Task 1: Gap-Fill

Some words have been removed from the following text. Can you find where
they fit? Choose from the words in the box below. NB: There are two extra
words that you wont need to use. (source: www.ylt.com/extremeactivities/)
Extreme Sports when traditional sports seem _____________and dont
give you the same___________, you might develop a ______________to
push the limits of physical_________________, to go right to the edge,
and beyond. If so, you may well be in the process of becoming an
___________________junkie
Have no fear, all is not____________ you can get your kicks from
extreme sports! Pit your skill and determination _________________ the
elements, on snow or cliff faces, in the ______________or water, over
land and___________________there are extreme ___________
activities just waiting for you to get stuck into!

air
for
opportunity
desire
lost
adrenaline
buzz
sports
sea
pass
against
ability

Task 2: Speaking
Match the following sports activities with their English names, then discuss the
questions with your partner.
parasailing
wing suit flying
canyoning
bungee
jumping
zorbing
surfing
BASE jumping
BMX jump

Have you ever tried any extreme sports?

If YES,
--where did you do it?; what was it like?; why did you choose that particular
sport?
If NO,
--would you like to try them?; why/why not?
Which do you think is the most dangerous? Why?
Are extreme sports only for the young and the rich? Why/Why not?
What can you achieve by doing extreme sports?
Is it worth risking your safety, health and life when you do extreme sports?

Task 3: Matching
Read about the origins of some extreme sports and find out which they refer to.
______________________ became very
popular during the 1950-60s with the
baby boomer generation on the US West
Coast. They adopted and modified the
Hawaiian practice of wave riding - where
individuals are propelled across the water
by the force of waves, while standing on
a flat, wide board.

As if parachuting wasnt scary enough,

__________________________sees participants
jump from fixed objects before using a parachute to
land! It is an acronym that stands for the four
categories of objects from which one can jump: a
building, an antenna (an uninhabited tower such as
an aerial mast), a span (a bridge, arch or dome),
and earth (a cliff or other natural formation).It is
much more dangerous than skydiving from aircraft.
Its first recorded instance was that of Frederick Law,
who jumped from the viewing platform of the Statue
of Liberty in 1912.

______________________is one of those

wacky extreme activities that could only
have come out of New Zealand! The great
thing about it is that you dont need to do
any special training or fitness regimes to
participate, though a strong constitution
would certainly help!
The equipment needed for this is a gigantic
inflatable PVC ball standing about three
metres in height, which contains another
smaller ball that is suspended into position
by thousands of nylon strands which act as
shock absorbers during the ride.
The equipment is stood at the top of a hill.
Once you are secure in the safety harness,
you await gravity to take over as it starts its
descent and you are sent rolling head over
heels downhill.

Task 4: Vocabulary
Read the texts above once more. Which words do the following definitions refer
to?

frightening
___________________
move or push forward
___________________
word formed from the initial letters of a group of words __________________
condition of your body with regard to strength
____________________
eccentric, crazy
____________________
wires twisted together
____________________
where nobody lives
____________________
going down
____________________

Task 5: Writing
Take side and write an argumentative essay of about 200 words with the title:

Extreme Sports Are the Only Way for You to Prove Your Courage