Speaking Boost · A2 · Lesson 43 of 50
Speaking Boost A2 · Block 9: Health and Feelings

How many minutes of exercise do you really need?

The World Health Organization suggests about 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week for adults. Learn to talk about food, sleep and exercise with much, many and a lot of, compare three daily routines, and practise two roleplays.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Healthy habits

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. How much water do you drink a day?
  2. How many hours do you sleep?
  3. Do you do any exercise?
  4. Do you eat a lot of vegetables?
  5. What is your worst habit?
  6. What healthy habit do you want to start?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say a sentence about your habits.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. Reading before bed is a good .
  2. Nuts are a snack.
  3. We have a lot of in the garden.
  4. I don't put in my coffee.
  5. Children need a lot of .
  6. An apple is a good .
  7. I don't drink water.
  8. I do three times a week.
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. healthy ↔
  2. too little ↔
  3. Carrots and cabbage are
  4. Something you do again and again is a
  5. to eat less sugar = to
    sugar
  6. Burgers and chips are
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to talk about healthy habits.

  • How much...?Скільки...? (незлічуване)How much water do you drink?
  • How many...?Скільки...? (злічуване)How many hours do you sleep?
  • I don't eat much...Я не їм багато...I don't eat much sugar.
  • a few / a littleтрохиI have a few apples and a little cheese.
  • I try to...Я намагаюся...I try to walk every day.
  • I'm trying to cut down on...Я намагаюся скоротити...I'm trying to cut down on sugar.
  • It's good for you.Це корисно.Walking is good for you.
  • It's bad for you.Це шкідливо.Too much sugar is bad for you.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

How much exercise?

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

How many minutes of exercise do you really need?

How much exercise do we need? The World Health Organization says that adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. That is about 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

Moderate activity means, for example, fast walking, cycling or dancing. You feel warmer and breathe faster, but you can still talk.

Many people say that they don't have time. But you don't have to do it all at once. Three walks of ten minutes a day are fine.

Even a little exercise is better than none. So start with a few minutes and do a little more every week.

How much exercise do you do?

3.2

True or false?

  1. Adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week.
  2. That is about 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
  3. Moderate activity means very hard exercise.
  4. You have to do all your exercise at once.
  5. The text says a little exercise is better than none.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. How much exercise do you do in a week?
  2. Is it easy for you to find 30 minutes a day?
  3. What kind of exercise do you enjoy?
  4. How can a busy person get more exercise?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

Countable and uncountable

Countable nouns have a plural: an apple, two apples. Uncountable nouns have no plural: water, sugar, sleep.

I eat an apple. I drink water. Sugar is not good in large amounts.

How much / How many / a lot of

How many + countable. How much + uncountable. A lot of works with both.

How many apples? How much water? I eat a lot of vegetables.

Block 9 review

Use the grammar from this block.

feel + adjective, because (L41) · should, symptoms (L42)

Common mistakes: much with uncountable nouns, many with countable nouns. ✗ How many water do you drink? → How much water do you drink? ✗ I don't eat many sugar → I don't eat much sugar.

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. How
    water do you drink?
  2. How
    apples do you eat?
  3. I eat
    vegetables.
  4. There
    a lot of sugar in cola.
  5. I don't eat
    sugar.
  6. I have
    apples.
  7. I have
    milk.
  8. Walking
    good for you.
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. How many water do you drink? →
  2. I don't eat many sugar. →
  3. How much apples do you eat? →
  4. I eat much vegetables. →
  5. I have a few water. →
  6. Vegetables is good for you. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer in detail. Use much, many, a lot of, a little and a few.

  1. How much water do you drink a day?
  2. How many hours do you sleep?
  3. What healthy habits do you have?
  4. What unhealthy habits do you have?
  5. How much exercise do you do in a week?
  6. What do you want to cut down on?
5

Three daily routines and a short talk

8 min
5.1

Three daily routines

Three people describe their day. Compare their habits. Who is the healthiest? What would you advise each person to change?

Person 1

Lena

  • Walks 10,000 steps a day
  • Eats a lot of vegetables
  • Drinks little water
  • Sleeps six hours
Person 2

Artem

  • Works at a desk
  • Eats a lot of fast food
  • Drinks much cola
  • Doesn't do exercise
Person 3

Mr Victor

  • Is 68
  • Walks for 30 minutes every day
  • Eats a little meat
  • Sleeps eight hours
5.2

Mini-talk: my healthy habits

Your teacher will time you.

  1. Plan for one minute, then speak for one or two minutes.
  2. Part 1: what healthy habits you have.
  3. Part 2: how much or how many you eat, drink, sleep or walk.
  4. Part 3: what you want to change and why.
2:00
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. How much water do you drink?
  2. How many hours do you sleep?
  3. Do you eat a lot of vegetables?
  4. How much sugar do you eat?
  5. Do you do exercise every week?
  6. How many steps do you walk a day?
  7. What is your worst habit?
  8. What healthy habit do you want to start?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. How much exercise do your parents do?
  2. Who in your family eats very healthily?
  3. Who cooks healthy food at home?
  4. Who in your family has a lot of energy?
  5. How many of your friends do exercise?
  6. Who gives you health tips?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is it hard to be healthy when life is busy?
  2. Should schools sell sweets?
  3. Is fast food always bad?
  4. Are health apps useful?
  5. Is sleep more important than exercise?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

Health check

You

Health coach

You are a health coach. Talk to a client (your teacher):
  • ask how much water and sleep the client has
  • ask how much exercise the client does
  • give advice (You should...)
  • suggest one small change
Speak for at least 2 minutes in total. Use much, many, a lot of and should.
Your teacher

Client

Says things like:
  1. I drink very little water.
  2. I sleep six hours.
  3. I don't do much exercise.
  4. What should I change first?
7.2

Talking about food

You

Friend

A friend (your teacher) wants to eat better. Help them:
  • ask what and how much they eat
  • ask how many snacks they have
  • say what is good and what is bad
  • suggest healthy snacks
You do most of the talking. Use: How much...? · How many...? · You should... · It's good for you.
Your teacher

Friend

Says things like:
  1. I eat a lot of fast food.
  2. I have three snacks a day.
  3. I don't eat many vegetables.
  4. What can I eat instead?
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

habithealthyvegetablessugarsleepsnackenoughexercise
  1. Reading before bed is a good .
  2. Nuts are a snack.
  3. We have a lot of in the garden.
  4. I don't put in my coffee.
  5. Children need a lot of .
  6. An apple is a good .
  7. I don't drink water.
  8. I do three times a week.
H2

Block 9 review: choose the correct form

  1. How water do you drink?
  2. How apples do you eat?
  3. I eat vegetables.
  4. I don't eat sugar.
  5. You .
  6. My back .
  7. I feel .
  8. Vegetables good for you.
H3

Correct or incorrect? (Block 9 review)

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. How much water do you drink?
  2. How many water do you drink?
  3. I eat a lot of fruit.
  4. I don't eat many sugar.
  5. How many hours do you sleep?
  6. Vegetables is good for you.
  7. I have a few friends.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. How much
  2. How many
  3. I don't eat
  4. I have a few apples
  5. I try
  6. I'm trying to cut down
  7. Too much sugar

Finished the lesson?

Mark it as complete to keep track of your progress.

© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.