[Sports ★★]
(P1) Skydiving, also called parachuting, is a sport in which athletes jump out of an airplane at a certain altitude and perform acrobatic movements in free fall. Then they open their parachutes to slow down and return safely to Earth. Skydiving is considered to be an extreme sport, which takes a lot of courage but also gives you an adrenaline kick.
(P2) Skydiving is a sport that is not as young as it may seem. At the end of the 18th century, a Frenchman, Andre Garnerin, jumped from a hot air balloon and was thought to be the first real parachutist.
(P3) Later on, skydiving became important for the army and air force. Pilots could jump out of a plane and land on earth safely if something went wrong. In wars, soldiers were dropped off in war zones, often behind enemy lines. Skydivers are also used when it comes to fighting off disasters like bushfires.
WORDS: 153
SOURCE: http://www.english-online.at/sports/skydiving/skydiving-an-extreme-sport.html
VOCABULARY: altitude, acrobatic, free fall, extreme sport, courage, adrenaline, hot air balloon, war zones
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
If you found the passage difficult to read or had problems understanding specific words or idiomatic expressions, please discuss them with your tutor. The following discussion questions should be answered in your own words and with your own arguments.
- Briefly, summarize the content of the article in your own words.
- Do you like to go skydiving? Why or why not?
- Are there other extreme sports you like (I.E. bungee jumping)?
- Have you ever been in a hot air balloon? If yes, describe what it was like. If no, would you like to?
- Why do people like extreme sports?
EXPRESSIONS or PHRASES:
What do the following expressions or phrases mean?
- Adrenaline kick (P1)
- Not as young as it seems (P2)
- Enemy lines (P3)
- Fighting off (P3)
Image source: by “unknown” http://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2016/10/10/636117217932244337-1586476267_skydive-ohio.jpg