Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a competition
    • ex. The fastest man won the running competition.
  2. participate
    • ex. Students should participate in class by answering and asking questions.
  3. allow
    • ex. Her parents allow her to go out with friends only on weekends.
  4. determination
    • ex. Mark has a lot of determination – he never gives up!
  5. elderly
    • ex. Most people show respect to the elderly.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Egyptian swimmer Nagwa Yousef Ghorab continues to enter swimming competitions even at 76 years of age. Ghorab is going to participate in the 18th FINA World Masters Championships under the 75-79-year-old age group. The international swimming championship will be held in South Korea.

To prepare for the competition, Ghorab trains five times a week. Her coach admires her determination to continue training even in hot or cold weather. Ghorab says that her age is not a problem and it will not stop her from entering swimming competitions.

Most swimming competitions only allow swimmers under 25 years old to enter. However, the masters swimming category allows swimmers over 25 years old to still enjoy the sport and join competitions. Thousands of elderly swimmers, some over 100 years old, are members of masters swimming clubs all over the world.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Age Restrictions

  • Are there a lot of age restrictions in your country (ex. drinking age, retirement age)? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Who should decide age restrictions (ex. the government, doctors)? Why? Discuss.
  • Should age restrictions be rules or guidelines? Why? Discuss.

Aging

  • Do you think people in your country age well (ex. still look young, still feel healthy)? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Should people prepare for aging? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think aging is a problem for a lot of people in your country? Why or why not? Discuss.