#185

SPEAKING FLUENCY

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Here are the questions with answers. Pause the recording and speak out loud. You don’t have to be perfect. Just speak quickly and have fun.

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Hoarding

When Alison Minami left for college, she practically dug herself out of her parents’ house. What did Allison do when she left for college? When Allison left for college she practically dug herself out of her parents’ house. They had so much stuff it was almost impossible to walk through the home. Why was it almost impossible to walk through the home? It was almost impossible to walk through the home because they had so much stuff. Her parents were hoarders. What were her parents? Her parents were hoarders. Every surface was covered with junk. Was every surface clear of junk? No, every surface wasn’t clear of junk. Every surface was covered with junk. There was a car in the driveway that didn’t run. What was in the driveway? There was a car in the driveway. Did the car run? No, it didn’t run. Shelves were full of garbage. What were full of garbage? Shelves were full of garbage. Her parents refused to throw anything away. What did her parents refuse to do? Her parents refused to throw anything away. Yet they accumulated more and more. Did they accumulate less? No, they didn’t accumulate less. They accumulated more and more. Hoarding is more than just being messy. Is hoarding just being messy? No, hoarding is more than just being messy. Hoarding is having a compulsive need for more, and an inability to throw even the silliest of things away.

© Deep English, 2011-2015 | www.deepenglish.com 02

Hoarding #185

Is hoarding having a compulsive need for more? Yes, it’s having a compulsive need for more. One hoarder made the news for having more than 5,000 rubber duckies. How many rubber duckies did one hoarder have? One hoarder had 5,000 rubber duckies. Another hoarder kept more than 8,000 stickers taken off of banana peels because she didn’t want to get rid of the “tiny art.” Why did one hoarder keep more than 8,000 stickers? One hoarder kept more than 8,000 stickers because she didn’t want to get rid of the “tiny art.” As for Alison, the daughter of hoarders, she finally escaped the cluttered prison of her parents’ home when she left for college. When did Alison finally escape the cluttered prison of her parents’ home? Alison finally escaped the cluttered prison of her parents’ home when she left for college. Often, when kids of hoarders leave home, they become obsessed with cleanliness and minimalism. What often happens when kids of hoarders leave home? When kids of hoarders leave home they often become obsessed with cleanliness and minimalism. Jessie Sholl whose mother was a hoarder, says she gets excited to throw things out.

© Deep English, 2011-2015 | www.deepenglish.com 03

Hoarding #185

What does Jessie Sholl say she gets excited to do? Jessie Scholl says she gets excited to throw things out. She’s even thrown away her college diploma. What has she thrown away? She’s thrown away her college diploma. The less stuff she has, the better she feels. How does she feel when she has less stuff? She feels better when she has less stuff. These days, it’s not just kids of hoarders who are feeling the pull towards minimalism. Are kids of hoarders the only ones who are feeling the pull towards minimalism? No, kids of hoarders are not the only ones who are feeling the pull towards minimalism. There’s a whole movement happening. What’s happening? A whole movement is happening. People are realizing that more stuff does not equal more happiness. What are people realizing? People are realizing that more stuff does not equal more happiness. Studies show if you want to be truly happy, instead of buying more things, you should spend your money on experiences. If you want to be truly happy what should you do? If you want to be truly happy, you should spend your money on experiences instead of on buying things. Experiences make us happy because they become part of our identity. Why do experiences make us happy? Experiences make us happy because they become part of our identity. Imagine that you live in a beautiful house, but your real passion is painting, or hiking, or traveling. You wouldn’t say, I am a beautiful home-owner. What wouldn’t you say? You wouldn’t say, I am a beautiful home-owner.

© Deep English, 2011-2015 | www.deepenglish.com 04

Hoarding #185

If you had to describe yourself, you’d probably say that you’re an artist or a hiker or a painter. If you had to describe yourself, what would you probably say? You’d probably say that you’re an artist or a hiker or a painter. And most importantly, experiences bring us closer to each other. What do experiences do for us? Experiences bring us closer to each other. Going to a concert, taking an art class, or learning to speak another language are experiences that don’t fill up our houses with stuff, but they give us something much more valuable. Do experiences that don't fill up our houses give us something more valuable? Yes, experiences that don’t fill up our houses give us something more valuable. They give us the opportunity to connect with one another. What do they give us the opportunity to do? They give us the opportunity to connect with one another. Not only do we share the experience, but we create shared memories with the people we care about. What else do we create when we share experiences? We create shared memories with the people we care about. The next time you’re about to make an expensive purchase, think about what kind of experience it will give you. Is it an experience that will allow you to live more fully and connect more deeply with others or is it just another pretty object to hoard in your house? Photos / Credits: Photo #1 (cover) – by Fe Ilya: https://www.flickr.com/photos/renneville/2908748583/ Photo #2 – by Dolapo Falola: https://www.flickr.com/photos/44547231@N00/2072788594

© Deep English, 2011-2015 | www.deepenglish.com 05

Hoarding #185