Englishman

When it comes to crazy, theres no one quite like the Brits. By Sam Gordon

ANSWERS ON PAgE 45

Look at the names and pictures of unusual sports from England. What do you think they consist of?
Cheese Rolling a toe-Wrestling b

Pre-reading

Has anyone seen the cheese?

Im on a roll!

Gurning c 2

Read the article once to check your ideas.

3

Reading I

Read the article again and write a brief description of each sport.
4 Language focus The Present Perfect Passive

Reading II

Top of the list of bizarre British pastimes has to be Cheese Rolling. Every May, Coopers Hill in Gloucester is host to a race of man against a Double Gloucester cheese. The cheese is rolled from the top of the hill and a group of competitors chase it down the hill and try to overtake it before it reaches the bottom. This may sound easy, but it isnt especially as the cheese can reach speeds of up to 120 kph. Its also highly dangerous; and every year there are several injuries. In fact, 2005s main race had to be delayed because there were no ambulances, as they were already being used to take competitors from previous races to hospital. GLOSSARY
bizarre adj unusual; strange to be host to exp if a country "is host to an event, they organise that event to roll vb when something rolls, it moves along a surface, turning over many times to overtake vb if you overtake something that is moving, you go faster than it and pass it an injury n if there is an injury, someone breaks a leg/arm, etc. to delay vb if an event is delayed, it starts later than planned a toe n one of the five fingers on your feet wrestling n a form of fighting that is a sport to lock n if two people lock arms/feet/ toes, etc. they join these body parts together a big toe n the biggest/thickest toe on your foot successful adj if someone is successful, they win or achieve what they want grotesque adj disgusting / horrible / revolting / very ugly an epitaph n the text on someones gravestone (the stone that marks where they are buried when they are dead) gurn exp this sounds like the word gone

re there any unusual contests or competitions in your country? The English are famous for their wacky pastimes. This is the first of a two-part series.

Next on the list is the World Toe-Wrestling Look at this extract from the Championships. This takes place in Derbyshire every article, Its been practised year. As part of the toe fight", two competitors sit in England since 1297... opposite one another on a platform (called the In this example, the writer has Toedium). They both lock big toes and then try used a Present Perfect Passive to push each others feet to the ground. For the last construction (have/has been few years, the competition has been dominated by Alan Nasty Nash, and Paul + a past participle). Transform the the Toeminator Beech, who have won the title ten times between them. It following sentences into the Present is a sport the British are actually good at, which is just as well, given that it was Perfect Passive. invented by a group of walkers in Staffordshire who wanted to find a game 1. They have made the cake. that Britain could be successful at. Unfortunately, numerous efforts to get the 2. They have sold the sport Olympic status have been unsuccessful. house. 3. She has bought the car. However, toe wrestling has more chance of 4. He has framed the Olympic recognition than the sport of gurning. picture. The aim of gurning is to pull the most grotesque face possible. Its been practised in England since 5 Discussion 1297, and the World Gurning Championship 1. Which of these sports takes place annually in Egremont, Cumbria. The would you like to try? undoubted star of the sport was Peter Jackman, who won the Why? Championship four times and whose speciality was a face called The Bela 2. Are there any unusual Lugosi. Jackman even had all of his teeth removed in 2000 to make his facial sports in your country? features easier to manoeuvre, but tragically died in Spain three years later while What? playing golf. His epitaph was, Gurn, but not forgotten. 3. Whats your favourite spectator sport? More next month!

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MAD DOgS & ENglISHMEN

Mad Dogs & Englishmen

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