Unit 9: Winter sports

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Aims and Objectives

In this lesson you are going to learn vocabulary and phrases concerning ice hockey and skiing. You will also review some weather vocabulary. Finally you are going to practice past simple irregular verbs.

The grammar focus of this unit is:

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Practice

Exercise not available in this language version.

Comprehension

Exercise 1: Multiple Choice Questions

Chose the correct answer.

Recording:
Transcript:
NERINAHi Glenn, how was your week off?
GLENNNot bad, we went skiing at Lake Tahoe.
NERINAWow, never been there, was the weather all right?
GLENNIt was so-so. Sunny for three days and misty for the rest.
NERINAThe weather here was terrible, so cold!
GLENNYeah, I prefer winter in the mountains, the city tends to be depressing.
NERINAAbsolutely! I'll see you later.
GLENNBye.
  1. Glenn had a
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. Glenn spent his holiday
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. The weather at lake Tahoe was
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. According to Glenn the city is
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice Questions

Chose the correct answer.

Recording:
Transcript:
CHUCKGwyn, it doesn't look good for our trip today. Take a look outside.
GWYNHmm, it's snowing and snowing, we won't see anything.
CHUCKHow long does it take to the next cottage?
GWYNHalf a day I guess, but it depends on visibility.
CHUCKRight, but we have a GPS, don't we?
GWYNWe do, but still, setting off in this weather is quite hazardous.
CHUCKI agree, but we can't stay in this shelter, we don't have much food left.
GWYNOK, lets's go.
  1. The weather is dangerous because
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. It take half a day to the next cottage but it depends on
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. Gwyn thinks that setting off
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. They can't stay because
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Exercise 3: Exposed Cloze

Use the correct word or expression from the list below to fill in the gaps in the sentences.

  • Skiing
  • activity
  • equipment
  • high
  • people
  • physical
Transcript:

Skiing is a sport that anyone of basic mental and physical capacity can do. It requires high amounts of courage, time, money, and equipment. According to some people skiing is quite possibly the most liberating activity known to mankind.

? is a sport that anyone of basic mental and ? capacity can do. It requires ? amounts of courage, time, money, and ?. According to some ? skiing is quite possibly the most liberating ? known to mankind.

Exercise 4: Exposed Cloze

Use the correct word or expression from the list below to fill in the gaps in the sentences.

  • Montreal
  • ice hockey
  • modern
  • puck
  • students
  • team
Transcript:

McGill University in Montreal was the first place to hold an organized ice hockey game in 1875. In 1877, McGill students established the first organized ice hockey team. It can be said that McGill students founded modern ice hockey, created the puck and the first set of rules.

McGill University in ? was the first place to hold an organized ? game in 1875. In 1877, McGill ? established the first organized ice hockey ?. It can be said that McGill students founded ? ice hockey, created the ? and the first set of rules.

Grammar Practice

Exercise 1: Cloze

Fill in the gaps in the text below. For each gap there is only one correct answer.

Transcript:

They (go) went skiing for one week.
The weather at lake Tahoe (be) was so so.
They (set off) set off even though the weather was bad.
Fortunately, they (have) had a GPS with them.
It (take) took them half a day to get to the next cottage.
Next day they (get) got down to the village.

They (go) ? skiing for one week.
The weather at lake Tahoe (be) ? so so.
They (set off) ? even though the weather was bad.
Fortunately, they (have) ? a GPS with them.
It (take) ? them half a day to get to the next cottage.
Next day they (get) ? down to the village.

Exercise 2: Substitution

Use the text in brackets to transform each sentence.

Example:

(put)
put


  1. ?

  2. ?

  3. ?

  4. ?

  5. ?

  6. ?

Exercise 3: Cloze

Put in was/were or wasn't/weren't.

Transcript:

Our youngest player was 21 last month.
They weren't very happy with the results.
I wasn't at training last week because I was ill.
Where were your two brothers yesterday?
Today the weather was very good.
We were the winners of the December contest.

Our youngest player ? 21 last month.
They weren't very happy with the results.
I ? at training last week because I ? ill.
Where ? your two brothers yesterday?
Today the weather ? very good.
We ? the winners of the December contest.

Exercise 4: Substitution

Use the text in brackets to transform each sentence.


  1. ?

  2. ?

  3. ?

  4. ?

  5. ?

  6. ?

Exercise 5: Exposed Cloze

Use the correct word or expression from the list below to fill in the gaps in the sentences.

  • came
  • fell
  • left
  • paid
  • saw
  • told
Transcript:

I left the match three minutes before the end.
She fell down in the middle of the slope.
They paid quite a lot for the tickets.
I saw our new coach yesterday.
He told us to get ready for the face-off.
She came late for the beginning.

I ? the match three minutes before the end.
She ? down in the middle of the slope.
They ? quite a lot for the tickets.
I ? our new coach yesterday.
He ? us to get ready for the face-off.
She ? late for the beginning.

Exercise 6: Cloze

Fill in the gaps in the text below. For each gap there is only one correct answer.

Transcript:

There (be) was a bad snow on the slope.
She (meet) met him on the ski lift.
I (sell) sold my old skis.
He (get) got the best equipment available.
I (go) went through the instructions several times.
She (think) thought I was someone else.

There (be) ? a bad snow on the slope.
She (meet) ? him on the ski lift.
I (sell) ? my old skis.
He (get) ? the best equipment available.
I (go) ? through the instructions several times.
She (think) ? I was someone else.

Dictation

Exercise 1: Dictation

Listen to the complete recording first. Then go to the textbox and use the ‘>’ key to listen to the text section by section. Type what you hear into the textbox. For detailed instructions, read the Exercise Help.

Recording:
Transcript:

The weather changes quickly in the mountains.

?

Exercise 2: Dictation

Listen to the complete recording first. Then go to the textbox and use the ‘>’ key to listen to the text section by section. Type what you hear into the textbox. For detailed instructions, read the Exercise Help.

Recording:
Transcript:

It is hard to make short turns with long skis.

?

Checklist

Now, after finishing this lesson you should be able:

To talk about weather.

To understand common vocabulary and phrases concerning ice hockey and skiing.

To use past simple irregular verbs.

Version 2.0 (2011-12-07 01:25 CET)
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