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  • Hello, I'm Neil. And welcome to 6 Minute English,  

  • where we vigorously discuss a new topic  and six related items of vocabulary.

  • And hello, I'm Rob. Today we're discussing  vigorous exerciseand whether adults take  

  • enough of it! Vigorous means using  a lot of energy to do something.

  • So how many steps do you do in a day, Rob?

  • How many steps? How should I know, Neil? –  It would be pretty hard to count them all.

  • Oh, come on! You can track  steps on your phone! I do ten  

  • thousand a daywhich is the magic number  for keeping fit and healthy, apparently.

  • Not if you saunter, Neil, surely? Sauntering from  

  • the sofa to the fridge and back  – Or from the house to the car.

  • Well, I never saunter, Rob. Saunter means  to walk slowly. And you'd have to make a  

  • lot of trips to the fridge to  clock up ten thousand steps.  

  • To get some vigorous exercise, you need to get  out and aboutround the park at a brisk pace

  • Brisk means quick and energeticthe opposite of  sauntering. OK, well, perhaps you can you tell me,  

  • Neil, how many people aged between 40 and 60 do  less than ten minutes brisk walking every month?  

  • Is it… a) 4%, 

  • b) 14% or c) 40%?

  • I'm going to say… 4% because ten  minutes is such a short amount of time!

  • Indeed. Now, I've got another question for youNeil. Why is exercise so important? Because it  

  • sounds pretty boringcounting stepsgoing to the gym, running on a machine.

  • Well, when you exercise, you stimulate  the body's natural repair system.  

  • Your body will actually stay  younger if you exercise!

  • That sounds good.

  • Exercise also lowers your  risk of developing illnesses  

  • such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

  • Hmm. I'm getting a bit worried now,  

  • Neil. But I don't have enough time to dothousand steps every day… I'm far too busy!

  • Well, Rob. Now might be a good time to listen  to Julia Bradbury. She's a TV presenter and  

  • outdoor walking enthusiast who will explain  how she builds walking into her busy life.

  • I will walk to meetings instead of catchingbus, or getting a taxi or a carinto meetings.  

  • And I will also, if I can't build that into my  working day, if it's a day when I haven't got  

  • meetings and I'm maybe at home with the kids,  I will take the time – I will take my kids out  

  • with the buggy and I will definitely do 30-40  minutes at least everyday. Going to the park,  

  • going to the shops, picking up my things  up en route, and really sort of building  

  • it into my life. Taking the stairs and not  taking lifts, all of these kinds of little  

  • decisions can incrementally build up to  create more walking time in your day.

  • So if you build something in to your dayor  your lifeyou include it from the beginning.

  • And Julia Bradbury has built walking into her day.  

  • Even though she's very busy tooRob! You should learn from her!

  • So she walks instead of driving or taking the bus.  

  • And takes the stairs instead of  the lift. I could do those things.

  • You could indeedbefore you know ityou'd be doing ten thousand stepsbecause  

  • the amount of walking you do  in a day builds incrementally.

  • Incrementally means gradually increasing in  size. OK, well, before I think that over, perhaps  

  • I could tell you the answer  to today's quiz question?

  • OK. You asked me: How many people aged between  40 and 60 do less than ten minutes brisk walking  

  • every month? The options were: a) 4%, 

  • b) 14% or c) 40%?

  • And you said 4%. But I'm afraid it's actually  40%. And that's according to the Government body  

  • Public Health England here in the UK. Oh dear, that's a lot more people than I expected.  

  • But it isn't that surprisingpeople in all age  groups are leading more sedentary lifestyles these  

  • days. Our job is very sedentarywhich means it  involves a lot of sitting and not much exercise!

  • Well, I might just run on the spot while we go  over the new vocabulary we've learned today!

  • Good plan. First up we heard 'vigorous' – which  means using a lot of energy to do something.

  • OK. “I am running vigorously on the spot!”

  • Great example! And good to see you taking some  vigorous exercise! Number two – 'saunter' – means  

  • to walk slowly in a relaxed way. “Whensaw Rob, I sauntered over to say hello.”

  • Hi Neil. Number three – 'briskmeans quick and energetic.

  • It's important to take some  brisk exercise every day.”

  • Yes! And I'm beginning to  realise that might be true.

  • Yep! I think you've done  enough jogging for today, Rob.  

  • You've probably done about a hundred steps. Is that all?  

  • OK, number fourif you 'build something in to  something' – you include it from the beginning.

  • It's important to build regular  exercise into your daily routine.”

  • Very good advice. Number five is 'incrementallywhich means gradually increasing in size.

  • Incremental is the adjective.  “The company has been making  

  • incremental changes to its pay structure.”

  • Does that mean we're getting a pay rise?

  • I doubt it! And finally, number six –  'sedentary' means sitting a lot and not  

  • taking much exercise. For example, “It's bad for  your health to lead such a sedentary lifestyle.”

  • Duly noted, Neil! Well, it's time to go nowBut if today's show has inspired you to step  

  • out and take more exercise, please  let us know by visiting our Twitter,  

  • Facebook and YouTube pages  and telling us about it!

  • Goodbye!

  • Bye bye!

  • Hello. This is 6 Minute English  from BBC Learning English. I'm Rob.

  • And I'm Sam.

  • With the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemicpeople in many countries around the world have  

  • started wearing face masks to protect both  themselves and others they come into contact with.  

  • In this programme we'll be asking  whether wearing masks in public  

  • can help prevent the spread of  coronavirus in the community.

  • Face masks have long been popular in some Asian  countries but with the spread of Covid- 19,  

  • they're increasingly being seen  in other parts of the world too.

