Transcript
In the shadows of Mount Kilimanjaro, warriors are warming up.
They’re competing in the Maasai Olympics.
The event was brought about to discourage the traditional practice of hunting, which has taken the local lion population to the brink of extinction.
The games will allow young men to showcase their skills and also preserve the big cats.
Vocabulary
warming up
doing gentle exercise to prepare the body for physical activity
brought about
caused to happen
the brink of extinction
close to dying out
showcase
show their best qualities
big cats
large wild animals from the cat family, such as lions and tigers
To do
Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from news reports. Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly.
warming up / brought about / the brink of extinction / showcase / big cats
1. From blurry photos of the Beast of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, to reports of a lion on the loose in Essex in 2012, the UK has a long tradition of spotting __________.
2. So far, more than 2,400 people have died in West Africa, in an outbreak which began in Guinea in February.
It has __________ an outpouring of international offers of support, including military personnel from the United States who will be deployed to Liberia.
3. US Metal detecting enthusiasts hunting buried treasure are to be encouraged to __________ their discoveries.
Enthusiasts in Wales will be encouraged to share their finds and stories with museums and local communities.
4. Strengthening your forearm muscles that grip the racquet and stiffen the wrist during backhand shots should help to prevent the injury from happening again.
Stretch the forearm muscles and tendons when __________.
5. Species on __________ are sure to grab headlines. But equally disturbing is the decline of birds that are still considered common, such as the eastern meadowlark and nighthawk. The State of the Birds identifies more than two dozen such species that are in “steep decline”.
Answers
1. From blurry photos of the Beast of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, to reports of a lion on the loose in Essex in 2012, the UK has a long tradition of spotting big cats.
2. So far, more than 2,400 people have died in West Africa, in an outbreak which began in Guinea in February.
It has brought about an outpouring of international offers of support, including military personnel from the United States who will be deployed to Liberia.
3. US Metal detecting enthusiasts hunting buried treasure are to be encouraged to showcase their discoveries.
Enthusiasts in Wales will be encouraged to share their finds and stories with museums and local communities.
4. Strengthening your forearm muscles that grip the racquet and stiffen the wrist during backhand shots should help to prevent the injury from happening again.
Stretch the forearm muscles and tendons when warming up.
5. Species on the brink of extinction are sure to grab headlines. But equally disturbing is the decline of birds that are still considered common, such as the eastern meadowlark and nighthawk. The State of the Birds identifies more than two dozen such species that are in “steep decline”.