Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a spectator
    • ex. The spectators cheered loudly when the local team scored the winning goal.
  2. a surfboard
    • ex. Learning to stand on a surfboard as a wave comes takes a lot of practice and balance.
  3. adoption
    • ex. Many charities work hard to educate the public about the benefits of animal adoption.
  4. since
    • ex. They met in elementary school and have been close friends ever since.
  5. hooked
    • ex. My brother read the first chapter of the novel and was hooked right away. He stayed up all night to finish the entire book.

Article

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

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Dogs showed their surfing skills at the World Dog Surfing Championships in Pacifica, California. Hundreds of spectators watched and cheered as dogs of different sizes rode waves on surfboards. The event, now in its 10th year, also promoted pet adoption and raised money for local animal charities.

The dogs wore colorful life jackets and were helped by their owners, who guided the surfboards onto the best waves. Judges scored the dogs on how long they stayed on the board, the size of the wave, and how confident they looked. Small, medium, and large dogs competed in groups before the top dogs met in the final round. There were also team events with two or more dogs or dogs surfing with people.

One of the competitors was Rusty, a Miniature Pinscher from Huntington Beach. His owner, Sophia Sadlowski, first put him on a surfboard for photos when he was a puppy, but he did not want to get down. “He was four months old, and he took third place. So we’ve been surfing since,” Sadlowski said. “We got hooked.”

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

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Animals in Sports Competitions

  • Is it a good idea to involve pets in sports like dog surfing? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • The event uses dog surfing to encourage pet adoption and support charities. How well do you think this idea works? Discuss.
  • If you were a dog owner, what kind of competitions would you let your pet join? Discuss.

Activities with Pets

  • Why do you think some pet owners enjoy including their pets in unusual hobbies like surfing? Discuss.
  • How do you think doing fun activities together affects the relationship between a pet and its owner? Discuss.
  • If you had a pet, what kinds of outdoor or public activities would you like to try with them? Discuss.