  • Wearing a protective mask or face covering is  nothing new. Medical masks have a long history  

  • from the plagues of medieval Europe to nineteenth  century outbreaks of cholera in the United States,  

  • but when did they start to be commonly  used? That's my quiz question for today:  

  • when and where were face masks  first widely used? Was it:

  • a) 1855 in Vienna,

  • b) 1905 in Chicago, or

  • c) 1955 in London.

  • Well, you mentioned cholera outbreaks in  the US, so I'll say b) 1905 in Chicago.

  • Right Sam, we'll find out later if you were right.  

  • Now, face masks may inspire confidence but what is  the evidence that they actually protect the wearer  

  • from contracting the virus or prevent infected  people from spreading the virus to others?

  • Professor Robert West has conducted a review of  over twenty studies looking into the evidence.  

  • Here he is speaking to the BBC World  Service programme Health Check

  • The evidence is equivocal on it. It doesn't tell  you anything yet - hopefully that will change.  

  • So we're thrown back on first principles and this  is why, as in so many areas of public health,  

  • you get such a heated debate because people  are really relying on their opinion on things  

  • and you will have one group who  say, 'Well, it stands to reason',-  

  • the good old 'stands to reason' argument  – which is: obviously, if you've got a  

  • covering in front of your face, and you're  speaking or coughing into that covering,  

  • it's going to trap quite a lot of the  virus on the droplets you'll be emitting.

  • So far the evidence over whether face masks are  helpful or harmful is equivocaldifficult to  

  • interpret because it seems to have two opposite or  contradictory meanings. Based on current evidence,  

  • Professor West feels we cannot say  whether mask-wearing is beneficial.

  • Some evidence suggests that  wearing masks can prevent  

  • the disease spreading and  some suggests the opposite.

  • There may be reasons why wearing masks could  actually increase the spread of coronavirus.

  • However, for some people, it stands  to reason that masks are beneficial–  

  • meaning it is obviously true from the facts.

  • Actually, the evidence is far from obviousBut everyone has an opinion on the issue  

  • and after weeks of stressful lockdown, this  can lead to heated debatediscussion or  

  • argument in which people become angry and excited.

  • Up until recently, the World Health Organisation  said there were two groups who definitely  

  • should wear masks: people showing  symptoms of the virus and their carers.

  • But that left the problem of people  who have the virus without knowing it  

  • and maybe unintentionally emitting it  – sending something out into the air,  

  • for example a noise or smell, or in this casecoronavirus. In June the WHO advice changednow  

  • they say masks should be worn in public where  social distancing measures are not possible.

  • But the advantages of wearing masks might  be outweighed by other considerations,  

  • as Professor West explains

  • It could also have unfortunate negative  consequencesin terms of mask shamingthat  

  • people feel compelled to wear masks in situations  where it's actually not helpful and may be harmful  

  • because it's expected of them  and they feel that they would be  

  • judged if they didn't. But  I think in addition to that,  

  • one of the problems we have is that masks can  potentially create a false sense of security.

  • One negative effect is the practice of mask  shamingcriticising or humiliating someone  

  • for not wearing a face covering.

  • Another problem is that wearing masks might  create a false sense of security – a feeling  

  • of being safer than you really areIs that what happened in 1905 Rob?

  • Ah yes, today's quiz question. I asked you  when face masks were first widely used?

  • And I said, b) 1905 in Chicago.

  • Well done Sam, you were absolutely right! It  was 1905 in Chicago when Dr Alice Hamilton  

  • first noticed that carers wearing masks to  treat scarlet fever patients, did not get sick.

  • Interesting. Today we've been discussing  whether wearing masks helps prevent  

  • infected people emitting –  or sending out, coronavirus.

  • So far the evidence is equivocal –  unclear because it seems contradictory.  

  • In other words, we can't  say either way for certain.

  • But for some, it stands to reason - meaning it's  obviously true - that mask-wearing is a good idea.

  • This disagreement over wearing face coverings  

  • has started heated debatethat's  discussion which becomes angry or excited.

  • And this in turn has led to incidents of  

  • mask shamingcriticising or mocking  people for not wearing a face mask.

  • A final drawback is that masks  might give the wearer a false  

  • sense of securitythat's belief  that they are safe when they are not.

  • That's all we've got time for today.

  • Bye for now!

  • Bye!

  • Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Neil.

  • And I'm Sam.

  • And in this programme we're looking  at the word objectification.

  • Objectification is when we  reduce people to objects.

  • An example of this is advertising and the media  and in particular the way women have been shown.  

  • Impossibly attractive and implausibly  perfect models in adverts and in movies  

  • and on TV you are much more likely to  see naked or half-naked women than men.

  • Objectification can lead to issues in  societysuch as inequality and discrimination.  

  • Objectification of women is a problem but  what about the objectification of men?

  • Before we hear more, it's time for a question.  

  • Today's question is: on British TV in which decade  was a completely naked man first seen? Was it

  • a) the 1940s

  • b) the 1950s

  • c) the 1960s

  • What do you think Sam?

  • I'm going for the 60s.

  • I'll give the answer later in the programme. Now  Sam, do you know the TV programme Love Island?

  • Yes, it's a kind of a dating show and all  the contestants - men and women - spend a  

  • lot of time in their swimming costumes  and they've all got perfect bodies.

  • Yes, that's right. It's a programme  that seems equally to objectify  

  • men and women equally. But is that a bad thingDr Peter Lucas is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy  

  • at the University of Central Lancashire. He spoke  on this topic on the BBC's Woman's Hour programme.  

  • What does he suggest might be the advantage  of featuring men with 'perfect' bodies?

  • If you look at the impact of TV series like  Love Island for instance, the producers  

  • of that programme present that as, have described  that as being aspirational for their audience.  

  • It's presenting role models, its presenting  models that people are supposed to aspire to.  

  • Now many women, thinking about the male bodies  that are on display there might think well, if it  

  • means that more men get off to the gym, look after  themselves physically, surely that's a good thing.

