Discussion Starters

Extreme Sports

Pre-Reading Warm Up Questions ☀

1. What are the X Games? (If you don't know, guess!)

2. What do you think is the most dangerous sport?
3. In sports, is too much money spent on advertising?
4. What's the difference between skateboarding, wakeboarding, and
snowboarding?

Pre-Reading Vocabulary Task ☀

Match the words on the left with the meanings on the right.

1. cliff a. a type of jump in which you go all the way over yourself
2. flip b. an alternative or different type of the original
3. version c. hurt
4. Generation Y d. traditional
5. conventional e. removes some of the value
6. injured f. group of people born in the 80's and 90's
7. root for g. a dangerous or risky trick
8. adrenaline rush h. a sport in which you ride the waves of a boat in front
9. stunt i. cheer for; encourage to do well
10. marketing j. convincing people to buy products and services
11. wakeboarding k. the feeling you get when you try something dangerous
12. takes away from l. an edge that is very high off the ground

Extreme Sports:
“What a Rush!”

Have you jumped from an airplane or ridden your bike off a cliff? Could you do a flip on
skis? Extreme sports are growing more popular by the day. This is partly due to the X Games. The
X Games is an extreme version of the Olympics. Generation Y loves to play and watch
alternative sports. These types of competitions are considered more dangerous than conventional
ones. This may not be true. Hockey is not an extreme sport, but many athletes get injured on the
ice. Extreme sports are typically individual sports. Despite being in competition, athletes often root
for their own competitors. These athletes enjoy the feeling of an adrenaline rush. You will hear
them say, "That was a rush!" after they successfully complete a stunt or landing. A lot of money is
spent marketing alternative sports like snowboarding, skateboarding, and wakeboarding. Some
athletes feel the extreme advertising takes away from the actual sport.

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 Discussion Starters
Extreme Sports

Comprehension Questions ✍
1. What is the X Games?
2. Which group of people popularized extreme sports?
3. What does the reading say about hockey?
4. What feeling do extreme athletes have after completing a stunt?
5. Why do some athletes dislike all of the marketing surrounding extreme sports?

Vocabulary Review ✍

A. Fill in the blanks with words from the list. Some words may not be used.
injured
1. Pressure from parents ______________________organized children's sports. root for
2. ________________________ feels a bit like skateboarding on the water. flip
takes away from
3. Riding down a mountain on a bicycle with no hands is a difficult _________________ .
version
4. It is common to ________________________ the athlete from your hometown.
stunt
5. The skateboarder was _______________ after trying to _______________ his board.
wakeboarding
6. _____________________ is younger than Generation X. Generation Y
adrenaline rush
B. Where does the additional word belong in the sentence?

adrenaline rush 1. Some athletes a) ______ enjoy the b) _____ of flying through the c) ______ air on a
d) ______ bicycle.
conventional 2. Though boxing a) ______ is a b) ______ sport, it is c) ______ still dangerous for the athletes.
marketing 3. Sporting a) ______ goods companies spend b) ______ a lot of money c) ______ clothing and
footwear related to extreme sports d) ______.
cliff 4. a) ______ diving is an b) ______ example of an extreme c) ______ sport that can result in serious
d) ______ injuries.
versions 5. Extreme a) ______ sports are often b) ______ dangerous c) ______ of a conventional sport such as
d) ______ skiing.

Discussion Questions
1. Do you like watching videos of dangerous stunts, or would you rather try them yourself?
2. Do you believe the human body was designed for extreme sports? Why or why not?
3. Do you push yourself to the "extreme" in any type of activity? Which one?
4. Do the most dangerous sports take place in the air, water, dirt, or snow? Explain your choice.

Copyright 2009. This eBook is produced and distributed by Red River Press Inc. All rights reserved. The contents within this e-book/document may only be
photocopied by members of ESL-Llibrary.com in accordance with membership terms and conditions. Contact info@esl-library.com for complete details.
 Discussion Starters
Extreme Sports

ANSWER KEY

Pre-reading Vocabulary Task

1. L 2. A 3. B 4. F 5. D 6. C 7. I 8. K 9. G 10. J 11. H 12. E

Comprehension Questions
1. The X Games is a version of the Olympics in which athletes compete in alternative sports.
2. Generation Y popularized extreme sports.
3. The reading says that hockey is classified as a conventional sport, even though it is dangerous like extreme sports.
4. Athletes experience an adrenaline rush after completing a stunt.
5. Some athletes feel that there is too much emphasis on advertising when the focus should be on the sport itself.

Vocabulary Review

A. Fill in the blanks

1. takes away from 2. wakeboarding 3. stunt 4. root for 5. injured, flip 6. Generation Y

B. Where does the additional word belong in the sentence?

1. B 2. B 3. C 4. A 5. C

EXTRA TASK:

Class Opinion: Write these questions on the board. Have your students walk around the class and do this class survey.

Name a conventional sport that Do you think more and more Does marketing take away from
is as dangerous as an extreme extreme sports will be added as some sports?
sport. Olympic events?

Copyright 2009. This eBook is produced and distributed by Red River Press Inc. All rights reserved. The contents within this e-book/document may only be
photocopied by members of ESL-Llibrary.com in accordance with membership terms and conditions. Contact info@esl-library.com for complete details.