Listening practice - Higher tier
You are listening to a radio phone-in in which callers consult a doctor about their health problems. From the list below, choose the health issue which best describes each caller's problem and then write in English what advice they are given.
Here is some useful vocabulary:
| aconsejar | to advise |
| los consejos | advice |
| drogas (blandas/duras) | (soft/hard) drugs |
| enganchado/a | hooked |
| el fumador | smoker |
| hacerse socio de | to become a member of, to join |
| la pantalla | screen |
| la receta | prescription |
| respiratorio/a | respiratory |
| el tratamiento | treatment |
| aconsejar |
| to advise |
| los consejos |
| advice |
| drogas (blandas/duras) |
| (soft/hard) drugs |
| enganchado/a |
| hooked |
| el fumador |
| smoker |
| hacerse socio de |
| to become a member of, to join |
| la pantalla |
| screen |
| la receta |
| prescription |
| respiratorio/a |
| respiratory |
| el tratamiento |
| treatment |
Choose from this list:
| A | alcoholism |
| B | heart disease |
| C | being overweight |
| D | sleeplessness |
| E | smoking |
| A |
| alcoholism |
| B |
| heart disease |
| C |
| being overweight |
| D |
| sleeplessness |
| E |
| smoking |
Question
(a) What is José's problem?
(b) What two things does the doctor advise him to do?
(a) E. Words such as fumador (smoker), fumar (to smoke) and the phrase haciendo daño a mis pulmones (damaging my lungs) are all clues that suggest that José's problem is smoking.
(b)
- Go to a chemist (where they will have a lot of helpful products like nicotine chewing gum). The doctor says ...si vas a una farmacia, tendrán muchos productos que te ayudarán - como chicles de nicotina.
- Look online (where there are a lot of websites which give advice to people who want to stop smoking). The doctor says ...si buscas en internet, hay muchos sitios web que se dedican a dar consejos a personas como tú que quieren dejar de fumar.
Transcript:
- Ahora tenemos una llamada de José. ¿Cuál es tu problema, José?
- Pues, soy fumador desde hace veinte años. Ya sé que estoy haciendo daño a mis pulmones y que, en el futuro, tendré problemas respiratorios si continúo fumando pero, a pesar de eso, me resulta muy difícil dejar de fumar. ¿Qué me aconsejas?
- Pues, si vas a una farmacia, tendrán muchos productos que te ayudarán - como chicles de nicotina, por ejemplo. También, si buscas en internet, hay muchos sitios web que se dedican a dar consejos a personas como tú que quieren dejar de fumar.
Translation:
- Now we have a call from José. What's your problem, José?
- Well, I've been a smoker for twenty years. I know that I'm damaging my lungs and that, in the future, I'll have respiratory problems if I go on smoking, but, in spite of that, I find it very difficult to stop smoking. What do you advise me to do?
- Well, if you go to a chemist, they will have a lot of products that will help you - like nicotine chewing gum, for example. Also, if you search online, there are a lot of websites that are dedicated to giving advice to people like you, who want to stop smoking.
Question
(a) What is Enrique's problem?
(b) What two things does the doctor advise him to do?
(a) D. There are plenty of expressions here that tell you that Enrique's problem is not sleeping:duermo mal (I sleep badly), tardo varias horas en dormirme (it takes me several hours to fall asleep), me despierto otra vez (I wake up again), etc.
(b)
- Switch off all screens (apagar todas las pantallas.)
- Go to bed early (acuéstate temprano.)
Transcript:
- Y nuestra última llamada viene de Enrique. Tu problema, ¿cuál es, Enrique?
- Bueno, es que duermo muy mal. Cuando me acuesto, tardo varias horas en dormirme. Luego, después de una o dos horas, me despierto otra vez. La consecuencia es que siempre me siento muy cansado, no puedo concentrarme en el trabajo y, al volver a casa, lo único que puedo hacer es sentarme delante de la tele.
- Enrique, lo primero que tienes que hacer es apagar todas las pantallas - sea la tele, el ordenador o el móvil - dos o tres horas antes de acostarte. En segundo lugar, acuéstate temprano.
Translation:
- And our last call comes from Enrique. What's your problem, Enrique?
- Well, it's that I sleep very badly. When I go to bed, it takes me several hours to fall asleep, then after an hour or two, I wake up again. The result is I always feel very tired, I can't concentrate at work and when I get back home all I can do is sit down in front of the TV.
- Enrique, the first thing you have to do is to switch all screens off - whether it's the TV, the computer or your mobile - two or three hours before you go to bed. Secondly, go to bed early.