  • So what might be an advantage of these  highly fit athletic bodies on show?

  • Dr Lucas suggests that seeing those bodies  might encourage men to go to the gym  

  • and work hard to improve their fitness  and health and that could be a good thing.

  • Yes, the people in the programme  are described as role models.  

  • A role model is someone whose behaviour is  seen as a good example for others to copy.

  • I'm not sure the behaviour of the people in Love  Island makes them good role models, but perhaps  

  • from the point of view of their physical fitness  they give us something to aspire to. If you aspire  

  • to something, it's something you can aim forsomething you want to achieve. Dr Lucas also  

  • used a related word, aspirational. The TV series  Love Island was described as being aspirational.  

  • It shows a lifestyle that people would like  to have, something they might aim to achieve.

  • But there are also dangers to encouraging  people to get to the gym. Here's Dr Lucas again.

  • But also it's likely to generate higher  levels of narcissism, self-consciousness,  

  • becoming obsessive about your appearanceIt's not particularly an attractive feature  

  • either in men or in women and I suspect that's  impacting on men's behaviour in a way which  

  • is detrimental in the same sort of way that's  been detrimental for women really, for decades.

  • He talks about behaviour that is detrimentalthis means behaviour that has a negative impact.  

  • What behaviours does he say are detrimental?

  • If people become obsessed by their  appearance it could lead to narcissism.  

  • This is a condition where you spend so much  time focussing on yourself, your own looks,  

  • your own body that you stop  caring about anyone else.

  • And because it's very very  hard to get that kind of body  

  • it can also lead to people  being very self-conscious.  

  • They might become embarrassed about their bodies  and lose confidence in themselves as a result.

  • Right. It's almost time to review this week's  vocabulary, but before that let's have the  

  • answer to the quiz. In what decade was the  first naked man seen on British TV? Was it

  • a) the 1940s

  • b) the 1950s

  • c) the 1960s

  • What did you say, Sam?

  • I said c) the 60s.

  • I'm afraid the revolution had come earlier  than that. The correct answer is the 1950s.  

  • It was a 1957 documentary called Out of Steppart of which was filmed at a nudist colony.  

  • Now, time for our vocabulary.

  • Our first word was objectification. This  is the noun for when we reduce a human  

  • being to an object. We don't think of them asreal person anymore. The verb is to objectify.

  • Someone whose behaviour is a good example  that others want to copy is a role model.

  • When it comes to presenting 6 Minute  English, you are my role model, Neil.

  • You're too kind, and I aspire to  your level of professionalism, Sam.  

  • To aspire to - to aim to be, to hope to achieve.

  • That is related to the next word, aspirationalThis adjective is used to describe the desire to  

  • improve parts of you life - for examplegetting a better job or a better body.  

  • Aspirational TV programmes or adverts show  lifestyles that people might want to be theirs.

  • Our next word is an adjective for  something that is bad for you,  

  • something that has a negative  effect. The adjective is detrimental.

  • We heard that aspiring to the perfect body can be  detrimental because it might lead to narcissism.  

  • Narcissism is the term for someone  who is so obsessed with their own body  

  • and life that they don't care about anyone else.

  • Achieving that perfect body is incredibly hard and  

  • impossible for most real people and  not achieving it can make people overly  

  • self-conscious - which in this situation means  that they can lose confidence in themselves.

  • That's all we have time for today. Do join  us next time and remember you can find us on  

  • the website bbclearningenglish.com. Bye bye.

  • Bye!

  • Hello and welcome to 6 Minute Englishthe  show that brings you an interesting topic,  

  • authentic listening practice and vocabulary to  help you improve your language skills. I'm Rob

  • And I'm Catherine. In this programme we'll be  discussing quitting drinking and staying dry.

  • Right, so when you say 'quitting', you mean  'giving up' – and when you say 'drinking',  

  • you're particularly referring to  'the activity of drinking alcohol'.

  • Exactly Rob.

  • But, what about staying dry? It's  nothing to do with the weather?

  • No that's true. The adjective  

  • 'dry' here means 'no alcohol'. And I,  Rob, am currently having a dry January.

  • Ah yes, your New Year's resolution is to  give up alcohol for one month. Any reason?

  • Yes. I'm doing it in order to improve my  health and save some money. And a resolution,  

  • by the way, is a promise to yourself  to do something or not to do something.

  • Well, they seem like good reasons. And for  now, we must keep up our resolution to always  

  • start the programme with a questionso are you ready for it, Catherine?

  • I am, crack on, Rob!

  • According to data from the World  Health Organisation in 2015,  

  • which country consumed the most  alcohol per person? Was it

  • a) Australia

  • b) Finland

  • c) The Czech Republic

  • Well they all sound quite likely, but I did  visit Prague once and I had a lovely time,  

  • so I'm going to say c) the Czech Republic.

  • OK, well as always, we'll  find out the answer later on.  

  • But let's continue our discussion  about drinkingor informally known  

  • as boozingand trying to give it upWe all know that too much drinking can  

  • be bad for us and that's why you Catherinehave decided to quitbut only for a month.

  • Yes, just a month but it's a start and I might  continue into February. But I'm seeing the  

  • benefits already. I've managed to shed some weight  – most of which I actually put on over Christmas!

  • I can see. So to shed here simply  means 'lose'. And I bet your sobriety  

  • is helping you sleep better. Sobriety, by the  way, means 'the state of not being drunk'.

  • It is actually. And I'm not alone: A study  of 857 British adults by Dr Richard de Visser  

  • from the University of Sussex found that  after going for a month without alcohol,  

  • 62% of the people in the study  said they had better sleep. So Rob,  

  • does that tempt you to become  teetotal and stop drinking?

