B2 English Listening: Different Ways of Being Smart (Complete Version)

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Q: Do you consider yourself intelligent? Why or why not?

Vocabulary
A. Three dimensions (noun phrase) [French: trois dimensions]: Length, width, and height of an object. Example: The box is easy to carry because its three dimensions are small.

B. Visualize (verb) [French: visualiser / se représenter mentalement]: To create a clear picture of something in your mind. Example: The artist could easily visualize the finished painting in her mind.

C. Constructed (verb, past participle) [French: construit]: Built or made by putting different parts together. Example: The bridge was constructed over several years.

D. Coordination (noun) [French: coordination]: The ability to control different body movements together. Example: Good hand-eye coordination helps when playing tennis.

E. Hypotheses (plural noun) [French: hypothèses]: Ideas or explanations that can be tested. Example: The scientists developed several hypotheses about the cause of the problem.

F. Pitch (noun) [French: hauteur du son]: How high or low a sound is. Example: The singer changed the pitch of her voice during the song.

G. Tone (noun) [French: sonorité / timbre]: The particular quality or character of a musical sound. Example: The guitarist changed the tone of his instrument for the next song.

H. Tone (noun) [French: ton]: The particular quality or character of a sound. Example: Her tone became more serious when she discussed the problem.

I. Timbre (noun) [French: timbre]: The quality that makes one sound different from another. Example: I recognized his voice because of its unique timbre.

 

Guide Questions
1. What does the speaker say about being intelligent?
2. Describe the following types of intelligence:

• Picture smart
• Nature smart
• Self smart
• Word smart
• Body smart
• People smart
• Life smart
• Number-and-Reasoning smart
• Sound smart

TRANSCRIPT

People can be smart in many different ways, and intelligence is not only about getting good grades at school. Picture-smart people can imagine objects in three dimensions. For example, an architect can visualize a building before it is constructed. Nature-smart people understand plants, animals, and the environment, while self-smart people have a good understanding of their own feelings, needs, and goals. Word-smart people are good with languages and can choose the right words to express their ideas clearly.

Body-smart people have excellent coordination, like dancers and athletes. People-smart individuals can understand how others feel and recognize their motivations. Some people are life-smart and enjoy thinking about big questions, such as why we live and what happens after death. Number-and-reasoning-smart people enjoy working with numbers, creating hypotheses, and testing them. Finally, sound-smart people can recognize differences in pitch, tone, rhythm, and timbre, which makes them talented musicians or sound specialists. (149 words)

Discussion
1. What type of intelligence do you think you have? Explain.
2. What kind of intelligence do you wish you had and why?
3. Which type of intelligence would be most useful in your job? Why?

4. Some people have one type of intelligence when they are young but develop another type as they get older. Do you think your strongest type of intelligence has changed as you have gotten older? Explain. [Certaines personnes ont un type d’intelligence quand elles sont jeunes, mais développent un autre type en vieillissant. Pensez-vous que votre type d’intelligence le plus fort a changé en vieillissant ? Expliquez.]