Let’s practice some of the vocabulary words and expressions from the listening. Read through the examples. Then, try it below.

First, read through the vocabulary words:

Study Tip! Tap or scroll over the list below to see the definitions.

1. Well-being
2. In trouble
3. Someone who has your back
4. Proud of
5. awards
6. talking to a stranger
7. physical fitness
8. Proactive/ Take the initiative
9. Take for granted

Now, look at how the speaker uses these vocabulary words in the talk.

Read through the sentences. What do they tell you about relationships? Do any of them surprise you?

1. “And we began to find, about 30 years ago, this startling connection between warm relationships and how good our lives feel to us, our well-being…”
2. “…having at least one person in your life who you feel really has your back, who you could go to if you were in trouble, that’s essential for maintaining our happiness and our health.”
3. When people were asked what they were proud of, “they didn’t say, “I made a lot of money” or “I won some big awards.” They said, “I was a good mentor,” “I was a good friend,” “I raised healthy kids,” I was a good partner.”
4. When talking about making connections to improve our well-being, the talk said that “even talking to strangers has that benefit.”
5. “So what are some ways that we can be proactive and strengthen our relationships? Well, one way is to be proactive, to take the initiative.”
6. “The other thing we can do is liven-up those long-standing relationships, particularly like the people we live with. You know, people we can come to take for granted.”

After reading these sentences, what do you think? What makes people happy? How can we become happier?

What do you think?

1. Who is someone who has your back? Describe your relationship with this person.
2. What are three ways you could be proactive and improve your relationships with others this week? What effect do you think this will have on your well-being?
3. Why do you think we sometimes take our relationships with the people we live with for granted? How can we prioritize those relationships too?
4. Name three things you are proud of in your life. How did other people support or encourage you on your journey?

Got it? Now practice the vocabulary words in context below.

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Learn English Grammar! Click on page 3 to practice grammar in context.