New Year’s Resolutions

[Lifestyle ★★★]

(P1) Many people make resolutions during the New Year. A resolution is a firm decision to do something. The most popular New Year’s resolutions are losing weight, saving money, getting fit, and to stop smoking. About 45% of Americans make one or more resolution every year. However, only 8% of people actually attain their goal.

(P2) There are several ways to help your chances of achieving your resolution. The first way is to be realistic. Setting small goals is much better than trying to make big life changes. 35% of New Year’s resolutions fail because of this. If you were planning to get in shape, for example, you will have a better chance if you start with a little exercise each day. People who try to run 5 kilometers each morning from January 1st will likely give up soon.

(P3) Another tip is to plan out how to achieve your resolution. If you want to lose weight, for example, decide what kind of food you will stop eating and how often you will exercise. Making a detailed list will help you. Once you have made your plan, stick to it! It is important to always adhere to your plan.

(P4) Another way to make sure your resolution succeeds is to track your progress. If your plan is to lose weight, write down how much weight you lose each week. Make a chart of your weight loss and put it somewhere you can see it. This will help you to keep making an effort. Almost 33% of people who fail their New Year’s Resolutions do so because they didn’t track their progress.

WORDS: 266

SOURCE: http://dreamreader.net/lesson/new-years-resolutions/

VOCABULARY: attain, chances, realistic, adhere to, progress

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.

1. Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
2. Do people make New Year’s resolutions in your country? If yes, what are some common ones?
3. Why do you think a high percentage of people break their New Year’s resolution?
4. If you would make a New Year’s resolution, what would it be? Why?

READING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:

1. According to the article, what percentage of individuals achieve their resolution?
2. The number one means to achieve your resolution is being __________.
3. Once you have a plan for your resolution, you need to ____________ to it.
4. When using a visual aid to track your weight loss, you should keep it in your sight. (T or F)
5. What’s the failure rate of people who don’t monitor their work in progress?

EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:

What do the following expressions or phrases mean?

• a firm decision (P1)
• setting small goals (P2)
• big life changes (P2)
• stick to it (P3)
• track their progress (P4)

Image source: by Ahmet Gur http://megapixelstock.com/singel_photo/5643e3a76952d