Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. drowning
    • ex. Swimming lessons can help prevent drowning.
  2. unintentional
    • ex. He got an unintentional injury after being hit accidentally by a bat.
  3. nonprofit
    • ex. The nonprofit organization collected money that will be used to save animals.
  4. a distraction
    • ex. The loud music was a distraction while I was studying.
  5. stay away from (something)
    • ex. I stay away from junk food to be healthy.

Article

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

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Now that summer is here, many families visit lakes, beaches, and local swimming pools. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1 to 4. There are also several cases of drowning in children ages 5 to 14. Therefore, it’s best to review water safety tips with children.

So, how can we prevent a drowning incident? Put a safety fence around the swimming pool. This can stop children from going to the water without any adults present. Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization, also says that all children should learn to jump into deep water, float above water, and return to a safe part of the water.

During swimming trips, adults should also be focused on watching the children and avoid distractions, such as phones, books, or magazines. Why? Because drowning is often silent and can happen in less than five minutes. Importantly, teach kids to stay away from the pool drain. This is a hole in the pool used to remove water. Pool drains are dangerous and can prevent kids from swimming freely.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Swimming

  • Which do you prefer, swimming in a swimming pool or the sea/a river/a lake? Discuss.
  • In your city/town, what is the most popular place for swimming? Discuss.
  • According to the article, all children should learn how to swim. Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Discuss.

Water Safety

  • In your opinion, how important is water safety during swimming trips? Discuss.
  • The article mentions several water safety tips, such as putting a safety fence around the pool, teaching kids how to swim, being focused on watching the children, and staying away from pool drains. Which of these do you think is most important? Discuss.
  • According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional deaths in children in the United States. Do you think drowning is a serious problem in your country as well? Why do you say so? Discuss.