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Extreme sports

Do you like the excitement of extreme sports? If so, you might be an 'adrenaline junkie'. Find out more about white-water rafting and parkour in this video.

Instructions

 

Do the preparation task first. Then, watch the video and do the exercises. Remember you can read the transcript at any time.

Preparation

Do this exercise first to check your sports vocabulary then watch the video.

Transcript

Extreme sports are popular all over the UK. Not just in the mountains of Snowdonia or Scotland. But what attracts people to these sports? Is it adventure or danger?

People who enjoy fast and dangerous sports, like white-water rafting, are called thrill seekers or adrenalin junkies.

I’m at the National Water Sports Centre in Nottingham in the centre of England and this is the white-water course. Seven hundred metres of foaming water with drops or rapids. And the skill is to stay afloat in the rough water.

I’m here to meet Pas Blackwell, a white-water rafting expert, and to find out why so many people enjoy the thrills and spills of this extreme sport.

Carmen: Hi, Pas.

Pas: Hi, Carmen.

Carmen: So this is a specially built course, but you raft on rapids all around the world. What do you most enjoy about white-water rafting?

Pas: I really enjoy being outdoors and on the water. I really enjoy the freedom of just you and nature and I really enjoy the challenge.

Carmen: So why do people like dangerous sports?  

Pas: I think people like to push themselves – to see how far they can go – to really test themselves, against the elements, water and air.

Carmen: So, are you an adrenalin junkie?

Pas: I don’t think of myself as an adrenalin junkie, but I do really enjoy the rush of trying to get from the top to the bottom and get through situations that occur out on the river.

.....

In the countryside there are lots of wide open spaces and lots of extreme sports to choose from. But what do adrenalin junkies do in the city? Well, parkour, sometimes called free running, is becoming popular in London.

Parkour started in France. And the idea is to get from one place to the other as fast as possible; jumping and climbing over whatever is in the way. So I’ve come to a parkour class in West London to find out what it’s all about. Rebecca Ahmed has been doing parkour for more than a year.

Carmen: So Rebecca, why do you like parkour?

Rebecca: It’s really fun, it’s original and it keeps me fit. That’s why I come.

Carmen: Do you need any special equipment?

Rebecca: Not really, we just use what’s around us like steps, railings and trees, but as long as you’ve got a good pair of trainers, you’re fine.

Carmen: Is it difficult?

Rebecca: I wouldn’t say it’s difficult – it’s more about the fear. If you’re not scared you can do it.

I’m not sure I’ve got the balance for parkour. Extreme sports can be dangerous, but they’re also lots of fun.

Worksheets and downloads

Extreme Sports - exercises2 MB
Extreme Sports - answers1.76 MB
Extreme Sports - transcript 244.64 KB
Discussion

Would you rather try white-water rafting or parkour? Tell us which extreme sports are popular where you live.

Language level
B1 Intermediate
B2 Upper intermediate
Topics
Britain and UK
extreme sports
adventures
Average: 3.4 (44 votes)
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Comments

Submitted by siemanko17 on Tue, 01/19/2021 - 20:27

I think parkour is not for me because I would be afraid to jump from a great height without protection. I'd like to try white-water rafting because I like water sports

Submitted by EmmaSol on Tue, 01/19/2021 - 10:38

I'd like to try parkour’ cuz the parkour seems to be easier than white-water rafting. In Poland, the most popular sports are driving fast and luxury cars and shooting.

Submitted by Angelakwiat5 on Tue, 01/19/2021 - 09:45

I think prefer parkour than rafting because I wouldn't dare try rafting and I don't know if I would ever dare to try extreme sport but if I had choose Rafting or Parkour I would choose parkour because is more interesting than rafting

Submitted by WiktorM123 on Tue, 01/19/2021 - 08:19

I think that more interesting sport is parkour, but trying extreme sports is dangerous. I would like to try parkour someday, because it will definitely give me lots of adrenaline

Submitted by EpicVlad27 on Sun, 01/17/2021 - 11:08

In my opinion parkour seems more interesting and I am afraid of water but I would say rafting is more popular where I live.

Submitted by Madness on Fri, 01/15/2021 - 10:22

In my opinion, watch extrem sport on the TV is safer, but if you want to have new sensations, this is one of the best ways to get them.

