Listen to Todd and Rachael talk about how everyday life used to be when they were kids and answer the questions:
🇬🇧 After you finish the listening comprehension exercises, you can check your answers and review the complete transcript in the separate document included in this unit.
🇪🇸 Después de completar los ejercicios de comprensión auditiva, puedes comprobar tus respuestas y revisar la transcripción completa en el documento aparte incluido en esta unidad.
I have always wanted to do something meaningful with my holidays, so last year I ______ (1) to join a volunteering project in Peru. I ______ (2) about the organization through a friend who had worked with them before, and I immediately felt inspired. Before leaving, I ______ (3) nervous — it was my first time travelling alone — but everyone in the team was really supportive. When I arrived, I ______ (4) amazed by the beauty of the mountains and the kindness of the people. During the first week, we ______ (5) houses for local families and taught English to children in a small school. I’ve ______ (6) done anything so rewarding in my life! The children were curious and eager to learn, and by the end of the month they could already introduce themselves in English. Since I came back home, I ______ (7) in touch with some of my Peruvian friends. We often exchange messages and photos. The experience ______ (8) changed my perspective on life — I appreciate things more now. I haven’t decided what I’ll do next summer ______ (9), but I’m sure I’ll take part in another project soon. Helping others has ______ (10) become one of my priorities.
Running has never been easy for me, but it has always fascinated me. Three years ago, I decided to challenge myself and train for a marathon. At first, I couldn’t even run two kilometres without stopping, but I didn’t give up. I trained every day after work, even when it was raining or I felt tired. After six months, I ran my first half-marathon, and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. Crossing that finish line felt incredible — I had finally proved to myself that I could do it. A few months later, I signed up for the full marathon. The race took place in Madrid last spring. I woke up at 5 a.m., ate a banana, and joined thousands of other runners at the starting line. The first 20 kilometres went smoothly, but then I started to feel pain in my legs. I wanted to stop, but I kept remembering how far I had come. When I crossed the finish line after four hours and twenty minutes, I cried. I have never felt so proud in my life. Since that day, I have continued running, and I’ve even inspired some of my friends to start training too.
Listen to Todd talk about what he did today and answer the following questions:
🇬🇧 NOTE: Before reading the transcript, we recommend listening to the audio at least twice without any visual support, to practise your listening skills and get used to the natural rhythm of English. Afterwards, you can use the transcript to check your understanding, review any difficult parts, and learn new vocabulary or useful expressions.
🇪🇸 NOTA: Antes de leer la transcripción, te recomendamos escuchar el audio al menos un par de veces sin apoyo visual, para practicar tu comprensión auditiva y acostumbrarte al ritmo natural del inglés. Después, puedes utilizar la transcripción para revisar dudas, comprobar lo que has entendido y aprender vocabulario nuevo o expresiones útiles.
TRANSCRIPT
Hi everyone. This is your teacher, Todd and I will talk about my day.
So today I had a really good day. I woke up early and I read for a bit. I read a book that I love. It’s got a really, really good story. And then I took a drive. I drove down here to the countryside and I walked along the rice fields here and I just relaxed.
Then I went to the beach and I sat on the beach and just did nothing. I did nothing. I just sat there and I looked out at the ocean and just cleared my mind. It was a really nice day. So it was a really fun Sunday. I felt relaxed all day and I didn’t feel stressed, and now I’m ready for work tomorrow. So, yeah, it was a good day.
How about you? What did you do today? Did you drive anywhere? Did you go anywhere? Did you talk to anyone? Did you buy anything today? I didn’t buy anything. Oh wait, I did. I bought lunch, but besides that, I didn’t buy anything.
Complete the gaps in the following text with the correct vocabulary and form of the verbs:
Last summer, I finally (1)________ my dream of visiting Thailand. I (2)________ my flight online and printed my (3)________ the night before. At the airport, I arrived early, but the screen said my (4)________ was delayed.
While I waited, I (5)________ to another traveller, and we shared stories about past trips. When the plane finally (6)__________, everyone (7)__________ with relief. We were tired but excited.
The (8)_________ was long but comfortable, and I (9)_________ dozens of photos from the window. When we (10)__________ in Bangkok, I went to collect my (11)__________ — but it wasn’t there. I immediately (12)___________ the airline desk, and they promised to send it to my hotel later that day.
Despite the stress, that trip became one of the best experiences of my life.
