The Reading / Listening - Pacific Ocean - Level 3

A French swimmer will try to become the first person to swim across the Pacific Ocean. Ben Lecomte, 51, set off from Japan on Tuesday on his superhuman task of crossing the ocean. It will take him more than six months to complete the 9,000-km swim. He will have to swim for eight hours a day to reach his target on the west coast of the USA. He will also have to face many dangers. There will be sharks, jellyfish, storms, rough seas, and very low water temperatures. He will also have to fight exhaustion and any injuries he picks up along the way. However, Mr Lecomte said: "The mental part is much more important than the physical. You have to make sure you always think about something positive."

Lecomte has been training for six years to take up this challenge. He has practised every day during that time by swimming in the sea. This is to make sure he is in top physical condition. He has also been training his mind. It will be a very lonely swim and he needs to be mentally tough. Lecomte said he is doing the swim to raise awareness of climate change, the effects of plastic rubbish in the ocean, and the effects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster on the ocean. Scientists will also study his body to monitor how extreme exercise affects the heart. In 1998, Lecomte made the first solo trans-Atlantic swim. It took him 73 days to cover the 6,400km. When he reached dry land, his first words were, "never again".

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Pacific Ocean - Level 0 Pacific Ocean - Level 1   or  Pacific Ocean - Level 2

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44358680
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/05/asia/cross-pacific-swim-intl/index.html
  • https://sports.yahoo.com/swimmer-faces-sharks-massive-garbage-patch-record-pacific-033021157--spt.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Warm-ups

1. SWIMMING: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about swimming. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
       French / swim / superhuman / task / six months / coast / sharks / exhaustion /
       training / challenge / physical condition / lonely / mentally tough / plastic / nuclear
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. CHALLENGES: Students A strongly believe we should all try great challenges; Students B strongly believe we shouldn't. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. OCEAN: How do these things damage the oceans? What can we do to reduce the damage? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

Damage

Solutions

Plastic

 

 

Tourism

 

 

Industries

 

 

Fishing

 

 

Climate

 

 

Accidents

 

 

MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. TASK: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "task". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. THINK POSITIVELY: Rank these with your partner. Put the most positive things to think about at the top at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • children
  • success
  • holidays
  • lunch
  • love
  • chocolate
  • peace
  • God

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. set off a. Damage to the body (cuts, broken bones, burns, etc.).
      2. task b. Finish making or doing.
      3. complete c. Wild and stormy.
      4. reach d. Start going somewhere.
      5. rough e. Being totally, totally, totally tired, with zero energy.
      6. exhaustion f. A job, project or thing you will do.
      7. injuries g. Get to where you want(ed) to go; arrive at.

    Paragraph 2

      8. challenge h. Knowing about a situation or fact.
      9. top i. Look at and check the progress or quality of something or someone over a period of time.
      10. tough j. Alone; done alone.
      11. awareness k. The best; maximum.
      12. monitor l. very great; very, very, very, very, very, very...
      13. extreme m. Able to get through physical and mental pain and hard times.
      14. solo n. A task, activity or situation that tests someone's abilities.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. A Frenchman could be the first person to swim across the Pacific Ocean.  T / F
  2. The swim from Japan to the USA will take over six months.     T / F
  3. The man must swim for at least eight hours every day.     T / F
  4. The man said the physical part is more important than the mental part.   T / F
  5. The man has been training for over ten years for this challenge.     T / F
  6. The man said he has also been training his mind.     T / F
  7. Scientists will monitor how lots of exercise affects the man's eyes.     T / F
  8. After he swam the Atlantic, the man wanted to do another long swim.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. task
  2. complete
  3. face
  4. exhaustion
  5. positive
  6. challenge
  7. condition
  8. tough
  9. rubbish
  10. extreme
  1. serious
  2. fatigue
  3. good
  4. shape
  5. test
  6. venture
  7. strong
  8. trash
  9. finish
  10. come up against

