lunes, 22 de abril de 2024

The London Marathon 2024: Olympic Athletes, Minions, Wine Tasters and Charities


Kenyan athlete Peres Jepchirchir broke the world record yesterday, when she finished the London Marathon in 2:16:16, The Guardian reports in "Jepchirchir breaks women's world record, Munyao beats Bekele in men's race", and, in addition, The Guardian Sports offers a video with interviews to three of the winners who have qualified for the Olympics. BBC News offers a photo gallery with some of the most striking pictures of the event in "London Marathon photos: Fundraisers run as minions and camels". These articles are recommended for B2 students, who will encounter interesting words like: to beat, a wheelchair, a tap, a faucet, a rotating puzzle cube, tough, a PB, a bump, to raise awareness, [to take] a break, to turn away, to blast, distress, to struggle [to cope], to pull [myself] out of it, a way out, to fulfill, remarkable, a minion,

to pose, to storm [across Tower Bridge], a prayer, to pay off, fitness, stressful, a tough [time], to come through [a car crash], [runners] fit, to rock [threads], to unveil, to wave [to the crowd], up for grabs, to break away, to keep up with [Marcel Hug], to surge, time off etc.


One of those charity fundrairers was Jess Walklin, who wanted to raise money for the charity Brain Tumour Research in honour of his mother Caroline Walklin. Last week, E.O.I. nº 1 student Mª Ángeles G. became interested in the BBC News story "An Islington man is planning to run the London Marathon dressed as a giant brain" and learnt how this family raised funds to have the elaborate brain costume made to begin with and, eventually, to support the cancer charity. This report is suitable for B2 students, who will find interesting vocabulary like: to take on, to faint, a scan, to undergo, [school] pastoral, to make a difference, to host, an auction, a raffle, a challenge, a hole, to reach out, to grab, trepidation, pretty [lonely], to speed up.

Another peculiar charity runner was Tom Gilbey, who raised GBP 14,000 for Sobell House Hospice Charity in Oxford, by tasting 25 wines during the race, as you can read and watch in the BBC News story "London Marathon runner tastes 25 glasses of wine during race". In this B2 article, you will find interesting words like: connoisseur, to sample, to raise [money], to swap, malbec, merlot, to blind taste, to stash, to take up [a challenge], vintage, pinot noir, hazy, tipsy, a sip, to swallow, the wheels came off, a feat, to lull, fizz, chardonnay, sangiovese, to span, sprawling, vineyards, to be up for [doing something], bizarre, packed [with polyphenols], mitochondria, to tame, to impair, to deplete [energy], to down.