  • Not me Catherine. I need a drink to help me relax  and be more sociableyou know how shy I am!

  • Yes of course Rob! Well, maybe you should listen  to Catherine Gray. She's the author of a book  

  • called The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, which  she wrote after she discovered the negative  

  • effects of going to too many work-related  parties where she was just drinking too much.  

  • Here she is speaking on BBC  Radio 4's Woman's Hour programme

  • I had a lot of social anxiety and whenquit I had to deal with that. I think I  

  • used drinking as a crutch, a confidence  crutch - it eased the way to go to big  

  • glittering parties and stuff like that and when  I quit I had to learn real confidence in a way.

  • So Catherine worked in the magazine  business which involved going to  

  • lots of boozy parties. Drinking, she sayshelped herdeal with a nervous and worried  

  • feeling that she had when she met new  people - she called it social anxiety.

  • Yes, and she used drinking  as a crutch. A crutch here  

  • is something you depend on for support  – and sometimes you rely on it too much.

  • Yes and eventually she decided to  abstain from drinkingin other words,  

  • stop doing something that is enjoyable but bad  for youand she feels much better for it. So  

  • come on Rob, haven't you got the willpower  to just quit drinking for just 30 days?

  • Well according to Catherine Graythat wouldn't be long enough

  • Experts say that it takes 66 days fornew habit to bed in, so I would always  

  • recommend trying it for 90 days. 30 days is  the hard bit before you get to the rewards.  

  • Because after 66 days it starts getting a lot  easier and you start feeling better in yourself.

  • Right, so it takes 66 days for doingregular activity - a habit - to bed in. And  

  • 'bed in' means to 'become normal  and start working properly'.

  • Now, earlier I asked you, according to data  from the World Health Organisation in 2015,  

  • which country consumed the most  alcohol per person? Was it

  • a) Australia

  • b) Finland

  • c) The Czech Republic

  • And I said the Czech Republic. Was I right?

  • You were Catherine. Spot  on, well done. Apparently,  

  • 14.1 litres of pure alcohol is  consumed per person each year.

  • Well like I said, they do make good beer in the  Czech Republicbut people, be careful, only  

  • drink it in moderation. Now Rob, shall we take  a look at the vocabulary we've mentioned today?

  • Indeed. The first word we had was resolution  – that's a promise to yourself to do or not do  

  • something. 'Catherine's New Year's resolution was  to give up drinking alcohol for a whole month.'

  • Yes, and I'm still doing it Robthe  plan is to shed a few kilos and get fit.  

  • So for example, 'Rob shed lots of weight  when he went on a cake-free diet!'

  • Really? I'd never give up cake Catherine, but  I could be tempted to give up booze as I know  

  • sobriety is good for my healththat's the noun  word to mean 'the state of not being drunk'.

  • Now our next word was abstain. That means  'not do something that is enjoyable but bad  

  • for you'. 'Rob needs to abstain from eating  cakes if he wants to wear his skinny jeans.'

  • Are you dropping a hint thereCatherine? Now, our final word  

  • is actually two wordsbed in. It means 'to  become normal and start working properly'.  

  • 'It took a while for the new computer system  to bed in but now it's working perfectly.'

  • That's brilliant because now we  can go online and find more BBC  

  • Learning English programmes  at bbclearningenglish.com.  

  • That's all for today's 6 Minute EnglishWe hope you enjoyed it. Bye for now.

  • Bye.

  • Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English.  I'm Neil and joining me for this is Dan.

  • Hello.

  • And can I say Dan, you're looking very  slimit looks like your diet is working!

  • This is my normal figureand I have not been on  

  • a diet. But it looks like you've  actually put on a bit of weight.

  • Well I may have a little paunchor a fat stomach  – but didn't you know that it's out of my control?  

  • Some of this has to do with my genes –  not the ones I wearbut the cells in  

  • my body that control my development. That's  what we'll be discussing in this programme.

  • However our audience might describe themselves  – tubby and overweight or thin and skinny,  

  • which means very thinthey're more than  welcome to join us on this voyage of discovery.  

  • So let's start with answering a question.

  • What's the name of the popular diet that involves  avoiding eating carbohydrates and in which you can  

  • eat as much fat and protein as you like? Is it… a) the Mediterranean diet

  • b) the Atkins diet, or c) the Graham diet?

  • I've heard of the Atkins diet, so I'll say b).

  • Well, you'll have to wait a bit to find  out. But Dan, you may have also heard of  

  • a crash dietthat's where someone makesrapid change to the types of food they eat  

  • with the aim of losing weight quickly.

  • Yes, I know that eating this way can be risky  for your health and they don't always work.

  • That's true and now scientists have  some evidence that shows that our weight  

  • is not just controlled by what we eat. So it  might be quite natural for someone to be thin  

  • or fat - it's all to do with their  genes. Research published in the journal  

  • PLOS Genetics, explains how twin studies  have shown that about 40% of the variation  

  • in a person's weight is affected  by their genes. And also, why thin,  

  • but healthy people have genetic advantages  in terms of maintaining a healthy weight.

  • So that means that losing weight isn't just about  having willpowerthat's controlling your own  

  • behaviour to achieve somethingit's actually  about something that's out of our control?

  • Yes, possibly. Let's hear from the study's authorSadaf Farooqi, who is Professor of Metabolism and  

  • Medicine at the University of Cambridge, and  has been a pioneer in the genetics of obesity  

  • for more than twenty years. Obesity, of course, is  where someone is very overweight, in a way that is  

  • dangerous for their health. Here she is speaking  on the BBC World Service programme, Health Check.  

  • What does she say might be one of the benefits  of this research for people who are overweight?

