Advanced English Listening Comprehension – Life is easy

Advanced English Listening, Fill in the Blanks, and Test

Please note, because the speaker is non-native, you might notice mistakes in the text below. In the answer sheet we have suggested changes or corrections to the text. However, the text below is meant to match the audio  file and the idea is for the learner to learn to listen and understand non-native speakers as well.

1. Listen to the text and fill in the blanks:

I was born in a poor village on the Northeastern of __________ and when I was kid: everything is fun, and __________, but when the TV came, many people came to the village. They said “you are __________; you need to go to Bangkok.”
When I went to Bangkok, it’s not very fun. You need to study a lot and __________ very hard. I work very hard: 8 hours per day __________, but what I can eat is just a bowl of __________ per meal. I start to question a lot. When you work hard why my life so hard? I feel __________. I start to think about why I have to be here in Bangkok? I __________ about when I was kid: nobody worked 8 hours per day. Everybody worked two __________ a year. Planting rice one month and __________ the rice another month. The rest is free time. That’s why people have so many festival in Thailand. Every __________ they have festival because they have so much __________ time. And then, in the daytime everybody can take a __________. They have time to __________ themself. When they understand themself, they can see what they __________ in their life. They want __________, they want love. They want to enjoy their life.

So, I decide to quit __________ and went back home. When I went home I start to work two months a __________. I got four tons of rice. The whole __________ is six people, we eat less than half a __________ per year. So, we can sell some rice. I start a small __________ and I spent 15 minute per day to take care of the garden. I have more than 30 __________ of vegetables in the garden. So, six people __________ eat all of it. We can make some __________ in there, too.
So I feel like it’s easy! Why I have to be in Bangkok for seven years __________ hard and then don’t have enough to eat? But here, only two months a year and 15 minutes per day, I can __________ 6 people.
How can I have a __________? It’s so easy! I spent two hours per day, 5 o’clock in the __________ to 7 o’clock in the morning and 3 months, I got a house. And another __________ who was the most clever in the class, he spent 3 months to build his house, __________ but he had to be in debt, he had to pay his __________ 30 years. So, __________ to him I have 29 years and 10 months of free time. I keep __________ house every year. At least one house a year. Now, I have no money but I have many __________. My problem is tonight which house I am going to sleep. So __________ can build a house. The kids after school, they make __________ together and make a house. After one month, they have a library.

So, it’s easy. If you don’t believe me, you try it.
And then the next thing is __________. I spent one month to save money to buy a pair of jeans. When I wear it, I turn left, I turn right, look at the __________. Every time I look, I’m the same person. I feel like, I’m so crazy, why I have to buy it? Why we need to follow __________? So, after that until now (20 years) I never __________ any clothes. All the clothes I have is left over from people. So, I have __________ of clothes now. So, my problem is I need to give clothes to people really often now. So, it’s so easy.
And the last thing is when I get sick, what will I do? I really worry in the __________, because when I have no money what I will do? But I start to contemplate __________. Normally, sickness is normal thing. It’s not a bad thing. Sickness is something to remind us that we did __________ wrong in my life, that’s why we get sick. So, when you get sick, you need to stop and come back to myself and think about it. What I did it wrong? So, I learned how to use water to heal myself.
I feel like life is very easy. I feel like I don’t worry __________ anything much. I have less fear; I can do __________ I want in my life.

 

 

2. Correct the sentences:

1. When I was kid: everything is fun, and easy.
2. When I went to Bangkok, it’s not very fun.
3. What I can eat is just a bowl of noodle per meal.
4. That’s why people have so many festival in Thailand.
5. They have time to understand themself.
6. I have more than 30 variety of vegetables in the garden.
7. He had to pay his debt 30 years.
8. All the clothes I have is left over from people.

 
 

3. Answer the questions

 
 
sources: YouTube
thanks to Jon Jandai at TEDxDoiSuthep