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. superhuman
  2. swim for eight hours a day to
  3. very low water
  4. The mental part is much
  5. make sure you always think about
  6. he needs to be mentally
  7. doing the swim to raise awareness
  8. how extreme exercise
  9. the first solo
  10. When he reached dry
  1. trans-Atlantic swim
  2. more important
  3. of climate change
  4. reach his target
  5. land
  6. task
  7. temperatures
  8. tough
  9. something positive
  10. affects the heart

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
complete
along
first
sure
coast
mental
task
rough

A French swimmer will try to become the (1) ____________ person to swim across the Pacific Ocean. Ben Lecomte, 51, set off from Japan on Tuesday on his superhuman (2) ____________ of crossing the ocean. It will take him more than six months to (3) ____________ the 9,000-km swim. He will have to swim for eight hours a day to reach his target on the west (4) ____________ of the USA. He will also have to face many dangers. There will be sharks, jellyfish, storms, (5) ____________ seas, and very low water temperatures. He will also have to fight exhaustion and any injuries he picks up (6) ____________ the way. However, Mr Lecomte said: "The (7) ____________ part is much more important than the physical. You have to make (8) ____________ you always think about something positive."

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
condition
effects
challenge
again
lonely
heart
during
awareness

Lecomte has been training for six years to take up this (9) ____________. He has practised every day (10) ____________ that time by swimming in the sea. This is to make sure he is in top physical (11) ____________. He has also been training his mind. It will be a very (12) ____________ swim and he needs to be mentally tough. Lecomte said he is doing the swim to raise (13) ____________ of climate change, the effects of plastic rubbish in the ocean, and the (14) ____________ of the Fukushima nuclear disaster on the ocean. Scientists will also study his body to monitor how extreme exercise affects the (15) ____________. In 1998, Lecomte made the first solo trans-Atlantic swim. It took him 73 days to cover the 6,400km. When he reached dry land, his first words were, "never (16) ____________".

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  A French swimmer will try to become the first person to ______ Pacific
     a.  swim cross the
     b.  swim a cross the
     c.  swimmer cross the
     d.  swim across the
2)  set off from Japan on Tuesday on his superhuman ______ the ocean
     a.  task off crossing
     b.  ta scoff crossing
     c.  task of crossing
     d.  takes of crossing
3)  He will have to swim for eight hours a day to reach his ______ west coast
     a.  target on the
     b.  target in the
     c.  targeting the
     d.  target ton the
4)  There will be sharks, jellyfish, storms, rough seas, and ______ temperatures
     a.  very low water
     b.  very row water
     c.  verily water
     d.  very lone water
5)  The mental part is much more important ______
     a.  than a physical
     b.  than the physical
     c.  than the physic all
     d.  than the physique all

6)  Lecomte has been training for six years to ______ challenge
     a.  taken up this
     b.  took cup this
     c.  take up this
     d.  take cup this
7)  It will be a very lonely swim and he needs to be ______
     a.  mentally toughly
     b.  mentally tough
     c.  mentally toughen
     d.  mentally toughs
8)  Lecomte said he is doing the swim to raise awareness ______
     a.  of climate change
     b.  of climate changed
     c.  of climate changer
     d.  of climate changing
9)  Scientists will also study his body to monitor how extreme exercise ______
     a.  affects a heart
     b.  affects the heart
     c.  affects their heart
     d.  affects them heart
10)  When he reached dry land, his first words were, "______"
     a.  never a gain
     b.  never against
     c.  never regain
     d.  never again

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A French swimmer will try to become the (1) ___________________ swim across the Pacific Ocean. Ben Lecomte, 51, set off from Japan on Tuesday on his superhuman (2) ___________________ the ocean. It will take him more than six months to complete the 9,000-km swim. He will have to swim for eight hours a day (3) ___________________ target on the west coast of the USA. He will also (4) ___________________ many dangers. There will be sharks, jellyfish, storms, rough seas, and very low water temperatures. He will also have to fight exhaustion and any injuries he (5) ___________________ the way. However, Mr Lecomte said: "The mental part is much more important than the physical. You have to make sure you (6) ___________________ something positive."

