Learning English

Going ape for charity!

People do all kinds of weird and wonderful things to raise money for charities. The streets of London are bracing themselves for an invasion of gorillas... and Santas!

To do

Read this article which includes lots of examples of the future perfect continuous. The first time you read it, just try to answer the question: Are charity events like Tough Mudder very competitive, according to this article?

Read the text and complete the activity

On Saturday 17 September 2016, you may catch sight of hundreds of gorillas running around the streets of London. They’ll have been filming a new Planet of the Apes movie, you’ll probably think. But in fact, these giant apes will have been taking part in a charity event. When the starter's pistol sounds for the Great Gorilla Run next year, this highly popular event will have been raising money for thirteen years. People from all over the world will run, jog or walk 8km in gorilla costumes through the capital’s streets, passing such iconic landmarks as The Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral. By the time the last ape crosses the finishing line, the runners, who will have been collecting sponsorship for several weeks prior to the race, will have raised millions for endangered species and education projects in Central Africa.

Unusual charity events such as these are a huge trend for raising money for worthwhile causes. If, however, you’re looking to support a charity in a more challenging way and you relish the idea of running through mud and freezing cold ice, then The Tough Mudder is perhaps what you've been searching for. In this gruelling team event, participants tackle a 10 to 12-mile obstacle course that tests physical strength and mental courage. It’s more about camaraderie than winning. Over 150 such events worldwide have raised £5 million.

Christmas is traditionally a time for charity events: people sporting Santa outfits take part in Santa runs, and brave swimmers take to the freezing waters of the Serpentine on Boxing Day in London’s Hyde Park – some will have been taking part in this traditional festive dip for years.

Other bizarre fundraising schemes by individuals include the attempt by Chris Todd, nicknamed the Hamster Man, to pedal a device like a huge hamster wheel across the Irish Sea to raise money for the blind and lifeboats. He abandoned the attempt after 23 of the 66 miles.

But fundraising doesn’t have to involve physical exertion. Students at a school in Illinois played Justin Bieber’s song ‘Baby’ over loudspeakers and urged fellow students to pay to stop the song. They needed to raise $1,000 in one week to achieve this. They exceeded the goal within three days. Even teachers chipped in.

If you want to join the ranks of gorillas next September, you only have to pay £60 to register. This includes the gorilla suit, which you can keep. If you take part, not only will you have been helping the gorillas and people who depend on their habitat, you’ll never have to buy another fancy dress costume again!

Answer

Are charity events like Tough Mudder very competitive, according to this article? No - they're "more about camaraderie than winning".

To do

Now read the article again and try to answer the questions in the 'Monkey Business' quiz!

End of Session 3

That's it for this session. In Session 4, hear about BBC Learning English's ambitious plan to broadcast non-stop for 24 hours, not just 6 minutes!