English Language Listening Library Online
Mixer 99 | Intermediate B1

Do you enjoy cooking?

Six people share their thoughts about cooking. Who are you similar to?

Santi, Indonesia
speakerYes, I enjoy cooking, especially with my sister because I prepare all the things, but she will wash. That's our agreement, and I like to cook with the simple ingredients, less than five because it will take little time.

Tom, U.K.
speakerI absolutely never cook. I used to cook when I was in university, but I never got very far with it. It was boring, and I have a microwave and a kettle in my apartment and that's it, and I would never cook for another person.

George, U.S.
speakerDo I enjoy cooking? Yes, I do. Ever since I started to live on my own, I've really started to enjoy cooking, of course I don't like the dishes. My record is one month actually of not doing the dishes, so of course not after doing the dishes for about a month, there's a really interesting smell that starts to develop.

Buddhi, Sri Lanka
speakerDo I enjoy cooking? Well, I don't really enjoy cooking cause I'm not a very good cook. Well, I like to try new things, and like to experiment in cooking, but I don't really enjoy. I like baking and I like trying new things out, but not particularly cooking.

David, Kenya
speakerDo I enjoy cooking? Yes, I do enjoy cooking, especially when I have free time on the weekends. I live with my flatmates and we cook together at times. We cook ethnic foods from Africa. That's where I come from, Kenya in particular, and yeah, I enjoy cooking.

Hanna, Australia
speakerI do not enjoy cooking in the slightest. I'm a terrible cook and I will eat anything so I have absolutely no motivation to cook.

[end of script]

Learn Vocabulary from the Lesson!

get very far with

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In university, I never got very far with cooking.

When you 'get far with' something it means you succeed at it. However, we usually only use the phrase to talk about failure, or not getting far with something. Notice the following:

  1. I never got very far with that software. It was too hard.
  2. You will never get far in life if you do not have friends. (for 'life' use 'in')

record

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My record is one month of not doing dishes.

When you talk about a personal 'record' you talk about the best or most you have ever done something or 'recorded' yourself doing. Here are some samples:

  1. My record for saving money is 300 dollars in one month.
  2. My record for not showering is one week. My friends hated me.

try new things out

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I like trying new things out.

To 'try new things out' means you are experimenting. If you just 'try' something, you might do so without thinking much about it, but when you 'try something out', that means you are more aware of the results for future reference. Notice the following:

  1. You should try out that new restaurant. It is really good.
  2. We tried the recipe out, but it did not taste good.

ethnic foods

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We cook ethnic foods from Africa.

When something is 'ethnic' it means it comes from a small subgroup of people that have a local, but unique culture. When something is ethnic, that means it is traditional or natural for that group of people. Notice the following:

  1. She cooked ethnic foods from her home country.
  2. The ethnic dress of that culture is very colorful.

in the slightest

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I do not enjoy cooking in the slightest.

The phrase 'in the slightest' means 'not at all' or 'at all'. It shows that the speaker does not have positive feelings about something. Notice the following:

  1. I am not interested in going in the slightest.
  2. I do not like horror movies in the slightest.

Vocabulary Quiz

got far with • record • try things
ethnic • slightest
  1. His personal is 50 tacos.
  2. I don't like her in the .
  3. Thai food is my favorite food.
  4. We took dancing lessons, but we never it.
  5. I prefer to watch other people do things before I out.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

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Mixer Video #99
What can you cook?

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