UNIT 3: WELL-BEING

Objectives: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

- Remember new words and collocations
- Use new phrases and idioms for health in the answers
- Interact with the teacher and their partners by asking and answering the
questions related to health
- Cooperate with their partners to present the topic ‘Healthy activity’
- Understand Part 1 in VSTEP speaking and know how to answer the
questions in this part effectively by using the given tips and strategies

3A. HAPPY HEALTHY LIFE

PART A. Vocabulary

Words Definitions Examples

balanced diet range of food that is If you eat a well balanced and
arranged in good healthy diet, and take a reasonable
proportions amount of exercise, the occasional
junk food meal certainly won’t harm
you.
exercise physical activity done to Obesity and lack of exercise tend to
improve health lead to insulin resistance.
to be fit to be in good physical Allan hasn’t been fit enough for full-
shape time professional football.
healthy foods food that helps to stay Choosing the right healthy
physically strong and food depends on one’s perceptions.
resilient
sleeping habits a settled or regular I suffer from insomnia and at times it
tendency or practice, is very hard to level out my sleeping
related to sleep, especially habits.
one that is hard to give up
to lack sleep be deficient in sleep I usually lack sleep.
to be to be efficient, achieving What do you need to be productive?
productive useful results
organic food food that is produced Organic food is much too expensive.
without using harmful
chemicals
vegetarian food food that does not contain I’m a strict vegetarian right from my

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 meat birth and I don’t even know the taste
of non vegetarian food.
processed food food that has chemicals in The term ‘processed food’ applies to
it to make it last a long any food that has been altered from its
time natural state
junk food food that is full of sugar The less junk food you eat, the less
or fat, and is bad for your you want.
health
fast food food such as hamburgers, For one month, I ate nothing but fast
which is prepared quickly food.
and which you can take
away with you to eat
banning of prohibiting of smoking The primary reason the government
smoking has not already banned smoking is
because of the very large tax revenue
they receive for the sale of tobacco.
disseminate spread information It is not illegal to disseminate
information information on how to make a bomb.
initiative an act or strategy intended There is a new initiative against
to resolve a difficulty or highly processed food.
improve a situation
to implement to put into effect a plan or What are the
policies principle of action best implemented Australian
adopted by a government, government policies of the last 50
organization or individual years?
healthy lifestyle the way in which a person All you need to do to have a healthy
or group lives that helps lifestyle is follow 3 simple things.
to stay
engage in sports participate or become If you engage yourself in sports that
involved in sports does not mean that your weight will
decrease.
to encourage give support, confidence I do not encourage diets, eating less
or limiting the amount of food one
eats.
to be conscious to be aware of something, Being health conscious is to know
aware that something is what are healthy and unhealthy
important practices.
discipline controlled or self- When you are disciplined, healthy

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 controlled behavior and good at something people will
come into your life
to avoid vices keep away from a bad Dieting and avoiding vices are useful
habit to stay healthy.
intense workout vigorous session of An intense workout varies from
physical exercise person to person. Intense workout for
me would mean pushing myself
beyond limits.
to limit sugar to restrict the amount of Get lots of exercise, eat a balanced
intake sugar taken into body diet, limit sugar intake, don’t smoke
day.
to stay active to remain filled with It is important to stay active to keep
activity from gaining weigh.
to hit the gym to arrive at a gym This week I hit the gym twice.
to lose weight to slim down If you want to lose weight, you need
to eat less and exercise more. You
need to burn more calories than you
take in.
healthy habit something that you do There is 1 thing to help you
regularly or usually, often create healthy habits. Know why
without thinking about you’re changing the habit in the first
and that helps you to stay place.
physically strong and
resilient

PART B. COLLOCATIONS & IDIOMS FOR HEALTH

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  Alive and kicking: to continue being well and healthy (sống khỏe mạnh)
e.g. My grandma is almost 90 but she’s still alive and kicking.
 To break a habit: to stop doing something that is a habit, especially
something bad or harmful (bỏ/dừng thói quen xấu nào đó)
e.g. I was a drug addict, but I managed to break this habit.
 To black out: to lose conciousness (bất tỉnh)
e.g. I blacked out before my final exam, because I was too worried about it.

