Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. certified
    • ex. Katy is a certified nurse. She completed all the necessary training and passed the exam.
  2. insist on (doing something)
    • ex. The girl insisted on eating candy even though her mother said she should not.
  3. aloft
    • ex. Children cheered while the kites are aloft.
  4. shuffle
    • ex. The old man shuffled slowly because his knees were hurting.
  5. leap
    • ex. The cat leaped from the table to the floor.

Article

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

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A 104-year-old woman from Chicago wants to be certified as the oldest person to ever skydive. “Age is just a number,” Dorothy Hoffner told a cheering crowd moments after landing on the ground. She landed at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, about 85 miles (140 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.

Hoffner first skydived when she was 100. She said that she had to be pushed out of the plane then. But on October 1, Hoffner insisted on leading the dive from 13,500 feet (4,100 meters). She looked calm and confident while the plane was aloft. When the door opened, she shuffled toward the edge. She leaped into the air. She tumbled out of the plane with her head first. After that, she started flying with her belly facing the ground.

The Guinness World Record for the oldest skydiver was set in May 2022 by 103-year-old Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson from Sweden. But Skydive Chicago is working to have Hoffner’s dive to be certified and beat the record. After her dive, she immediately thought of future challenges. She said she might take a ride in a hot-air balloon next.

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

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Age and Growing Old

  • Dorothy Hoffner said that age is just a number. Do you agree with this? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of being old? Discuss.
  • What do you think your life will be when you’re older? Discuss.

Adventure

  • In your opinion, is skydiving safe or dangerous? Why? Discuss.
  • Do you like adventure? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What type of exciting activity would you like to try in the future (ex. skydiving, surfing)? Why? Discuss.