  • It actually can be very helpful in trying to  get them to come to terms with some of the  

  • difficulties they may be having but also  help them engage with help and support  

  • to try and encourage weight loss… I hope one  of the main outcomes of this work might be,  

  • to a little bit, to start to get people thinking  about that. Because people are very judgemental  

  • and tend to think, look if I can stay thin and  control my weight why can't you? And what I  

  • would say to that is, well the data now shows that  you're probably quite lucky in terms of the genes  

  • that you have rather than just being either  morally superior or having better willpower.

  • Some interesting thoughts there. For people  who are overweight, this research can help  

  • them come to terms with the struggle they may  be having to lose weight. When you come to  

  • terms with something, you start to accept the  difficult or unpleasant situation you are in.

  • So I suppose she means accepting that  if you're trying to shed a few pounds  

  • unsuccessfully, it's not all your fault. And it  may stop people being so judgementalthat's  

  • so quick to criticise people  based on their own beliefs.

  • A slim person might say, "Well,  I ate less and lost weight, so  

  • why can't you?" – and now we know  things aren't quite that simple.  

  • You are just lucky to have the right genes  but it doesn't make you 'morally superior'.

  • So it's not just about having willpower.

  • This research is much more detailed of  course than we have time to explain here  

  • but for someone who is overweightwill they feel defeated?

  • Absolutely not, according to Professor FarooqiFor people who are obese, this research is  

  • helpful. Not only should it give them hope, it  could lead to the develop medicines to help them.

  • But as genes only playpart in our size and weight,  

  • we should all eat a healthy diet and do some  exercise. And there is always new research  

  • about the best things to do  and the right things to eat.

  • Recently, research published in the  British Journal of Sports Medicine,  

  • said that bursts of high intensity interval  training may be more effective for weight loss  

  • than longer less intense workouts. A burst  is a sudden and short increase in something.

  • Even if diets don't help you lose  weighteating the balanced diet  

  • can certainly keep you healthy and make you  feel good. And as I'm talking about diets,  

  • why don't I answer the question I asked  you earlier? What's the name of the  

  • popular diet in which you should avoid eating  carbohydrates but you can have as much fat and  

  • protein as you want? Is it… a) the Mediterranean diet

  • b) the Atkins diet, or c) the Graham diet?

  • I said the Atkins diet.

  • And that is correct, well done. This well-known  low-carb diet was developed by the American  

  • physician and cardiologist Robert Atkins in  the 1960s. Others low-card diets are available!

  • Neil, I think it's time we reminded ourselves  of some of the vocabulary we've discussed today.

  • Good idea. Let's talk about paunchanother name  

  • for a fat stomach that men  like meand youhave.

  • Speak for yourself! I'm closer to skinny –  a word to describe someone looking very thin  

  • and sometimes ill. Our next word was willpower.  

  • If you have willpower, you can control  your own behaviour to achieve something.

  • The next phrase, come to terms with  something means you start to accept  

  • the difficult or unpleasant situation you are in.

  • If you are judgemental, you are quick to  criticise people based on your own beliefs.

  • And finally, we mentioned a burst  of high intensity interval training.  

  • A burst is a sudden and  short increase in something.

  • Well, we've had a burst of vocabulary  there and it's time to say goodbye.  

  • Please join us next time.

  • And of course don't forget our websitebbclearningenglish.com. Goodbye.


  • Bye!

  • Hello. This is 6 Minute English  from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

  • And I'm Sam.

  • What blood type are you, Sam?

  • Ah, you mean the different groups used to  classify humans by bloodtypes A, B, AB and O.  

  • I think I'm type O. How about you, Neil?

  • Well, it may sound strange  but actually I don't know.

  • Hmm, lots of westerners don't know  their blood type, but in parts of Asia  

  • blood groups are a topic of daily conversationPeople select romantic partners based on  

  • blood type and different blood groups are  associated with different personalities.

  • In this programme, we'll be finding out all  about bloodwhy humans have different blood  

  • types and whether blood is something more than  just a way of pumping oxygen around your body.

  • And of course, we'll be learning  some new vocabulary as well.  

  • Now, Neil, I have an interesting fact for youdid you know that many Japanese popstars' websites  

  • will feature their blood type alongside  information like their age and hobbies?

  • I didn't, Sam, but Japanese culture  is certainly interested in blood.  

  • There's even a word 'burahara' meaning 'blood  harassment', which is used to describe hostility  

  • towards people from a certain blood group  considered to be selfishbut which group?  

  • That's my quiz question for todaywhich blood  types may fall victim to 'burahara'? Is it:

  • a) blood type A?

  • b) blood type B? Or

  • c) blood type O?

  • I'll say a) blood type A.

  • OK, Sam, we'll find out the answer later. As  we've heard, blood is a big deal in Japan.  

  • Marnie Chesterton, from BBC World  Service programme, CrowdScience,  

  • travelled to Tokyo where she asked Japanese  translator, Chie Kobayashi, to explain more:

  • For blood type A, generally it is  thought they are perfectionists,  

  • more detail-oriented, pretty much good at precise  type jobs, and that makes them good at helping  

  • others and good at teamwork and respecting rules  and customs. That's a typical blood A type.

  • 40 percent of Japan's population  are sensitive, anxious type As. 30  

  • percent are curious and stubborn, generous  type Os. Ten percent are creative ABs. But  

  • woe betide the twenty percent type Bs because they  have a far less desirable personality, apparently.

  • According to Japanese tradition, blood  type As are perfectionists - people  

  • who want everything to be perfect and  demand the highest standards possible.

  • This contrasts with type Os who are  considered to be stubbornpeople  

  • who are determined to do what they  want and refuse to change their mind.

  • But it's unfortunate blood type Bs who have  the least desirable personalityselfish and  

  • independent. “Woe betide the type Bsremarks  the presenter, Marnie Chestertonan informal  

  • British expression said when there will be trouble  ahead for someonein this case, poor type Bs!

