BBC Learning English – Words in the News / Surfing dogs

Transcript

Who is top dog of the California waves?

About 50 animals wearing life jackets took part in the annual dog surfing competition in San Diego.

They were eager to follow their owners to the water and looked pretty confident and skilled at keeping their balance on the surfboards.

The owners guarantee that their pets are safe and enjoying the ride. At least this dog seems happy.

The event raises money for the San Diego Humane Society and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Vocabulary

top dog
(idiom) a dominant person in a group or in their field

life jackets
something you wear to make you float if you fall into water

eager
keen

balance
the ability to stay in the same position and not fall

guarantee
promise that something will happen

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.

top dog / life jackets / eager / balance / guarantee

1. Meet Atlas, a humanoid robot capable of crossing rough terrain and maintaining its __________ on one leg even when hit from the side.

2. Three anglers are “extremely lucky to be alive” after being rescued from a capsized boat off the Devon coast, Portland Coastguards have said.

The men had no __________ and ended up in the water after their 16ft (4.8m) boat overturned at speed before sinking off Seaton, coastguards said.

3. Police were called to a Cardiff supermarket after reports of clashes between customers __________ to take advantage of Black Friday sales.

4. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has said it cannot __________ that all £2bn National Lottery money taken to fund London 2012 will be returned.

It is hoped profits from land sold after the Olympic Games will reimburse National Lottery funds.

5. An Essex drug dealer described as the “__________” in a £2m ecstasy ring has been convicted after police officers recorded coded conversations.

Answers

1. Meet Atlas, a humanoid robot capable of crossing rough terrain and maintaining its balance on one leg even when hit from the side.

See story

2. Three anglers are “extremely lucky to be alive” after being rescued from a capsized boat off the Devon coast, Portland Coastguards have said.

The men had no life jackets and ended up in the water after their 16ft (4.8m) boat overturned at speed before sinking off Seaton, coastguards said.

See story

3. Police were called to a Cardiff supermarket after reports of clashes between customers eager to take advantage of Black Friday sales.

See story

4. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has said it cannot guarantee that all £2bn National Lottery money taken to fund London 2012 will be returned.

It is hoped profits from land sold after the Olympic Games will reimburse National Lottery funds.

See story

5. An Essex drug dealer described as the “top dog” in a £2m ecstasy ring has been convicted after police officers recorded coded conversations.

See story

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