Speaking 002 (Healthy Lifestyle)

Part 1

Musical Instruments

Which instrument do you like listening to most? (Why?)

My favourite musical instrument is the flute.  (I love listening to the flute, the most).  I have always wondered why I like flute.  May be, it is because of its simplicity or because of it sweet sound.  Flute has a very soothing music and it goes directly into your heart.  I think it is very easy to learn flute, but I am not sure.  Anyway, I like it.

Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?

Not really, I don’t think I have the talent for it.  So I have not seriously tried.  When I was small, I just used to play with the harmonium, but actually, I could never play any proper notes.  Even now, I love to press the keys of the electric keyboard and I like to hear the sound.  But I have never learned to play any musical instrument.

Yes I play the keyboard.  I started leaning it at a very early age.  My mother bought me a toy piano when I was a small kid.  I started playing it on my own.  Later, I went to a music school, where I leaned to play the electric organ.  Now I play it quiet well.

Do you think children should learn to play a musical instrument?

It is good in one way.  As children, you have the time and interest in learning a musical instrument.  In think learning a musical instrument can give a lot of confidence to children.  They will learn to perform before other people.  They can be proud of the fact that they know how to play a musical instrument.  It is the best way to know whether a child had the taste for it.  However, we should not force a child into it, especially if he doesn’t have the talent for it.

No I don’t think children should learn a musical instrument.  It is the time for them to play and enjoy games.  Playing a music instrument is a very serious job.  It requires a lot of patience and discipline.  So I think it is better not to force children into it at an early age.  If they have the taste and talent they will learn it later.

How easy would it be to learn to play an instrument without a teacher?

I think, it is not easy to learn a musical instrument without the help of a teacher, because you have no one to clear your doubts.  Not only that, you can never learn it, systematically.  There are people who learn musical instruments like guitar with the help of a book or through the internet.  But, I don’t think you go can very far, in this way.

Why not!  There are a lot of people who learn musical instruments without the help of a teacher.  You can get books and lessons from the internet.  The advantage is that you can learn at your own pace and convenience.  Then why go for a teacher.

Part 2

Describe something healthy you enjoy doing

You should say:

What you do

Where you do it

Who you do it with

And explain why you think doing this is healthy.

Playing sports, cycling, exercising

I have been playing badminton for the last few years.  This is something that I really enjoy.  When I started I wasn’t a good player.  Over the years I have improved tremendously.  Every day I wait for the evening to play badminton. 

I play it in our college campus.  We have an indoor court and so the wind doesn’t disturb our game. 

I play with my colleagues at work.  There are about 6 to 8 people who play regularly and if you don’t reach the court in time, you don’t get to play the first game.  After a game is over, usually the losers have to give chance to the other players, who wait outside. 

I think this has definitely kept me fit.  I have lost about 6 kilos in the last 2 years, just because I play this game.  I have no other exercise and I don’t need any.  I can eat anything I like and I can burn my extra calories in the game.  Now my body has become very flexible and I have improved my stamina.  My movements have become easy and my body is much more flexible now.  I can even run up steps without panting.  My cholesterol and blood sugar levels are much lower than before.  So this is something healthy that I enjoy doing.

Part 3

Keeping fit and healthy

What do most people do to keep fit your country?

Most people, in my country do some kind of manual labour and that keeps them fit.  They don’t need any other exercise.  The farmers work in the field and there are a lot of people who work in constructions and similar manual jobs.  The middleclass white collar workers and the rich people are also very health conscious and do regular exercises like jogging, walking in the morning or playing some games. There are some people who work out in gyms to keep themselves fit.

The most common exercise, that people in my country do, to keep themselves fit, is to go for a walk.  If you get up early in the morning and look at the streets, especially in cities, you can see a lot of people walking by the side of the road.  There are also a lot of evening walkers as well.  Some jog or cycle or do some exercise or play some games.  There are a lot of people who visit gyms to be fit.  Yoga is another popular exercise that people are interested in.

How important is it for people to do some regular physical exercise?

It is extremely important for people to engage in some kind of regular exercise, especially after 30 or 35.  Otherwise we will be prone to common lifestyle diseases like, high blood sugar or blood pressure.  Heart ailments are very common among people who have no physical exercise.  Regular exercise can give your body a lot of immunity against such diseases.  It can burn your extra fat that causes all these ailments.  So, regular exercise is essential for people to keep themselves fit.

Health and modern lifestyles

Why do some people think that modern lifestyles are not healthy?

See, people have a valid reason for thinking so.  People today love comfort and luxury and they want to satisfy their appetites at any cost.  Rather than cooking at home, they love to eat out, at restaurants and fast food joints.  Fast food may be tasty but contains a lot of fat that is not good for health.  Previously people used to walk or engage in some kind of manual work.  That is not the case today.  Personal vehicles and modern devices have made their life easy and people have great aversion towards sweating their body.  This lifestyle naturally invites diseases.

Why do some people choose to lead unhealthy lives?

The simple answer is laziness.  Today many people do not have the discipline to lead a healthy life.  They love comfort and convenience in everything that they do.  In fact, they don’t realise that their comfort and luxury are going to end soon.  They need to face the reality sooner than later. 

Should individuals or governments be responsible for making people lifestyles healthy?

It is the individuals themselves who are responsible for making their lifestyles healthy.  It is one’s personal freedom to lead a healthy lifestyle.  Government has nothing to do with it.  No government can interfere into such personal affairs.  Government can’t ask people to eat this or that.  The only thing that government can do is to spread awareness about this issue.  Nothing more than that.

What could be done to encourage people to live in a healthy way?

The best way to encourage people to live in a healthy way is to spread awareness about the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle.  This can be done through the media like television and newspapers.  At an early age, children should be given education about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.  It should also be included in the curriculum.  Moreover, sports should be made compulsory in schools.  Another effective way is to give gym and sports facilities in factories and offices.