Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
There isn’t much that’s more American than riding a wild animal for sport. Welcome to the rodeo, a dangerous and exciting activity in the American west.
The different events that take place at rodeos come from the skills necessary for a cowboy to herd cattle across the country. Competitors ride angry bulls and wild horses, and try to safely capture other animals. Of course, these tasks are relatively dangerous, and like the bull fighters of Spain, many cowboys are injured or even killed competing in rodeos.
It may seem strange to people from places without a cowboy-like culture, but rodeos are very much alive in the US. Listen to Devan tell Beren about a friend of hers who competes.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Beren: Have you ever been to the rodeo?
Devan: I have.
Beren: Where?
Devan: I went to rodeos when I lived in Arizona. I had some friends who actually competed in rodeos.
Beren: Like mutton busting or chasing sheep? I don’t know anything about the rodeo.
Devan: My friend rode broncos in the rodeo.
Beren: Broncos? Like bucking broncos?
Devan: Bucking broncos. And she actually broke her neck recently and they thought she was going to be paralyzed and she’s OK. But it’s dangerous stuff.
Beren: Yeah, it looks pretty dangerous.
Devan: To me it seems crazy to do it, but it’s old tradition. Rodeos go back a long time. It’s just families. They pass along the tradition…
Beren: Of riding?
Devan: ...yeah, the kids often do. It’s weird because you don’t think those things are still around but some people are really into rodeos.
Beren: Totally. I think it’s probably a regional thing but I know they have events even for little kids. I think that’s who does the mutton busting, chasing the sheep or riding the sheep around barrels and stuff. I would do that, like, now. I’d ride the sheep around on barrels.
Devan: That’s probably the only thing in the rodeo I’d do. It’s the safest.
Quizzes
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Discussion
Devan has a friend who competes in rodeos. Beren says she doesn’t know much about rodeos, and she shows her lack of knowledge by asking if Devan’s friend competes in events that are for children!
In fact, Devan’s friend is very much an adult. She’s been hurt very badly riding wild horses, but is OK now. Devan explains that families keep the rodeo tradition alive by training their kids to compete.
Beren says she would be willing to ride a sheep, which is what children do at rodeos. Devan agrees that that sounds safer than the events for adults.
Does a rodeo sound like fun to you? Are there sports involving livestock in your country?
Comments
Peru |
Algeria |
China |
China |
Algeria |
Spain |
Pakistan |
Hungary |
Ecuador |
United States |
Germany |
China |
United States |
Egypt |
Nicaragua |
Brazil |
Saudi Arabia |
Morocco |
Germany |