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Rodeo

Rodeo

Date: Aug 15 2008

Themes: Hobbies, Pets, Sports

Intro

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

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

There isn’t much that’s more American than riding a wild animal for sport. Welcome to the rodeo, a dangerous and exciting activity in the American west.

The different events that take place at rodeos come from the skills necessary for a cowboy to herd cattle across the country. Competitors ride angry bulls and wild horses, and try to safely capture other animals. Of course, these tasks are relatively dangerous, and like the bull fighters of Spain, many cowboys are injured or even killed competing in rodeos.

It may seem strange to people from places without a cowboy-like culture, but rodeos are very much alive in the US. Listen to Devan tell Beren about a friend of hers who competes.

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.

Beren

Beren

Devan

Devan

Beren:  Have you ever been to the rodeo?

Devan:  I have.

Beren:  Where?

Devan:  I went to rodeos when I lived in Arizona. I had some friends who actually competed in rodeos.

Beren:  Like mutton busting or chasing sheep? I don’t know anything about the rodeo.

Devan:  My friend rode broncos in the rodeo.

Beren:  Broncos? Like bucking broncos?

Devan:  Bucking broncos. And she actually broke her neck recently and they thought she was going to be paralyzed and she’s OK. But it’s dangerous stuff.

Beren:  Yeah, it looks pretty dangerous.

Devan:  To me it seems crazy to do it, but it’s old tradition. Rodeos go back a long time. It’s just families. They pass along the tradition…

Beren:  Of riding?

Devan:  ...yeah, the kids often do. It’s weird because you don’t think those things are still around but some people are really into rodeos.

Beren:  Totally. I think it’s probably a regional thing but I know they have events even for little kids. I think that’s who does the mutton busting, chasing the sheep or riding the sheep around barrels and stuff. I would do that, like, now. I’d ride the sheep around on barrels.

Devan:  That’s probably the only thing in the rodeo I’d do. It’s the safest.

 

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Discussion

Devan has a friend who competes in rodeos. Beren says she doesn’t know much about rodeos, and she shows her lack of knowledge by asking if Devan’s friend competes in events that are for children!

In fact, Devan’s friend is very much an adult. She’s been hurt very badly riding wild horses, but is OK now. Devan explains that families keep the rodeo tradition alive by training their kids to compete.

Beren says she would be willing to ride a sheep, which is what children do at rodeos. Devan agrees that that sounds safer than the events for adults.

Does a rodeo sound like fun to you? Are there sports involving livestock in your country?

 

Comments

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marco perro

Peru

I LIKE RODEO

05:29 PM Mar 18 2010 |

free4it

free4it

Algeria

thanks o the kind commnt

thanks

12:13 PM Aug 21 2008 |

岁月无痕

岁月无痕

China

I also saw cowboys usually on TV.It is very cool,i often dream to become a ture cowboy,but i read this work that amazes me.

12:10 PM Aug 21 2008 |

pigfate

pigfate

China

i think Rodeo is very dangerous , however , I think it is a very cool ativity,because it is full of chanlleges,just like the dayly lives of us.

05:01 AM Aug 21 2008 |

free4it

free4it

Algeria

RODEO is a lot of fun for me

it's really worth a try !!

i rode a horse years ago but i've never tried rodeo

it seems like a risky business and as deangerous as the roler coaster, but one thing is sure it's a lot of fun!

thanks for the lesson

01:40 PM Aug 20 2008 |

jbmixed

Spain

spanish cowboys? what are you talking about? I live in Spain and there are not cowboys here :)

09:56 AM Aug 20 2008 |

yawar

yawar

Pakistan

i like rodeo.

01:32 PM Aug 19 2008 |

Ono

Ono

Hungary

gosh íi love horses..:) and rodeo too. pretty wild

06:26 PM Aug 18 2008 |

Jenny Sangurima

Ecuador

 

I'd really to see a rodeo, I0've never seen one, but I don't like the way animals are treated. 

05:12 PM Aug 17 2008 |

195854255

195854255

United States

Rodeo is an exciting and challengable thing for me. But still I'd love to try one dayl

03:13 PM Aug 17 2008 |

baochungit

baochungit

Germany

thanks

04:51 PM Aug 16 2008 |

davidhua

davidhua

China

rodeo ,very exicted !

02:26 PM Aug 16 2008 |

Mickey123

Mickey123

United States

  I am not really into Rodeo , To me it is a very dangerous to ride on an animal's back because it might tries to throw you off  when you try to climb on it. Especially try to climb on  an bucking broncos.Innocent

04:20 AM Aug 16 2008 |

ledo111

ledo111

Egypt

pretty cool

04:15 AM Aug 16 2008 |

metal21

metal21

Nicaragua

I don't like any sport in which animals are hurt, I'm not consider that kind of activities a sport, in my country is common some places where people make roosters or dogs fight among themselves but I desagree with this activities, by the way I hate boxing as well.

12:41 AM Aug 16 2008 |

jean___michel

Brazil

I dislike it, I live in Brasil… there's rodeo near by my city… I don´t like it, coz I do not agree with this kind of enterteinment involving livestock… But, I hav nothing against the other opinion or point of view… each one have ur way to fun. see u all!

05:25 PM Aug 15 2008 |

alooos

alooos

Saudi Arabia

I tried it before for fun

 actually I tried the machine one ,, the pull is get accelerate by moment ,,

I defet my friends that dayCool

It will be good experience if I can do it with real animalLaughing

04:16 PM Aug 15 2008 |

tinyry

tinyry

Morocco

i think it's fun

eventhough in morocco we do not have such amusing activity but i believe for well trained people it must be an  amazing and funny competition.

yet measures must be taken to protect lives.

i should try  it s

ometime but i will stick to sheep riding too.

after all i'm a girl too..Kiss

 

03:35 PM Aug 15 2008 |

Christoph07

Germany

As I was in Austin TX I visited a Rodeo. I think it is a little bit unfriendly to horses.

You have not much areas in the world where you can find wild living horses. Thats why we dont have this sport in Europe for example. U.S.A. has over 300 Million inhabitants and I think a high rate of riders. But Germany with 80 Million inhabitants is winning a lot of goldmedaills in horse-riding at Olympic Games in past and in present actually. The reason must be that american horses are wilder generally Tongue out.

01:28 PM Aug 15 2008 |

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