Speaking Boost · A2 · Lesson 22 of 50
Speaking Boost A2 · Block 5: Free Time

Why is a marathon 42 kilometres long?

The marathon is 42.195 kilometres because of a royal race in London in 1908. Learn the words of sport, talk about how often you exercise, and plan a week of sport for three people.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Sport and exercise

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. Do you do any sport?
  2. What sport do you watch on TV?
  3. Do you prefer team sports or individual sports?
  4. How often do you walk or exercise?
  5. Is there a gym near your home?
  6. What sport would you like to try?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say a sentence about you and sport.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. I go to the twice a week.
  2. Our plays football on Sundays.
  3. My says: "Run faster!"
  4. Always before you run.
  5. I swim to .
  6. We watched a great on TV.
  7. She every morning at the stadium.
  8. Would you like to run a ?
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. to win ↔ to
  2. A person who teaches a sport is a
  3. Football and tennis are both
  4. Before a run you
  5. Five kilometres is a short
  6. Healthy and strong =
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to talk about sport and exercise.

  • How often do you...?Як часто ти...?How often do you go running?
  • Three times a week.Три рази на тиждень.I go to the gym three times a week.
  • I play...Я граю в...I play tennis on Saturdays.
  • I go...Я ходжу (займаюся)...We go swimming every week.
  • I do...Я займаюся...She does yoga every morning.
  • How long does it take?Скільки це займає?How long does a run take?
  • I'm out of shape.Я не в формі.I'm out of shape. I need to train.
  • Let's go for a run!Підемо бігати!It's sunny. Let's go for a run!
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

The long race

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

Why is a marathon 42 kilometres long?

The marathon is a very long race. Today, it is 42.195 kilometres. But why this strange number?

A famous story says that a man ran from the town of Marathon to Athens in ancient Greece with news about a battle. Nobody knows if the story is true, but people like it.

The modern marathon is more than 100 years old. At the Olympic Games in London in 1908, the race started at Windsor Castle and finished in the stadium, in front of the royal family. The distance was 42.195 kilometres.

Later, this distance became the official length of a marathon.

Today, thousands of ordinary people run marathons in big cities. Some are fast, and some walk and enjoy the day. Would you like to run a marathon?

3.2

True or false?

  1. The marathon is 42.195 kilometres long today.
  2. The 1908 race in London started at Windsor Castle.
  3. The story about the man from Marathon is a proven fact.
  4. The 1908 race finished in a stadium.
  5. Only fast runners run marathons today.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Do you run long distances? Would you like to?
  2. Which sport is the hardest? Why?
  3. Do you prefer to exercise alone or in a group?
  4. What helps you start exercising when you are tired?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

Play, go, do

Use play for games, go + -ing for activities, do for exercise.

I play tennis. We go swimming. She does yoga.

How often and how long

How often? — Three times a week. How long? — For half an hour.

How often do you run? Twice a week. How long does a run take? About 40 minutes.

Block 5 review

Use the grammar from this block.

like / love / enjoy + -ing (L21)

Remember: play + game, go + -ing, do + exercise. ✗ I go to swim → I go swimming. ✗ I make yoga → I do yoga.

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. I
    football on Sundays.
  2. We
    swimming every week.
  3. She
    yoga in the morning.
  4. do you go to the gym?
  5. I go running
    .
  6. does a match take? About two hours.
  7. He
    tennis.
  8. I enjoy
    in the park.
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. I play yoga every day. →
  2. We play swimming on Sundays. →
  3. How long do you go to the gym? →
  4. She go running every morning. →
  5. I make exercise in the evening. →
  6. I like swim in the sea. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer in detail. Use play, go, do and how often.

  1. What sport do you do or play?
  2. How often do you exercise?
  3. What sport do you watch on TV?
  4. Do you prefer to exercise alone or with friends?
  5. What do you do to keep fit?
  6. What sport would you like to try?
5

A week of sport and a short talk

8 min
5.1

A week of sport

Three people want to do more sport. Say what sport is good for each person and how often they can do it. Who needs help the most?

Person 1

Kateryna, 45

  • Sits at a desk all day
  • Has only 30 minutes a day
  • Doesn't like gyms
  • Likes music
Person 2

Taras, 19

  • Is a student
  • Plays football on Sundays
  • Has little money
  • Wants to be stronger
Person 3

Ivan, 67

  • Is retired
  • Has a lot of free time
  • Likes being outside
  • Wants to meet people
5.2

Mini-talk: sport in my life

Your teacher will time you.

  1. Plan for one minute, then speak for one or two minutes.
  2. Part 1: what sport you do or watch and how often.
  3. Part 2: why you like it (use like, love, enjoy + -ing).
  4. Part 3: a sport you want to try and why.
2:00
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. Do you do any sport?
  2. How often do you exercise?
  3. Do you go to the gym?
  4. What sport did you play at school?
  5. Do you prefer team sports or individual sports?
  6. What sport do you watch on TV?
  7. Do you stretch before exercise?
  8. How do you feel after sport?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Who in your family is sporty?
  2. Who is your favourite sportsperson?
  3. What sport is popular in your country?
  4. Do your friends exercise?
  5. Which sport is good for children?
  6. Who taught you to swim or ride a bike?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is sport important for everyone?
  2. Is it better to exercise alone or in a group?
  3. Is it OK to start sport at any age?
  4. Should sport be a school subject?
  5. Why do some people never exercise?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

Joining a gym

You

New member

You are at a gym (your teacher is the manager). Ask questions and explain what you want:
  • say what sport you like
  • ask how much it costs
  • ask when the gym is open
  • say how often you want to come
Speak for at least 2 minutes in total. Use play, go, do and how often.
Your teacher

Gym manager

Says things like:
  1. Welcome! What sport do you like?
  2. It's 40 euros a month.
  3. We're open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  4. How often do you want to come?
7.2

Sports day

You

Team captain

You are the captain of a team. A friend (your teacher) wants to join. Explain:
  • ask what sports your friend plays
  • explain when and where you train
  • say how often the team plays matches
  • invite your friend to the next match
You do most of the talking. Use: Do you play...? · We train... · How often...? · Come and watch!
Your teacher

New player

Says things like:
  1. I play volleyball and I go running.
  2. Where do you train?
  3. How often do you play matches?
  4. Great, I'd love to come!
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

gymteamcoachwarm upkeep fitmatchtrainsmarathon
  1. My brother goes to the after work.
  2. Who is in your football ?
  3. Our tennis is very strict.
  4. You must before you play.
  5. I walk every day to .
  6. The starts at three o'clock.
  7. Tom for the race every day.
  8. It is hard to run a .
H2

Block 5 review: choose the correct form

  1. She yoga every day.
  2. We running on Saturdays.
  3. do you go to the gym?
  4. I volleyball with friends.
  5. He swimming.
  6. I enjoy tennis.
  7. They cycling every Sunday.
  8. My sister running.
H3

Correct or incorrect? (Block 5 review)

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. I play tennis on Saturdays.
  2. She goes to swim every day.
  3. How often do you go to the gym?
  4. We do football on Sundays.
  5. He plays basketball after school.
  6. I like to doing yoga.
  7. They go running in the park.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. I play
  2. We go
  3. She does
  4. How long
  5. Always warm up
  6. I go to the gym
  7. It's sunny.

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.