Lecomte has been training for six years (7) ___________________ this challenge. He has practised every day during that time by swimming in the sea. This is to make sure he (8) ___________________ physical condition. He has also been training his mind. It will be a very lonely swim and he needs to (9) ___________________. Lecomte said he is doing the swim to raise awareness of climate change, the effects of plastic (10) ___________________ ocean, and the effects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster on the ocean. Scientists (11) ___________________ his body to monitor how extreme exercise affects the heart. In 1998, Lecomte made the first solo trans-Atlantic swim. It took him 73 days to cover the 6,400km. When he (12) ___________________, his first words were, "never again".

Comprehension questions

  1. What nationality is the man swimming the Pacific Ocean?
  2. How long will it take the man to complete the swim?
  3. What kind of water temperatures might the man have to face?
  4. What might the man have to fight?
  5. What will the man think about while he swims?
  6. How long has the man been training for the swim?
  7. What kind of physical condition is the man in?
  8. How many issues does the man want to raise awareness of?
  9. What part of the man's body will doctors monitor?
  10. What did the man say after he swam the Atlantic Ocean?

Multiple choice quiz

1) What nationality is the man swimming the Pacific Ocean?
a) Australian
b) American
c) French
d) Japanese
2) How long will it take the man to complete the swim?
a) over six months
b) about 6 weeks
c) around 6 days
d) about 60 days
3) What kind of water temperatures might the man have to face?
a) very cold
b) freezing
c) sub-zero
d) tropical
4) What might the man have to fight?
a) waves
b) exhaustion
c) whales
d) birds
5) What will the man think about while he swims?
a) his swimming technique
b) dinner
c) what's at the bottom of the ocean
d) positive things

6) How long has the man been training for the swim?
a) since he was a child
b) six years
c) 12 months
d) since 2008
7) What kind of physical condition is the man in?
a) top physical condition
b) he has iron strength
c) superhuman fitness
d)
8) How many issues does the man want to raise awareness of?
a) 12,938
b) just one
c) three
d) dozens
9) What part of the man's body will doctors monitor?
a) his lungs
b) his eyes
c) his thigh muscles
d) his heart
10) What did the man say after he swam the Atlantic Ocean?
a) "Never again"
b) "Yippee"
c) "Where's my bed?"
d) "The Pacific Ocean is next."

Role play

Role  A – Love
You think love is the most positive thing to think about. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least positive of these to think about (and why): success, holidays or lunch.

Role  B – Success
You think success is the most positive thing to think about. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least positive of these to think about (and why): love, holidays or lunch.

Role  C – Holidays
You think holidays is the most positive thing to think about. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least positive of these to think about (and why): success, love or lunch.

Role  D – Lunch
You think lunch is the most positive thing to think about. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least positive of these to think about (and why):  success, holidays or love.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'swim'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • and 'ocean'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

    4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

    5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • take
    • top
    • lonely
    • disaster
    • heart
    • again
    • try
    • six
    • eight
    • face
    • low
    • something

    Student survey

    Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

    (Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

    Discussion - Man aims to swim across the Pacific Ocean

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'swim'?
    3. What do think of someone trying to swim across the Pacific?
    4. What do you know about the Pacific Ocean?
    5. Is swimming the Pacific really a "superhuman task"?
    6. What would it be like to swim 8 hours a day in the ocean?
    7. How can Ben cope with the dangers?
    8. How mentally challenging is this swim?
    9. What positive things should Ben think about?
    10. What advice do you have for Ben Lecomte?

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'ocean'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. What do you think of swimming?
    5. What challenge would you like to train for?
    6. How will Bill's swim raise awareness of different issues?
    7. What effect will the swim have on Ben's body?
    8. Have you ever said, "never again"?
    9. Should we never say "never"?
    10. What questions would you like to ask Ben Lecomte?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    A French swimmer will (1) ____ to become the first person to swim across the Pacific Ocean. Ben Lecomte, 51, (2) ____ off from Japan on Tuesday on his superhuman task of crossing the ocean. It will take him more than six months to (3) ____ the 9,000-km swim. He will have to swim for eight hours a day to reach his target on the west coast of the USA. He will also have to (4) ____ many dangers. There will be sharks, jellyfish, storms, rough seas, and very low water temperatures. He will also have to fight exhaustion and any injuries he picks (5) ____ along the way. However, Mr Lecomte said: "The mental (6) ____ is much more important than the physical. You have to make sure you always think about something positive."

