Practice English Listening A2 Exercises – Culture

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1 (famous) world record breakers   2 two

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2   His team mates don’t call him ‘Giraffe’.

6   He didn’t tie one of his shoes in 2008

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Konishiki is from Hawaii. His sport is sumo wrestling. He is the heaviest professional (sumo) wrestler ever (287 kilos).

Kittinger is from the USA. He is getting ready to jump out of a plane from a great height. He made the highest jump ever; made the longest free fall ever; travelled through the air fastest.

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Konishiki: 1 heaviest professional sumo wrestler   2 has been a musician, has acted in films, has had own radio show and TV cookery show

Kittinger: 1 broke three world records when he jumped to earth from stratosphere   2 has written a song, has helped Felix Baumgartner try to break his records 

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Konishiki Yasokichi

Lie 1: sat on people in his fights

Lie 2: had a cookery show

Captain Joseph Kittinger:

Lie 1: fell faster than the speed of sound

Lie 2: wrote a song

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HOST   Welcome to I can’t believe it! Today’s topic is famous world record breakers, and, as usual, we have three players: Michael, Alice and Neil. Each player is going to talk about one record breaker. While they’re talking, they’ll tell two lies. The other players are going to guess which information is not true. Michael. we’ll start with you … Who are you going to talk about today?

MICHAEL   Yes. I’m going to talk about …

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H   Michael. We’ll start with you … Who are you going to talk about today?

M   Yes. I’m going to talk about the fastest man in the world – Usain Bolt from Jamaica. Well, Bolt has been in the Jamaican Olympic team since 2004. He was only 17 when he was chosen. He’s 1.95m tall – that’s a lot taller than most runners. And because of this, his team mates call him ‘Giraffe’. Runners as tall as Usain don’t usually win races. So it’s amazing that he’s held both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records since 2008. And we all know that, in 2012, he became the first person ever to win those races in two Olympics. In the 100 metres in 2012 he forgot to tie his shoes and he also slowed down at the end of the race. But amazingly he still won!

H   Thank you, Michael. Alice and Neil, can you guess what Michael’s lies were?

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H   Thank you, Michael. Alice and Neil, can you guess what Michael’s lies were?

ALICE   I don’t think it’s true that he slowed down at the end of the race.

H   Michael – is that true?

M   It is true, actually!

H   Bad luck, Alice! Neil …

NEIL   Well, I think he forgot to tie his shoes.

M   You’re right. He did run with one shoe untied, but it was in 2008 not in 2012!

H   Well done on that one, Neil. What was lie number 2?

N   Hmmm. Is it true that tall runners don’t usually win races?

M   Yes, that one’s also true.

H   So, what was the lie, Michael?

M   Well, he is very tall but his team mates don’t call him ‘Giraffe’.

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H   Alice – what are you going to talk about?

A   Well, I’m going to talk about Konishiki Yasokichi, the sumo wrestler. He’s actually from Hawaii, but he’s lived in Japan for most of his life. He is famous, because he was the heaviest professional sumo wrestler ever. He weighed an incredible 287 kilos. Konishiki used his huge weight to help him win fights – he usually sat on people until he won. As Konishiki got older he started to lose against smaller, faster wrestlers. But in Japan, sumo wrestlers are as famous as film stars and the Japanese people loved him even when he lost, because he was so big. He has been really successful since he stopped fighting. He’s a musician, he’s acted in films and he’s had his own radio show for many years now. He even had his own TV cookery show for a while – he showed people how to cook sumo meals.

H   And finally, let’s hear from Neil.

N   Thank you. I’m going to talk about a captain in the US Air Force, Joseph Kittinger. In 1960, he broke three world records when he jumped to earth from the stratosphere – that’s the edge of space, 31 kilometres above the earth. He travelled up there by balloon and when he jumped he broke the record for the highest jump ever. He fell for more than four minutes – the longest free fall ever. He fell at a speed of 988 kilometres per hour, and got the record for travelling through the air faster than any other human. He actually fell faster than the speed of sound. He later wrote a song about the experience, called ‘Jump into Space’, which is quite good! But Kittinger’s story doesn’t end there. In 2012, a man called Felix Baumgartner tried to break his three records. Kittinger helped him because he was the only person who had ever jumped from space before. But Baumgartner didn’t break all of Kittinger’s records, he only broke two. He opened his parachute early and so Kittinger has held his amazing record of longest free fall for over 50 years!

