BOX SET: 6 Minute English - 'Health and Fitness' English mega-class! One hour of new vocabulary!

Hello, I’m Neil. And welcome to 6 Minute English,  

where we vigorously discuss a new topic  and six related items of vocabulary.

And hello, I’m Rob. Today we’re discussing  vigorous exercise – and whether adults take  

enough of it! Vigorous means using  a lot of energy to do something.

So how many steps do you do in a day, Rob?

How many steps? How should I know, Neil? –  It would be pretty hard to count them all.

Oh, come on! You can track  steps on your phone! I do ten  

thousand a day – which is the magic number  for keeping fit and healthy, apparently.

Not if you saunter, Neil, surely? Sauntering from  

the sofa to the fridge and back  – Or from the house to the car.

Well, I never saunter, Rob. Saunter means  to walk slowly. And you’d have to make a  

lot of trips to the fridge to  clock up ten thousand steps.  

To get some vigorous exercise, you need to get  out and about – round the park at a brisk pace…

Brisk means quick and energetic – the opposite of  sauntering. OK, well, perhaps you can you tell me,  

Neil, how many people aged between 40 and 60 do  less than ten minutes brisk walking every month?  

Is it… a) 4%, 

b) 14% or c) 40%?

I’m going to say… 4% because ten  minutes is such a short amount of time!

Indeed. Now, I’ve got another question for you,  Neil. Why is exercise so important? Because it  

sounds pretty boring – counting steps,  going to the gym, running on a machine.

Well, when you exercise, you stimulate  the body’s natural repair system.  

Your body will actually stay  younger if you exercise!

That sounds good.

Exercise also lowers your  risk of developing illnesses  

such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Hmm. I’m getting a bit worried now,  

Neil. But I don’t have enough time to do a  thousand steps every day… I’m far too busy!

Well, Rob. Now might be a good time to listen  to Julia Bradbury. She’s a TV presenter and  

outdoor walking enthusiast who will explain  how she builds walking into her busy life.

I will walk to meetings instead of catching a  bus, or getting a taxi or a car – into meetings.  

And I will also, if I can’t build that into my  working day, if it’s a day when I haven’t got  

meetings and I’m maybe at home with the kids,  I will take the time – I will take my kids out  

with the buggy and I will definitely do 30-40  minutes at least everyday. Going to the park,  

going to the shops, picking up my things  up en route, and really sort of building  

it into my life. Taking the stairs and not  taking lifts, all of these kinds of little  

decisions can incrementally build up to  create more walking time in your day.

So if you build something in to your day – or  your life – you include it from the beginning.

And Julia Bradbury has built walking into her day.  

Even though she’s very busy too,  Rob! You should learn from her!

So she walks instead of driving or taking the bus.  

And takes the stairs instead of  the lift. I could do those things.

You could indeed – before you know it,  you’d be doing ten thousand steps – because  

the amount of walking you do  in a day builds incrementally.

Incrementally means gradually increasing in  size. OK, well, before I think that over, perhaps  

I could tell you the answer  to today’s quiz question?

OK. You asked me: How many people aged between  40 and 60 do less than ten minutes brisk walking  

every month? The options were: a) 4%, 

b) 14% or c) 40%?

And you said 4%. But I’m afraid it’s actually  40%. And that’s according to the Government body  

Public Health England here in the UK. Oh dear, that’s a lot more people than I expected.  

But it isn’t that surprising – people in all age  groups are leading more sedentary lifestyles these  

days. Our job is very sedentary – which means it  involves a lot of sitting and not much exercise!

Well, I might just run on the spot while we go  over the new vocabulary we’ve learned today!

Good plan. First up we heard ‘vigorous’ – which  means using a lot of energy to do something.

OK. “I am running vigorously on the spot!”

Great example! And good to see you taking some  vigorous exercise! Number two – ‘saunter’ – means  

to walk slowly in a relaxed way. “When I  saw Rob, I sauntered over to say hello.”

Hi Neil. Number three – ‘brisk’  means quick and energetic.

“It’s important to take some  brisk exercise every day.”

Yes! And I’m beginning to  realise that might be true.

Yep! I think you've done  enough jogging for today, Rob.  

You’ve probably done about a hundred steps. Is that all?  

OK, number four – if you ‘build something in to  something’ – you include it from the beginning.

“It’s important to build regular  exercise into your daily routine.”

Very good advice. Number five is ‘incrementally’  which means gradually increasing in size.

Incremental is the adjective.  “The company has been making  

incremental changes to its pay structure.”

Does that mean we’re getting a pay rise?

I doubt it! And finally, number six –  ‘sedentary’ means sitting a lot and not  

taking much exercise. For example, “It’s bad for  your health to lead such a sedentary lifestyle.”

Duly noted, Neil! Well, it’s time to go now.  But if today’s show has inspired you to step  

out and take more exercise, please  let us know by visiting our Twitter,  

Facebook and YouTube pages  and telling us about it!

Goodbye!

Bye bye!

Hello. This is 6 Minute English  from BBC Learning English. I’m Rob.

And I’m Sam.

With the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic,  people in many countries around the world have  

started wearing face masks to protect both  themselves and others they come into contact with.  

In this programme we’ll be asking  whether wearing masks in public  

can help prevent the spread of  coronavirus in the community.

Face masks have long been popular in some Asian  countries but with the spread of Covid- 19,  

they’re increasingly being seen  in other parts of the world too.