    Lecomte has been training for six years to (7) ____ up this challenge. He has practised every day during that time by swimming in the sea. This is to make sure he is in (8) ____ physical condition. He has also been training his mind. It will be a very lonely swim and he needs to be mentally (9) ____. Lecomte said he is doing the swim to raise awareness of climate change, the effects of plastic rubbish in the ocean, and the effects of the Fukushima nuclear (10) ____ on the ocean. Scientists will also study his body to monitor how (11) ____ exercise affects the heart. In 1998, Lecomte made the first solo trans-Atlantic swim. It took him 73 days to cover the 6,400km. When he reached dry land, his first words were, "never (12) ____".

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     try     (b)     trial     (c)     tray     (d)     tier    
    2. (a)     let     (b)     wet     (c)     set     (d)     met    
    3. (a)     competition     (b)     competing     (c)     compete     (d)     complete    
    4. (a)     knee     (b)     face     (c)     arm     (d)     chest    
    5. (a)     in     (b)     on     (c)     up     (d)     off    
    6. (a)     party     (b)     parted     (c)     part     (d)     partner    
    7. (a)     have     (b)     take     (c)     be     (d)     do    
    8. (a)     top     (b)     height     (c)     up     (d)     reach    
    9. (a)     tough     (b)     toughs     (c)     toughness     (d)     toughly    
    10. (a)     mishap     (b)     chance     (c)     disaster     (d)     fluke    
    11. (a)     extremes     (b)     extremity     (c)     extremely     (d)     extreme    
    12. (a)     against     (b)     again     (c)     gain     (d)     gaining

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. his napmuhsure task
    2. mclpteoe the 9,000-km swim
    3. face many aerndsg
    4. any ijiernsu he picks up
    5. more important than the aspylihc
    6. think about something oiveispt

    Paragraph 2

    1. take up this acgllehen
    2. he needs to be mentally ohgtu
    3. to raise asrweensa
    4. aiemltc change
    5. monitor how ermxtee exercise affects the heart
    6. he drcehae dry land

    Put the text back together

    (...)  target on the west coast of the USA. He will also have to face many dangers. There will be sharks, jellyfish, storms, rough
    (...)  affects the heart. In 1998, Lecomte made the first solo trans-Atlantic swim. It took
    (...)  complete the 9,000-km swim. He will have to swim for eight hours a day to reach his
    (...)  off from Japan on Tuesday on his superhuman task of crossing the ocean. It will take him more than six months to
    (...)  by swimming in the sea. This is to make sure he is in top physical condition. He has also been training his
    (...)  up along the way. However, Mr Lecomte  said: "The mental part is much more important than the
    1  ) A French swimmer will try to become the first person to swim across the Pacific Ocean. Ben Lecomte, 51, set
    (...)  him 73 days to cover the 6,400km. When he reached dry land, his first words were, "never again".
    (...)  seas, and very low water temperatures. He will also have to fight exhaustion and any injuries he picks
    (...)  Lecomte has been training for six years to take up this challenge. He has practised every day during that time
    (...)  awareness of climate change, the effects of plastic rubbish in the ocean, and the effects of the Fukushima nuclear
    (...)  physical. You have to make sure you always think about something positive."
    (...)  disaster on the ocean. Scientists will also study his body to monitor how extreme exercise
    (...)  mind. It will be a very lonely swim and he needs to be mentally tough. Lecomte said he is doing the swim to raise

