Learn English with this sports English lesson

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

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• into it
• bash
• rink
• skate

• competitive
• appeal
• oh man

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Is that some blood on the roller rink floor? If so, chances are that the rink was recently the site of a roller derby competition. Roller derby is a sport that has been around for a while, but has become especially popular in the last decade. Two teams compete to pass each other as they skate around a rink, and if someone gets in one of the player’s way? Down she goes.

That’s right, she. In the US, at least, roller derby has become particularly popular among women. Maybe it’s because women don’t typically have the opportunity to put on helmets and act competitive and tough. Or maybe it’s just because it’s fun! Hear what Mason and Greta think about roller derby in this sports English lesson.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Greta

Mason

Greta:  I saw an advertisement up that there’s going to be a roller derby coming up in the next couple weeks or so, and I just don’t see the appeal.

Mason:  Have you been?

Greta:  No.

Mason:  Oh man, I mean, it’s pretty great. Like, first of all, there’s beer involved. Secondly, the fact that all these girls are into it. It’s so bizarre. It’s like really, really entertaining.

Greta:  So is it…Do only women play roller derby? Or is there teams for both genders?

Mason:  There probably have been male roller derby teams, but these days it seems like it’s what the ladies do.

Greta:  Isn’t it really violent? Like just a lot of bashing each other?

Mason:  It can be. I mean, it’s less violent than boxing, I would say, but, you know, blood has been spilt on the roller derby tracks.

Greta:  Ew. I don’t know, it just doesn’t seem like something that would…OK, I have another question. Is it a game, or like a performance?

Mason:  No. It’s one hundred percent a game. And the rules are kinda hard to understand. Like, you’ll probably spend your entire first match figuring out what is actually happening.

Greta:  There is not one part of me that wants to see that.

 

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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