Learn English: Meaning of Skiing

Intro

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

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• chairlift
• glide
• anxiety
• double black diamond

• powder
• terrified
• face-plant
• wipe out

• bunny slopes
• poles

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

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Every winter, people all around the world go to the nearest mountain to ski. Some people even travel to different countries to find the best powder. Skiing is so popular that new skis are made and sold every year. It’s hard to believe that people have been skiing for more than 2,500 years.

The best part about skiing is that there are so many different types. For example, you can downhill, cross-country, or telemark. One event in the Winter Olympics, called the biathlon, even puts skiing together with guns. There are styles of skiing for everyone. All you need are skis, friends, and snow!

Marni and Gary are talking about skiing. Do they like going to the mountain? Find out more in today’s 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.

Gary

Marni

Gary:  Marni.

Marni:  Yes?

Gary:  The winter is here and I am so excited to go skiing.

Marni:  Oh, wow. Yeah, I’ve never been. I’m actually terrified of skiing.

Gary:  Really?

Marni:  I’m so worried that I’m just going to face-plant or wipe out that I’ve never done it.

Gary:  You’d like to know, then, that there is a snow bunny hill, which is actually really nice. It’s a very gradual, very simple thing to go down.

Marni:  So, that’s the beginner’s slope?

Gary:  Yeah, you put your boots on, you get your poles. You ride the chairlift up, and you just glide down.

Marni:  Really? You make it sound so easy and I have all this anxiety about it.

Gary:  The people who are going on the really, super difficult, double black diamond, terrifying skiing slopes… you don’t want to do that.

Marni:  So, the bunny slope, that’s for me?

Gary:  Yeah! Come with us in maybe two weekends.

Marni:  I don’t know. Are you sure you guys aren’t going to laugh at me?

Gary:  We will not laugh at you.

Marni:  Well, I am going to fall on my face.

Gary:  I will, too.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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