English Lesson 99
Bicycles and helping people
Bicycles in your town, a person who has done a lot to help others, and community services.
How to practise
- Listen to an answer two times. Read the text while you listen.
- Shadow it. Set the speed to 0.75×. Play it again and speak at the same time as the voice.
- Turn on practice mode. The answers are hidden. Read each question and answer it out loud.
- Make it yours. Use the same phrases, but say true things about your city, your job and your life.
- Practise with a partner. One person reads the questions. The other answers without looking.
Part 1 · Interview
Bicycles
Short answers. About 20 to 30 seconds each. Answer, give a reason, add one detail.
How popular are bicycles in your hometown? Why?
Not very popular. My city is quite hilly, and the traffic is dangerous for cyclists. Most people use bikes only in parks for fun. But recently, some young people have started cycling to university.
- quite hillywith many hills
- dangerous for cyclistsnot safe for bike riders
- for funfor enjoyment
How often do you ride a bicycle?
About once a week, usually on Friday mornings. I ride along the river path, where there are no cars. It's relaxing, and it's good exercise for my legs.
- About once a weeksay how often
- the river patha path next to the river
- good exercise for my legsit makes my legs stronger
Are bicycles suitable for all ages? Why?
Mostly, yes. Children love bikes, and adults can use them for exercise or transport. Older people can ride too, especially with electric bikes, which make it easier. But very old people might find it hard to balance.
- Mostly, yes.mainly yes
- electric bikesbikes with a small motor
- hard to balancedifficult to stay up
What are the advantages of a bicycle compared with a car?
A bicycle is much cheaper. You don't need fuel or expensive repairs. It doesn't pollute the air, and it's great exercise. In busy cities, it can even be faster, because you don't get stuck in traffic.
- You don't need fuelno petrol needed
- It doesn't pollute the airit doesn't make the air dirty
- get stuck in trafficbe unable to move because of cars
Part 2 · Cue card
A person who has done a lot to help people
You get 1 minute to prepare and then speak for 1 to 2 minutes. Follow the four points on the card in order.
Candidate task card
Describe a person who has done a lot of work to help people.
You should say:
- who this person is
- where this person lives
- what he or she has done to help people
- and explain how you know about this person
Start
I'd like to talk about a doctor in my hometown called Dr Rahmani. He's helped thousands of people in his life.
Who he is
He's a retired children's doctor. He's about seventy now, but he still works three days a week.
Where he lives
He lives in my hometown, a small city in the south. He's lived there all his life, even though he could have earned much more money in the capital.
What he has done
For more than thirty years, he has treated poor children for free every Thursday. He also started a small charity that pays for surgery for children whose families can't afford it. During the pandemic, he worked long hours at the hospital, even though he was old and at risk.
How you know about him
I know him because he was my doctor when I was a child. Also, everyone in my city knows his name. People respect him so much that when he walks in the street, people stop to thank him. He showed me that one person can really change a community.
- He's helped thousands of peoplepresent perfect for life experience
- a retired children's doctora children's doctor who stopped regular work
- he could have earned much more moneyit was possible, but he didn't
- treated poor children for freehelped them without payment
- at riskin danger
- one person can really change a communitya strong ending
Part 3 · Discussion
Helping in the community
Longer answers. About 30 to 45 seconds. Give your opinion, explain why, and give an example.
What are some ways people can help others in the community? Which is most important?
People can volunteer, give money to charity, help elderly neighbours or teach children for free. I think giving time is the most important, because many people, like lonely old people, need company more than money.
- volunteerwork without pay to help
- giving timespending your time to help
- need company more than moneyneed people with them
Why do some people like to help other people?
Helping others makes people feel good and useful. Some people were helped when they were in trouble, so they want to give something back. For others, it's part of their religion or their values.
- feel good and usefulfeel happy and important
- give something backhelp in return
- part of their religion or their valuesconnected to their beliefs
Do people help others in the community more or less than in the past?
In some ways less, because people are busier and don't know their neighbours. But in other ways more, because the internet makes it easy to give money to charities or organise help quickly after a disaster.
- In some ways less, …partly less
- But in other ways moreshow the other side
- after a disasterafter a big bad event like an earthquake
What services, like libraries or health centres, are there in your area? Are there enough?
In my area, there's a small library, a health centre, a park and a sports hall. I think there are enough for now, but they're often crowded. The library especially needs more space and newer books.
- a health centrea small medical clinic
- enough for nowsufficient at the moment
- they're often crowdedthey have many people
Which groups of people generally need the most support in a community? Why?
Elderly people living alone, people with disabilities and poor families with children usually need the most support. They often can't solve their problems alone, and they may not have family nearby to help.
- people with disabilitiespeople with physical or mental problems
- can't solve their problems aloneneed help
- family nearbyfamily living close
Who should pay for community services, the government or individuals?
Mainly the government, using taxes, because these services should be available to everyone, rich or poor. But individuals and companies can help too, for example by donating books to libraries or money to health centres.
- Mainly the governmentthe main payer
- using taxeswith money people pay to the state
- available to everyonefor all people
- donatinggiving for free
Audio: Microsoft neural voices. A British voice reads the examiner's questions, and an American voice reads the model answers.