Learning English

Transcript

It's not a sport yet. But it requires a lot of agility.

This is 'freerunning', also called Parkour, and it's here to stay.

The practice of jumping through urban obstacles started in the streets in France and now is going mainstream in Britain.

The country's first specialised academies have opened their doors, to encourage people to learn how to do it in a safe environment.

It's estimated that 35,000 people practise 'freerunning' regularly.

Vocabulary

agility
the physical ability to be fast and flexible 

obstacles
(here) objects that the freerunners have to move around or over

going mainstream
becoming well-known and accepted  

specialised
concentrating on a particular area

encourage
(here) provide good conditions for people to do a particular activity, so that more people will do it

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.

agility / obstacles / going mainstream / specialised / encourage

1. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said: "It is well-documented that the beginning of the Afghan campaign presented military __________ but we can be proud of what we have achieved in Afghanistan".

2. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy called on employers to __________ staff to be more physically active during the working day to reduce their risk of developing health problems.

3. Ben David's cutlery will never be mass-produced, but there's a long history of __________ cutlery. Steak knives are perhaps the most common. An advert in the Times in 1914 for Mappin and Webb, offered a gift set of "trustworthy cutlery" that included six egg spoons, a pickle fork and a chutney spoon.

4. Experts say many children do not get a proper workout which helps them develop coordination, strength and __________.

5. Tattoos are no longer the trophies of rockers, sailors, bikers, bohemians and criminals, they have __________.

Answers

1. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said: "It is well-documented that the beginning of the Afghan campaign presented military obstacles but we can be proud of what we have achieved in Afghanistan". 

See story 

2. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy called on employers to encourage staff to be more physically active during the working day to reduce their risk of developing health problems.

See story

3. Ben David's cutlery will never be mass-produced, but there's a long history of specialised cutlery. Steak knives are perhaps the most common. An advert in the Times in 1914 for Mappin and Webb, offered a gift set of "trustworthy cutlery" that included six egg spoons, a pickle fork and a chutney spoon.

See story

4. Experts say many children do not get a proper workout which helps them develop coordination, strength and agility.

See story

5. Tattoos are no longer the trophies of rockers, sailors, bikers, bohemians and criminals, they have gone mainstream.

See story