Teddy Bears Are Not Immature

2024-01-18 00:00:00 / episode: 391

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Hi Welcome to the Extensive English Listening podcast of English Listening World. This episode’s story is about a grown woman and her teddy bear, and her fears. This is episode 391, and I’ll start with pre-listening questions. Think about the questions while you listen. Try to answer them for fun, too. The answers to the questions are at the end of the video.

Questions

Janet was lucky because her parents could pay for her apartment. Why was she nervous?
What did Janet discover in her room as she was packing?
What did one of her new friends major in at school?
How did her friend react to the teddy bear?
How are teddy bears helpful to people?

Moving Out

Janet was facing a big challenge. She had just finished high school and was accepted into a university. The problem was the university was in another city. She had to move out of her parent's house and into her own apartment. She was lucky because her parents could pay the rent. On the other hand, she was very nervous because this would be her first time living on her own.

Teddy Bear

When she packed her things, she discovered her old Teddy Bear in her chest. She immediately decided to take it with her. She could not throw it out. She realised she still had an attachment to it. On the other hand, she was a bit embarrassed by her feelings. She did not want other people to know about this.

New Friends

After a few weeks at the new university, she had started to make friends. She went out with them to cafes, or to play sports. One of her new friends was a psychology major, and they often talked about psychology. She often went to her friend's apartment to visit and chat.

Discovery

After a while, they were talking, and she suggested they go to her friend's apartment. Her friend said, "No, this time, let's go to your apartment." Janet felt a pang of nervousness. She immediately worried that her friend might discover the Teddy Bear. But on the other hand, she couldn't say no without arousing suspicion. Sure enough, when they got to her apartment, she had left the Teddy Bear out, and she could not rush to hide it before her friend noticed it. "Wow! You have a Teddy Bear. That's so cool!"

Acceptance

Janet was surprised. "You mean, you don't think it's totally childish of me to keep it? " "No way, said her friend. First of all, I read a study where they found there was no link between keeping teddy bears and emotional intelligence. And second, if it helps you to sleep better or cope with problems that's ten times better than some other solutions, like drugs or alcohol. I think you must be very mature, in fact. "

Relief

Janet was so relieved, and also surprised to hear this. She felt tighter with her friend than ever before. She also felt a lot more secure. She decided that keeping her Teddy Bear was the best decision she had made in a long time. She also decided not to keep it a secret anymore.

Questions

Janet was lucky because her parents could pay for her apartment. Why was she nervous?
Janet felt nervous because this was her first time to live on her own. She had to learn how to take care of herself.
What did Janet discover in her room as she was packing?
She discovered her old Teddy Bear from when she was a child. She realised how much she still cared for it.
What did one of her new friends major in at school? One of her friends majored in psychology. That was very interesting to Janet, but at the same time, a little scary. Janet thought her friend might see her weaknesses because she studied psychology.
How did her friend react to the teddy bear? Her friend thought keeping the teddy bear was a great idea. It was a source of strength for Janet, and also showed that Janet was strong because she was not ashamed of keeping the teddy bear.
How are teddy bears helpful to people?
They can help people fall asleep, and they can help people cope with life’s problems better by acting as a silent companion.