Wearing a protective mask or face covering is  nothing new. Medical masks have a long history  

from the plagues of medieval Europe to nineteenth  century outbreaks of cholera in the United States,  

but when did they start to be commonly  used? That’s my quiz question for today:  

when and where were face masks  first widely used? Was it:

a) 1855 in Vienna,

b) 1905 in Chicago, or

c) 1955 in London.

Well, you mentioned cholera outbreaks in  the US, so I’ll say b) 1905 in Chicago.

Right Sam, we’ll find out later if you were right.  

Now, face masks may inspire confidence but what is  the evidence that they actually protect the wearer  

from contracting the virus or prevent infected  people from spreading the virus to others?

Professor Robert West has conducted a review of  over twenty studies looking into the evidence.  

Here he is speaking to the BBC World  Service programme Health Check…

The evidence is equivocal on it. It doesn’t tell  you anything yet - hopefully that will change.  

So we’re thrown back on first principles and this  is why, as in so many areas of public health,  

you get such a heated debate because people  are really relying on their opinion on things  

and you will have one group who  say, 'Well, it stands to reason',-  

the good old ‘stands to reason’ argument  – which is: obviously, if you’ve got a  

covering in front of your face, and you’re  speaking or coughing into that covering,  

it’s going to trap quite a lot of the  virus on the droplets you’ll be emitting.

So far the evidence over whether face masks are  helpful or harmful is equivocal – difficult to  

interpret because it seems to have two opposite or  contradictory meanings. Based on current evidence,  

Professor West feels we cannot say  whether mask-wearing is beneficial.

Some evidence suggests that  wearing masks can prevent  

the disease spreading and  some suggests the opposite.

There may be reasons why wearing masks could  actually increase the spread of coronavirus.

However, for some people, it stands  to reason that masks are beneficial–  

meaning it is obviously true from the facts.

Actually, the evidence is far from obvious.  But everyone has an opinion on the issue  

and after weeks of stressful lockdown, this  can lead to heated debate – discussion or  

argument in which people become angry and excited.

Up until recently, the World Health Organisation  said there were two groups who definitely  

should wear masks: people showing  symptoms of the virus and their carers.

But that left the problem of people  who have the virus without knowing it  

and maybe unintentionally emitting it  – sending something out into the air,  

for example a noise or smell, or in this case,  coronavirus. In June the WHO advice changed – now  

they say masks should be worn in public where  social distancing measures are not possible.

But the advantages of wearing masks might  be outweighed by other considerations,  

as Professor West explains…

It could also have unfortunate negative  consequencesin terms of mask shaming – that  

people feel compelled to wear masks in situations  where it’s actually not helpful and may be harmful  

because it’s expected of them  and they feel that they would be  

judged if they didn’t. But  I think in addition to that,  

one of the problems we have is that masks can  potentially create a false sense of security.

One negative effect is the practice of mask  shaming – criticising or humiliating someone  

for not wearing a face covering.

Another problem is that wearing masks might  create a false sense of security – a feeling  

of being safer than you really are.  Is that what happened in 1905 Rob?

Ah yes, today’s quiz question. I asked you  when face masks were first widely used?

And I said, b) 1905 in Chicago.

Well done Sam, you were absolutely right! It  was 1905 in Chicago when Dr Alice Hamilton  

first noticed that carers wearing masks to  treat scarlet fever patients, did not get sick.

Interesting. Today we’ve been discussing  whether wearing masks helps prevent  

infected people emitting –  or sending out, coronavirus.

So far the evidence is equivocal –  unclear because it seems contradictory.  

In other words, we can’t  say either way for certain.

But for some, it stands to reason - meaning it’s  obviously true - that mask-wearing is a good idea.

This disagreement over wearing face coverings  

has started heated debate – that’s  discussion which becomes angry or excited.

And this in turn has led to incidents of  

mask shaming – criticising or mocking  people for not wearing a face mask.

A final drawback is that masks  might give the wearer a false  

sense of security – that’s belief  that they are safe when they are not.

That’s all we’ve got time for today.

Bye for now!

Bye!

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Neil.

And I'm Sam.

And in this programme we're looking  at the word objectification.

Objectification is when we  reduce people to objects.

An example of this is advertising and the media  and in particular the way women have been shown.  

Impossibly attractive and implausibly  perfect models in adverts and in movies  

and on TV you are much more likely to  see naked or half-naked women than men.

Objectification can lead to issues in  societysuch as inequality and discrimination.  

Objectification of women is a problem but  what about the objectification of men?

Before we hear more, it's time for a question.  

Today's question is: on British TV in which decade  was a completely naked man first seen? Was it…

a) the 1940s

b) the 1950s

c) the 1960s

What do you think Sam?

I'm going for the 60s.

I'll give the answer later in the programme. Now  Sam, do you know the TV programme Love Island?

Yes, it's a kind of a dating show and all  the contestants - men and women - spend a  

lot of time in their swimming costumes  and they've all got perfect bodies.

Yes, that's right. It's a programme  that seems equally to objectify  

men and women equally. But is that a bad thing?  Dr Peter Lucas is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy  

at the University of Central Lancashire. He spoke  on this topic on the BBC's Woman's Hour programme.  

What does he suggest might be the advantage  of featuring men with 'perfect' bodies?

If you look at the impact of TV series like  Love Island for instance, the producers  

of that programme present that as, have described  that as being aspirational for their audience.  

It's presenting role models, its presenting  models that people are supposed to aspire to.  

