#0209 – Extreme Sports, - Ang, mater, ESL Podcast McQuillan Jeff mp3+PDF
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English as a Second Language Podcast
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ESL Podcast 209 – Extreme Sports
GLOSSARY
snowboarding
– a sport where you use a snowboard, which is a small board
that looks like a small surfboard, to go down hills with snow
* We tried to go snowboarding last weekend, but it was too warm and the snow
was melting too quickly.
bungee jumping
– a sport where you jump off from very high up, usually an
airplane or a bridge, while attached to a strong elastic rope, called a bungee
cord, that pulls you back up
* She’s scared of heights so I don’t think she’ll go bungee jumping with us
tomorrow.
cave diving
– to go underwater for long periods of time and explore caves, or
deep holes, in the ocean or sea
* Cave diving is considered a dangerous sport because it’s not easy getting back
up to the surface of the water if you have trouble breathing.
extreme sport
– a type of sport that is more dangerous that regular sports,
usually involving great heights or speed, and taking chances on getting hurt
* Extreme sports are popular with people who want to do something exciting and
a little dangerous.
adrenaline rush
– a chemical reaction in the body that makes you excited and
causes your heart to beat faster, sometimes caused by a very exciting
experience
* The snowboarder got an adrenaline rush from the jumps he made.
to push (oneself) to the limit
– to go beyond what one can normally do
* I’ve been pushing myself to the limit by working two jobs and only getting five
hours of sleep every night.
to get hurt
– to get injured; to feel pain
* When you learn to dance, don’t worry about getting hurt or you’ll be afraid to try
the more difficult steps.
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ESL Podcast 209 – Extreme Sports
danger
– the possibility of being harmed or being in pain; something that may
cause harm or pain
* When I get off work at 10 p.m., I walk home with a friend to avoid any danger
on the streets.
competitively
– in a way that tries to win something by defeating others,
sometimes to prove that you are better than others
* He used to play video games for fun but now he plays competitively.
stunt
– a difficult or dangerous action
* I’m sure that the people in the movies who perform stunts, like falling off a
horse or jumping off a building, are professionals.
to push the boundaries
– to test or to try to go past the limits of something
* When he got fired from his job, Danny realized that it was not a good idea to
push the boundaries of his position.
adventurous
– someone or something that is exciting and daring; someone
willing to do something not considered safe or normal
* She was an adventurous child and liked to jump off high places and run at high
speeds.
climbing
– a sport where you go up something, usually a mountain, using your
hands and feet and special equipment
* They were planning on going climbing Mount Fuji this Sunday, but she broke
her arm and couldn’t go.
ice climbing
– a sport where you go up large ice blocks, like frozen waterfalls,
using your hands and feet and special equipment
* Do you think we can do some ice climbing when we go to Alaska this winter?
to pass
– to decline; to say ‘no’ to something
* I asked her if she wanted a piece of cake, but since she’s on a diet, she politely
said, “No thanks, I’ll pass.”
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ESL Podcast 209 – Extreme Sports
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. What is Ryan doing this weekend?
a) He is going cave diving.
b) He is going ice climbing.
c) He is going snowboarding.
2. Which sport has Celeste done before?
a) climbing
b) bungee jumping
c) ice climbing
_______________
WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?
to pass
The verb “to pass,” in this podcast, means to say ‘no’ to something or to decide
against doing something: “I told Mary that I’m going to have to pass on dinner
this weekend because I have to go visit my mother.” As a verb, “to pass” can
also mean to go around something, usually a car or vehicle on the road: “I had to
pass the truck on the one-lane highway because it was going so slowly.” We can
also use “to pass” to mean to be successful on a test or a challenge: “He was
worried that he wasn’t going to pass the final exam so he studied all weekend.”
Or, “He passed the driving test even though he made several small mistakes on
the road.”
to get hurt
In this podcast, the phrase “to get hurt” means to get injured or to be in pain:
“Being the smallest person on the team, he faced the biggest risk of getting hurt.”
The phrase is used in this podcast to refer to physical pain that people feel on
their bodies, like a broken arm. But, we can also use “to get hurt” to mean
mental or emotional pain, like being sad or having hurt feelings: “She didn’t want
to get into another relationship and get hurt again.” Or, “He wanted to reach out
to his daughter and to tell him he cared for her, but he was afraid of getting hurt.”
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ESL Podcast 209 – Extreme Sports
CULTURE NOTE
Extreme sports are activities that are different from traditional or normal types of
sports. These sports are more dangerous and usually played by individuals
rather than teams. Sometimes extreme sports are called adventure sports or
action sports. Some examples include: skateboarding, riding a board that has
wheels on the bottom; roller derby, racing around a track wearing skates (shoes
with wheels on the bottom); windsurfing, riding a surfboard with a sail in the
water; and BMX racing, riding a bicycle over dirt paths. Extreme sports have
always been popular among younger people, but now, other people are getting
interested in them. The “X Games,” which is the unofficial Olympics of extreme
sports that is broadcasted on ESPN, a sports cable channel in the U.S., is
extremely popular. American extreme sports players like Tony Hawk, Shaun
White, and Kelly Clark have become household names in the U.S. Some
extreme sports, like skateboarding and surfing, have actually become
“mainstream,” and they are now considered as ordinary as soccer and baseball.
Extreme sports are getting more attention than ever. In 1998, snowboarding was
included as an event in the Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. The sport
got a lot of attention in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, and in 2006 in
Turin, Italy. American athletes have taken home the most medals in this event
so far. Many people say that including snowboarding in the Olympics has been a
big success. It has attracted a lot of attention, competitors, and fans, especially
younger viewers. This has meant that the sport is making more money, too.
Extreme athletes are getting “endorsement deals,” or contracts to be in the
advertising for companies, and TV advertisement involving these sports has
increased a lot in the past several years as well. This success is opening the
way for other extreme sports to be considered as contests in future Olympic
games.
______________
Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – c; 2 – a
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ESL Podcast 209 – Extreme Sports
COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 209, “Extreme
Sports.”
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 209. I'm your host, Dr.
Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in
beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Remember to visit our website at eslpod.com. We have several new things you'll
want to take a look at, and of course, to download the Learning Guide for this
podcast. The Learning Guide contains all of the vocabulary that we talk about,
as well as additional words and explanations and a complete transcript of this
pod cast.
Today's podcast is called, “Extreme Sports.” Let's go.
[Start of story]
Celeste: I’m so glad it’s Friday. Are you doing anything this weekend?
Ryan: I’m going snowboarding with James.
Celeste: Didn’t you guys go bungee jumping last weekend?
Ryan: Yeah, and we plan to go cave diving in a couple of weeks.
Celeste: I didn’t know you were into extreme sports. I guess it’s a big adrenaline
rush.
Ryan: It is. But for me, it’s about pushing myself to the limit.
Celeste: Aren’t you afraid of getting hurt?
Ryan: Sure. There’s always a danger of getting hurt, but we don’t do these
sports competitively. It’s just for fun. I like trying new stunts and seeing how far
we can push the boundaries of the sport. Do you want to come with us
sometime?
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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2006). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.
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