Spoken Interaction Examples (courtesy of Biscuit Notes)

a. Would you enjoy taking part in organized exercise activities like the one in the picture? Why or why not? Agreeing that taking part in organised exercise is enjoyable Opinion - Personally, I'll be glad to/I'll enjoy taking part in an organized activity such as the one shown in the picture. Personal experience - Our school does not organise such an activity. Thus, apart from the mass workout we do on ACES day, I have not really participated in a mass exercise programme. Judgement - However, it is quite common to see large scale fitness events in Singapore and many Singaporeans do support and participate in such events. For example, .... Judgement - Exercise is important especially for Singaporeans who lead very hectic lives, tend to be workaholics (like my father). They accumulate high levels of stress and get physically and mentally worn out by the work they do. Thus, exercise will help them to take a break from work and flush out the stress that can be harmful in the long run. Personal experience/example (example is missing} - As a student, I too am overwhelmed with studies and assignments and feel the pressure of preparinq for the 'O' levels. - I will thus look forward to/be enthusiastic about participating in such a mass event to unwind, keep fit and mingle with others. Benefits of exercise - The exercise will be beneficial because: - It promote healthy lifestyle, active lifestyle - Improves fitness level and energy level of participants, - Improves blood circulation - Helps them to relieve stress and - Bond or interact with people from the community/neighbourhood - It is fun to exercise with others as we will feel more motivated to work out. - Though the work-out ,such as the stretching being done in the picture, may not be too strenuous, it will be a useful routine to learn and can be done as warm-ups before we do something more rigorous such as run or play floorball. During our P.E. lessons, we hardly do any stretching and plunge straight away into the sport. Thus, after the activity we have to pay for not doing warm-ups and suffer the pain of aching muscles. Disaareeina - I do not think I would like to take part in such a mass exercise as it may not be suitable for my fitness needs. Reasons @biscuitnotes on carousell

- When people do mass exercise, the routine may not be rigorous enough for a satisfying work-out. For some people, the exercises may be unsuitable especially if they have pre-existing health conditions such as a bad back. Opinion+ reason - If I had to exercise with a group of people, I would prefer to do it with friends who will want an intensive session as it will be more fruitful/meaningful. Opinion + reason - I would also be happy to work out with the family as it is a good way for us to bond and it is a great way to get my busy parents to work out and take care of their health and fitness level. b. What sort of problems might a lack of fitness bring to our daily lives? Some interesting points: Introduction + Problem 1+ effect - Physical health is important but life in the big cities often takes its toll on the physical well-being of people who suffer from the effects of the modern work syndrome where people spend most of their time in front of their computer screens and thus suffer from aching shoulders, headaches and leg cramps. This passive lifestyle thus makes people physically weaker and more prone to aches and pains. Problem 2 + effect - People who are not fit will get tired easily and will lack the stamina to carry out their duties or even QO for a leisurely walk Problem 3+ effect - People who do not watch their diets or exercise will also suffer from obesity. People work and then indulge in unhealthy foods and end up putting on weight-weight gain can lead to other more serious problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure. My father suffers from high blood pressure as he spends all his time at work and cannot control his urge to eat friend food. The doctor has asked him to monitor his diet and to exercise but he is not following the doctor's orders. Thus, his blood pressure is not under control. Problem 4+ effect - When a person is not fit, he will also feel the effects mentally and emotionally. A person will feel mentally exhausted and his concentration will drop. A student who cannot concentrate will not be able to grasp the key focus of the lesson and will do badly for tests and exams. - A person may also feel depressed or unhappy and will be more irritable when he is unfit. Problem 5+ effect - The elderly may become physically frail and unable to look after themselves. They will become over-reliant on their family/care-givers to look after them and even might need to be fed. The family members will feel burdened. @biscuitnotes on carousell

Problem 6 + effect - Medical expenses will go up and more money ,will have to be spent on doctor's bills, something which could have been avoided if the individual is fit. c. How far do you think it is the responsibility of every citizen to keep themselves as fit as they can? Some interesting points: - Stand - agree that each citizen is responsible for keeping himself fit Justification Reason - Every citizen has the c;luty to take care of his own fitness. If he is fit, the quality of his life will improve, if not, he will fall sick easily and he has no one to blame but himself. Example For example, the bread winner should take special care of his health and exercise regularly to keep fit as if he falls sick, he may lose his job and his family will suffer. In this case, the saying 'health is wealth' is true/relevant/applicable and one must look after one's health to be economical! reductive. ----------------1 Reason +example - The elderly must make greater effort to exercise and watch their diet, if not they will be prone to getting diseases such as diabetes and heart problems. They may also suffer from weak bones. which will affect their mobility. By exercising, the elderly will be able to alleviate h sical ailments and im rove their mental shar ness as well. ---< Reason + example - Teenagers must exercise and maintain their fitness so they ha the stamina to study and complete all the work assigned to them. With a • higher fitness level, they will fall sick le fr quently, not miss school and not miss exams. Obstacles to keeping fit - Though people are aware that exercise is important, they may be lethargic to set time aside to exercise. They will be tempted to use lack of time or too much work as an excuse to skip exercising. Such excuses will eventually harm the individual. We thus have to be disciplined and determined to devote time for exercise so our overall health and fitness improves. The effort has to be self-initiated as no one else is oin to bother exce t erha s for famil members. Balanced view - role of government in promoting fitness - However, I also believe that government can play a role to motivate and push and inspire us to exercise. As people are so busy, they will be negligent of their health. Thus, the organized events such as walkathons and marathons will serve as gentle reminders to spur eo le to make time for exercise. If the overnment la s an active @biscuitnotes on carousell

role in encouraging people to exercise, then they will have less of a burden in terms of medical costs. - So, I think the individual and the government should work hand in hand towards the oal of havin a health and ha o ulation. Day 1 Oral Exam Reading Passage: Ashley is involved in a bad accident that causes her to be in a wheelchair. Despite this, she makes the effort to speed up her recovery and resumes as normal a life as possible. She gets back to choir training and works with her dance troupe to train for the Asian Youth Festival. Her determination pays off as she is able to recover and take part in the AYF. Spoken Interaction Difficult words - horrific, troupe, motto Contractions: wouldn't, I'd @biscuitnotes on carousel