English

A compilation of newsTickerarticles and exercises

January, 2011

newsLetter - 2

EXPEDITION ......................................................................3BELIEVE IT ........................................................................5GOOFY CHAMP...................................................................7VERY VERY ........................................................................9WORDS BANISHED........................................................... 11WHENEVER YOU KNOCK ME DOWN .................................... 13LIBERATION .................................................................... 15GAMES............................................................................ 17DUFFY'S CUT ................................................................... 19VITALITY SUPREME .......................................................... 21CHRISTMAS CRACKER ...................................................... 23PREPARING THE OPEN ...................................................... 25ANGER ON THE ROADS..................................................... 27HOW COLD...................................................................... 29THE SCIENCE................................................................... 31COULD BE ....................................................................... 33

CONTENTS

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EXPEDITIONTo the North Pole

Adventure is not a thing of the past. Some individualsare determined to test their limits to the utmost.

Amelia and Dan started off on the north coast of Canada.They had planned the expedition for two whole years.And now they were alone, in the middle of the Arcticwinter.

They headed for the North Pole on foot, pulling heavysleds with food behind them. For the first week, therewas not even any sun.

They used immersion suits to swim when they needed tocross patches of water. And every day, they just kept onwalking.

In April, there was light. But strong winds often made itimpossible to see anything in the snow. Food started torun out.

Finally, after fifty-seven days on the ice, they reachedtheir goal.

10/01/2011

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Dan and Amelia first flew out to the ice fromResolute Bay in Nunavut. Temperatures were 40 Cbelow freezing.

A.1. Try to find Nunavut on a map of Canada. Howfar is the North Pole?

A.2. Why is the village called Resolute?

B.1. What dangers were Dan and Amelia facing?

B.2. Why was there no light when they started?How do you find your way in these conditions?

C.1. What do you know about the historicalexpeditions to the North Pole?

C.2. In which ways was this expedition different?

D. Imagine that you are preparing an Arcticexpedition, and that you have to pull all yoursupplies on a sled yourself.

What kind of food and gear would you bring withyou?

Work in groups to prepare a list, then discuss yourlists in class.

EXERCISE

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BELIEVE ITOr not

January is certainly the season for psychics andeconomic analysts. Admittedly, some prefer consultingNostradamus or their horoscopes. But what are they allsaying?

The farmers' almanac predicts a freezing winter, forstarters. Though other predictions are even morechilling.

A nuclear disaster in India, and chemical havoc in China.The "big one" we have been expecting finally hitsCalifornia, damaging the Hollywood sign. Liverpool winthe FA cup.

Royal wedding, while the Beckhams divorce. Angrydemonstrations over wage and pension cuts (though didyou need to be psychic for that one?)

CBS believes the US will pull out of Afghanistan, whilethe Observer sees conflict in North Korea looming up.Fortunately, February 3rd ends the Year of the Tiger,and next year is Rabbit. Hopefully news will be softertoo!

So what does your crystal ball have to tell us about thecoming year?

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A.1. What is a psychic? What do psychics do? Whatabout economic analysts? Are there similarities?What are the differences?

A.2. Whose predictions are more reliable? Why?Discuss!

B. In which calendar is next year Rabbit?

C. Select some of the predictions in the article. Doyou think it is likely this will actually happen in2011? Why/why not? Discuss in small groups!

D.1. How do you express various degrees oflikelihood in English? (using adjectives, adverbs,or verbs, for instance). Brainstorm in groups, thenlist on the whiteboard.

D.2. Place these words and expressions on a scale,running from 'impossible' to 'certain'.

E.1. In groups, make your own predictions for2011.

E.2. Give each prediction points, depending on howdetailed it is (the more detailed/unlikely yourprediction is, the more points it gets).

E.3. Set a date in May, to see how manypredictions have come true. Which team got mostpoints?

EXERCISE

newsLetter - 7

GOOFY CHAMPRides with style

370 of the best snowboarders in the world will soon bemeeting up at La Molina. Among them is Canadianchampion Seb Toutant.

Although Sebastian "Toots" only turned 18 in November,he has already been competing internationally since2006.

The enthusiastic snowboarder from Montreal recentlywon the Air and Style in Beijing. After Davos, he will beriding at La Molina.

Seb describes his stance as goofy, and enjoys taking thesport to a whole new level.

In skateboarding there are loads of tricks, he says. Butin snowboarding, you can't do a flip trick, for example.That is why style is important.

"If the 1260 is perfect, the 1260 will score more,because it's harder," he explains. "You have to put itdown, like perfect."

The double cork is part of the evolution of snowboarding,he thinks. "Now you have the air time to do a doublecork, and it will look like 900."

10/01/2011

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A. Have you ever tried snowboarding? Do youenjoy watching it? Make a survey in your class!

B.1. Is snowboarding a popular sport in yourcountry/region?

B.2. For La Molina, Canada had 47 inscriptions,while Montenegro only had one.

Why is this do you think? Discuss in small groups!

C. What exactly is a 'double cork'? What is a 'goofystance'? In groups, learn more aboutsnowboarding jargon.

Explain the expressions to your class! Use visualsupport for your presentations.

D. Which skills are important? In which ways doesthis differ from alpine skiing? How do you avoidinjury? Discuss in groups.

E. How did the O'Neill Evolution in Davos go? Findout!

F. Watch video footage of snowboarding.

EXERCISE

newsLetter - 9

VERY VERYCranky

In Australia, floodwaters are currently submerging anarea larger than Germany. Rockhampton is just one ofmany localities that have been hit by the deluge. Risingwaters have now completely isolated the town.