  • But apart from customs and traditions, is there  actually any science behind these beliefs?

  • Well, not according to Dr Emma Pomeroy of  Cambridge University's archaeology department.  

  • She thinks that - like horoscopes  – there's no scientific basis for a  

  • connection between blood types and personalities.

  • Which makes me wonder what  exactly blood types are.

  • Blood types are kinds of stickers or chemical  markers which support our immune system - the  

  • organs, cells and processes which protect  the human body from infection and illness.

  • Those chemical markers can identify foreign  bodies like pathogens - small organisms,  

  • such a virus or bacteria, that can cause  disease. The variety of blood types seems  

  • to be a result of different bodily responses  to different disease-causing pathogens.

  • Which explains why blood of the same type  is needed in blood transfusionsmedical  

  • procedures in which blood is taken from one person  

  • and put into another person's body, often  after an accident or during an operation

  • And explains the high demand for type  O blood which can be given to anyone.

  • Ah, generous type Oslike me.  I always knew I was special…  

  • and curious and stubborn, wasn't  that the type O personality?

  • Oh yes, today's quiz question was  about blood type personalities.  

  • I asked you which undesirable blood  type is considered selfish in Japan.

  • I said a) blood type A.

  • But as we've heard, it's actually b) blood type B.

  • Never mind, I'll settle for being curiousstubborn and generous! In today's programme  

  • we've been talking all about blood types  and personalities. In Japan, blood type A  

  • people are thought of as perfectionistspeople who want everything to be perfect.

  • Unlike type Os who are considered  

  • stubborndetermined to get their  own way and unwilling to change.

  • And woe betide selfish type Bsan  informal expression said when there  

  • will be trouble for someone or if they will  be punished for doing a particular thing.

  • Scientifically speaking, blood types  help support our immune system - the  

  • organs and cellular processes which  protect the human body from infection.

  • They also help identify foreign  pathogens - small organisms,  

  • such a virus or bacteriathat can cause a disease.

  • And explain why the same blood type is  needed for a successful blood transfusion  

  • the procedure in which blood is transferred from  one person's body to another during an operation.

  • That's all we have time for today. Bye for now.

  • Bye!

  • Hello. This is 6 Minute English  from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

  • And I'm Georgina.

  • Covid-19 has changed everyday life for  people in countries around the world.  

  • But coronavirus wasn't the first pandemic to  cause mass sickness and disrupt daily life.

  • Between 2002 and 2004 an outbreak of the disease  

  • known as SARS or 'severe  acute respiratory syndrome'  

  • caused hundreds of deaths in southern China  before spreading to other parts of the world.

  • The virus that caused SARS survived by  mutatingchanging as it reproduced  

  • itself in the bodies of infected people  

  • and this caused the virus to create strains  – slight variations of the original.

  • Covid-19, the disease caused by the  strain of the original SARS virus  

  • we are experiencing now, has been called SARS 2.

  • In this programme, we'll be  looking at the origins of Covid-19  

  • and hearing new evidence about the scale of  the threat we face from the disease. And of  

  • course we'll be learning some new vocabulary as  well. But first it's time for our quiz question.  

  • We know that white blood cells make up part  of the immune system our body needs to fight  

  • infectious diseases like Covid-19. But how many  white blood cells per microlitre does the average  

  • adult human need? Is it: a) 7,000, 

  • b) 17,000, or c) 70,000?

  • Hmmm, in that case I'd say  more is better, so c) 70,000.

  • OK, we'll find out the answer at the end of  the programme. Now, Georgina, you mentioned  

  • that the disease spreading across the world  today wasn't the first Covid-19-type disease.

  • That's right. In fact a recent research  project in China has identified over 700  

  • different types of coronavirus  carried by bats. Some of these  

  • virus strains are thought to have  already crossed over to humans.

  • Dr Peter Daszak of New York's Eco-Health Alliance  thinks that new strains of the virus have the  

  • potential to cause future pandemics. He  spent years in the Chinese countryside  

  • looking for the coronaviruses that  could jump from bats to humans.

  • Here he is talking to the BBC World  Service programme, Science in Action

  • It would have been great to have found the  precursor to SARS 2, but what would have been  

  • even better was to have found it before SARSemerged and raise the red flag on it and stop  

  • the outbreak. But we didn't do that. What we were  looking for wereat the timeour hypothesis  

  • was that SARS 1, the original SARS virus which  we all thought had disappeared , was still out  

  • there in batsand that was what we were looking  for. So we found a lot of SARS 1-related viruses.

  • Covid-19 may have been contained if scientists had  known more about the disease's precursorthat's  

  • a situation which existed before something  and led to the development of that thing.  

  • Here, the precursor of Covid-19  was the original SARS 1.

  • Any new cases of the virus would  have been a red flag for another  

  • outbreak - a symbol of danger and  that some action needs to be taken.

  • Dr Daszak believed that some form of SARS remained  in bats and based his investigations on this  

  • hypothesisan idea which is suggested  as a possible explanation of something  

  • but which has not yet been proved correct.

  • Another scientist working to prevent new epidemics  is the pathologist Professor Mary Fowkes.

  • The original SARS was treated asrespiratory disease which attacks the lungs.

  • But when working with infected  patients, Professor Fowkes  

  • noticed that Covid-19 was damaging the  brain, blood and other organs as well.

  • Clinicians have recognised that a lot of  patients that have Covid-19 are exhibiting  

  • confusion, are not necessarily aware of their  environment appropriately, some are having  

  • seizures,so there are some central nervous system  abnormalities. And as you know, a lot of patients  

  • are exhibiting loss of sense of smell and that  is a direct connection to the brain as well.

  • In some infected patients coronavirus  attacks the central nervous system - the  

  • body's main system of nerve control  consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

  • When severe, this can cause seizures - sudden,  

  • violent attack of an illnessoften affecting the heart or brain.

