ILS SB4 U05 Test Script

Inside Listening and Speaking 4
Unit 5 Assessment
AUDIO SCRIPT
[M1: Male Interviewer; F1: Female Interviewee]
M1: Hello, listeners. We have a very popular speaker with us today. Dr. Kim Sullivan
is here with me and will be talking to us about some issues relating to the aging
loved ones in our lives.
F1: Thank you, Marty. I’m happy to be here.
M1: So, this is an important topic for many people. What can you share with us
today?
F1: Well, at the outset, I want to say that my interest is very personal. About ten
years ago, my father came to live with my husband, my daughter, and me. I knew
we would need to offer not only physical support, but also emotional and
psychological support. I wasn’t really prepared for the mental changes – some
brought about by physical changes in the brain, others maybe by disruption of habit
and routine, or by stress. At first there were a lot of ups and downs.
M1: Like what?
F1: For example, one of the “ups” for my dad was the human interaction and
company. He especially enjoyed being around my daughter every day. On the other
hand, he missed his privacy. He was used to having some time alone at his kitchen
table in the morning, just to read the paper and think about his schedule for the day.
That wasn’t really possible with us.
M1: I’m sure it has to be a big adjustment to suddenly be around other people all the
time.
F1: And then he got worried about forgetting things and about repeating himself. He
was worried about dementia, about Alzheimer’s. But some of his fears were
exaggerated. To illustrate this idea, I’ll tell you about something that stressed him
every week. He was concerned because he could never remember what day trash
was picked up. He thought maybe neurons in his brain were damaged, whereas I
thought it was more likely that a lifetime habit of putting trash out on a different day
was what might underlie the confusion.
Along with this, he worried because my daughter frequently told him that he
repeated things. But then I found out that some of the things he’d repeated were
things that I also might have repeated. Things like, “I have a haircut appointment
next Monday,” or “I was shy when I was your age.” He was just making small talk
when he didn’t feel he had a lot to say.
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Inside Listening and Speaking 4
Unit 5 Assessment
I got him some books from the library about memory and the brain. He started
reading and became interested in the topic. He started to walk in the morning – just
around the block with my daughter. He’d never liked exercise before, he loved this.
Whereas simply sitting in a room with Paula caused him stress because he felt he
needed to have something to talk about in order to interest her, walking was
relaxing because there was no pressure to talk continuously.
M1: Did the exercise help in other ways? I know that neuroscientists consider
exercise important to brain health.
F1: Oh, sure. It cut down stress, and it gave him a new routine. I think it also helped
him to sleep at night. It’s important to remember that sleep is really important for
brain function. But it’s hard to sleep if you’re not tired. I think the walking routine
tired him in a good way.
M1: I know that now scientists tell us that the brain can actually be changed at any
age, but that it’s hard to overwrite old information – to change the channels that
have been set. Did he try any tricks to change or improve his thinking?
F1: Yes, he did. One thing he decided was that he needed active, happy friends his
own age. The only thing I could suggest was a program at our community college.
Films, lectures, things like that for senior citizens. Additionally, he found an art class
at the senior center.
M1: Something that starts out as just a search for a social activity can have a positive
impact in so many areas of your life.
F1: Yes, to elucidate this point, the art class at the senior center gave him social
opportunities, but also the chance to learn by listening and reading, keeping his
brain strong in that way. Along with this, the hands-on creativity strengthens whole
different parts of the brain. It involves a completely different way of thinking –
completely different pathways. It also gave him a sense of accomplishment when he
completed a painting. It helped him keep his sense of time – what day of the week
and what time class was became a focal point in his schedule. So that boosted
memory.
M1: I’ve heard that keeping a written schedule can be really helpful for people who
might be a bit forgetful.
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Inside Listening and Speaking 4

[M1: Male Interviewer; F1: Female Interviewee]

F1: Thank you, Marty. I’m happy to be here.

M1: Like what?

© Oxford University Press. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use. 1

© Oxford University Press. Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use. 2

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