Skiing - Video for Listening Comprehension

We often imagine skiing as a sport where appearance counts more than performance. Nonetheless skiing can be a dangerous sport: this skier hasn't noticed that the temperature is rising and the snow is beginning to melt.

As he goes down, a slab of snow breaks away and creates an avalanche. Luckily for him, he manages to stop, otherwise he could have been carried away by the mass of snow.

In general, avalanches are started by off-piste skiers, but sometimes it's the ski-run supervisors who start them with dynamite before the slopes open, for the sake of security.

Although avalanches present a real danger, you don't risk much if you ski on the marked runs, just like this snowboarder. Having said that, it's the best place to crash into someone else! That's why there are more and more skiers who wear a helmet.

Snowboarding has recently become fashionable. To train, or improve your technique, there are snowparks in all major ski resorts, reserved for snowboarders.

Free-styling is highly inadvisable for people suffering from vertigo or backache. If skiing is an expensive sport, free-styling is twice as expensive, since you pay for the same ski pass, but stay as little as possible on the slopes!

For those afraid of speed, there's cross-country skiing. The skis are thinner and there are no bindings at the back of the boot. It's a very demanding sport that requires lots of stamina.

That's why most of the future Olympic ski champions come from countries where it often snows. It makes sense, really: they use their skis to go to work, into town, to school or to the neighbours'. You'd think they even sleep with their skis on!

For those who don't like sliding about, there are always snowshoes. No they're not tennis rackets, but special soles that fix onto boots.

They enable you to run in the snow without sinking in. Inhabitants of snowy countries might be talented at skiing, but they're a lot less good at football. That's understandable: playing football with snowshoes on isn't that easy!

At the end of the day, people who still want to play in the snow can go tobogganing. Don't bother trying to control your speed or your direction, there's no brake and no steering wheel!

For the nature lovers, the mountains are of particular interest; since you can find rare birds there. To catch sight of them, you only have to wait... Here's one!

Looking at the way it's flying, it must be an endangered species. It's a bird called the 'flying man', and as you can see, he doesn't have any wings. This makes it impossible for him to fly for more than a few seconds.

Takeoff never lasts long, flight time even less, and yet landing lasts a long time. A very long time! You'd think that he's hurt himself very badly, but he doesn't know what pain is. Nothing bothers him. An odd animal, don't you think?

Even odder is the fact that he'll throw himself off the same mountain tomorrow!


See other video scripts of the same level (Advanced+):
The Water
The Beach
The Sport
Mother Nature
About Sea
Skiing


Other script of different level can be found here:
Video for Listening Comprehension from Tell me More Advanced+ Level
Video for Listening Comprehension from Tell me More Intermediate+ Level
Video for Listening Comprehension from Tell me More Intermediate Level
Video for Listening Comprehension from Tell me More Beginner Level

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