but he still lived to the age of 94. What do you think was his secret (ex. good DNA, low stress)? Why? Discuss.

Baths and Showers

  • In your opinion, is it necessary to take a bath/shower every day? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, is it better to take a bath/shower in the morning or at night? Why? Discuss.
  • How do you feel about public baths (ex. hot springs, Japanese sento)? Why? Discuss.