# Reading Retold as an Interview: Why We Need Sleep

> Example: a short reading text about sleep, rewritten as a B1 radio interview with a scientist. Shows how a reading becomes a listening lesson.

Canonical: https://zenmic.com/convert/reading-passage-to-listening-audio/article-retold-as-interview/
Last updated: 2026-11-14

😴 B1 · Science

Students read a text about sleep on Monday. On Tuesday they hear the same facts as a radio interview and answer new questions.

## Script

2 speakers · 10 lines

Host

Today we're asking a simple question: why do we sleep? Dr Lewis, welcome.

Lewis

Thanks for having me.

Host

So, is sleep just rest for the body?

Lewis

That's what people thought for a long time. But the brain is very busy while we sleep. It sorts the day's memories and decides what to keep.

Host

So sleep helps us learn?

Lewis

Exactly. Students who sleep after studying remember more than students who stay up.

Host

How much sleep do teenagers need?

Lewis

About eight to ten hours. Most get less than seven, mainly because of phones in the bedroom.

Host

So, phones out of the bedroom?

Lewis

laugh That would be my advice, yes.

Want your own version? The AI writes a fresh script and casts a voice for every speaker. [Make a New One Like This →](https://zenmic.com/studio/?template=esl-listening-dialogue&topic=Turn+a+reading+passage+into+a+short+radio+interview+between+a+host+and+an+expert+at+B1+level%2C+keeping+the+key+facts%2C+with+five+comprehension+questions)

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'; }); return out; }; // Show a script in an element the Studio way, keeping the plain text for copy buttons (data-raw) window.zmShowScript = function (el, script) { if (!el) return; el.setAttribute('data-raw', String(script || '')); el.className = 'rounded-2xl border border-stone-200 bg-white shadow-sm p-2 sm:p-3 space-y-0.5 text-left'; el.innerHTML = window.zmScriptLines(script); }; document.addEventListener('click', function (ev) { var copy = ev.target.closest('[data-copy]'); if (copy) { var el = document.getElementById(copy.getAttribute('data-copy')); navigator.clipboard.writeText((el.getAttribute('data-raw') || el.textContent || '').trim()).then(function () { var t = copy.textContent; copy.textContent = '✓ Copied!'; setTimeout(function () { copy.textContent = t; }, 1800); }); return; } var gen = ev.target.closest('[data-studio-script]'); if (gen) { var box = document.getElementById(gen.getAttribute('data-studio-script')); try { var txt = (box.getAttribute('data-raw') || box.textContent || '').trim().replace(/^s(\d):/gm, function (m, n) { return (['Alex','Sam','Maya','Leo'][n - 1] || ('Speaker ' + n)) + ':'; }); localStorage.setItem('zenmic_prefill_script', txt); localStorage.setItem('zenmic_prefill_title', gen.getAttribute('data-title') || ''); } catch (e) {} var q = new URLSearchParams(); if (gen.getAttribute('data-template')) q.set('template', gen.getAttribute('data-template')); if (gen.getAttribute('data-lang')) q.set('lang', gen.getAttribute('data-lang')); window.open('/studio/' + (q.toString() ? '?' + q.toString() : ''), '_blank', 'noopener'); } });

## What Makes This Work

- ✓Keeps the key facts of the reading
- ✓Turns statements into questions and answers
- ✓A clear B1 pace and two voices
- ✓Students meet the content twice, in two skills

## More Examples

[🌊 A2–B1 · Story Story Read Aloud: The Lighthouse Keeper A narrator and two characters read a short graded story.](https://zenmic.com/convert/reading-passage-to-listening-audio/story-read-aloud/)

[← All Turn a Reading Passage Into Listening Audio](https://zenmic.com/convert/reading-passage-to-listening-audio/)

## Make Your Own Version

Change the names, the product or the situation. The AI rewrites it and voices every speaker.

[Make One Like This →](https://zenmic.com/studio/?template=esl-listening-dialogue&topic=Turn+a+reading+passage+into+a+short+radio+interview+between+a+host+and+an+expert+at+B1+level%2C+keeping+the+key+facts%2C+with+five+comprehension+questions)
