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Taking Risks

Taking Risks

Date: Sep 10 2010

Themes: Hobbies, Sports

Grammar: Comparatives and Superlatives

Intro

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

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Jumping out of a plane or kayaking over a waterfall may not be your idea of a fun way to pass the time. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you like to play it safe.

Introducing yourself to someone you don’t know, calling up that girl or guy you’ve had a crush on for years, or applying for a new job are all different ways of taking risks. Even trying to learn English can be risky! You might not succeed right away, but if you never take any risks you’ll probably miss out on a lot of cool experiences.

Find out if Beren and Jeff prefer to take risks or play it safe.

Dialog

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

Jeff

Jeff

Beren

Beren

Jeff:  Hey Beren, are you much of a risk taker?

Beren:  I don’t know, what do you consider risky? Like bungee jumping, skydiving? Do you consider that risky? Because if that’s what you mean then I definitely play it safe. I don’t take many risks.

Jeff:  Never gotten extreme?

Beren:  No. I would say the riskiest thing I’ve done, or at least done recently, is gone skateboarding early in the morning when I had no business being on a skateboard without health insurance. That’s pretty risky.

Jeff:  That’s a bummer. I don’t know. Near where I grew up. there was a river with a lot of bridges on it. We’d always go jumping off of rocks and bridges.

Beren:  Woah, that’s pretty risky. Do you think it’s better to take risks or play it safe?

Jeff:  It depends. I think as I get older I’ve become more conservative.

Beren:  Me too.

Jeff:  My wild teen years are over.

 

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

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Beren doesn’t take a lot of risks. She has never done anything really extreme like bungee-jumping or skydiving. The biggest risk she ever took was skateboarding late at night. It sounds like she prefers to play it safe.

Jeff is a bit more of a risk-taker than Beren. When he was younger, he liked to jump off tall rocks and bridges into a river near his house. But now that he’s older, he has become less of a risk-taker. Beren agrees that when it comes to taking risks, she has become more conservative as she’s gotten older.

Do you like to take risks, or do you prefer to play it safe? What is the biggest risk you have ever taken?

 

Comments

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sara1998

sara1998

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i think that you should be in the middle of risk taking ank avoiding….


some times some people who are too much risk taker face to dangerous situations which they can’t find any solution…


also those people who are risk avoider may face many problems too cause i think that by taking risk you can be more knowledgable about many cases so you should be in the middle of these two personality (big T  and small t)

06:22 PM Dec 12 2013 |

xiaosichuaner

China

Sadly for me,I haven’t any experienced with risky as so far.

09:33 AM Apr 16 2013 |

afufu

China

Skydiving is really risky for me. But I don't think bungee jumping is a risk. Because it is pretty save I believe.

I would not do some extremely risky  things which can damage my body, and nobody is supposed to do that kind of things. We can do something risky with our careers or investments. Those kinds of risks may make you bankrupt, but they wouldn't hurt you physically.

I always want to experience all kinds of things, and I'd like to learn new things, So, I am sure I am a risker.

02:59 PM Dec 18 2010 |

Vadim_Kiev

Vadim_Kiev

Ukraine

I think our life is full of extreme even without bungee-jumping or skydiving))). We have to take care ourselves. Ha! Where were these thoughts in my youth?! 

02:32 PM Oct 20 2010 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

Hehehe Surely I'm a player safe! I don't like to take risks…Such thing to take risk and feel adrenalin I'm out hehe

The riskiest thing that I have done was rappel down,I died of fear! but I did! 'cause I'm afraid of heights :P

12:12 AM Sep 18 2010 |

rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

Cool

10:04 PM Sep 14 2010 |

pokemon2003

China

I have never done anything really extreme like bungee-jumping or sky-diving. When I was younger, I liked to take a roller coaster or sky-screamer without opening my eyes on the way. But now I get older, I has become more conservative and prefer to play it safe.

07:31 PM Sep 14 2010 |

mickee85

mickee85

Philippines

I prefer to play it safe, I can't remember the biggest risk I've ever taken in my life. All I know is I'm such a coward :( and I so hate being like this!!!

03:58 PM Sep 14 2010 |

andee1

andee1

China

pity for me. took roller coaster was only risk for me i feel.

02:11 PM Sep 14 2010 |

1 person likes this

alighajar

alighajar

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I want to say to brutish men that burn to honorable quran: if you don't have religion, at least be noble.(honor hossein (PBUH)

we blame US government's men because they allow this to happen.

10:34 AM Sep 14 2010 |

lihaolin008

China

if i have a chance i will try bungee jumping and something like that. but in business i never take risks. i hate lottery and stock. i think in some situation people like doing risky things. but in some case they are play it safe. i don't know how to distinguish me as i have two different attitude in different situation. maybe it depends on people's career,experience and education.

09:05 AM Sep 14 2010 |

weah44

weah44

Sudan

Waaw I really like take risk in all things , I gotten mad hhhHh
I really this lesson. And you know my life is about how to take risks in any situation , but the people say that I should that I should be more conservation because I am 22 years now , but I do not care I wanna spend my time as I like

01:34 AM Sep 14 2010 |

zvedava

zvedava

Germany

Me too. I also prefer to play it safe. I like myself and I  appreciate my life, because it's a very  priceless gift. 

05:25 PM Sep 13 2010 |

Vinni Lima

Vinni Lima

Brazil

so I like very much to play it safe! haha but I like to take some risks once in a while because I think we need some emotions in our life to it be worth! The biggest risk I took was get a dangerous toy in a park . 

12:04 AM Sep 13 2010 |

DENİZ KARA

Turkey

the biggest risk ı have  ever taken is to jump out of a plane without any parachute.if you ask how you re in life still then ı tell ı fell in a deep water from a small plane which passed over the water.ı know thats amazing hah

10:19 PM Sep 12 2010 |

Anna91

Anna91

Poland

i really want to try bungee jumping, omg hope i will make it one day:)

03:52 PM Sep 12 2010 |

sellma

Bosnia and Herzegovina

the biggest risk I have ever taken is when I was in love with gangsta boy. I was 15 and when my parents find  out they beat me that  i was blue. He is ten years older then me and now he is in prison

03:31 PM Sep 12 2010 |

shffeng

China

I desire to risk sport,like bungee jump.

03:09 PM Sep 12 2010 |

kelly_abd

kelly_abd

China

what is the biggest risk i have ever taken was like a sky flying.i was picked up to the sky with prcht by a speed boat.but it didn't really scare me as i thought.actually it's cool~!!

11:59 AM Sep 12 2010 |

Yellowlle

China

i like to take risks,but i also feel afraid when i was doing that.and latter i just feel much better.

11:50 AM Sep 12 2010 |

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