Unit 2 · Workbook

2B. Mental fitness — Workbook

Extra practice for home study · with answer keys

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Workbook illustration

How to use this workbook

  • Try each exercise on paper first — don't peek!
  • Tap Show answer on a single item, or use the big button above to reveal everything.
  • Re-do anything you got wrong the next day.

1. Vocabulary — how I'm feeling

Choose the option that best fits each sentence.

  1. I've got six deadlines and a sick child. I'm completely ___.

  2. Sorry I snapped — I've been ___ all morning waiting for the test results.

  3. She skipped lunch every day for three weeks. She's totally ___.

  4. I've been ___ with this software for six months and nothing has changed.

  5. Whenever I'm stressed I go for a long run — it really helps me ___.

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2. Vocabulary — coping strategies

Complete each sentence with ONE word from the box.

Word bank — drag or tap, then tap a gap
  1. I just need to  drop  for five minutes — can I tell you about my morning?
  2. If you're really struggling, please  drop  in someone you trust.
  3. I take Sundays completely off. It's my non-negotiable  drop  day.
  4. You have to learn to set  drop  with people who drain your energy.
  5. I need to  drop  properly during my holiday — no work emails.
  6. When the meeting got heated, I had to  drop  and breathe for a second.
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3. Vocabulary — discursive writing

Discuss the importance of 'decompressing' and setting 'boundaries' for maintaining mental fitness in high-stress careers.

Check your writing

  • Use at least 4 mental-fitness vocabulary items
  • Maintain a formal, discursive register
  • Use cohesive devices to link your arguments
  • Check for varied C1-level grammatical structures
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4. Grammar — must / mustn't / don't have to / have to

Choose ONE option to complete each sentence correctly.

  1. You ___ smoke in here — there are signs everywhere.

  2. It's Saturday! You ___ wear a suit.

  3. I keep arriving late. I really ___ get a new alarm.

  4. In Portugal, you ___ stop at red lights, even on a bike.

  5. Hospital rule: you ___ use your phone in the ICU.

  6. Lucky you — you ___ work this weekend!

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5. Grammar — should, ought to, had better

Rewrite each sentence using the modal in CAPITALS. Keep the meaning the same.

  1. It's a good idea for you to call your mother. (OUGHT)

  2. If you don't leave now, you'll miss the train. (BETTER)

  3. It's not a good idea to drink coffee at 10pm. (SHOULD)

  4. Honestly, my advice is to apologise. (OUGHT)

  5. Don't be late again — it'll cause real problems. (BETTER)

  6. It would be a really good idea to see a doctor. (SHOULD)

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6. Grammar — looking back with should have / shouldn't have

Rewrite each sentence as a regret/reflection using should have or shouldn't have + past participle.

  1. I didn't book the hotel and now everything is full.

  2. He sent that email at 1am. He really regrets it.

  3. She didn't listen to her doctor and now it's worse.

  4. I said yes to a fifth project and now I'm drowning.

  5. We didn't tell them the truth from the start.

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7. Grammar — find and fix the mistake

Each sentence has ONE mistake. Rewrite it correctly.

  1. You hadn't better tell her.

  2. She musts to leave early today.

  3. You don't must touch that — it's hot!

  4. I should have went to bed earlier.

  5. He shouldn't to drink so much coffee.

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8. Reading — true / false / not given

Read the short text, then mark each statement T (true), F (false) or NG (not given).

For three years Marco worked sixty-hour weeks at a consultancy in Madrid. "I told myself I was thriving," he says. "Honestly? I was running on empty." The first warning was small — he started snapping at colleagues over tiny things. Then he stopped sleeping. By month thirty, he was crying in client meetings he couldn't even remember booking. His doctor was blunt: he had to take three months off and seriously rethink his life. Marco resisted at first — "I'm not someone who burns out" — but eventually he agreed. Today he runs a small consulting practice from a village near Toledo, with a strict 5pm finish. "I should have listened to my body two years earlier," he admits. "The signs were all there. I just thought they didn't apply to me."

  1. Marco worked for a consultancy in Madrid for three years.T  /  F  /  NG
  2. He initially recognised the signs of burnout as serious.T  /  F  /  NG
  3. His doctor recommended three months off.T  /  F  /  NG
  4. Marco's family helped him decide to take time off.T  /  F  /  NG
  5. He now runs his own small consultancy.T  /  F  /  NG
  6. He regrets not paying attention to early warning signs.T  /  F  /  NG
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9. Writing — guided task

Write 60–80 words of advice to someone who says: "I work from home and I can't switch off. I'm exhausted but I keep checking my laptop in the evening." Include: (a) TWO advice modals (should / ought to / had better), (b) ONE "don't have to" or "mustn't", (c) TWO vocabulary items from this lesson.