Now many women, thinking about the male bodies  that are on display there might think well, if it  

means that more men get off to the gym, look after  themselves physically, surely that's a good thing.

So what might be an advantage of these  highly fit athletic bodies on show?

Dr Lucas suggests that seeing those bodies  might encourage men to go to the gym  

and work hard to improve their fitness  and health and that could be a good thing.

Yes, the people in the programme  are described as role models.  

A role model is someone whose behaviour is  seen as a good example for others to copy.

I'm not sure the behaviour of the people in Love  Island makes them good role models, but perhaps  

from the point of view of their physical fitness  they give us something to aspire to. If you aspire  

to something, it's something you can aim for,  something you want to achieve. Dr Lucas also  

used a related word, aspirational. The TV series  Love Island was described as being aspirational.  

It shows a lifestyle that people would like  to have, something they might aim to achieve.

But there are also dangers to encouraging  people to get to the gym. Here's Dr Lucas again.

But also it's likely to generate higher  levels of narcissism, self-consciousness,  

becoming obsessive about your appearance.  It's not particularly an attractive feature  

either in men or in women and I suspect that's  impacting on men's behaviour in a way which  

is detrimental in the same sort of way that's  been detrimental for women really, for decades.

He talks about behaviour that is detrimental,  this means behaviour that has a negative impact.  

What behaviours does he say are detrimental?

If people become obsessed by their  appearance it could lead to narcissism.  

This is a condition where you spend so much  time focussing on yourself, your own looks,  

your own body that you stop  caring about anyone else.

And because it's very very  hard to get that kind of body  

it can also lead to people  being very self-conscious.  

They might become embarrassed about their bodies  and lose confidence in themselves as a result.

Right. It's almost time to review this week's  vocabulary, but before that let's have the  

answer to the quiz. In what decade was the  first naked man seen on British TV? Was it…

a) the 1940s

b) the 1950s

c) the 1960s

What did you say, Sam?

I said c) the 60s.

I'm afraid the revolution had come earlier  than that. The correct answer is the 1950s.  

It was a 1957 documentary called Out of Step,  part of which was filmed at a nudist colony.  

Now, time for our vocabulary.

Our first word was objectification. This  is the noun for when we reduce a human  

being to an object. We don't think of them as a  real person anymore. The verb is to objectify.

Someone whose behaviour is a good example  that others want to copy is a role model.

When it comes to presenting 6 Minute  English, you are my role model, Neil.

You're too kind, and I aspire to  your level of professionalism, Sam.  

To aspire to - to aim to be, to hope to achieve.

That is related to the next word, aspirational.  This adjective is used to describe the desire to  

improve parts of you life - for example,  getting a better job or a better body.  

Aspirational TV programmes or adverts show  lifestyles that people might want to be theirs.

Our next word is an adjective for  something that is bad for you,  

something that has a negative  effect. The adjective is detrimental.

We heard that aspiring to the perfect body can be  detrimental because it might lead to narcissism.  

Narcissism is the term for someone  who is so obsessed with their own body  

and life that they don't care about anyone else.

Achieving that perfect body is incredibly hard and  

impossible for most real people and  not achieving it can make people overly  

self-conscious - which in this situation means  that they can lose confidence in themselves.

That's all we have time for today. Do join  us next time and remember you can find us on  

the website bbclearningenglish.com. Bye bye.

Bye!

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English– the  show that brings you an interesting topic,  

authentic listening practice and vocabulary to  help you improve your language skills. I'm Rob…

And I'm Catherine. In this programme we'll be  discussing quitting drinking and staying dry.

Right, so when you say ‘quitting’, you mean  ‘giving up’ – and when you say ‘drinking’,  

you're particularly referring to  ‘the activity of drinking alcohol’.

Exactly Rob.

But, what about staying dry? It's  nothing to do with the weather?

No that's true. The adjective  

‘dry’ here means ‘no alcohol’. And I,  Rob, am currently having a dry January.

Ah yes, your New Year's resolution is to  give up alcohol for one month. Any reason?

Yes. I'm doing it in order to improve my  health and save some money. And a resolution,  

by the way, is a promise to yourself  to do something or not to do something.

Well, they seem like good reasons. And for  now, we must keep up our resolution to always  

start the programme with a question,  so are you ready for it, Catherine?

I am, crack on, Rob!

According to data from the World  Health Organisation in 2015,  

which country consumed the most  alcohol per person? Was it…

a) Australia

b) Finland

c) The Czech Republic

Well they all sound quite likely, but I did  visit Prague once and I had a lovely time,  

so I'm going to say c) the Czech Republic.

OK, well as always, we'll  find out the answer later on.  

But let's continue our discussion  about drinking – or informally known  

as boozing – and trying to give it up.  We all know that too much drinking can  

be bad for us and that's why you Catherine,  have decided to quit – but only for a month.

Yes, just a month but it's a start and I might  continue into February. But I'm seeing the  

benefits already. I've managed to shed some weight  – most of which I actually put on over Christmas!

I can see. So to shed here simply  means 'lose'. And I bet your sobriety  

is helping you sleep better. Sobriety, by the  way, means ‘the state of not being drunk’.

It is actually. And I'm not alone: A study  of 857 British adults by Dr Richard de Visser  

from the University of Sussex found that  after going for a month without alcohol,  

62% of the people in the study  said they had better sleep. So Rob,  

does that tempt you to become  teetotal and stop drinking?

