B2 – Upper Intermediate
The body’s fight or flight response has a number of components. One of which is the hormone called adrenaline. Adrenaline is released when the body perceives danger and the initial response is to flee.
Not surprisingly, there are people who find this sensation pleasurable and instead of fleeing they prefer to stay in this dangerous situation.
Let’s listen to the podcast and find out more about one profession where adrenaline rush is manifested.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english_2023/ep-230511
Vocabulary Questions:
- Define the phrase “call it a day“. “You might expect Fergal to call it a day at this point, but that’s not how addiction works.” Use it in a sentence.
- What does the expression “to find one’s self doing something” mean? “Despite the danger, Fergal found himself going back again and again to report from war zones.” Use it in a sentence.
- What does “erosion” mean here, “I reach a point where I can’t carry that anymore, and it’s not dramatic, it’s a slow, steady erosion…” Use it in a sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- What do you think of a war correspondent’s job?
- What self-destructive behaviors could people suffering from PTSD have?
- Why do you think some people have adrenaline addiction?
- What is one thing/are some things that you found yourself doing again and again? Why do you think you had the need to do it/them?
- If one of your family or friends is like Fergal Keane, would you support or discourage them? Explain.