Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
What gives you anxiety? Exams? Job interviews? Dentist visits? It’s normal for people to feel anxious from time to time. Life can be a challenge, and it’s not always possible to know when something will go wrong. But how you act when it does is important. You need to know how to keep it in check.
To keep it in check means to stay calm and pay attention to what’s going on around you. Some people say “Keep it together” or “Keep your cool,” and they’re saying the same thing. If you can keep it in check, you can probably find a solution to your problem. It’s pretty hard to work something out with a person who’s acting crazy!
Read more to find out how Lily learned to keep it in check in this English lesson about going on a retreat.
3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Lily: Hi, guys.
Amanda: Hey!
Mason: Hey, you’re back!
Amanda: She’s actually back because I invited her. Lily, I think that that letter that you sent us, telling us about where you’ve been and what had happened, was really honest and heartfelt.
Lily: It was. I meant every word.
Amanda: And I’m glad that you reached out because I was thinking about you. We want to know how you’re doing. Come sit down. Tell us. Where have you been?
Lily: Well, I had a lot of time to think while I was away at Rolling Hills Farms.
Jeff: Yeah, what’s up with that place? Is it some sort of rehab place?
Mason: Wait, like a mental institution?
Amanda: Guys, I think what she called it was a “relaxation experience retreat” or something like that.
Lily: Yeah, that’s it. A relaxation retreat. Basically, at Rolling Hills Farms, they teach you how to relax, and how to deal with your anxiety in a healthy and positive way.
Mason: So, what kind of stuff do you do there?
Lily: We focus a lot on our breathing.
Mason: Don’t people just breathe automatically?
Lily: Yeah, but if you practice breathing techniques, you can soothe yourself and calm yourself. And you can keep those anxious and negative feelings in check. You can control them.
Jeff: Sounds kind of great. I have anxiety from time to time myself. Maybe I should go there.
Lily: It was really great.
Amanda: What else did you do there?
Lily: Well, we did some meditation. We did yoga. A little therapy, you know.
Jeff: Is it cheap?
Lily: Definitely not. I actually had to write them a huge check when I left, but it’s totally worth it.
Amanda: Oh, yeah, it seems like it. I mean it looks like you’re doing great, Lily.
Lily: I feel wonderful. And you know, I was actually thinking. Would it be all right if I offered a weekly breathing class at the office? I could teach everyone some techniques to really keep their stress in check.
Amanda: That sounds pretty good to me. What do you think, guys?
Mason: What?
Grammar Point
Go Super to learn "Past Progressive Tense" from this lesson
Quizzes
Lesson MP3
The iTEP® test
-
Sponsored by
Discussion
Amanda has invited Lily back to the office to find out how she is and what she was doing at Rolling Hills Farm. Lily looks and sounds really good. Her anxiety is gone, thanks to a lot of techniques she learned to help her relax. She tried meditation and yoga, she talked with a doctor, and she worked on breathing slowly.
Jeff’s interested to know more, because he also experiences anxiety and wants to feel less stressed out. The retreat cost a lot of money, so he may not visit Rolling Hills Farm, but Jeff wants to take the breathing class that Lily is offering to everyone. Amanda likes the idea, too. Only Mason acts like he’s not taking Lily seriously.
What sorts of things make you anxious, and what do you do to keep it in check?
Comments
Japan |
Brazil |
Russian Federation |
Iran, Islamic Republic Of |
Brazil |
Brazil |
Tunisia |
Turkey |
Argentina |
South Korea |
China |
Portugal |