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Unit 1: The Experiment

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  1. 1 The Experiment

Session 25

The Experiment is a collection of short series that are a little different to our usual programmes - but still help you improve your English.

Do you wish you could talk confidently about trending topics? Have no fear: BBC Learning English is here! If it's going viral, BBC Learning English will be there, finding out what real people are saying about it!

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Session 25 score

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    Activity 1
  1. Activity 1

Activity 1

Everybody's talking about... #WinterOlympics

The #WinterOlympics

It’s day seven of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. BBC presenter Charlene finds out what people are saying about this international sporting event - and what actual words they're using to say it.

Charlene asked 3 questions to the people she met:

  • How are you enjoying the Winter Olympics?
  • What's been the most stand-out moment for you so far?
  • Do you think the Winter Olympics has an impact beyond sport?

Watch the video and complete the activity

Show transcript Hide transcript

Charlene
Hello everyone! I'm Charlene from BBC Learning English. Today is day seven of the winter Olympics in South Korea and we've already seen spectacular performances in snowboarding, ice-skating and lots of other fantastic winter sports. With lots more sporting action to come, everybody's talking about it, and I'm asking three questions to find out the actual words people are saying. Question one. Are you enjoying the Winter Olympics?

Voxpop 1
I'm enjoying them very much indeed – they're very interesting, and I really, really am enjoying it.

Voxpop 2
Yes - I've not seen too much of it, but what I have seen has been pretty spectacular.

Voxpop 3
I mean I haven't really been keeping up with the Winter Olympics this year but I do think it's good in terms of sportsmanship and political impacts especially.

Charlene
What's been the stand-out moment for you so far?

Voxpop 4
I would have to say it was the opening ceremony, you know, when you kind of see all the countries kind of like marching together … there's no conflict, it's like everyone's just trying to get along together.

Voxpop 5
Oh it's the amazing jumps that the skiers make, when they've skied very fast up or down one of their slopes, then they jump off the top, and you think they're going up to heaven actually

Charlene 
Do you think the Winter Olympics has an impact beyond sport?

Voxpop 6
I don't know – maybe it's becoming kind of… it's weakening as an interest and the media should push more and more to, to  you know, awake the interest in the broader audience. That's what I think

Voxpop 7
With what they've done to the Russian athletes as well, I think they've made it a bit too political and they've taken the sport out of it, in my opinion.

Voxpop 8
That's a difficult one; I really don't know … I just want Britain to win, always!

Charlene
So there you go: Everybody's talking about the Winter Olympics and now you can too! There's a recap coming up in just a second – but don't forget you can find more about this topic at BBC Learning English dot com, or, find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube - and get talking! See you next time!

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To do

Try this quiz to see whether you're ready to talk about today's trending topic.

Are you ready to talk?

4 Questions

Choose the correct words to complete the expressions from today's programme

Congratulations you completed the Quiz
Excellent! Great job! Bad luck! You scored:
x / y

Useful phrases

Key phrases from this programme

  • I'm enjoying them very much indeed
  • What I have seen has been pretty spectacularI haven't really been keeping upI would have to say…
  • It's the amazing jumps
  • You think they're going up to heaven
  • It's weakening as an interest
  • They've made it a bit too political and they've taken the sport out of it, in my opinion
  • That's a difficult one

Start talking! 

We asked you: Are you enjoying the Winter Olympics? What’s been the stand-out moment for you so far? And do you think the Winter Olympics have an impact beyond the world of sport? Here's what you said:

Your Comments

Thierry, France
In fact I haven't been keeping up with Olympic Games this winter. The older you are the less you're interested. First of all I saw many Olympics Games, then this edition is broadcasted late in the night, and finally I'm afraid the Olympic spirit has disappeared through the years. Actually only money and brands matter.

Bernard
To be honesty this year winter olympics is my first ever to watch and I was very much enjoyed it indeed.
The stand out moment for me was the time when I watched a skier jumping up high and rolling several times and coming down safely.This shows that the athlete involved in this kind of sport requires an extreme skill to perform that. In fact that image still stand out in my mind and it seems it will take a long time to be erased.In my opinion I think the impact of the winter olympics it is majorly depends on involvement of different culture diversities.

Shino, Japan
I'm enjoying the Winter Olympics very much indeed. I have never played winter sports, so I admire Olympics players for superhuman skills. I watch the games on TV. I like to hear interviews with medalists after games. They look very confident. What impressed me the best is that a female speed skater, Nao Kodaira, broke a Olympics record on February 18. It's amazing!! I'm glad that she won a gold medal.
I think that many Japanese people have interests in the Winter Olympics because Japan media report them from breakfast to bedtime!! When Japanese player gains a gold medal, newspapers usually publish extras as soon as possible.

Saloom
I used to watch Olympic games when i was teenager but now it's not interested of me.

More

That's all for this session. Check out The Experiment homepage to see what else everybody's talking about!

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