  • It seems that Covid-19-type diseases are  not going to disappear any time soon.

  • Reminding us of the importance of the  scientific research we've heard about today.

  • And the importance of boosting your immunity…  which reminds me of today's quiz question.

  • You asked me how many white blood cells per  microlitre the human body has. I said c) 70,000.

  • Well, if that's true you've definitely  boosted your immunity, Georgina,  

  • because the correct answer is c) 7,000.

  • Today we've been discussing the  strainsor slight variations,  

  • of the virus which causes Covid-19.

  • Covid-19 has a previous disease  called SARS as its precursor – a  

  • situation which existed before something  and caused the development of that thing.

  • Researchers used the idea that the  virus have passed to humans from bats  

  • as their hypothesispossible explanation for  something which has not yet been proved true.

  • By identifying new virus strainsdoctors hope unexplained cases can  

  • act as a red flag – a warning sign of  danger, to prevent further outbreaks.

  • Knowing about new strains is increasingly  important as we find out more about how  

  • coronavirus attacks the body's central  nervous systemthe brain and spinal cord,  

  • which in some patients can cause seizures  - sudden, violent attacks of an illness,  

  • especially affecting the heart or brain.

  • So try to stay safe, wash your hands and  remember to join us again soon. Bye for now!

  • Bye!

  • Hello. This is 6 Minute English  from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

  • And I'm Sam.

  • How do you relax, Sam?

  • Well, I love watching movies and I go swimming.

  • One thing that millions of people around  the world do is meditate to relax and  

  • that's the subject of our programme. We'll be  looking at experiments by scientists in the US  

  • into the Buddhist practice of  meditation. We'll find out how  

  • Tibetan monks use meditation techniques  to focus better and manage their emotions.

  • But what exactly is meditation? People just  

  • sitting cross-legged on the  floor, thinking of nothing?!

  • There's a lot more to it than that. After  all, Buddhist meditation is an ancient  

  • practiceeven science, according to someTibetan Buddhism, as embodied by the Dalai Lama,  

  • is what many people think of when you mention  meditation. Which brings me to my quiz question.

  • Which is..?

  • What is the meaning of the Tibetan  word for 'meditation'? Is it

  • a) to relax

  • b) to feel blissful

  • c) to become familiar

  • I think it must be either a) to relax, or  b) to feel blissful because they sound like  

  • positive states of mind. But I'm not sure  about calling meditation a 'science',  

  • Neil. Isn't it more likephilosophy or a lifestyle?

  • Not according to Professor Richard Davidson of the  Center for Healthy Minds. He spoke to Alejandra  

  • Martins of BBC World Service programme Witness  History about his remarkable scientific experiment  

  • which proved for the first time that  meditation can actually change the brain.

  • When I first met His Holiness the Dalai  Lama it was 1972. He challenged me,  

  • he said, 'I understand that you've been using  tools of modern neuroscience to study anxiety  

  • and depression. Why can't you use those same  tools to study kindness and to study compassion?'

  • Neuroscience is the scientific study of the  workings of the human brain and nervous system.  

  • Professor Davidson measured negative mental  states like depression, in contrast to positive  

  • attitudes such as compassionthat's the  wish for everyone to be free from suffering.

  • Right. In his test, Buddhist monks  sent out loving thoughts to everyone  

  • equallyto friends, enemies and  strangers as well as to themselves.

  • Compassionate thoughts such as  'May you be happy and peaceful',  

  • 'May you not suffer'. And  the results were astonishing!

  • What did they show, Neil?

  • Very high levels of gamma oscillations –  now that's brain waves showing increased  

  • connections between different parts of the brainThis is what you or I might experience as a flash  

  • of insight – a moment of sudden understanding  and clarity. For us, it might last less than a  

  • second. But for these experienced Buddhist monksthe gamma waves lasted minutes! Furthermore,  

  • as Richard Davidson explains, brain changes  as a result of meditation can be long lasting.

  • There is no question at this point in time  based upon the current science that has been  

  • conducted over the last 10 years, that  meditation can change the brain in  

  • enduring ways; and the circuits  that are involved are multiple,  

  • but they include circuits that are important  for regulating attention and regulating emotion.

  • So, this was proof of neuroplasticity  – our brain's ability to change  

  • in response to conscious effort. In  other words, the meditating monks were  

  • intentionally remoulding their  minds in more positive ways!

  • And this was possible because the brain  circuitsdifferent parts of the brain  

  • responsible for different functionsstart  talking to each other in new ways that created  

  • enduringmeaning long-lasting - changes.

  • The meditators gained insight  into how their minds work.  

  • They were more focused and emotionally balanced  and less likely to get upset. How cool is that?

  • Pretty cool! But these Tibetan monks sound  like Buddhas! They spend thousands of hours  

  • sitting in meditation. I've got to go to  work, Neil! What good is meditation to me?

  • Well, Sam, in fact the experiment showed  that 30 minutes of meditation a day  

  • significantly increased feelings of  loving kindness in new meditators too!

  • OK, maybe I'll give meditation a go after all. But  not before I find out the answer to today's quiz.

  • Yes, I asked you what the Tibetan  word for 'meditation' meant.

  • And I said either a) to relax, or b)  

  • to feel blissful. And I'm feeling pretty  confident of getting it right this time, Neil.

  • Well, Sam, if the answer came to you in a flash  of insight then I'm afraid you need more practice  

  • because the correct answer  is c) to become familiar,  

  • in this case with more  positive thoughts and emotions.

  • You mean emotions like kindness and  compassionthe thought wishing  

  • everyone to be free from their problems. What  other vocabulary did we learn today, Neil?

  • Well, it turns out meditation  is actually a science.  

