Level: intermediate and above

Approximate time of completion: 15-20  min

 

How playing sports benefits your body … and your brain

The victory of the underdog. The last minute penalty shot that wins the tournament. The training montage. Many people love to glorify victory on the field, cheer for teams, and play sports. But should we be obsessed with sports? Are sports as good for us as we make them out to be, or are they just a fun and entertaining pastime?

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https://youtu.be/hmFQqjMF_f0

Listening

Watch the video above and answer these questions. (Answers below.)

Activity 1

What are these statements true of?

  1. All sport
  2. Team sports
  3. Other

Write A, B or C next to questions 1-7. One answer can take two options

  1. Help you establish healthy habits
  2. Make bones stronger
  3. Help you focus and work to achieve a goal
  4. Increase lifespan
  5. Make you less likely to suffer from chronic diseases
  6. Favours bonding.
  7. Have benefits even when you are not successful all the time

Activity 2

Listen again and write a word from the video for the following definitions

  1. The team/player who is less likely to win the match ____________________
  2. A disease that is related to the related to the amount of sugar in the blood ______________
  3. An objective ___________________
  4. Respect for one self ________________
  5. An attitude or particular way of thinking _______________
  6. Having a strong desire to win or be the best at something (adj) _______________

Speaking

Here’s an example of a sports question from the IELTS Speaking Test:

What do children learn from playing sports?

And a sample answer:

Playing sports is important for children for a number of reasons. Firstly, children learn social skills that will be important in all aspects of their life as they grow up. For example, they learn how to communicate effectively, and develop teamwork skills. In addition, they learn self-discipline through sports, such as the ability to set goals and achieve difficult tasks.

 

Answers:

Activity 1:  1B 2A 3B 4C 5A 6B 7A/B

Activity 2: 1 Underdog  2 diabetes  3 goal 4 self esteem 5 mindset 6 competitive