Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. constant
    • ex. His constant practice on the piano helped him improve his skills.
  2. a respondent
    • ex. The respondents in the survey gave their opinions about global warming.
  3. notable
    • ex. My friend received a notable award for her excellent performance in the school play.
  4. pervasive
    • ex. The influence of technology is pervasive in our daily lives, from smartphones to computers.
  5. productive
    • ex. The team meeting was very productive. The members were able to discuss many topics and concerns.

Article

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

Font size

A recent survey by Gallup revealed that 57% of Americans want more sleep to feel better. Americans have a strong belief that they have to work really hard to succeed. As a result, they find it difficult to get enough rest. Also, the constant use of technology and long work hours contribute to their busy lifestyle. The survey found that only 42% say they are getting as much sleep as they need.

Only 26% of the respondents said they got eight or more hours of sleep daily. Experts recommend at least eight hours of sleep to maintain good health and mental well-being. Meanwhile, 53% reported getting six to seven hours of sleep daily. And 20% reported getting five hours or less, which is 6% more than in 2013.

Sarah Fioroni is a researcher at Gallup. She said it’s notable how more Americans now believe they need more sleep compared to the past decade. In the U.S., there has been a pervasive belief that sleep is unnecessary because it’s not productive. And only recently, people have started to realize how important sleep is for their physical, mental, and emotional health.

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

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Sleep

  • Do you think you get enough sleep? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Why do you think people find it hard to get enough sleep (ex. because they’re busy, because they think it’s not productive)? Discuss.
  • More Americans now believe they need more sleep compared to the past decade. Why do you think it changed (ex. because of recent health trends, because of educational content on social media)? Discuss.

Productive Activities

  • What activities do you consider as productive? Discuss.
  • Do you consider sleep a productive activity? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you believe that resting is just as important as working? Why or why not? Discuss.