Not me Catherine. I need a drink to help me relax  and be more sociable – you know how shy I am!

Yes of course Rob! Well, maybe you should listen  to Catherine Gray. She's the author of a book  

called The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, which  she wrote after she discovered the negative  

effects of going to too many work-related  parties where she was just drinking too much.  

Here she is speaking on BBC  Radio 4's Woman's Hour programme…

I had a lot of social anxiety and when I  quit I had to deal with that. I think I  

used drinking as a crutch, a confidence  crutch - it eased the way to go to big  

glittering parties and stuff like that and when  I quit I had to learn real confidence in a way.

So Catherine worked in the magazine  business which involved going to  

lots of boozy parties. Drinking, she says,  helped herdeal with a nervous and worried  

feeling that she had when she met new  people - she called it social anxiety.

Yes, and she used drinking  as a crutch. A crutch here  

is something you depend on for support  – and sometimes you rely on it too much.

Yes and eventually she decided to  abstain from drinking – in other words,  

stop doing something that is enjoyable but bad  for you – and she feels much better for it. So  

come on Rob, haven't you got the willpower  to just quit drinking for just 30 days?

Well according to Catherine Gray,  that wouldn't be long enough…

Experts say that it takes 66 days for a  new habit to bed in, so I would always  

recommend trying it for 90 days. 30 days is  the hard bit before you get to the rewards.  

Because after 66 days it starts getting a lot  easier and you start feeling better in yourself.

Right, so it takes 66 days for doing a  regular activity - a habit - to bed in. And  

‘bed in’ means to ‘become normal  and start working properly’.

Now, earlier I asked you, according to data  from the World Health Organisation in 2015,  

which country consumed the most  alcohol per person? Was it…

a) Australia

b) Finland

c) The Czech Republic

And I said the Czech Republic. Was I right?

You were Catherine. Spot  on, well done. Apparently,  

14.1 litres of pure alcohol is  consumed per person each year.

Well like I said, they do make good beer in the  Czech Republic – but people, be careful, only  

drink it in moderation. Now Rob, shall we take  a look at the vocabulary we've mentioned today?

Indeed. The first word we had was resolution  – that's a promise to yourself to do or not do  

something. 'Catherine's New Year's resolution was  to give up drinking alcohol for a whole month.'

Yes, and I'm still doing it Rob – the  plan is to shed a few kilos and get fit.  

So for example, 'Rob shed lots of weight  when he went on a cake-free diet!'

Really? I'd never give up cake Catherine, but  I could be tempted to give up booze as I know  

sobriety is good for my health – that's the noun  word to mean ‘the state of not being drunk’.

Now our next word was abstain. That means  ‘not do something that is enjoyable but bad  

for you’. 'Rob needs to abstain from eating  cakes if he wants to wear his skinny jeans.'

Are you dropping a hint there,  Catherine? Now, our final word  

is actually two words – bed in. It means ‘to  become normal and start working properly’.  

'It took a while for the new computer system  to bed in but now it's working perfectly.'

That's brilliant because now we  can go online and find more BBC  

Learning English programmes  at bbclearningenglish.com.  

That's all for today's 6 Minute English.  We hope you enjoyed it. Bye for now.

Bye.

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English.  I'm Neil and joining me for this is Dan.

Hello.

And can I say Dan, you're looking very  slim – it looks like your diet is working!

This is my normal figure – and I have not been on  

a diet. But it looks like you've  actually put on a bit of weight.

Well I may have a little paunch – or a fat stomach  – but didn't you know that it's out of my control?  

Some of this has to do with my genes –  not the ones I wear – but the cells in  

my body that control my development. That's  what we'll be discussing in this programme.

However our audience might describe themselves  – tubby and overweight or thin and skinny,  

which means very thin – they're more than  welcome to join us on this voyage of discovery.  

So let's start with answering a question.

What's the name of the popular diet that involves  avoiding eating carbohydrates and in which you can  

eat as much fat and protein as you like? Is it… a) the Mediterranean diet, 

b) the Atkins diet, or c) the Graham diet?

I've heard of the Atkins diet, so I'll say b).

Well, you’ll have to wait a bit to find  out. But Dan, you may have also heard of  

a crash diet – that's where someone makes a  rapid change to the types of food they eat  

with the aim of losing weight quickly.

Yes, I know that eating this way can be risky  for your health and they don't always work.

That's true and now scientists have  some evidence that shows that our weight  

is not just controlled by what we eat. So it  might be quite natural for someone to be thin  

or fat - it's all to do with their  genes. Research published in the journal  

PLOS Genetics, explains how twin studies  have shown that about 40% of the variation  

in a person’s weight is affected  by their genes. And also, why thin,  

but healthy people have genetic advantages  in terms of maintaining a healthy weight.

So that means that losing weight isn't just about  having willpower – that's controlling your own  

behaviour to achieve something – it's actually  about something that's out of our control?

Yes, possibly. Let's hear from the study's author,  Sadaf Farooqi, who is Professor of Metabolism and  

Medicine at the University of Cambridge, and  has been a pioneer in the genetics of obesity  

for more than twenty years. Obesity, of course, is  where someone is very overweight, in a way that is  

dangerous for their health. Here she is speaking  on the BBC World Service programme, Health Check.  

What does she say might be one of the benefits  of this research for people who are overweight?

