Extreme

Listen to five people talking about extreme sports. Match the speakers (1–5) with the statements. There is one extra statement.

Read the text. Choose the correct answers.

Climb every mountain

Stephen Venables’ love of mountains began at nine years old on a skiing trip to the Alps. ‘I was thrilled,’ he remembers. ‘It was actually far more impressive and exciting than seeing the Himalayas for the first time, because when you’re nine it’s all new and you don’t know what to expect.’

From that moment, Stephen knew that he wanted to climb mountains, but he didn’t realise then that one day he would be the first British man to climb Everest without oxygen. However, his record-breaking expedition in 1988 was not an easy one. ¹___ After years of climbing, he was prepared for this and he knew that the best thing he could do was wait for the weather to change.

‘At first I tried sitting on a rock because rock is warmer than snow, but it wasn’t completely flat. I really wanted to lie down so I decided to cut a ledge in the snow. I did sleep a bit,’ he says. ‘They always say you should stay awake but I was totally exhausted.’ Fortunately, the storm passed, and Stephen managed to climb back down to his camp and enter the record books.

The Everest expedition wasn’t Stephen’s only difficult climb. ²___ ‘It was very unlucky that it happened, but I was lucky that there were five of us.’ The group included Chris Bonnington and Stephen’s good friend Harish Kapadia. It took them twelve hours to make camp in a safe place. Then two of the team went for help.

‘I think that was one of the most wonderful moments of my life – finally being in the tent and realising that I could just lie back in my sleeping bag.’ ³___ By that time, there was almost no food left. ‘On the last day we had a boiled sweet and we used the last tea bag so many times that it wasn’t actually changing the colour of the water.’ But luckily, the team managed to keep going until help arrived.

What happened to Stephen Venables when he was nine years old?

Read the text. Choose the correct answers.

Climb every mountain

Stephen Venables’ love of mountains began at nine years old on a skiing trip to the Alps. ‘I was thrilled,’ he remembers. ‘It was actually far more impressive and exciting than seeing the Himalayas for the first time, because when you’re nine it’s all new and you don’t know what to expect.’

From that moment, Stephen knew that he wanted to climb mountains, but he didn’t realise then that one day he would be the first British man to climb Everest without oxygen. However, his record-breaking expedition in 1988 was not an easy one. ¹___ After years of climbing, he was prepared for this and he knew that the best thing he could do was wait for the weather to change.

‘At first I tried sitting on a rock because rock is warmer than snow, but it wasn’t completely flat. I really wanted to lie down so I decided to cut a ledge in the snow. I did sleep a bit,’ he says. ‘They always say you should stay awake but I was totally exhausted.’ Fortunately, the storm passed, and Stephen managed to climb back down to his camp and enter the record books.

The Everest expedition wasn’t Stephen’s only difficult climb. ²___ ‘It was very unlucky that it happened, but I was lucky that there were five of us.’ The group included Chris Bonnington and Stephen’s good friend Harish Kapadia. It took them twelve hours to make camp in a safe place. Then two of the team went for help.

‘I think that was one of the most wonderful moments of my life – finally being in the tent and realising that I could just lie back in my sleeping bag.’ ³___ By that time, there was almost no food left. ‘On the last day we had a boiled sweet and we used the last tea bag so many times that it wasn’t actually changing the colour of the water.’ But luckily, the team managed to keep going until help arrived.

What is the writer’s purpose in this article?

Read the text again. Match sentences A–Д with gaps 1–3. There are two extra sentences.

Climb every mountain

Stephen Venables’ love of mountains began at nine years old on a skiing trip to the Alps. ‘I was thrilled,’ he remembers. ‘It was actually far more impressive and exciting than seeing the Himalayas for the first time, because when you’re nine it’s all new and you don’t know what to expect.’

From that moment, Stephen knew that he wanted to climb mountains, but he didn’t realise then that one day he would be the first British man to climb Everest without oxygen. However, his record-breaking expedition in 1988 was not an easy one. ¹___ After years of climbing, he was prepared for this and he knew that the best thing he could do was wait for the weather to change.

‘At first I tried sitting on a rock because rock is warmer than snow, but it wasn’t completely flat. I really wanted to lie down so I decided to cut a ledge in the snow. I did sleep a bit,’ he says. ‘They always say you should stay awake but I was totally exhausted.’ Fortunately, the storm passed, and Stephen managed to climb back down to his camp and enter the record books.

The Everest expedition wasn’t Stephen’s only difficult climb. ²___ ‘It was very unlucky that it happened, but I was lucky that there were five of us.’ The group included Chris Bonnington and Stephen’s good friend Harish Kapadia. It took them twelve hours to make camp in a safe place. Then two of the team went for help.

‘I think that was one of the most wonderful moments of my life – finally being in the tent and realising that I could just lie back in my sleeping bag.’ ³___ By that time, there was almost no food left. ‘On the last day we had a boiled sweet and we used the last tea bag so many times that it wasn’t actually changing the colour of the water.’ But luckily, the team managed to keep going until help arrived.

Complete the sentences. Use the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets. Write full verb forms, separate them with a comma.

The boy _____________________ (sit) on a bench in the park _____________________ (read) a book.

Complete the sentences. Use the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets. Write full verb forms, separate them with a comma.

The policeman _____________________ (notice) the blood on the floor when he first _____________________ (enter) the room.

Complete the sentences. Use the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets. Write full verb forms, separate them with a comma.

I _______________________ (try) to sleep when the doorbell _______________________ (ring).

Complete the sentences. Use the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets. Write full verb forms, separate them with a comma.

The accident happened because the man _____________________ (drive) and _____________________ (talk) on his mobile phone at the same time.

Complete the sentences. Use the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets. Write full verb forms, separate them with a comma.

When I _____________________ (reach) the other side of the lake, I _____________________ (feel) safe.

Complete the sentences. Use the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets. Write full verb forms, separate them with a comma.

While I _____________________ (do) my English exam, I _____________________ (decide) to ask for a drink.

Complete the sentences. Use the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets. Write full verb forms, separate them with a comma.

I _____________________ (see) the money on the ground as I _____________________ (walk) to school.

Complete the sentences. Use the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets. Write full verb forms, separate them with a comma.

They _____________________ (start) climbing very early in the morning because they _____________________ (want) to reach the top by midday.

Complete the sentences. Use the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets. Write full verb forms, separate them with a comma.

I _____________________ (sprain) my ankle while I _____________________ (play) basketball.