Check your writing

  • 60–80 words
  • TWO different advice modals (should / ought to / had better)
  • ONE 'don't have to' or 'mustn't'
  • TWO vocabulary items from Lesson 2B
  • Kind, useful tone
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10. 🎧 Listening — gist & detail

Play the coaching session once for gist, then again for detail. (Wellness coach Maya is meeting her client Ben for a check-in.)

🎧 Maya & Ben · weekly wellness coaching session
📄 Show transcript

A: Hi Ben, welcome back. Let's start with your progress this week. What technique did Ben try this week?

B: I attempted the breathing exercise Maya suggested.

A: And how did that go for you?

B: Awful — his mind was racing. The first three days were a complete bust.

A: I understand. That's a common experience initially. So, what does Ben want to focus on today?

B: My evenings. Specifically, how I collapse on the sofa and scroll for two hours.

A: That's a great area to tackle. What small transition does Maya suggest between work and rest?

B: You mentioned a 10-minute walk, a shower, or even just changing clothes — a signal that work is over.

A: Exactly. Just a small break. And remember this, what does Maya say Ben mustn't do?

B: Beat himself up if he slips. That's a tough one for me.

A: It is, but it's crucial for long-term success. How does Maya describe stress recovery?

B: Non-linear — two steps forward, one back. It helps to keep that in mind.

  1. What technique did Ben try this week?
  2. How did the first three days go?
  3. What does Ben want to focus on today?
  4. What small transition does Maya suggest between work and rest?
  5. What does Maya say Ben mustn't do?
  6. How does Maya describe stress recovery?
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11. 🎧 Listening — gap-fill (dictation)

Listen again and write the missing word in each line.

🎧 Maya & Ben — key lines
📄 Show transcript

A: So, Ben, how did that digital detox go for you?

B: You know, Maya, surprisingly well. By Thursday, something shifted.

A: Really? I remember you were quite reluctant to even try it.

B: I was! I don't think you have to give up your phone entirely, but setting boundaries... that's key.

A: I agree. It's about finding that balance. I actually heard a great tip the other day.

B: Oh? Do tell.

A: It was about creating a buffer. You ought to give your brain a small transition between work and rest. Something like a 15-minute walk.

B: That makes sense. Like a signal: work is over.

A: Exactly. It helps your mind switch gears.

B: I did try something similar; I started reading a physical book for an hour before bed.

A: That’s brilliant! What if you slip, though? Do you just give up?

B: No, definitely not. You mustn't beat yourself up if you slip. Stress recovery is non-linear, after all. Just pick it up the next day.

  1. By Thursday, something .
  2. I don't think you have to up your phone.
  3. You ought to give your brain a small between work and rest.
  4. A signal: work is .
  5. You mustn't beat yourself if you slip.
  6. Stress recovery is -linear.
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12. 🔥 Challenge — sentence transformation

Rewrite the second sentence so it means the same as the first, using 2–5 words including the KEYWORD.

  1. 1. It isn't necessary for you to come early. → You ___ early. (KEYWORD: HAVE)

  2. 2. It is forbidden to use phones in the exam. → You ___ phones in the exam. (KEYWORD: USE)

  3. 3. It would be a good idea to apologise. → You ___. (KEYWORD: OUGHT)

  4. 4. Leave now, or you'll miss the bus. → You ___ now. (KEYWORD: BETTER)

  5. 5. It was a mistake to call him. → I ___ him. (KEYWORD: HAVE)

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13. 🔥 Challenge — word formation

Complete each sentence with the CORRECT form of the word in CAPITALS.

  1. He suffers from terrible ___. (ANXIOUS)

  2. Mindfulness has been life-___ for me. (CHANGE)

  3. Their relationship is emotionally ___. (DRAIN)

  4. Don't make ___ decisions when you're tired. (EMOTION)

  5. She showed great ___ during the crisis. (RESILIENT)

  6. His ___ comments made everyone uncomfortable. (JUDGE)

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14. 🔥 Challenge — odd one out

Three of the four share a meaning. Pick the ODD ONE OUT.

  1. 1. Feeling stressed:

  2. 2. Ways to look after yourself:

  3. 3. Strong advice / warning:

  4. 4. Feeling low:

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15. 🔥 Challenge — extended writing

Write a 120–150 word post titled "Three rules I've made for my mental fitness". Use AT LEAST: 3 different advice modals, 1 'should have / shouldn't have' (reflection on the past), and 4 vocabulary items from Lesson 2B.

Check your writing

  • 120–150 words
  • At least 3 different advice modals (should / ought to / had better / must / etc.)
  • At least one 'should have' or 'shouldn't have' (regret)
  • At least 4 vocabulary items from Lesson 2B
  • Reflective, personal tone
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16. Self-check

Tick the things you can now do confidently.

  • I can use must, mustn't, have to and don't have to correctly.
  • I can give advice with should, ought to and had better.
  • I can reflect on past decisions with should have / shouldn't have.
  • I can describe my emotional state with at least 5 new words.
  • I can suggest coping strategies in English.
  • I can hear and produce the weak forms of modal verbs.
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