Module 3
Unit 4
Lesson 1
Student’s Book pages 34-35
Recreation
Before you begin
1 Read the title of the unit. Do you know what it means? How do you think it is related to the photographs above?
Answers
Recreation is what you do in your leisure time.
Horseriding is an example of recreation.
The key words
|
The word |
The meaning |
The part of speech |
|
dressage |
a competition in which a horse performs a complicated sequence of movements in answer to signals from its rider |
Noun |
|
equestrian |
relating to horseriding |
Adjective |
|
groom |
someone whose job is to clean, feed, ride and take care of horses |
Noun |
|
trot |
to move fairly quickly with each front leg moving at the same time as the opposite back leg |
Verb |
While reading
The scene is the London International Horse Show, on the 17th of December 2013, and the opening event is dressage, which is a show of skill and communication between rider and horse. Into the stadium trots a beautiful brown horse, with his rider on his back. They stand perfectly still, waiting for the music to begin. As the first chords are played, they start a routine which will break the only record they haven’t broken until now.
This unstoppable team is Valegro and his rider Charlotte Dujardin. They are now world champions in dressage, and they haven’t been beaten for three years. She rose to fame at the Olympics, where she won Great Britain’s first-ever gold medal for dressage. This showed everyone that she was a skilled horsewoman, and she has only got better since then. However, Charlotte, who is Valegro’s trainer as well as his rider, comes from a humble background.
She was born in a town north of London that is called Enfield, and her love for horses and riding began at the early age of two years old! Charlotte’s mother was fond of horses and so she understood Charlotte’s love for the animals and her hobby. Both Charlotte’s parents worked extremely hard to make enough money to fund Charlotte’s passion. Charlotte grew up with horses, taking lessons at the local riding school and spending as much of her free time as she could helping out to care for the horses she rode.
Since she was 16 years old, Charlotte has been working at the stables of a famous horseman, Carl Hester. Carl asked her to work for him, as a groom, after she won a competition. Hester asked Charlotte to train Valegro, and they made an excellent team from the beginning. Their partnership has been developing ever since.
Charlotte’s passion has not been lessened by her success. She trains hard, of course, but she says that she still finds time to relax with Valegro, going for rides in the countryside near her parents’ home. Ever since her first global success, she has been trying as hard as she can to keep her home life as simple and stress-free as possible, by spending time at home.
She says that her family and friends (and horse) are the reason she has been able to stay relaxed and confident enough to keep up her score of unbroken records. However, her mother says she has always known Charlotte would be a star!
The text talks about:
- The special thing about the horse and rider’s performance in the event.
- The ‘humble background’ of the champion.
- Charlotte’s meeting her horse Valegro.
-How Charlotte relaxes.
- Charlotte and her horse are such a successful team.
After reading
1-Fill in the table:
|
The name |
he/she is |
|
-Charlotte Dujardin |
a world champion in dressage, and she hasn't been beaten for three years |
|
Valegro |
a horse that Charlotte trains |
|
-Carl Hester |
a famous horseman. |
2- Fill in the table:
|
The word |
Line |
The reference |
The word |
Line |
The reference |
|
which |
1 |
dressage |
she |
8 |
Charlotte's mother |
|
they |
4 |
Valegro and his rider Charlotte Dujardin |
him |
11 |
Carl Hester |
|
where |
5 |
the Olympics |
she |
18 |
Charlotte |
3-Quote the sentence which indicates that Charlotte’s mother has believed in becoming a famous person.
However, her mother says she has always known Charlotte would be a star!
4-Charlott’s passion hasn’t been lessened by her success. Explain this sentence.
She trains hard, of course, but she says that she still finds time to relax with Valegro, going for rides in the countryside near her parents’ home. Ever since her first global success, she has been trying as hard as she can to keep her home life as simple and stress-free as possible, by spending time at home.
5-Do you think having a family and close friends is important in the way of success? Why/Why not?
Yes, I think having a family and close friends is important in the way of success because having a supportive network of family and friends helps in bouncing back after each setback.
6-Suggest a title for the passage.
Suggested answer
Passion and success
7-Match the word with its meaning:
|
The word |
The meaning |
|
coach |
1 A competition in which a horse performs a complicated series of movements in answer to signals from its rider |
|
trot |
2 Relating to horse-riding |
|
dressage |
3 Someone whose job is to feed, clean and take care of horses |
|
training |
4 If a horse trots, it moves moving fairly quickly with each front leg moving at the same time as the opposite back leg |
|
groom |
5 Someone who trains a person or team in a sport |
|
equestrian |
6 The process of teaching or being taught the skills for a particular job or activity |
Answers
coach 5
trot 4
dressage 1
training 6
groom 3
equestrian 2