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H   Thank you, Alice. Right – Neil and Michael. What do you think the lies were about Konishiki Yasokichi?

N   Hmm. I don’t know … I don’t think he sat on people in his fights. That sounds too dangerous.

H   Alice?

A   You’re right. That isn’t true. He won his fights by pushing the other man out of the ring, not by sitting on him.

H   Well done, Neil! Anything else?

N   Hmm. I don’t think he acted in films.

A   No, that was true. He was in a couple of films.

H   How about you, Michael?

M   I don’t think he’s originally from Hawaii.

A   Sorry, that’s true.

H   Tell us the lie then, Alice.

A   The lie was the cookery show. He didn’t have one.

H   Interesting story about Captain Kittinger, Neil. What do you think, Michael and Alice?

M   What about the balloon? Was that really how he got up there?

N   Yes, it was. Sorry.

H   Alice?

A   Well, I’m not sure he was the person who helped Felix Baumgartner.

N   Actually, he was. And he was there on the ground when Baumgartner landed.

H   So, what were the lies?

N   Well, he didn’t fall faster than the speed of sound. And he didn’t write a song about his parachute jump. He wrote a book about it.

H   Well done, Neil! Alice and Michael believed both of your lies! You’re today’s winner on I can’t believe it!

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Leo is explaining to Annie why he hasn’t called. Annie doesn’t believe him.

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1   He had a bad back and was in bed.

2   No. Did your arms stop working?

3   He couldn’t find his mobile.

4   She thought Leo was avoiding her.

5   because he missed so much / a lot of work

6   no

Part 1

LEO   Hi, Annie.

ANNIE   Oh, hi.

L   Are you busy? Can I come in?

A   Er, yeah – come in … Do you want anything to drink? A coffee?

L   No, no, I’m fine.

A   So, how are you?

L   I’m … well, I’m OK. Look, I’m really sorry I haven’t called you.

A   It doesn’t matter.

L   No, look – let me explain. I couldn’t call or send you a message. I’ve had a really bad back. I was in bed for days.

A   What do you mean you couldn’t call? Did your arms stop working? How hard is it to call someone?

L   No, no – you don’t understand.

I   was going to call you, but I couldn’t find my mobile.

A   I don’t know, Leo. How can I believe you?

L   It’s true!

A   I thought you were avoiding me.

L   No, of course not.

A   So, what happened? Did you have an accident?

L   No, nothing. I just woke up one day and it was hurting. And then every day it got worse.

A   Oh.

L   So, in the end, I went to the doctor.

A   And what did the doctor say?

L   Well, he said it was because I’m always behind my desk, in the office.

A   I was worried, you know?

L   I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you worry. And then I meant to call you after I went to the doctor, but I was working so much.

A   Well, it’s not your fault. But why were you working so much?

L   Well, because I missed so much work. Because of my back.

A   Leo, the doctor said you had a bad back because of your work. And then you work even more?

L   I know, I know. I had to work that much. I didn’t have a choice.

A   Oh, Leo.

L   I’m sorry, Annie.

A   Don’t worry about it.

L   No, there’s no excuse.

A   No really, it’s fine. Are you sure you don’t want that coffee?

L   Oh, that would be great – thanks.

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go to the gym (with Mark)

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1   walk on Leo’s back; I don’t really think that’s for serious back problems.

2   come to Annie’s yoga class; It’s not really my kind of thing.

3   go to a water aerobics class; That sounds worse than yoga.

Part 2

ANNIE   Oh, is it hurting now?

LEO   A bit.

A   Did the doctor give you anything?

L   Yeah, he gave me some pills. They’re helping, but not much.

A   Ooh, I know! Lie down and I’ll walk on your back.

L   What?

A   I saw it on a TV programme! It’ll help.

L   Annie, I don’t really think that’s for serious back problems.

A   No, of course not – sorry.

L   No, it’s fine – it’s just, you know – I think I should do what the doctor says.

A   Well, you could come to my yoga class! I think yoga’s really good for your back.

L   Hmm, yoga … I’m not sure.

A   Come on – you’ll love it!

L   Do any other men go?

A   Well, no, but you could be the first.

L   It’s not really my kind of thing.

A   They do water aerobics too … in the swimming pool …

L   Annie, that sounds worse than yoga.

