Choosing extracurricular activities at the start of a new school year can be both exciting and overwhelming, especially when you have many interests. This conversation between two friends, Morgan and Nick, shows how they talk about their hobbies, the activities available at school, and how they make decisions about what to sign up for.
What hobbies and activities do Morgan and Nick mention?
When Morgan asks Nick about his hobbies, he shares a long list that includes taking pictures, cooking, watching comedy movies, playing basketball, and skateboarding [01:00]. Morgan points out that those are a lot of hobbies and suggests he should just pick one.
Morgan, on the other hand, already made her choice. She enjoys reading action and adventure books, so she signed up for the book reading activity [01:30]. She encourages Nick to join the same activity since he also loves reading. Nick mentions he just finished the last Harry Potter book, which they both enjoy.
However, Morgan warns Nick that there are not many spots left in the book reading activity [02:00]. As a backup, she suggests the photography activity, since not many people have signed up for it yet. This makes sense for Nick because he already loves taking pictures.
What other activities come up in the conversation?
Morgan mentions she is taking her brother to his karate class in the afternoon [02:26]. Nick wishes their school offered karate as an option too. Morgan also shares that her brother's school recently opened swimming lessons and some outdoor activities [02:42].
What did Nick do during the holidays?
Nick talks about a trip he took with family and close friends to one of the national parks [02:52]. He describes the experience as amazing and says he even saw a bear and took pictures of it. He also mentions that he loves taking pictures of animals and has a collection he wants to share with Morgan [03:12].
What vocabulary is useful from this conversation?
Several expressions stand out for everyday English practice:
- Sign up for: to register or enroll in an activity. Morgan and Nick use this phrase multiple times when talking about choosing school activities.
- Spots left: refers to the remaining available places in an activity. Morgan warns that there are not many spots left in book reading.
- Second option: a backup choice in case the first one is not available.
- Sounds like a plan: a casual way to agree on an arrangement. Nick uses it at the end when they decide to meet the next day at 4:00 PM [03:34].
- Thrilled: very excited. Morgan uses this word to describe how she feels about being back at school [00:28].
How can you practice with this listening exercise?
The key task here is to take notes on all the activities mentioned throughout the conversation. Here is a summary of every activity that appears:
- Book reading.
- Photography.
- Karate.
- Swimming lessons.
- Outdoor activities.
- Basketball.
- Skateboarding.
- Cooking.
Compare your own notes with classmates in the discussion panel. Did you catch all of them, or did you miss any? Pay attention to the details that are easy to overlook, like the activities mentioned only briefly. Share which activity you would choose and why!