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  To be under the weather: to feel ill (cảm thấy không khỏe)
e.g. Mary won’t be at work today, she’s a bit under the weather.
 Sick as a dog: to be at death’s door (bệnh rất nặng)
e.g. Paul caught a flu a few days ago and now he’s sick as a dog.
 White as a sheet: can be sad about a very pale person (mặt trắng bệch)
e.g. John looks sick. Look at him! He’s white as a sheet.
 An apple a day keeps the doctor away: Eating healthy foods will keep one
from getting sick (and needing to see a doctor)
e.g. Have an apple for a snack, instead of those chips. An apple a day keeps the
doctor away, after all
 As fit as a fiddle: To be healthy and physically fit
e.g. My grandfather is ninety years old but he is as fit as a fiddle.
 Laughter is the best medicine: Laughing a lot is a very effective means of
recovering from physical or mental injury.
e.g. I think the best thing for you right now would be to spend some time with people
you can joke around with. Laughter is the best medicine, after all.

PART C. PRACTICE
TASK 1: Work with your partner. Ask and answer the following questions.
1. Do you have any unhealthy habits?
Well, actually do. When I’m stressed, I bite my lips and pick my nails. Moreover, I
used to smoke cigarettes a few years ago, but hopefully I managed to break this
habit.
2. What do you do to stay healthy?/ In what ways do you try to stay healthy?
I try to eat healthy food and do regular exercise. Also, it is very important to develop a
healthy lifestyle and stick to it. For example, I try to avoid eating junk food.
3. In your opinion, what is more important, eating healthy food or doing exercise?
It’s an interesting question. To be honest, I believe that it is crucial to do both in order
to be healthy. However, if I had to choose only one option, I would choose eating
healthy food, because otherwise, the risk of developing a chronic disease of
digestive system increases.
4. Is it easy to keep fit where you live?
To be honest, no, it is not. Fast foods are always tempting. People around me can be
bad influence when it comes to being fit especially when choosing healthy foods and
doing some exercises.

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5. What part of your lifestyle would you most like to make healthier?
Well, I would say, my sleeping habits. I can hardly get enough rest at night. I
usually lack sleep.
6. Are you careful about what you eat?
Not really. But, I try though. It’s just that, it’s difficult to choose what to eat.
7. How important is a healthy lifestyle for you?
I think it is very important. It helps us to be more effective and productive with our
everyday activities.
 8. Do you eat much junk food?
No. I rarely eat junk food. I just eat them when other people who are with me are
eating them, and I only eat a small amount.

2B. HOW TO LIVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY LIFE

TASK 2: Work in group of three to talk about a healthy activity.
Describe an activity that makes you feel healthy.
(Answer) Nowadays, people tend to be more health-concious and I am no exception.
In order to keep fit, I have joined a rumba class – a type of dance, which is held three
times a week in a gym near my house.
Unlike the boring time running on the treadmill, I find that dancing is more intriguing.
(Reason) It helps me speed up my metabolism by burning much more calories in just
an hour of intensive training. In addition, dancing builds up my flexibility as it makes
many parts of my body move, such as my arms, shoulders, abs and legs. (Example) By
sticking to a schedule of dancing on a regular basis and a balanced diet as suggested
by my private trainer, I have managed to keep a lean body. Thanks to this, I can reduce
the risk of getting chronic diseases, such as diabetes or the ones related  to our bones.
(Reason) Besides, dancing is really good for my mental health because it helps me
ease the tension after a stressful day at work. (Example) You know, I can step into the
class wearing comfort clothes, dancing along while listening to great music and the
most important thing is that I can forget about the deadlines or competition. All in all, I
think this kind of dance is a good remedy for both my physical as well as mental
health.
Health-concious (adj): Quan tâm đến sức khỏe
Treadmill (n): Máy chạy bộ
Speed up my metabolism (v): Tăng cường trao đổi chất
Intensive training (n): Luyện tập cao độ

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Balanced diet (n): Chế độ ăn cân bằng
Lean body (n): Cơ thể mảnh mai nhưng khỏe mạnh
Diabetes (n): Bệnh tiểu đường
Remedy (n): Phương thuốc