It actually can be very helpful in trying to  get them to come to terms with some of the  

difficulties they may be having but also  help them engage with help and support  

to try and encourage weight loss… I hope one  of the main outcomes of this work might be,  

to a little bit, to start to get people thinking  about that. Because people are very judgemental  

and tend to think, look if I can stay thin and  control my weight why can't you? And what I  

would say to that is, well the data now shows that  you're probably quite lucky in terms of the genes  

that you have rather than just being either  morally superior or having better willpower.

Some interesting thoughts there. For people  who are overweight, this research can help  

them come to terms with the struggle they may  be having to lose weight. When you come to  

terms with something, you start to accept the  difficult or unpleasant situation you are in.

So I suppose she means accepting that  if you're trying to shed a few pounds  

unsuccessfully, it's not all your fault. And it  may stop people being so judgemental – that's  

so quick to criticise people  based on their own beliefs.

A slim person might say, "Well,  I ate less and lost weight, so  

why can't you?" – and now we know  things aren't quite that simple.  

You are just lucky to have the right genes  but it doesn't make you 'morally superior'.

So it's not just about having willpower.

This research is much more detailed of  course than we have time to explain here  

but for someone who is overweight,  will they feel defeated?

Absolutely not, according to Professor Farooqi.  For people who are obese, this research is  

helpful. Not only should it give them hope, it  could lead to the develop medicines to help them.

But as genes only play a  part in our size and weight,  

we should all eat a healthy diet and do some  exercise. And there is always new research  

about the best things to do  and the right things to eat.

Recently, research published in the  British Journal of Sports Medicine,  

said that bursts of high intensity interval  training may be more effective for weight loss  

than longer less intense workouts. A burst  is a sudden and short increase in something.

Even if diets don't help you lose  weight – eating the balanced diet  

can certainly keep you healthy and make you  feel good. And as I'm talking about diets,  

why don't I answer the question I asked  you earlier? What's the name of the  

popular diet in which you should avoid eating  carbohydrates but you can have as much fat and  

protein as you want? Is it… a) the Mediterranean diet, 

b) the Atkins diet, or c) the Graham diet?

I said the Atkins diet.

And that is correct, well done. This well-known  low-carb diet was developed by the American  

physician and cardiologist Robert Atkins in  the 1960s. Others low-card diets are available!

Neil, I think it's time we reminded ourselves  of some of the vocabulary we've discussed today.

Good idea. Let's talk about paunch – another name  

for a fat stomach that men  like me – and you – have.

Speak for yourself! I'm closer to skinny –  a word to describe someone looking very thin  

and sometimes ill. Our next word was willpower.  

If you have willpower, you can control  your own behaviour to achieve something.

The next phrase, come to terms with  something means you start to accept  

the difficult or unpleasant situation you are in.

If you are judgemental, you are quick to  criticise people based on your own beliefs.

And finally, we mentioned a burst  of high intensity interval training.  

A burst is a sudden and  short increase in something.

Well, we've had a burst of vocabulary  there and it's time to say goodbye.  

Please join us next time.

And of course don't forget our website,  bbclearningenglish.com. Goodbye.


Bye!

Hello. This is 6 Minute English  from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

And I’m Sam.

What blood type are you, Sam?

Ah, you mean the different groups used to  classify humans by blood – types A, B, AB and O.  

I think I’m type O. How about you, Neil?

Well, it may sound strange  but actually I don’t know.

Hmm, lots of westerners don’t know  their blood type, but in parts of Asia  

blood groups are a topic of daily conversation.  People select romantic partners based on  

blood type and different blood groups are  associated with different personalities.

In this programme, we’ll be finding out all  about blood – why humans have different blood  

types and whether blood is something more than  just a way of pumping oxygen around your body.

And of course, we’ll be learning  some new vocabulary as well.  

Now, Neil, I have an interesting fact for you -  did you know that many Japanese popstars’ websites  

will feature their blood type alongside  information like their age and hobbies?

I didn’t, Sam, but Japanese culture  is certainly interested in blood.  

There’s even a word ‘burahara’ meaning ‘blood  harassment’, which is used to describe hostility  

towards people from a certain blood group  considered to be selfish – but which group?  

That’s my quiz question for today – which blood  types may fall victim to ‘burahara’? Is it:

a) blood type A?

b) blood type B? Or

c) blood type O?

I’ll say a) blood type A.

OK, Sam, we’ll find out the answer later. As  we’ve heard, blood is a big deal in Japan.  

Marnie Chesterton, from BBC World  Service programme, CrowdScience,  

travelled to Tokyo where she asked Japanese  translator, Chie Kobayashi, to explain more:

For blood type A, generally it is  thought they are perfectionists,  

more detail-oriented, pretty much good at precise  type jobs, and that makes them good at helping  

others and good at teamwork and respecting rules  and customs. That’s a typical blood A type.

40 percent of Japan’s population  are sensitive, anxious type As. 30  

percent are curious and stubborn, generous  type Os. Ten percent are creative ABs. But  

woe betide the twenty percent type Bs because they  have a far less desirable personality, apparently.

According to Japanese tradition, blood  type As are perfectionists - people  

who want everything to be perfect and  demand the highest standards possible.

This contrasts with type Os who are  considered to be stubborn – people  

who are determined to do what they  want and refuse to change their mind.

But it’s unfortunate blood type Bs who have  the least desirable personality – selfish and  

independent. “Woe betide the type Bs” remarks  the presenter, Marnie Chesterton – an informal  

British expression said when there will be trouble  ahead for someone – in this case, poor type Bs!