  • Neuroscience in fact, which is the study  of the human brain and nervous system.  

  • Meditation experiments proved neuroplasticity  - the brain's ability to restructure.

  • By generating and sending out the compassionate  wish, 'May all beings be happy', Buddhist  

  • meditators change their brain circuitsdifferent  parts of the brain responsible for different  

  • functions. And this is an enduring change, meaning  it lasts and increases over a long period of time.

  • I must say, Sam, you took it pretty well  when you guessed the wrong answer just then.

  • Thanks, Neil. I don't like getting upset, so I'm  trying out some breathing meditation! Breathing in  

  • the positive, breathing out the negative

  • Join us again soon for  another interesting discussion  

  • on 6 Minute English from BBC  Learning English. Bye for now!

  • Hello. This is 6 Minute English  from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil.

  • And I'm Georgina. I've gotpuzzle for you, Neil. Ready?

  • Sure.

  • OK. It's a riddle. I'm as light as a feather  but no one can hold me for very long. What am I?

  • Hmmmas light as a feather but no one  can hold youNo idea. What are you?

  • Your breath.

  • Ah, yes, I see. OK, I've got one for you - I'm so  

  • big I'm everywhere but so small  you can't see me. What am I?

  • You're everywhere but I can't  see you? Hmmm, tricky… I give up.

  • The answer isgerms! With the outbreak of  coronavirus, people around the world have  

  • rediscovered the importance of fighting  germs to stop the spread of disease.

  • In this programme, we'll be discussing  the importance of handwashing in the  

  • prevention of germs and viruses. And we'll  start off by meeting the first person  

  • to realise that keeping hands clean can  really help prevent diseases being passed on.

  • Ahdo you mean the19th century Hungarian  doctor, Ignaz Semmelweiss? He was known as  

  • the 'saviour of mothers' for keeping maternity  wards germ-free and he had a very interesting  

  • life. But do you know what happened to him  in the end? That's my quiz question. Was it:

  • He won the Nobel prize 

  • He ended up in hospital for mentally ill people He started the first company to produce hand soap

  • Dr Semmelweiss sounds like a scientific  hero so I'll say, a) he won the Nobel prize.

  • OK. We'll find out later if you were rightWhat's for sure is that Ignaz Semmelweiss  

  • was a hero to Val Curtis, a director at the  London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.  

  • Here she is talking to BBC  Radio 4's Science Stories:

  • Semmelweiss is kind of my patron saint.  

  • Handwashing has been my life for the last thirty  years working on trying to improve hygiene,  

  • mostly in developing countries and  he was really the first to identify  

  • the importance of keeping hands clean in the  prevention of the transmission of infection.  

  • And since the beginning of my career working  in public health I've been trying to understand  

  • how diseases get spread and what the best way  of preventing it is, and handwashing jumped out  

  • as being the most important means of preventing  infections, particularly in developing countries.

  • Val's work is all about improving  hygiene - practices for maintaining  

  • health and preventing diseaseespecially through cleanliness.

  • And she was clearly influenced by the work  of Dr Semmelweiss because she calls him her  

  • patron saint - a kind of guide and protector  believed to give special help or inspiration.

  • But Dr Semmelweiss is also a good example of  science communication. Getting the message out  

  • so people understand the importance of hygiene  is difficult. And 'wash your hands' jumped  

  • out - or made a strong impact - as a simple  message to communicate. Here's Val again:

  • It wasn't until we wrote a paper in 2003 that  showed the evidence that handwashing could save  

  • a million lives that actually people started  to take it seriously and handwashing became a  

  • big important issue internationally. So  for me the lesson from Semmelweiss is:  

  • don't scream and shout and accuse  people of doing things wrongly but  

  • patiently get the data out there and  tell your story in a positive way.

  • The idea that handwashing is an essential  part of hygiene is supported by scientific  

  • evidence - the facts and information used to  show that a belief is true - in this case,  

  • Val's belief that handwashing  could help save a million lives.

  • So, handwashing has become an  important global issue - or topic of  

  • discussion - especially in places without  access to clean sanitation and toilets.

  • Val also mentions that if you want  people to listen to your message,  

  • it's better to present the evidence inpositive, scientific way instead of screaming  

  • and shouting - speaking in a forceful or even  angry way to convince people you're right.

  • Right, people don't listen if you scream and  shout at them - they just think you're strange.

  • Which brings me back to today's quiz question.  

  • Remember, I asked you what happened  to Dr Semmelweiss in the end?

  • and I said a) he won the Nobel prize.

  • Well, I'm afraid the answer was , b) he  ended up in hospital for mentally ill people.

  • Today we've been talking about handwashingone of the single best ways to improve  

  • personal hygiene - the prevention of disease by  keeping clean. Recently, handwashing has become  

  • a top global issue - subject or topic  people are thinking and talking about.

  • Scientific evidence - the facts  and information used to prove  

  • ideas true or valid - it shows that  handwashing jumped out - or was easily  

  • noticed - as one of the most important  methods to stop the spread of infection.

  • The work of 19th century scientist Ignaz  Semmelweiss was so inspiring that even today,  

  • some doctors consider him the patron  saint of hygiene - an expression  

  • referring to a protecting or guiding saint  believed to give special help or inspiration.

  • But communicating the message of 'wash your  hands' to people around the world is hard,  

  • especially if you just scream  and shout - or try to convince  

  • someone by talking to them inforceful or argumentative way.

  • OK, Neil, the scientific evidence has convinced  

  • me - I promise to make sure  I regularly wash my hands.

  • That's all from us today but join us again  soon for more topical discussion and vocabulary  

  • here at BBC Learning English's 6 Minute English.

  • Stay safe and remember to  wash your hands! Bye for now.

  • Bye!

Hello, I'm Neil. And welcome to 6 Minute English,  

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