TASK 3: Work in groups of three or four to

discuss the following questions.
1. What is the role of the government in promoting
healthcare
I believe that the government plays a major role
in promoting healthcare. The government should
educate the people about health and guide them about
having healthy lifestyles. It must create more
programs and activities that
would disseminate/di'semineit/ appropriate/ə'proupriit
/ and accurate/'ækjurit/ information about health. I
also believe that the government should improve the
health sector /'sektə/ to make it more
accessible/æk'sesəbl/ for the people. .
2. What more do you think could be done to
promote healthy living in your country?
I think that the government should have
more initiatives/i'niʃiətiv/ and implement strict
policies when it comes to activities that affect
people’s health. For example, the banning of
smoking in public places would not just benefit the
smokers, but the none-smokers as well. People must
also be educated about the advantages of having
a healthy lifestyle. I also think that putting up more
establishments/is'tæbliʃmənt/ for people to engage in
sports or exercises must be encouraged.
 3. How can individuals/,indi'vidjuəl/ take more
responsibility for their own health?
Lifestyle plays a major role in our health. We must
care for our own health. There are a lot of things we
can do to stay fit and healthy. For example, being

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 conscious/'kɔnʃəs/ about our food intake and
exercising regularly must be
practiced. Discipline/'disiplin/ is very important. We
must be always try to avoid unhealthy practices
and vices.

2C. EXAMPLE PRACTICE

PART A:
TIPS AND STRATEGIES:
Tip 1: Make a good impression
 Confident
 Friendly
 Eye contact
Tip 2: Don’t give Yes/No answers
 Answer the question Give reasons or examples.
e.g. Do you play any sports?
⇒ (Answer) Yes, I usually take part in some light sports. (Example) For instance, I get
up at 5 every morning and spend one hour doing yoga to strengthen my health and
warm up my mind.
Tip 3: Don’t off the topic
 Use 3 or 4 sentences for each answer.
e.g. Do you sleep is important?
Answer: Yes, of course. From my perspective, sleeping plays an important role in
people’s physical and psychological health. It’s the time for our body to take a rest
after a long day. A good night’s sleep also helps us release our emotions and forget all
the bad things that happened during the day. Just sleep on it to rise and shine on the
next morning, you’ll see that early bird gets the worm.
- take a rest: nghỉ ngơi
- sleep on it: đợi trước khi ra quyết định
- Early bird gets the worm: Ai tới sớm được miếng ngon
PARTB. PRACTICE
Part 1: Social Interaction
Let’s talk about sleep.

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1. How many hours do you sleep every day?
Answer: Well, it actually depends on how heavy my workload is on that day.
Whenever I work to meet a deadline, I have to stay up very late and just get 4 or 5
hours sleep. I am not a night owl so I try to get at least 6 hours of sleep in order not to
doze off for the next working day. However, at the weekend, I can let my hair down
and sleep in.
- workload: khối lượng công việc
- night owl: cú đêm
- doze off: ngủ gật
- let my hair down: xõa, nghỉ ngơi
- sleep in: ngủ nướng
2. How much sleep is best for you?
Answer: I’ve heard that 8 hours of sleep is the best amount of sleep that is needed for
adults. But I tend to disagree with that. It seems that I can function just as well with 7
hours of sleep.
3. Is it necessary to take a nap every day?
Answer: Yes, I believe that after having lunch at noon, it’s beneficial for body to take
a nap, half of hour would be enough, to brace for the tasks in the afternoon.
Let’s talk about food.
1. What’s your favorite food?
Answer: Well, I would say that I’m not a picky eater and I can eat like the whole
universe. But if I have to choose, I would definitely go for Vietnamese traditional
cuisine because although it does not win any points for complexity, it is all about the
combination of fresh ingredients, intense flavours, and ease of cooking and
preparation, so it wins my heart.
- kicky: kén chọn
- intense flavours: hương vị đậm đà
2. Do you have a healthy diet?
Answer: Actually, I don’t. But I try to eat clean and eat green every day because
highly-processed foods or low-quality foods are linked to obesity and an increased
risk of heart disease, and in some cases, cancer. So it’s vital for me and for everyone to
stay healthy by eating clean in order not only manage your weight but also help you
build a stronger immune system and increase your energy levels.
- processed foods: đồ ăn chế biến sẵn

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 - immune system: hệ miễn dịch
3. What kinds of food do you particularly like?
Answer: I really enjoy eating fresh fish, homegrown vegetables and fruits and on
special occasions meat that comes from local farmers. I also enjoy fresh eggs from
neighbors and family members.

FURTHER PRACTICE: Links on YouTube

1. https://youtu.be/XxDxWCU6ZPo
2. https://youtu.be/4E5ZuFAsXD0
3. https://youtu.be/WwXxkmc1u94
4. https://youtu.be/5DVpfVg0AtU
5. https://youtu.be/ZAUHW0zoQc0

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