Submitted by aangeeelee_16 on Fri, 01/15/2021 - 08:48

Hi, I'd rather try white water rafting instead of parkour because, I'm suffering from vertigo and parkour outdoors could be really scary to me. Rafting seems to be a good experience to do with friends or family, also you'd feel safer. In my country the most popular extrem sports are bungee jumping, mountain bike and rafting.

Submitted by abytcd on Fri, 01/15/2021 - 08:44

To my mind I'd rather try white-water rafting because it seems to be funnier and more exciting than parkourt. I think white-water rafting is also less dangerous, we can also practise this sport with our famiy or friends. In my opinion parkourt is too dangerous because it doesn't need any equipment. Where I live people practise bungee-jumping, paragliding, canoeing, raftind and tree-climbing. Nevertheless I have never practised rafting.

Submitted by SophiaLow07 on Thu, 01/14/2021 - 19:50

Between the two I prefer Parkour, but what I would really like to try is scuba diving, so I could see the mysteries of the deep!!

Submitted by beles on Fri, 04/17/2020 - 13:44

In my opinion white-water rafting is more exciting than parkour. Parkour is dangerous so I choose white-water rafting.

Submitted by gasparlidia on Fri, 04/17/2020 - 07:15

I think white-water sport is very exciting and a little safer than parkour so I will choose it.

Submitted by Akosballer26 on Fri, 04/17/2020 - 06:13

Im not the biggest fan these sports but Im interested in parkour and in the long future i want to try it.Im curius about this sport difficulity and how much time to do I learn this sport.

Submitted by mrth3 on Fri, 04/17/2020 - 00:38

In my city, white-water rafting is not popular because there are no wide or large rivers nearby, but parkour is more likely due to stairs and railings on the streets. I would choose parkour beacuse I'm not that good in water sports.

Submitted by iceolated on Thu, 04/16/2020 - 20:02

I think that's hard to say. Many people parkour, but I don’t know white-water rafting, so I would say that parkour is more popular. I’m not really a fan of extreme sports I stick with the usual sports like football. If I have to choose, i would try parkour.

Submitted by mynameismynameis1 on Thu, 04/16/2020 - 19:49

In my opinion the most extreme sport is the parkour because you have to jump,slide,climb across objects and you can even break yourself, so i think its the most extreme sport. i would like to try it but carefully.

Submitted by RobotRebellion on Thu, 04/16/2020 - 18:26

I would like to learn parkour beacuse it can be useful someday

Submitted by Juci on Thu, 04/16/2020 - 11:48

I think white-water rafting is more exciting than parkour so i would try the white-water rafting. In my country i think the parkour is the most popular.

Submitted by fairytail on Tue, 04/14/2020 - 10:05

I think white-water sport is very excited and I like to try it.

Submitted by blueparrot on Thu, 04/16/2020 - 17:24

Hi, I think both of these sports are very dangerous. But if I had to choose I would rather try rafting.

Submitted by blackbird on Tue, 04/07/2020 - 17:27

Hello It's really hard for me to choose, because I'm not the bravest person in the world. I like to do safer sports, like table tennis or horse riding. But if I really need to chosse, I will pick the water rafting, because parkour looks more dangerous in my opinion. In my country people like to do parkour. They find it exciting, but I don't think so. I can't believe how people can be so fearless.

Submitted by Littlebird on Tue, 04/07/2020 - 13:10

I think these activities are really exciting but i wouldn't try them out just in my own. I wild to with someone that i trust and i love, just to be more fun. If you do something, anything with the people you love, it's gonna be amazing anyways.

Submitted by Nasti on Fri, 12/14/2018 - 13:57

Hello everyone! I'm really into unusial activities. Nowadays extreme sports are popular all over the world. My friend and I are especially surprised how people can be so fearless. I would like to try extreme sports soon. In my opinion rafting is a unique and interesting sport because it is so fun and breathtaking. Also white water rafting is an exciting sport and it can be practiced with family members and friends. In your video you showed us many beautiful and fascinating moments.That made me dream someday to test myself in rafting Parkour is also popular around the world today. And my city is no exception. We even have several training grounds. I think safe parkour is good for health because it develops good control over our body. It is very interesting and stirring but I would not want to test myself in this sport.
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