Extreme Sport
- Why (on Earth) do people do it?
- Would you agree that dangerous sports should be banned as they pose a threat to people’s life and health?
- Would you agree that only irresponsible people do extreme sports?
- To what extent do you think it is possible to reduce risks while doing sports?
- Have you ever tried any extreme sports? Would you like to?
parkour
sky diving
mountain biking
whitewater rafting
hang gliding
abseiling
zorbing
Vocabulary*
* здесь дается приблизительный перевод выражений, если вы хотите понять точное значение слова, пользуйтесь англо-английским словарем
to achieve a personal record ~ побить личный рекорд
to discover one’s mental and physical limits ~ познать свои пределы (физического и умственного)
to strive for achievement ~ стремиться к достижениям
to keep one’s wits about (while doing something) = remaining calm ~ оставаться спокойным
to be delighted with one’s tremendous achievement ~ быть довольным своими достижениями
to be sick with fear ~ с ума сходить от страха
to be scared stiff ~ быть напуганным до смерти
a restless adventurer ~ неутомимый искатель приключений
to live close to the edge ~ жить на грани/на краю
to pose a threat to ~ представлять угрозу
an escape from monotonous life ~ избегать монотонной жизни
to require extensive training ~ требуется интенсивная тренировка
to tempt fate ~ искушать судьбу
to play with fire ~ играть с огнем
to experience adrenalin rush ~ испытывать прилив адреналина
to be tempted to try ~ чувствовать искушение попробовать
to put sb at risk ~ подвергать риску
to throw in some extra risks = to add some extra risks
to be hooked on the buzz of the extreme = addicted to the excitement of doing extreme sports
thrills and spills ~ острые ощущения
Vocabulary
to flummox = to confuse somebody so that they do not know what to say or do
“I essentially drag sledges for a living, so it doesn’t take an awful lot to flummox me intellectually…”
a doer =a person who does things rather than thinking or talking about them
to contemplate =to think about whether you should do something, or how you should do something
“I am a doer of things more than I am a spectator or a contemplator of things…”
pithy = short but expressed well and full of meaning
a pithy observation
to dog = to cause you trouble for a long time, to trail persistently
“The pithiest answer to the question «why?» that’s been dogging me for the last 12 years.”
to respond to the challenge
“something in man which responds to the challenge”
the end = intention or purpose
“What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy,and joy, after all, is the end of life.”
to embark on = to start to do something new or difficult
“embarking on these grand adventures”
to tally = to be the same as or to match another person’s account of something, another set of figures, etc.
“Mallory’s argument that leaving the house, embarking on these grand adventures is joyful and fun,however, doesn’t tally that neatly with my own experience.”
impending = that is going to happen very soon (of an unpleasant event)
impending disaster
“You’ll appreciate the sense of apprehension, as I sat in a helicopter thundering north, and the sense, I think if anything, of impending doom.”
flux = continuous movement and change
“It’s an environment that’s in a constant state of flux.”
to fall short = to fail to reach the standard that you expected or need
to do justice = represent somebody/something fairly, especially in a way that shows how good, attractive, etc. they are
“The more I try to explain that I felt lonely, I was the only human being in 5.4 million square-miles, it was cold, nearly minus 75 with windchill on a bad day, the more words fall short, and I’m unable to do it justice.”
to endeavor = to try very hard to do something
meat of something = the important or interesting part of something
“And it seems to me, therefore, that the doing, you know, to try to experience, to engage, to endeavor,rather than to watch and to wonder, that’s where the real meat of life is to be found…”
addictive = if an activity or type of behaviour is addictive, people need to do it as often as possible because they enjoy it
“There is something addictive about tasting life at the very edge of what’s humanly possible.”
audacious = willing to take risks or to do something shocking
“It is, arguably, the most audacious endeavor of that Edwardian golden age of exploration.”
vicarious = felt or experienced by watching or reading about somebody else doing something, rather than by doing it yourself
“You’ll be able to live vicariously and virtually through this journey in a way that no one has ever before.”
adversity = a difficult or unpleasant situation
“True, real inspiration and growth only comes from adversity and from challenge, from stepping away from what’s comfortable and familiar and stepping out into the unknown.”
to summon up = to make an effort to produce a particular quality in yourself, especially when you find it difficult
“We could all benefit from getting outside the house a little more often, if only we could summon up the courage.”
Благодарю мою коллегу Ирину за помощь в подготовке этого материала.