speakout Pre-Intermediate
7 CHANGES
UNIT 7
Overview
Watch the video podcast. What do you have in common with the speakers?
1 Watch the video podcast from 0:11-0:19. Why does Hina feel good about life at the moment? Watch
the podcast two or three times if necessary.
2 Look at the people below and read the things they say. Then watch the podcast from 0:19-3:17 and
match the people to sentences 1-6.
A B C D E F
1 My life has changed quite a bit in the last two years. D
2 I enjoy living in the UK, and I’ve been over here for about nine years – so I do enjoy my life.
3 And then personal life…got married, I had my first child, bought my first property.
4 I’ve got two lovely children, a great husband and I just finished paying for my house.
5 Ten years ago I was a student and so I used to get up late, and I used to have lots of time.
And now I have to go to work.
6 I’d like to go on more holidays.
Glossary: p roperty = house/flat
3 How do they feel about their lives at the moment? Watch the video podcast from 0:19-1:19. Is
anybody not happy with their life?
4 Look at the people below and read their answers. Then watch the podcast again from 0:19-1:19 and
underline the words in italics that you hear.
A B C D E F
1 I have a fabulous / fantastic partner, four beautiful children, a great job – and I live in London.
2 I have a job that I really enjoy and I’ve just bought / moved into a flat.
3 I have / am just about to go on holiday so I am, yeah, looking forward to that.
4 I’m happy with where / who I am, yeah. I’ve just graduated for two weeks.
5 My husband / life is great.
6 Started a new job / family as well. I bought a house. Things like that, you know.
Glossary: fabulous = very good/great; about to (go) = am (going) soon; as
well = also
© Pearson Education Limited 2011 page 1
speakout Pre-Intermediate
7 CHANGES
UNIT 7
5 Look at the people below and read the sentences about them. Then watch the video podcast from
1:20-3:18 and tick (✓) the correct sentence for each person, a or b.
A B C D E F
1a) She’d like to travel a lot more. 4a) She’s recently stopped work.
1b) She’d like to travel a bit more. ✓ 4b) She’s recently started work again.
2a) She really wants to get into graphic design. 5a) She’s moved to a different part of London.
2b) She wants to change her job. 5b) She’s moved to London.
3a) He’d like more children. 6a) She sees her friends more now.
3b) His wife’s recently had a baby. 6b) She doesn’t see her friends so much now.
6 How have their lives changed in the last few years? Watch the video podcast from 1:50-3:18 and
match five people from Ex 5 to the questions below.
1 Who’s moved to the United Kingdom? A
2 Who had a five-year break from work?
3 Who does a lot of family things?
4 Who has a daughter now?
5 Who’s living in a new area?
The way we speak
7 Look at the people below and read what they say about their lives. Then watch the video podcast
from 0:19-3:18 and complete phrases 1-6 with words a-f in the box.
a) circle b) full-time c) get d) on e) career f ) afford
I’m enjoying my life at the moment because I have a good 1circle of friends.
I’d like to 2be able to _________ to join a gym so that I could 3____________ fitter.
Specifically in that I had a five-year break from work, 4put my career __________ hold
and returned back to 5__________ employment.
Yeah, I’ve changed in every possible way really. 6__________-wise,
I made a big decision of changing my career, coming to HSBC.
© Pearson Education Limited 2011 CHANGES page page 2
speakout Pre-Intermediate
7 CHANGES
UNIT 7
Vocabulary
8 Match definitions a-f to phrases 1-6 in Ex 7.
a) group of friends 1
b) stopped working
c) talking about my career
d) get healthier and stronger
e) work for eight hours a day, five days a week
f ) have enough money
Personalisation
9 How do you feel about your life? Write sentences using the prompts below.
1 At the moment, my life is____________________________________________.
2 I’d like to ________________________________________________________.
3 In the last few years, _______________________________________________.
Fun Facts
If you want to be happy, go and live in the Pacific. Vanuatu is the happiest place on earth,
according to a survey. To find out more, go to the BBC link here.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/5172254.stm
© Pearson Education Limited 2011 page 3
