Level 1 — Absolute Beginner
Brad Pitt is a famous actor. He has been in many movies.
For seven years, Brad Pitt did not drink alcohol at all. This is called being sober.
Now Brad Pitt says he drinks alcohol again, but only a little bit. He said he has to be careful about it.
Brad Pitt also talked about hard times in his life since 2016. He said he feels better now.
- famous
- known by many people
- actor
- a person who performs in movies or plays
- alcohol
- a drink like beer or wine that can make people feel different
- sober
- not drinking alcohol at all
- careful
- paying close attention to avoid problems
- difficult
- hard to deal with
- struggle
- a hard effort to deal with a problem
- better
- improved, less bad than before
Level 2 — Elementary
Actor Brad Pitt has revealed that he started drinking alcohol again after seven years of complete sobriety, saying he now approaches it in a more restrained way.
In a wide ranging interview with Esquire magazine, Pitt said, 'I was sober for seven years. And then I got back off the wagon,' quickly adding that he now drinks in moderation rather than in large amounts.
The actor admitted he became overconfident at times and quickly realized that drinking too much still was not good for him. He said he can have a few glasses of wine, but not too many, explaining that he has to be professional about it.
Pitt also reflected on painful personal struggles he has faced since 2016, including a moment when he contemplated suicide but ultimately found relief in his survival instincts.
- reveal
- to make something known that was previously private
- sobriety
- the state of not being under the influence of alcohol
- restrained
- controlled, not excessive
- off the wagon
- an expression meaning to start drinking alcohol again after quitting
- moderation
- the practice of avoiding excess in an activity
- overconfident
- having too much confidence, more than is warranted
- admit
- to confess or acknowledge something
- survival instinct
- a natural drive to stay alive in dangerous situations
Level 3 — Intermediate
Brad Pitt has disclosed that he resumed drinking alcohol after maintaining seven years of sobriety, telling Esquire magazine in a candid, wide ranging interview that he now consumes alcohol in a far more restrained manner than before.
'I was sober for seven years. And then I got back off the wagon,' Pitt said, before clarifying that his current relationship with alcohol involves moderation rather than excess. He acknowledged growing overconfident on a couple of occasions, quickly recognizing that heavy drinking remained harmful for him.
The actor explained his current approach matter of factly, noting that he can enjoy a few glasses of wine but must remain disciplined, describing the need to 'be professional about it' given his history.
Beyond the subject of alcohol, Pitt used the interview to reflect candidly on the toll of what he called 'family stuff' since 2016, disclosing a moment of profound personal crisis in which he contemplated suicide before ultimately finding relief through his own survival instincts.
- disclose
- to reveal information that was previously kept private
- candid
- honest and straightforward, without holding back
- consume
- to eat or drink something
- excess
- an amount that is more than necessary or reasonable
- acknowledge
- to accept or admit that something is true
- disciplined
- showing controlled behavior according to rules or limits
- toll
- the damaging effect of something over time
- crisis
- a time of intense difficulty or danger
Level 4 — Advanced
In a candid, wide ranging interview with Esquire, Brad Pitt disclosed that he has resumed drinking alcohol after seven years of unbroken sobriety, framing his current relationship with alcohol not as a relapse into old habits but as a recalibrated, more disciplined arrangement.
'I was sober for seven years. And then I got back off the wagon,' Pitt remarked, before elaborating that the shift reflects moderation rather than the excess that had previously defined his relationship with drinking. He conceded that overconfidence crept in on a couple of occasions, prompting a swift recognition that heavier consumption remained incompatible with his wellbeing.
Pitt characterized his present approach with unusual matter of factness, describing an allowance for a few glasses of wine bounded by firm self imposed limits, a stance he summarized as needing to 'be professional about it' given his history with the substance.
The interview extended well beyond the subject of alcohol, with Pitt reflecting on the cumulative toll of what he termed 'family stuff' since 2016 and disclosing, with striking candor, a moment of acute personal crisis in which he contemplated suicide before ultimately finding relief through what he described as his own survival instincts.
- relapse
- a return to a previous negative condition or habit after improvement
- recalibrate
- to adjust or reconsider something in a new way
- concede
- to admit that something is true, often reluctantly
- incompatible
- not able to exist or work together without conflict
- self imposed
- voluntarily accepted by oneself, not forced by others
- cumulative
- increasing or building up over time through successive additions
- candor
- the quality of being open and honest in expression
- acute
- sharp, intense, or severe, especially regarding a crisis