WHY DO WE HAVE TO GO TO WORK?

1. Do you work or study? If you are doing a job, what work do you do? If not what do
you want to do when you grow up?
2. Why did you choose to do that type of work (or that job)?
3. Do you like your job?
4. What technology do you use at work?
5. What do you dislike about your job?
6. How do you spend your work day?
7. Is it better to work in the morning or in the afternoon?
8. What do you do to improve your productivity?
9. Is that a popular job in your country?
10. Is there anything special about the job?
11. Would you recommend your current job to other people?

Is this you?
 VOCABULARY – HOW TO TALK ABOUT JOB

SPEAKING PART 2
Describe a job you’d like to do in the future.

You should say:

 What the job is
 How you know about it
 What you have done to prepare for it
 and explain why you would like to do this job
Describe a job that you would not like to do.

You should say:

 What the job is
 How you know about this job
 How easy or difficult the job is
 And explain why you would not like to do this job.

VIDEO: WHY DO WE PROCRASTINATE EVEN WHEN IT FEELS SO BAD?

Do you procrastinate?
What do you do to defeat procrastination?
Is procrastination bad? If not, why is it good?

VIDEO SCRIPT
It’s 5 p.m. and you’ve just realized that report you’ve been putting off is due tomorrow.
It’s time to buckle down, open your computer... and check your phone. Maybe catch up on your
favorite YouTube channel? Actually, you should probably make dinner first. You usually like
cooking, though it’s hard to enjoy with this work hanging over your head, and oh— it’s actually
pretty late! Maybe you should just try again in the morning? This is the cycle of procrastination,
and I promise you, we have all been there.
But why do we keep procrastinating even when we know it’s bad for us? To be clear, putting
something off isn’t always procrastinating. Responsible time management requires deciding
which tasks are important and which ones can wait. Procrastination is when we avoid a task we
said we would do, for no good reason, despite expecting our behavior to bring negative
consequences.
Obviously, it’s irrational to do something you expect to harm you. But ironically, procrastination
is the result of our bodies trying to protect us, specifically by avoiding a task we see as
threatening. When you realize you need to write that report, your brain responds like it would to
any incoming threat. Your amygdala, a set of neurons involved in emotional processing and
threat identification, releases hormones including adrenaline that kick off a fear response. This
stress-induced panic can overpower the impulses from your prefrontal cortex, which typically
help you think long term and regulate your emotions. And it’s in the midst of this fight, flight, or
freeze response that you decide to handle the threat by avoiding it in favor of some less stressful
task.
This response might seem extreme— after all, it’s just a deadline, not a bear attack. But we’re
most likely to procrastinate tasks that evoke negative feelings, such as dread, incompetence, and
insecurity. Studies of procrastinating university students have found participants were more likely
to put off tasks they perceived as stressful or challenging. And the perception of how difficult the
task is increases while you’re putting it off.
In one experiment, students were given reminders to study throughout the day. While they were
studying, most reported that it wasn’t so bad. But when they were procrastinating, they
consistently rated the idea of studying as very stressful, making it difficult to get started.
Because procrastination is motivated by our negative feelings, some individuals are more
susceptible to it than others. People who have difficulty regulating their emotions and those who
struggle with low self-esteem are much more likely to procrastinate, regardless of how good they
are at time management.
However, it's a common misconception that all procrastinators are lazy. In the body and brain,
laziness is marked by no energy and general apathy. When you’re feeling lazy, you’re more
likely to sit around doing nothing than distract yourself with unimportant tasks. In fact, many
people procrastinate because they care too much. Procrastinators often report a high fear of
failure, putting things off because they’re afraid their work won’t live up to their high standards.
Whatever the reason for procrastination, the results are often the same. Frequent procrastinators
are likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, ongoing feelings of shame, higher stress levels,
and physical ailments associated with high stress. Worst of all, while procrastination hurts us in
the long run, it does temporarily reduce our stress level, reinforcing it as a bodily response for
coping with stressful tasks.
So, how can we break the cycle of procrastination? Traditionally, people thought procrastinators
needed to cultivate discipline and practice strict time management. But today, many researchers
feel the exact opposite. Being too hard on yourself can layer additional bad emotions onto a task,
making the threat even more intense. To short-circuit this stress response, we need to address and
reduce these negative emotions. Some simple strategies include breaking a task into smaller
elements or journaling about why it's stressing you out and addressing those underlying concerns.
Try removing nearby distractions that make it easy to impulsively procrastinate. And more than
anything, it helps to cultivate an attitude of self-compassion, forgiving yourself, and making a
plan to do better next time. Because a culture that perpetuates this cycle of stress and
procrastination hurts all of us in the long term.
READING CHALLENGE
Read the statements below and decide whether they are Yes, No, or Not Given based on the text.
1. Procrastination is always harmful to our productivity and well-being.
o Yes / No / Not Given
2. The amygdala releases hormones to help us focus on long-term goals.
o Yes / No / Not Given
3. People who struggle with low self-esteem are more likely to procrastinate.
o Yes / No / Not Given
4. Procrastinators are often lazy and unmotivated.
o Yes / No / Not Given
5. Studies have shown that students perceive studying as less stressful once they actually
start doing it.
o Yes / No / Not Given
6. Breaking tasks into smaller parts can help reduce procrastination.
o Yes / No / Not Given
7. Some researchers believe that self-discipline is the key to overcoming procrastination.
o Yes / No / Not Given
8. Procrastination is always caused by fear of failure.
o Yes / No / Not Given
Fill in the Blank Exercise
Fill in the blanks with appropriate words from the text.
1. The cycle of _______________ affects almost everyone at some point.
2. Procrastination occurs when we avoid a task despite expecting _______________
consequences.
3. The _______________ is the part of the brain involved in emotional processing and
identifying threats.
4. Procrastinators often put off tasks because they fear their work won’t live up to their
_______________.
5. _______________ is one of the simplest strategies to combat procrastination, by breaking
down tasks into smaller elements.
6. When people feel lazy, they are more likely to sit around doing _______________ than
distracting themselves with unimportant tasks.
7. Procrastination might temporarily reduce stress but tends to _______________ it in the
long run.
8. Researchers recommend cultivating an attitude of _______________ to help break the
procrastination cycle.
LISTENING CHALLENGE
IELTS Practice Set 15 listening test 2
RECORDING 1
Complete the table below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Festival information
Date Type of event Details
17th a concert performers from Canada
18th a ballet company called 1……………
19th-20th (afternoon) a play type of play: a comedy called Jemima has had a
good 2………….
20th (evening) a 3………… show show is called 4………….
Complete the notes below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY for each answer.
Workshops
● Making 5…………….. food
● (children only) Making 6……………..
● (adults only) Making toys from 7……………… using various tools
Outdoor activities
● Swimming in the 8………………
● Walking in the woods, led by an expert on 9……………….
See the festival organiser’s 10………………. for more information
RECORDING 2
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Minster Park
11 The park was originally established
A. as an amenity provided by the city council.
B. as land belonging to a private house.
C. as a shared area set up by the local community.
12 Why is there a statue of Diane Gosforth in the park?
A. She was a resident who helped to lead a campaign.
B. She was a council member responsible for giving the public access.
C. She was a senior worker at the park for many years.
13 During the First World War, the park was mainly used for
A. exercises by troops.
B. growing vegetables.
C. public meetings.
14 When did the physical transformation of the park begin?
A. 2013
B. 2015
C. 2016
15 statue of Diane Gosforth …………..
16 wooden sculptures …………..
17 playground …………..
18 maze …………..
19 tennis courts …………..
20 fitness area …………..