    Put the words in the right order

    1. the   to   swim   Pacific   .   across   first   person   The
    2. will   take   months   .   six   more   than   him   It
    3. will   He   have   to   exhaustion   .   fight   also
    4. mental   more   much   is   important   .   The   part
    5. always   something   Make   positive   .   about   you   sure   think
    6. day   has   every   time   .   practised   He   that   during
    7. top   he   sure   physical   Make   in   condition   .   is
    8. awareness   .   is   doing   the   to   He   raise   swim
    9. affects   the   extreme   exercise   Monitor   heart   .   how
    10. solo   made   first   the   swim   .   Lecomte   trans-Atlantic

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    A French swimmer will try / tried to become the first person to swim across the Pacific Ocean. Ben Lecomte, 51, set on / off from Japan on Tuesday on his superhuman task of / for crossing the ocean. It will take him more than six months to compete / complete the 9,000-km swim. He will have to swim for eight hours a day to reach his target in / on the west coast of the USA. He will also have to farce / face many dangers. There will be sharks, jellyfish, storms, rough / roughly seas, and very low water temperatures. He will also have to fight exhaustion and any injuries he picks down / up along the way. However, Mr Lecomte said: "The mental part is much / many more important than the physical. You have to make / do sure you always think about something positive."

    Lecomte has been training for six years for / to take up this challenge. He has practised every daily / day during that time by swimming in the sea. This is to make sure he is on / in top physical condition. He has also been training his head / mind. It will be a very lonely swim and he needs to be mentally tough. Lecomte said he is done / doing the swim to raise awareness of climate change, the effects / affects of plastic rubbish in the ocean, and the effects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster on the ocean. Scientists will also study his bodily / body to monitor how extreme exercise affects the / their heart. In 1998, Lecomte made the first solo trans-Atlantic swim. It took him 73 days to cover / covering the 6,400km. When he reached dry land, his first words were, "never again / against".

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    A F r_n c h s w_m m_r w_l l t r y t_ b_c_m_ t h_ f_r s t p_r s_n t_ s w_m _c r_s s t h_ P_c_f_c O c__ n . B_n L_c_m t_, 5 1 , s_t _f f f r_m J_p_n _n T__ s d_y _n h_s s_p_r h_m_n t_s k _f c r_s s_n g t h_ _c__ n . I t w_l l t_k_ h_m m_r_ t h_n s_x m_n t h s t_ c_m p l_t_ t h_ 9 , 0 0 0 - k m s w_m . H_ w_l l h_v_ t_ s w_m f_r __ g h t h__ r s _ d_y t_ r__ c h h_s t_r g_t _n t h_ w_s t c__ s t _f t h_ U S A . H_ w_l l _l s_ h_v_ t_ f_c_ m_n y d_n g_r s . T h_r_ w_l l b_ s h_r k s , j_l l y f_s h , s t_r m s , r__ g h s__ s , _n d v_r y l_w w_t_r t_m p_r_t_r_s . H_ w_l l _l s_ h_v_ t_ f_g h t _x h__ s t__ n _n d _n y _n j_r__ s h_ p_c k s _p _l_n g t h_ w_y . H_w_v_r , M r L_c_m t_ s__ d : " T h_ m_n t_l p_r t _s m_c h m_r_ _m p_r t_n t t h_n t h_ p h y s_c_l . Y__ h_v_ t_ m_k_ s_r_ y__ _l w_y s t h_n k _b__ t s_m_t h_n g p_s_t_v_. "

