Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. level
    • ex. The table is not level, so the cups keep sliding off.
  2. consume
    • ex. The old TV consumes a lot of electricity when it is turned on all day.
  3. roughly
    • ex. There were roughly 50 people at the party last night.
  4. locomotion
    • ex. Birds use their wings for locomotion to move from one place to another.
  5. the general public
    • ex. The new park is now open to the general public.

Article

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

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Stair-climbing could be a great exercise for those who want to lose weight and try something new. It’s easy to do, and studies show it’s better at burning calories than walking on level ground. According to Lauri van Houten of the International Skyrunning Federation, stair-climbing helps people get fit faster since it consumes more calories.

People often ask, “How many calories will I burn?” The answer depends on a person’s weight. Heavier people burn roughly more calories. Research shows that climbing stairs burns about 20 times more calories than walking on level ground. Even going down the stairs consumes about five times more calories because your muscles work to slow you down. Dr. Alberto Minetti, a scientist studying human locomotion, highlights the benefits of this exercise.

Yuri Yoshizumi won last year’s women’s Stairclimbing World Championships in Osaka, Japan, climbing 1,610 stairs in just over 10 minutes. She described stair-climbing as an ideal activity for beginners and the general public. Yoshizumi, who lives in a big city like Osaka, shared another benefit of stair-climbing: It is easy to do every day and is a good way to stay fit.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Stair-Climbing Exercise

  • Have you ever tried stair-climbing for exercise? Discuss.
  • According to the article, stair-climbing is easy to do every day in big cities like Osaka. In your city/town, is stair-climbing easy to do? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • Do you think stair-climbing is a good exercise for people of all ages? Why or why not? Discuss.

Burning Calories and Staying Fit

  • What activities do you do to burn calories? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, why is it important to stay fit? Discuss.
  • Aside from doing exercise and playing sports, what are some other ways people can burn calories? Discuss.