Focus 3 Unit 2. Dictation, Listening and Reading

Dictation

1 . Listen and write the sentences you hear, including the punctuation.

Listening

You will hear a conversation between Natalie and John. Listen and complete the sentences with a word or short phrase.

1. Natalie was injured the last time she played            .

2. John wants to be                when he plays hockey.

3. John thinks that Mrs Peters is          PE teacher.

4. Natalie’s        told her about the new table tennis tables.

5. The teachers are going to put up a list of sports at        o’clock.

6. John thinks that Natalie should become a            .

Reading

Read the text. Complete gaps 1-5 with sentences A–Е. There is one extra sentence.

Reading

Read the text. Complete the sentences with one or two words from the text.

Marathon at the top of the world

Running a marathon is not an easy task. It requires great physical and mental strength, but for many people it’s the dream of a lifetime. In big cities around the world, there is usually at least one marathon taking place every week with thousands of people choosing to participate. But running in the city is not enough for some athletes. There are people looking for something more extreme.

The Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon is the highest marathon in the world. It is named after the two men who first successfully climbed Everest, although runners do not run to the top of the mountain. It takes place in Nepal, starting at Everest Base Camp and finishing in the town of Namche Bazaar. The marathon takes place on the 29th of May every year and runners from all over the world participate.

In the months leading up to the race, runners undertake a lot of training to prepare. It’s essential they train to run long distances, and rather than run on the street or in the gym, it’s better to run on mountain trails and paths. They also need to increase their strength so spending time in the gym lifting weights is vital. But the training is not only about running. Competitors also have to prepare their bodies for the high altitude. At over 5,000 metres at the start, the air is so thin that running, even downhill, feels much more difficult than running at sea level. To train the body to function in these conditions, some runners decide to sleep in altitude tents. These are specially designed to reduce the amount of oxygen which causes the body to create more red blood cells. Sleeping in a tent like this for two weeks before a race is a great way to increase your endurance.

Unlike most marathons, you can’t drive or take a train to the start of the race. It takes around two weeks to trek to the start point, and much of this is uphill. Due to altitude sickness, many competitors don’t even make it to the start line. However, the altitude isn’t a problem for runners from Nepal. Since their bodies are already used to the conditions, there is a different race for them. Otherwise the foreign runners wouldn’t stand a chance.

Whilst Everest is a dream for many people, there are a number of problems on the mountain. In recent years, the high number of tourists visiting the region means there is now a lot of rubbish in the area. To try and reduce the impact on the environment, the organisers of the race limit the number of people who can enter to 250 people per year. They are also working to improve the way waste is disposed of to ensure the race is an ecological event.

1. The Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon is a              race than most others for people who want something different to a standard marathon.

2. The race gets its name from the first people who                      to the peak of the mountain.

3. It’s not easy to run in the race, even downhill, because of the               .

4. A/An               can help runners to prepare for the difficult conditions in the race.

5. Before getting to the start line, participants spend about           trekking.

6. With so many                   the region, the area is becoming more and more polluted.