SECTION 3 Are Extreme Sports Fun to You?

50 Work in groups. A lot of young people in different countries do sports. Apart from sports such as football, horseracing and swimming, some new sports have appeared recently. Read the names of the sports. Say what you think these sports are like. Let your partner agree, disagree or add something.

diving rafting skydiving surfing skateboarding mountain biking BASE jumping

Example: Student 1: I’ve heard that skydiving is diving from a boat into very deep places. Student 2: Nothing of the kind. I know for sure that skydiving is jumping from a plane with a parachute. It’s like parachuting, but the jumper waits to open his parachute for as long as possible. Student 3: It’s more dangerous than para- chuting. Student 4: When jumpers are falling down, they make different figures in the sky and it looks beautiful.

51 Listen to the information and find out if you were correct in your descriptions of the sports.

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52 Listen to the words for sports equipment 53 Read the reasons why people do extreme and facilities. Group them according to four sports. Choose the reasons you agree with different extreme sports. What are and add your own ideas. Express your point the names of these extreme sports? of view.

to keep fit helmet skates to look athletic skating rink plane (aircraft) to develop the body ramps hockey stick to feel joy and excitement skateboard skate parks to make families worry about them diving suit aqualung to show off flippers kneecaps to impress people around them parachute motorboat to prove how fearless they are to kill time

Use: I’m sure... To my mind... I would say that... I believe... I guess some people do extreme sports because...

54 Listen to the short interviews and match the person with his / her words. Some British people are being interviewed in the streets of Moscow and they express what they personally think about the following question.

ARE EXTREME SPORTS POPULAR AMONG THE BRITISH?

Gregory, 15 Ashford, 50 Susanna, 23

55 Listen to the interviews again. a) Find as much information as possible to say how these people feel about extreme sports. b) Complete the table in your Workbook.

Susanna Ashford Gregory It’s obvious that Susanna is not Ashford has never done Gregory sounds very excited interested in extreme sports. anything like extreme sports. about extreme sports. She says that... He must be joking when he He says that... says that...

166 UNIT 4 Section 3

56 Read the text and choose: 1) True if the statement is true, 2) False if the statement is false, 3) Not stated if the information is not given in the text.

I travel twice a year. It is a “must”; other- wise, I’ll feel unfit both for my work and for my studies. The thing is that, for three years, I’ve been a member of a diving club and every sea- son we get together at a new place. We arrange these trips to escape from everyday problems and to get into the beautiful and calm under- water world. We have already done some diving in the Red Sea, on the coast of South Africa and in the dark, cold and clean waters of Lake Bai- kal. Nothing can compare to the excitement you feel while exploring deep underwater caves without knowing what kind of wonder or danger you might face there. There are people of all different nationalities in our club. I feel like I can call them close and reliable friends in spite of the fact that we see each other only during our trips. We don’t have any communi- cation problems even though not everybody speaks English fluently. We work as a team. It’s not the words but the care, help, and support that are essential for survival. Yes, it can be dan- gerous sometimes, and I’m often asked why I take the risk. I don’t really know, but I’m going to keep on doing it.

1. A friend convinced Julian to join a diving 57 Read the text again and make up club. sentences with the opposite meaning to 1) True 2) False 3) Not stated the following. Use the phrases from the text. 2. Julian dives in both warm and cold waters. 1. It’s not necessary for me and I can easily do 1) True 2) False 3) Not stated without it. 3. Julian prefers diving in the Red Sea. 2. I feel that I’m in good physical and mental 1) True 2) False 3) Not stated condition. 4. Julian experiences language problems when 3. The trips make me feel caught in the net of communicating with foreign divers. everyday problems. 1) True 2) False 3) Not stated 4. You know beforehand what danger you 5. Julian is planning to give up diving soon. should avoid underwater. 1) True 2) False 3) Not stated 5. People often ask how I manage to avoid risk.

167 UNIT 4 Section 3

GRAMMAR FOCUS Nothing can compare 58 Make up three sentences to the feeling of freedom according to the pattern: and excitement while skateboarding on crooked Nothing can compare to... streets of our town! + noun or + -ing form

Example: Nothing can compare to a juicy sweet watermelon (арбуз) on a winter evening.

Nothing can compare to swimming in a warm sea in the middle of January.

WORD FOCUS

59 Review these linking words.

otherwise in spite of the fact that though that’s why because

60 Join the sentences using the above linking words.

When you go camping, take warm clothes with you will catch a cold. you...

Jacky broke her leg last summer and... she wasn’t able to roller-skate for almost a year.

...he is rather fat, he can climb the mountains better than others.

We won’t take Susan windsurfing... she can’t swim.

The sportsmen understood each other they spoke different languages. perfectly...

We wanted to do some diving on holiday we packed all necessary diving equipment. and...

...he was much younger than the other he won the competition. athletes,

61 Listen to the conversation and find the answers to the questions. 1. What kind of programme is it? 2. What makes Tom Render an interesting person for Dave Ford’s programme? 3. What can be called “extreme sports” according to Tom Render?

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