General Listening Quiz

Why do some people have trouble sleeping at night and what can they do to get a good night’s rest?

1. 1. Sleeping problems are mostly caused by stress.
   2. Napping during the day is harmful to regular sleep patterns.
   3. Using phones or computers before bed is the main cause of poor sleep.
   4. Sleeping pills are a good solution for occasional sleep problems.
   5. People with sleeping problems should always see a doctor.
   6. Exercising late at night makes sleep worse.
   7. Sleeping problems are more common today than in the past.
   8. Everyone needs at least eight hours of sleep to be healthy.
   9. Mental health issues are more affected by sleep than physical health issues.
   10. People should ignore minor sleep problems because they often resolve on their own.

“night owl” = someone who stays up late
“My brother is a real night owl, and he doesn’t go to bed until dawn.”

“sleep on it” = go to sleep and think about something overnight before making a decision
“I’m not sure if I should take the job, so I want to sleep on it.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:

• routine (noun): a regular way of doing things
  – What is your daily routine at work these days?
• plenty of (quantifier): a lot of
  – You should get plenty of sleep tonight because you have a final test at school tomorrow.
• workout (noun or verb): a time of physical exercise to improve your fitness and health
  – What kind of exercise do you do for your workout? (noun)
  – I’m going to workout with Maria and Jacob this morning. I think we’re going to lift weights. (verb)
• endurance (noun): the power to do something hard for a long time
  – Do you think you have the endurance to run a marathon without much sleep?
• unspeakable (adjective): impossible to describe in words, very bad
  – I can’t imagine the unspeakable pain the family felt when their dad died.
• something doesn’t count (verb): something that is not accepted or allowed
  – You said you were going to make breakfast for me this morning, but a small piece of toast doesn’t count.
• caffeine (noun): a substance that you sometimes find in coffee, tea, and soft drinks that makes you feel more awake
  – That drink contains a lot of caffeine, so it might keep you up tonight.
• substitute (noun or verb): something or someone that takes the place of something or someone else
  – I need to find a substitute to teach my class. I’m not feeling well. (noun)
  – The coach of the team decided to substitute me for Steve because I was injured (verb).
  – If you don’t like strawberries in your ice cream, you can substitute them for blueberries or other fruit.

Do the vocabulary quizzes with the words from the conversation for more practice:

• Mixed-Up Sentence   

What time do you usually go to bed at night, and what time do you usually get up? Do these times change depending on the day of the week? Have your sleep habits changed since you graduated from high school?

Use the internet to find the answers to these questions:

• What are some of the major sleep problems or disorders?
• What are the causes of each of these problems?
• What methods of treatment are available?