Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. disprove
    • ex. The scientist tried to disprove the theory with his experiment.
  2. moderate
    • ex. Moderate exercise, such as swimming and cycling, can improve your heart’s health.
  3. vary
    • ex. The weather can vary from day to day. It may be sunny today and rainy tomorrow.
  4. consensus
    • ex. Government officials are building a consensus on the need to train more doctors.
  5. dietary
    • ex. The doctor told him to make dietary changes to lower his blood sugar.

Article

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

Font size

Recent research has disproved a popular belief that moderate drinking is good for heart health. According to Dr. Timothy Naimi of the University of Victoria, “Drinking less is a great way to be healthier.” Are the drinking guidelines changing? Guidelines may vary from country to country, but people are drinking less in general.

Recently, the U.K., France, Denmark, Holland, and Australia decided to decrease the amount of alcohol a person can drink in their guidelines. Carina Ferreira-Borges from the World Health Organization said that the scientific consensus has changed because data links alcohol to over 200 health conditions like some types of cancer.

According to Dr. Naimi, thousands of U.S. deaths per year could be prevented if people followed the government’s dietary guidelines. Naimi added, “The simple message that’s best supported by the evidence is that, if you drink, less is better when it comes to health.” Tessa Weber from Austin, Texas is one of the many people who changed their relationship with alcohol. She said she stopped drinking because she noticed how drinking alcohol was increasing her anxiety.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Drinking Alcohol

  • What is your opinion on drinking alcohol (ex. moderate drinking is ok, it's bad for health)? Discuss.
  • According to the article, people are drinking less in general. In your opinion, what does it mean to drink less (ex. drinking twice a month, drinking once a week)? Discuss.
  • In your culture, what is the consensus about drinking alcohol (ex. it’s an important part of the culture)? Discuss.

Health Impact of Drinking Alcohol

  • According to the WHO, the scientific consensus has changed because data links alcohol to over 200 health conditions like some types of cancer. How does this affect your view of drinking alcohol (ex. it makes me want to stop drinking)? Discuss.
  • What do you think is the impact of moderate drinking on a person's health (ex. it's good for the heart)? Discuss.
  • According to the article, countries have dietary guidelines for drinking alcohol. What do you think about your country's dietary guidelines for drinking alcohol (ex. it's strict, it's not strict)? Discuss.