ENGLISH Reading Exercise #5 (Intermediate): Goal Setting

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This exercise has been created for English students who are at a beginner to intermediate level. The pace of the reading is slower, with emphasis on pronouncing all the syllables.

During this English reading practice session, you will read along with the teacher at the same time, with the teacher’s voice superimposed over their own, students start to self-correct in the areas of pronunciation and fluency, learning to read and speak in natural word groups.

After a student feels comfortable at this pace, they can do the exercise created for intermediate to advanced students, which is faster and sounds normal for a native speaker.

English reading practice will certainly help you speak English fluently or at least great improve your English fluency.

Here is the transcript for “English Reading Practice Exercise 5 (Intermediate)”

Exercise 5: Goal Setting

Be sure to watch the introductory video to this playlist before doing this exercise.

Click on the link below in the Description . . .
(https://youtu.be/IOeaBha6dUU)

Instructions

Turn up the volume so the teacher’s voice is loud.
Read the words in red out loud at the same time as the teacher.
Pay attention to the teacher’s voice intonation and the word groups.
If you find the speed is too slow, go to the playlist and choose the advanced version.

The text:

Why Does Goal Setting Work?

Goal setting involves creating an action plan to guide and motivate a person to reach a goal. Goal setting involves more than a mere dream or wish. When a person sets a goal, they are committing mental energy, emotion and action to attaining that goal. So why do people who set specific goals seem to be more successful at getting things done than those who don’t set goals?

Partly because of an amazing mechanism in our brain which has been called the Reticular Activating System (RAS). The word reticular means something that is like a net, or network. In this context, RAS refers to the network of neurons located in the brain stem which affects our behaviour, consciousness and awareness. In other words, RAS determines what you will notice and what you will ignore.

The brain processes thousands of pieces of information each minute from our various senses. It is impossible to give equal attention to everything. So the brain uses a screening process so the most important things are brought into focus. By setting a goal and then committing mental energy and awareness to that goal, the brain is alerted and starts to give greater prominence to things related to that goal.

In other words, we begin to see or become aware of things related to the goal that will help us achieve it. These things were probably already around us, but we never gave much attention to them before. Now a goal is set, the RAS begins to make us aware of what we need to reach the goal.

A humorous story is told of a man who dreamed of owning an expensive car. He never expected to be able to afford one but nevertheless, he kept thinking about it and imagining himself owning and driving it. One day as he is browsing the newspaper, he notices a classified advert for this very model. Just out of interest, he called the number to find out the price.

A woman answered and without telling him the price, encouraged him to just come and see it and take it for a drive. He found it to be an amazing experience. Here he was sitting in the driving seat of his dream car. After the test drive he apologetically told the woman he was sorry for wasting her time but he could never afford such a car. The woman said: “It’s yours for $20.” He was shocked and thought it was some joke. The woman assured him this was a genuine offer. He agreed, paid the $20 and signed the papers.

Once the deal was finished, his curiosity running wild, he asked, why did you sell this car for just $20? The woman explained that some months previously her husband had run off with another woman. They were going through a divorce. She received a message from him telling her to sell the car and forward the money to him. The woman said: “I just did!”

While this story has a clever ending, it illustrates the point that without fixing his mind on this car, the man probably would never have even noticed the advert. His RAS made him more aware of anything related to this car model, and he amazed himself by finally becoming the owner of one. So again, why does goal setting work? Partly because of your brain’s Reticular Activating System!

That is the end of the reading.

Repeat this exercise many times until you can synchronize your reading with the teacher.

Practice other exercises in this playlist and see a major improvement in your English speaking fluency.

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If you found this English Practice Reading Exercise helpful, be sure to check Exercise 4 (Intermediate) which provides helpful information on Time Management:
ENGLISH Reading Exercise #4 (Intermediate): Time Management