A   Well, what about the gym? I know … you can go with Mark! He asked you, remember. You should call him! What do you think?

L   Yeah, I suppose.

A   Call him! It’ll be fun!

L   OK, OK – I will. I promise.

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1   Speaker 3 has finished the book; 1 and 2 are still reading.

2   They all think the stories are good.

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1   Something happens in the family.

2   The woman has found another man and she’s going to marry him.

3   Yes, it’s based on a true story.

4   She goes out to sea, with her friend, to try to tell him about the storm.

5   He’s just escaped from prison and he knows the woman.

6   He tries to find out who really murdered the woman.

1   I’m reading a book called Two Lives. I’ve had this book for about a year, but I only started reading it last week. It’s about a man and a woman who fall in love, but then something happens in the family and the man has to leave. He goes abroad and lives there, but then he comes back and they meet again years later. The man still loves her, but of course he’s been away for years and now she’s found another man and she’s going to marry him. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I hope they’ll be happy in the end! I’m really enjoying it. I usually read it on the way to work.

2   I’m reading a very good book at the moment. It’s fiction, but I think it’s based on a true story. It’s called Eye of the Storm, and it’s about a hurricane – a very strong storm – which is coming towards the coast of Florida, in the USA. The main characters in the story are a man and his daughter, and her friend. And the man is out in his fishing boat and he hasn’t heard about the hurricane. So, his daughter and her friend have to go out to sea and try to tell him before it’s too late. It’s very exciting. I can’t stop reading it!

3   I’m not reading anything at the moment, but I’ve just finished a book called A Puzzle for Logan. It’s a crime story and it happens in Edinburgh, in Scotland. It’s a murder mystery. The police have found a woman who was murdered, and at the same time a man has just escaped from prison. He’s been in prison for six years and he knows the woman, so of course everyone thinks that he murdered her. But the police off icer, Inspector Logan, doesn’t believe it. So, he tries to find out who really murdered the woman. It’s a good story, I liked it.

MATT   Now on Riverside Radio it’s time for our weekly guide to what’s on this weekend. As usual, we’re going to talk to four listeners with very different interests about what they recommend doing this weekend. First of all, we’ll talk to Rachel from Albany.

RACHEL   Hi, Matt. There’s lots happening this weekend if you like outdoor sports. Rock climbing at the Stirling Ranges has started again for the year. All of the climbing routes have been included in the new guidebook, which can only be bought at the information centre. But be careful! This is only for experienced climbers. But if water is more your thing, then the Margaret River Surfers will be out on the water somewhere in the area. Where they meet depends on the waves, but all the information you need is written on their website.

M   Thanks, Rachel. That sounds like a lot of fun. Let’s talk to Gareth now in Perth.

GARETH   Hi, Matt. If you’re interested in Italy and art, there’s the Italian film festival. It includes films which have been directed by many of Italy’s greatest directors and if you go to the art gallery, you can also see photographs of the actors in these films taken by the directors. The films will be shown at the Luna Palace Cinemas.

M   Thanks a lot, Gareth. Let’s talk to Virginia now in Fremantle. What’s your weekend looking like?

VIRGINIA   It’s all about the written word in Fremantle this weekend. The annual poetry festival, which has been going for ten years, returns. As usual, the festival has been organised by the Fremantle Young Poets Society and includes something for everyone. The highlight this year must be the performance of ‘bush poetry’ by a group of young poets to music performed by local folk musicians The Western Arc on the beach at Wilson Park, south of Fremantle.

M   A beach I’ve been to many times and a lovely place to hear some beautiful music and poetry. Finally, let’s talk to Jenny in Bunbury. What’s happening in Bunbury this weekend?

JENNY   Well, it’s time to get active in Bunbury this weekend. It’s the annual 10 km race on Sunday. I’ve been training for the last three months for this, so I’m really looking forward to it. But if you haven’t done any training you’re still welcome. Over 1,000 people will be running, jogging, or walking, and I’m sure everyone will enjoy the race, which was won last year by local athlete Jack Harding. It starts at 10 am.

M   Well, good luck with it, Jenny. I hope you have a great time. I might come along to support you. So, it sounds like there are lots of things to do this weekend, for people who want to get active, and for those who prefer to get their brains working. I hope you’ve heard something that you’re interested in doing and, most of all, I hope you have a great weekend.