Mixer #43 | Intermediate B1

What do you do for a cold?

Six people share what they usually do for a cold.

Al, England
speakerWhen I have a cold, I don't take the traditional medicine, or lemon, hot lemon drinks or anything like that. I take ceyene pepper, red pepper powder and I put it in everything I'm eating and that works for me.

Anita, Taiwan
speakerWhat do I do for a cold? When I've got a cold, I will stay at home and my grandmother always gives me a special herb tea for colds, and my grandmother always gives me a hand massage. But now I live by myself so when I got a cold I will just make myself herb tea and try the way my grandmother always did on me. I will massage my fingers and my hands.

Ruth, Ireland
speakerWhen You have a cold I don't think there is anything you can really do. Usually, if I have holidays from work I will go to bed for the weekend, maybe drink lots of hot drink and sometimes eat oranges and citrus fruit for vitimin C, but I think the only think you can do with a cold is to wait it out.

Tres, The United States
speakerWhenever I have a cold, I think it is good to get a lot of rest. It's also good to have a hot toddy - liquor, like whiskey, lemon, honey, heat it up, drink it. Wipes the cold out.

Ruth, England
speakerFor a cold? You know, actually if I have a cold, I do absolutely nothing. I don't really understand these cold remedies and my theory is that, if you have a cold and you take all of these cold remedies and antibiotics, they don't help because your body is immune to them, so you may as well just not take anything let your body heal itself. That's what I tend to do. Although on occasion, when my cold has been really bad, I have taken somthing.

Simon, Canada
speakerWhat do I do for a cold? Well, I drink lots of fluids. I like to eat soups, so get as much clear soup down me as possible. I don't get colds that often so it doesn't really matter, or another way is just pretend the cold isn't there.

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson!

works for

image

I put pepper in everything I eat and that works for me.

Something that 'works for' us is good or functional for us. Notice the following:

  1. I hate aerobics so I stay in shape by jogging. It works for me.
  2. Memorizing phrases is not the best way to learn English, but it works for some people.

citrus

image

I sometimes eat oranges and citrus fruit for vitamin C.

Citrus is simply another name for fruit (such as lemons and oranges). Notice the following:

  1. Citrus is an excellent source of vitamin C.
  2. Fresh citrus is cheap in Thailand, but expensive in the US.

wait it out

image

I think the only thing you can do with a cold is to wait it out.

When we 'wait something out,' that means we wait for it to finish. Notice the following:

  1. We had to wait out the storm in the flight terminal.
  2. Investors are waiting out the poor economy.

wipes the cold out

image

Take whiskey, lemon, honey -- heat it up, drink it -- wipes the cold out.

When something is 'wiped out' that means it's destroyed completely. Notice the following:

  1. The tsunami wiped out entire villages.
  2. Attempts to wipe out world hunger have been unsuccessful.

it doesn't really matter

image

I don't get colds that often so it doesn't really matter,

Something that 'doesn't matter' is unnecessary or not important to us. Notice the following:

  1. When I'm hungry, the kind of food doesn't really matter.
  2. Perfect grammar doesn't really matter when speaking English.

Vocabulary Quiz

works for • citrus • wait out
wiped out • doesn't matter
  1. Let's stop to eat at a restaurant and the storm.
  2. I've found that studying at a coffee shop instead of the library really me.
  3. It to me which movie we see.
  4. The smell of fruit is really refreshing for me.
  5. The fire almost all the houses on this street.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

One Minute English Video

Speakers
Mixer Video #43
Do you have a special cold remedy?

Try These Lessons

MX101 Calories
Mixer 45 Bad Home
Six people share what they hate about home.
MX101 Calories
Mixer 44 Best City
Find out the best city in each person's country.
MX101 Calories
Mixer 43 Cold Remedy
Hear how people cure a cold.
MX101 Calories
Mixer 42 Newspapers
Listen to six people talk about the newspaper.
MX101 Calories
Mixer 41 News Source
See ho six people get their news.

Free Courses from ELLLO

One Minute English Videos

Free Courses from ELLLO