But apart from customs and traditions, is there  actually any science behind these beliefs?

Well, not according to Dr Emma Pomeroy of  Cambridge University’s archaeology department.  

She thinks that - like horoscopes  – there’s no scientific basis for a  

connection between blood types and personalities.

Which makes me wonder what  exactly blood types are.

Blood types are kinds of stickers or chemical  markers which support our immune system - the  

organs, cells and processes which protect  the human body from infection and illness.

Those chemical markers can identify foreign  bodies like pathogens - small organisms,  

such a virus or bacteria, that can cause  disease. The variety of blood types seems  

to be a result of different bodily responses  to different disease-causing pathogens.

Which explains why blood of the same type  is needed in blood transfusions – medical  

procedures in which blood is taken from one person  

and put into another person’s body, often  after an accident or during an operation. 

And explains the high demand for type  O blood which can be given to anyone.

Ah, generous type Os – like me.  I always knew I was special…  

and curious and stubborn, wasn’t  that the type O personality?

Oh yes, today’s quiz question was  about blood type personalities.  

I asked you which undesirable blood  type is considered selfish in Japan.

I said a) blood type A.

But as we’ve heard, it’s actually b) blood type B.

Never mind, I’ll settle for being curious,  stubborn and generous! In today’s programme  

we’ve been talking all about blood types  and personalities. In Japan, blood type A  

people are thought of as perfectionists -  people who want everything to be perfect.

Unlike type Os who are considered  

stubborn – determined to get their  own way and unwilling to change.

And woe betide selfish type Bs – an  informal expression said when there  

will be trouble for someone or if they will  be punished for doing a particular thing.

Scientifically speaking, blood types  help support our immune system - the  

organs and cellular processes which  protect the human body from infection.

They also help identify foreign  pathogens - small organisms,  

such a virus or bacteria,  that can cause a disease.

And explain why the same blood type is  needed for a successful blood transfusion  

– the procedure in which blood is transferred from  one person’s body to another during an operation.

That’s all we have time for today. Bye for now.

Bye!

Hello. This is 6 Minute English  from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

And I’m Georgina.

Covid-19 has changed everyday life for  people in countries around the world.  

But coronavirus wasn’t the first pandemic to  cause mass sickness and disrupt daily life.

Between 2002 and 2004 an outbreak of the disease  

known as SARS or 'severe  acute respiratory syndrome'  

caused hundreds of deaths in southern China  before spreading to other parts of the world.

The virus that caused SARS survived by  mutating – changing as it reproduced  

itself in the bodies of infected people  

and this caused the virus to create strains  – slight variations of the original.

Covid-19, the disease caused by the  strain of the original SARS virus  

we are experiencing now, has been called SARS 2.

In this programme, we’ll be  looking at the origins of Covid-19  

and hearing new evidence about the scale of  the threat we face from the disease. And of  

course we’ll be learning some new vocabulary as  well. But first it’s time for our quiz question.  

We know that white blood cells make up part  of the immune system our body needs to fight  

infectious diseases like Covid-19. But how many  white blood cells per microlitre does the average  

adult human need? Is it: a) 7,000, 

b) 17,000, or c) 70,000?

Hmmm, in that case I’d say  more is better, so c) 70,000.

OK, we’ll find out the answer at the end of  the programme. Now, Georgina, you mentioned  

that the disease spreading across the world  today wasn’t the first Covid-19-type disease.

That’s right. In fact a recent research  project in China has identified over 700  

different types of coronavirus  carried by bats. Some of these  

virus strains are thought to have  already crossed over to humans.

Dr Peter Daszak of New York’s Eco-Health Alliance  thinks that new strains of the virus have the  

potential to cause future pandemics. He  spent years in the Chinese countryside  

looking for the coronaviruses that  could jump from bats to humans.

Here he is talking to the BBC World  Service programme, Science in Action…

It would have been great to have found the  precursor to SARS 2, but what would have been  

even better was to have found it before SARS 2  emerged and raise the red flag on it and stop  

the outbreak. But we didn’t do that. What we were  looking for were… at the time … our hypothesis  

was that SARS 1, the original SARS virus which  we all thought had disappeared , was still out  

there in bats – and that was what we were looking  for. So we found a lot of SARS 1-related viruses.

Covid-19 may have been contained if scientists had  known more about the disease’s precursor – that's  

a situation which existed before something  and led to the development of that thing.  

Here, the precursor of Covid-19  was the original SARS 1.

Any new cases of the virus would  have been a red flag for another  

outbreak - a symbol of danger and  that some action needs to be taken.

Dr Daszak believed that some form of SARS remained  in bats and based his investigations on this  

hypothesis – an idea which is suggested  as a possible explanation of something  

but which has not yet been proved correct.

Another scientist working to prevent new epidemics  is the pathologist Professor Mary Fowkes.

The original SARS was treated as a  respiratory disease which attacks the lungs.

But when working with infected  patients, Professor Fowkes  

noticed that Covid-19 was damaging the  brain, blood and other organs as well.

Clinicians have recognised that a lot of  patients that have Covid-19 are exhibiting  

confusion, are not necessarily aware of their  environment appropriately, some are having  

seizures,so there are some central nervous system  abnormalities. And as you know, a lot of patients  

are exhibiting loss of sense of smell and that  is a direct connection to the brain as well.