    L_c_m t_ h_s b__ n t r__ n_n g f_r s_x y__ r s t_ t_k_ _p t h_s c h_l l_n g_. H_ h_s p r_c t_s_d _v_r y d_y d_r_n g t h_t t_m_ b y s w_m m_n g _n t h_ s__ . T h_s _s t_ m_k_ s_r_ h_ _s _n t_p p h y s_c_l c_n d_t__ n . H_ h_s _l s_ b__ n t r__ n_n g h_s m_n d . I t w_l l b_ _ v_r y l_n_l y s w_m _n d h_ n__ d s t_ b_ m_n t_l l y t__ g h . L_c_m t_ s__ d h_ _s d__ n g t h_ s w_m t_ r__ s_ _w_r_n_s s _f c l_m_t_ c h_n g_, t h_ _f f_c t s _f p l_s t_c r_b b_s h _n t h_ _c__ n , _n d t h_ _f f_c t s _f t h_ F_k_s h_m_ n_c l__ r d_s_s t_r _n t h_ _c__ n . S c__ n t_s t s w_l l _l s_ s t_d y h_s b_d y t_ m_n_t_r h_w _x t r_m_ _x_r c_s_ _f f_c t s t h_ h__ r t . I n 1 9 9 8 , L_c_m t_ m_d_ t h_ f_r s t s_l_ t r_n s - A t l_n t_c s w_m . I t t__ k h_m 7 3 d_y s t_ c_v_r t h_ 6 , 4 0 0 k m . W h_n h_ r__ c h_d d r y l_n d , h_s f_r s t w_r d s w_r_, " n_v_r _g__ n " .

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    a french swimmer will try to become the first person to swim across the pacific ocean ben lecomte 51 set off from japan on tuesday on his superhuman task of crossing the ocean it will take him more than six months to complete the 9000km swim he will have to swim for eight hours a day to reach his target on the west coast of the usa he will also have to face many dangers there will be sharks jellyfish storms rough seas and very low water temperatures he will also have to fight exhaustion and any injuries he picks up along the way however mr lecomte  said the mental part is much more important than the physical you have to make sure you always think about something positive

    lecomte has been training for six years to take up this challenge he has practised every day during that time by swimming in the sea this is to make sure he is in top physical condition he has also been training his mind it will be a very lonely swim and he needs to be mentally tough lecomte said he is doing the swim to raise awareness of climate change the effects of plastic rubbish in the ocean and the effects of the fukushima nuclear disaster on the ocean scientists will also study his body to monitor how extreme exercise affects the heart in 1998 lecomte made the first solo transatlantic swim it took him 73 days to cover the 6400km when he reached dry land his first words were never again.

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    AFrenchswimmerwilltrytobecomethefirstpersontoswimacrossthePa
    cificOcean.BenLecomte,51,setofffromJapanonTuesdayonhissuperh
    umantaskofcrossingtheocean.Itwilltakehimmorethansixmonthstoc
    ompletethe9,000-kmswim.Hewillhavetoswimforeighthoursadaytor
    eachhistargetonthewestcoastoftheUSA.Hewillalsohavetofacemany
    dangers.Therewillbesharks,jellyfish,storms,roughseas,andverylow
    watertemperatures.Hewillalsohavetofightexhaustionandanyinjurie
    shepicksupalongtheway.However,MrLecomtesaid:"Thementalparti
    smuchmoreimportantthanthephysical.Youhavetomakesureyoualw
    aysthinkaboutsomethingpositive."Lecomtehasbeentrainingforsixye
    arstotakeupthischallenge.Hehaspractisedeverydayduringthattimeb
    yswimminginthesea.Thisistomakesureheisintopphysicalcondition.H
    ehasalsobeentraininghismind.Itwillbeaverylonelyswimandheneeds
    tobementallytough.Lecomtesaidheisdoingtheswimtoraiseawarenes
    sofclimatechange,theeffectsofplasticrubbishintheocean,andtheeffe
    ctsoftheFukushimanucleardisasterontheocean.Scientistswillalsostu
    dyhisbodytomonitorhowextremeexerciseaffectstheheart.In1998,L
    ecomtemadethefirstsolotrans-Atlanticswim.Ittookhim73dayst
    ocoverthe6,400km.Whenhereacheddryland,hisfirstwordswere,"ne
    veragain".

    Free writing

    Write about Pacific Ocean for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    Everyone should do something great to raise awareness of issues. Discuss.

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    Homework

    1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
    2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. SWIMMING: Make a poster about swimming. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. PACIFIC OCEAN: Write a magazine article about banning all plastics. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on swimming. Ask him/her three questions about swimming. Give him/her three of your ideas. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

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    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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