Listening: The 10,000 Steps Rule: Marketing or Science?

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B2 | Listening from video | 11 min

The 10,000 Steps Rule: Marketing or Science?

Watch the whole video. You can watch more than once. Then answer the questions below. (5:22)

Choose the best answer.

1. What is the main point of the video?

____ Research has shown that every adult needs 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy.____ Walking speed matters more than the number of steps for living longer.____ The 10,000 target is not a scientific rule; the best number depends on age.

2. Where did the number 10,000 first appear, according to the video?

____ In the name of a Japanese pedometer from 1965.____ In a Harvard study of older women in 2019.____ In the guidelines of the World Health Organization.

3. What happened to the health benefit after about 7,500 steps a day in the 2019 study?

____ It kept on growing just as fast.____ It stopped growing any further.____ It began to drop quickly.

4. Why do scientists say we should be careful with these results?

____ The studies lasted only about four years, so long-term effects are unclear.____ The step counters used in the studies were not accurate.____ The studies only observed people, so walking may not be the cause.

True, False or Not Given? Choose Not Given if the video does not say.

5. Using a smartwatch helps people walk more than they would without one.

____ True____ False____ Not Given

6. The 2022 analysis found that the best number of steps is the same for people of all ages.

____ True____ False____ Not Given

7. The World Health Organization gives its advice in minutes of activity, not in steps.

____ True____ False____ Not Given

Complete each sentence with the words you hear.

A NUMBER from the video.

8. In the 2019 study, the least active group of women walked about ____ steps a day.

A NUMBER from the video.

9. According to a 2025 review of 57 studies, people who walk 7,000 steps a day have a ____ percent lower risk of dying than people who walk 2,000.

ONE WORD from the video.

10. In 2022, the WHO estimated that nearly a ____ of adults around the world did not get enough exercise.

The 10,000 Steps Rule: Marketing or Science?

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