In some infected patients coronavirus  attacks the central nervous system - the  

body’s main system of nerve control  consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

When severe, this can cause seizures - sudden,  

violent attack of an illness,  often affecting the heart or brain.

It seems that Covid-19-type diseases are  not going to disappear any time soon.

Reminding us of the importance of the  scientific research we’ve heard about today.

And the importance of boosting your immunity…  which reminds me of today’s quiz question.

You asked me how many white blood cells per  microlitre the human body has. I said c) 70,000.

Well, if that’s true you’ve definitely  boosted your immunity, Georgina,  

because the correct answer is c) 7,000.

Today we’ve been discussing the  strains – or slight variations,  

of the virus which causes Covid-19.

Covid-19 has a previous disease  called SARS as its precursor – a  

situation which existed before something  and caused the development of that thing.

Researchers used the idea that the  virus have passed to humans from bats  

as their hypothesis – possible explanation for  something which has not yet been proved true.

By identifying new virus strains,  doctors hope unexplained cases can  

act as a red flag – a warning sign of  danger, to prevent further outbreaks.

Knowing about new strains is increasingly  important as we find out more about how  

coronavirus attacks the body’s central  nervous system – the brain and spinal cord,  

which in some patients can cause seizures  - sudden, violent attacks of an illness,  

especially affecting the heart or brain.

So try to stay safe, wash your hands and  remember to join us again soon. Bye for now!

Bye!

Hello. This is 6 Minute English  from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

And I’m Sam.

How do you relax, Sam?

Well, I love watching movies and I go swimming.

One thing that millions of people around  the world do is meditate to relax and  

that’s the subject of our programme. We’ll be  looking at experiments by scientists in the US  

into the Buddhist practice of  meditation. We’ll find out how  

Tibetan monks use meditation techniques  to focus better and manage their emotions.

But what exactly is meditation? People just  

sitting cross-legged on the  floor, thinking of nothing?!

There’s a lot more to it than that. After  all, Buddhist meditation is an ancient  

practice – even science, according to some.  Tibetan Buddhism, as embodied by the Dalai Lama,  

is what many people think of when you mention  meditation. Which brings me to my quiz question.

Which is..?

What is the meaning of the Tibetan  word for ‘meditation’? Is it…

a) to relax

b) to feel blissful

c) to become familiar

I think it must be either a) to relax, or  b) to feel blissful because they sound like  

positive states of mind. But I’m not sure  about calling meditation a ‘science’,  

Neil. Isn’t it more like a  philosophy or a lifestyle?

Not according to Professor Richard Davidson of the  Center for Healthy Minds. He spoke to Alejandra  

Martins of BBC World Service programme Witness  History about his remarkable scientific experiment  

which proved for the first time that  meditation can actually change the brain.

When I first met His Holiness the Dalai  Lama it was 1972. He challenged me,  

he said, ‘I understand that you’ve been using  tools of modern neuroscience to study anxiety  

and depression. Why can’t you use those same  tools to study kindness and to study compassion?’

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the  workings of the human brain and nervous system.  

Professor Davidson measured negative mental  states like depression, in contrast to positive  

attitudes such as compassion – that’s the  wish for everyone to be free from suffering.

Right. In his test, Buddhist monks  sent out loving thoughts to everyone  

equally – to friends, enemies and  strangers as well as to themselves.

Compassionate thoughts such as  ‘May you be happy and peaceful’,  

‘May you not suffer’. And  the results were astonishing!

What did they show, Neil?

Very high levels of gamma oscillations –  now that’s brain waves showing increased  

connections between different parts of the brain.  This is what you or I might experience as a flash  

of insight – a moment of sudden understanding  and clarity. For us, it might last less than a  

second. But for these experienced Buddhist monks,  the gamma waves lasted minutes! Furthermore,  

as Richard Davidson explains, brain changes  as a result of meditation can be long lasting.

There is no question at this point in time  based upon the current science that has been  

conducted over the last 10 years, that  meditation can change the brain in  

enduring ways; and the circuits  that are involved are multiple,  

but they include circuits that are important  for regulating attention and regulating emotion.

So, this was proof of neuroplasticity  – our brain’s ability to change  

in response to conscious effort. In  other words, the meditating monks were  

intentionally remoulding their  minds in more positive ways!

And this was possible because the brain  circuits – different parts of the brain  

responsible for different functions – start  talking to each other in new ways that created  

enduring – meaning long-lasting - changes.

The meditators gained insight  into how their minds work.  

They were more focused and emotionally balanced  and less likely to get upset. How cool is that?

Pretty cool! But these Tibetan monks sound  like Buddhas! They spend thousands of hours  

sitting in meditation. I’ve got to go to  work, Neil! What good is meditation to me?

Well, Sam, in fact the experiment showed  that 30 minutes of meditation a day  

significantly increased feelings of  loving kindness in new meditators too!

OK, maybe I’ll give meditation a go after all. But  not before I find out the answer to today’s quiz.

Yes, I asked you what the Tibetan  word for ‘meditation’ meant.

And I said either a) to relax, or b)  

to feel blissful. And I’m feeling pretty  confident of getting it right this time, Neil.

Well, Sam, if the answer came to you in a flash  of insight then I’m afraid you need more practice  

because the correct answer  is c) to become familiar,  

in this case with more  positive thoughts and emotions.

You mean emotions like kindness and  compassion – the thought wishing  

everyone to be free from their problems. What  other vocabulary did we learn today, Neil?

Well, it turns out meditation  is actually a science.  

