Extreme sports can be very dangerous. Which of the 10 extreme sports below do you find the most, and which the least, dangerous? Rank them from 1 (the most) to 10 (the least) in your notebook. Compare your ranking with a partner and justify your decision. What makes these sports dangerous?
parachuting, scuba diving, car racing, kite surfing, rock climbing, rafting, snowboarding, BASE jumping, free skiing, bungee jumping
Which injuries are typically associated with the three sports below? Pick three for each sport from the list below and write them in the boxes. Then, compare and justify your choice.
| WINDSURFING | PARACHUTING | MOUNTAIN BIKING |
List of injuries:
ankle sprain, black eye, blister, bruise, burn, concussion, cut, dislocation, fever, fracture, headache, muscle pain, muscle strain, scratch, sore tailbone, spinal fracture, sunburn, swelling, tailbone injury
Pick a few injuries and describe their {symptoms;symptom = (n.) sign of bodily disease or disorder}. Then, tell what can be done to prevent them. Talk in pairs using this phrase:
To prevent. . . you should always. . .
Read the text and answer the questions below in note form.
Extreme sports - extremely risky
Extreme sports are becoming increasingly popular among teens. They view videos showing breath-taking stunts and get inspired to copy them. Apart from the exhilaration of doing the same tricks as their role models, there is also a darker side to it: extreme risk. According to a recent article on the risks of extreme sports in the New York Times, four million Americans got injured doing an extreme sport between the years 2000 and 2011. Considering the size of the US population, which is currently over 300 million, the injured would account for more than 1%. Seven sports were regarded as extremely risky, among them were skateboarding and snowboarding. These sports have been gaining in popularity among young people not only in the US but also in other countries. The article highlights the two most common injuries in the seven most risky sports: head (over 80 percent) and neck injuries (around 20 percent), some ending in lifelong disability. To minimise these risks, wearing protective equipment and a helmet is essential.