Neuroscience in fact, which is the study  of the human brain and nervous system.  

Meditation experiments proved neuroplasticity  - the brain’s ability to restructure.

By generating and sending out the compassionate  wish, ‘May all beings be happy’, Buddhist  

meditators change their brain circuits – different  parts of the brain responsible for different  

functions. And this is an enduring change, meaning  it lasts and increases over a long period of time.

I must say, Sam, you took it pretty well  when you guessed the wrong answer just then.

Thanks, Neil. I don’t like getting upset, so I’m  trying out some breathing meditation! Breathing in  

the positive, breathing out the negative…

Join us again soon for  another interesting discussion  

on 6 Minute English from BBC  Learning English. Bye for now!

Hello. This is 6 Minute English  from BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

And I’m Georgina. I’ve got a  puzzle for you, Neil. Ready?

Sure.

OK. It’s a riddle. I’m as light as a feather  but no one can hold me for very long. What am I?

Hmmm… as light as a feather but no one  can hold you… No idea. What are you?

Your breath.

Ah, yes, I see. OK, I’ve got one for you - I’m so  

big I’m everywhere but so small  you can’t see me. What am I?

You’re everywhere but I can’t  see you? Hmmm, tricky… I give up.

The answer is – germs! With the outbreak of  coronavirus, people around the world have  

rediscovered the importance of fighting  germs to stop the spread of disease.

In this programme, we’ll be discussing  the importance of handwashing in the  

prevention of germs and viruses. And we’ll  start off by meeting the first person  

to realise that keeping hands clean can  really help prevent diseases being passed on.

Ah… do you mean the19th century Hungarian  doctor, Ignaz Semmelweiss? He was known as  

the ‘saviour of mothers’ for keeping maternity  wards germ-free and he had a very interesting  

life. But do you know what happened to him  in the end? That’s my quiz question. Was it:

He won the Nobel prize 

He ended up in hospital for mentally ill people He started the first company to produce hand soap

Dr Semmelweiss sounds like a scientific  hero so I’ll say, a) he won the Nobel prize.

OK. We’ll find out later if you were right.  What’s for sure is that Ignaz Semmelweiss  

was a hero to Val Curtis, a director at the  London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.  

Here she is talking to BBC  Radio 4’s Science Stories:

Semmelweiss is kind of my patron saint.  

Handwashing has been my life for the last thirty  years working on trying to improve hygiene,  

mostly in developing countries and  he was really the first to identify  

the importance of keeping hands clean in the  prevention of the transmission of infection.  

And since the beginning of my career working  in public health I’ve been trying to understand  

how diseases get spread and what the best way  of preventing it is, and handwashing jumped out  

as being the most important means of preventing  infections, particularly in developing countries.

Val’s work is all about improving  hygiene - practices for maintaining  

health and preventing disease,  especially through cleanliness.

And she was clearly influenced by the work  of Dr Semmelweiss because she calls him her  

patron saint - a kind of guide and protector  believed to give special help or inspiration.

But Dr Semmelweiss is also a good example of  science communication. Getting the message out  

so people understand the importance of hygiene  is difficult. And ‘wash your hands’ jumped  

out - or made a strong impact - as a simple  message to communicate. Here’s Val again:

It wasn’t until we wrote a paper in 2003 that  showed the evidence that handwashing could save  

a million lives that actually people started  to take it seriously and handwashing became a  

big important issue internationally. So  for me the lesson from Semmelweiss is:  

don’t scream and shout and accuse  people of doing things wrongly but  

patiently get the data out there and  tell your story in a positive way.

The idea that handwashing is an essential  part of hygiene is supported by scientific  

evidence - the facts and information used to  show that a belief is true - in this case,  

Val’s belief that handwashing  could help save a million lives.

So, handwashing has become an  important global issue - or topic of  

discussion - especially in places without  access to clean sanitation and toilets.

Val also mentions that if you want  people to listen to your message,  

it’s better to present the evidence in a  positive, scientific way instead of screaming  

and shouting - speaking in a forceful or even  angry way to convince people you’re right.

Right, people don’t listen if you scream and  shout at them - they just think you’re strange.

Which brings me back to today’s quiz question.  

Remember, I asked you what happened  to Dr Semmelweiss in the end?

…and I said a) he won the Nobel prize.

Well, I’m afraid the answer was , b) he  ended up in hospital for mentally ill people.

Today we’ve been talking about handwashing,  one of the single best ways to improve  

personal hygiene - the prevention of disease by  keeping clean. Recently, handwashing has become  

a top global issue - subject or topic  people are thinking and talking about.

Scientific evidence - the facts  and information used to prove  

ideas true or valid - it shows that  handwashing jumped out - or was easily  

noticed - as one of the most important  methods to stop the spread of infection.

The work of 19th century scientist Ignaz  Semmelweiss was so inspiring that even today,  

some doctors consider him the patron  saint of hygiene - an expression  

referring to a protecting or guiding saint  believed to give special help or inspiration.

But communicating the message of ‘wash your  hands’ to people around the world is hard,  

especially if you just scream  and shout - or try to convince  

someone by talking to them in a  forceful or argumentative way.

OK, Neil, the scientific evidence has convinced  

me - I promise to make sure  I regularly wash my hands.

That’s all from us today but join us again  soon for more topical discussion and vocabulary  

here at BBC Learning English's 6 Minute English.

Stay safe and remember to  wash your hands! Bye for now.

Bye!