But the floods have not only upset the humaninhabitants. Poisonous snakes, like taipans, brownsnakes and red-bellied blacks, have all been flushed outof their normal environment. The desperate reptiles areclimbing trees or hiding in houses, trying to find a dryspot.

To top it all, snakes are in their mating season, whichmakes them "very very cranky", according to the StateEmergency Service official.

One resident tells how her mother was nearly killed. Theelderly lady was living on a boat near the town. Thesnake was curled round the rope. It was so close thatshe could feel the tongue flicking onto her face. Then itjumped into her lap.

As if snakes were not enough, the town is now infestedby crocodiles and venomous cane toads. Sandflies anddisease-carrying mosquitoes breed in the standingwaters.

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A. Look at a map of Australia. Which areas are affectedby the floods?

B. What does 'flushed out' mean? What othermeanings can the word 'flush' have?

Check in a dictionary. How many meanings were youalready familiar with?

C.1. The lady on the boat had been taking a nap, whenshe realised the snake was about to strike. Afterwards,her husband used a stick to flick it into the water.

In pairs, imagine that you are this lady and a journalistmaking an interview. You can add colourful details ifyou like! Practice the dialogue; then, perform in class.

C.2. What is the snake's perspective on this story?

D. Which menace is worst? Snakes or sandflies? Why?Discuss the problems this town is coping with in smallgroups.

E. Not everyone dislikes snakes. Watch video footageon Youtube with late reptile enthusiast Steve Irwin.

EXERCISE

newsLetter - 11

WORDS BANISHEDFrom the Queen’s English

New Year is a time of traditions. One event, that wecertainly would not like to miss, is the yearly banishmentof words, by Lake Superior State University. Thisvenerable custom was established back in 1976.

Banning words for Mis-Use, Over-Use and GeneralUselessness clearly met a heartfelt need in thelongsuffering public.

Thousands of misused and overused expressions havebeen nominated for this hate list, since LSSU's PRdirector first launched the idea.

'Man up' makes obvious sense, since indeed it is "Astupid phrase when directed at men. Even more stupidwhen directed at a woman". On the other hand, 'Have anice day' could raise an eyebrow or two.

Winner (that is, loser) this year, is 'viral', as in 'go viral'.According to Mr Allah, of Los Angeles, "This linguisticdisease of a term must be quarantined".

However, Mr Cance, of Plainwell, Michigan, has noobjection "to this word's use as a way to differentiate a(viral) illness from bacterial."

10/01/2011

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This year's list of banished words includes 'wowfactor', 'a-ha moment' and 'epic' - with themotivation "Standards for using 'epic' are so low,even 'awesome' is embarrassed ".

A.1. What does 'epic' mean literally? How is it usedin modern American English? What about'awesome'?

A.2. What do the other words and phrasesmentioned in the article mean?

B. Would you agree that "Have a nice day" hasbeen misused or is it just overused? Why?

C. In small groups, try to think of some words orexpressions that you would like to nominate to thelist! Afterwards, share with the class.

D.1. Write a short text, trying to use all thebanished words and expressions that have beenmentioned in the article and in the exercises.

D.2. Next time you have class, take turns readingsome of these texts aloud!

EXERCISE

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WHENEVER YOU KNOCKME DOWNI will not stay on the ground

Oh dear, Beebs had us all kind of worried again!

Last Thursday, Justin Bieber was rushed to hospital foran allergic reaction. He was having trouble breathing.

But after thirty minutes, the singer was all right, andcould be discharged.

He did not seem too rattled by the incident though. “Lastday on the set,” he tweeted. “Gonna get deadly today.”

The ‘set’ Justin mentions was Crime Scene Investigation.

It is not the first time the young Canadian was gueststarring in the series. He can be seen in the episodesShock Waves and Targets of Obsession.

And soon, fans will be seeing more of the star. Thebiographical Never Say Never will be released inFebruary.

The 3D film is a mixture of actual documentary clips andacting.

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A. Read the article. Are there any words orexpressions you don't understand?

B.1. Work in pairs. One of you is a journalist, andthe other is Justin Bieber. Make interviews.

B.2. Practice the interviews, and then act in class.

C.1. Listen to the song Never Say Never. What is itabout, do you think?

C.2. Read the lyrics of the song.

C.3. Practice singing the song.

D. Have you already seen Justin in one of the CSIepisodes? What character is he playing? If youdon't know, guess!

EXERCISE

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LIBERATIONFrom poverty, ignorance and oppression

"In such a dismal time of ours - Come Mother English,this is your hour!"

But is English the answer? Mr Prasad, a Dalit activist,certainly thinks so: "Ambedkar compared English to themilk of the lioness, and said those who drink it becomestronger."

Mr Prasad has initiated the construction of a temple tothe Goddess English in a village of Uttar Pradesh. Healso wants a statue of a man in English clothes, wearingglasses. "In India, the dress of the people differs fromcaste to caste." "English attire is caste-neutral."

The goddess is modelled on the Statue of Liberty. She"holds aloft a pen and India's constitution. Her pedestalisn't the usual lotus, but a computer monitor."

The English teacher explains: "Without English, nothingis possible for us Dalits."

"English is no longer just a language - it's a skill. Withoutit you remain an unskilled labourer," adds Shyam Babu.

17/01/2011

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A.1. Why does the goddess look like this? What isthe symbolism of the different details?

A.2. Which symbols would you choose if you wereconstructing this temple?

B.1. What do you know about the situation of theuntouchables in India?

B.2. Who was Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar? Find outmore!

B.3. Is learning English enough to liberate the Dalitpoor from the stigma of caste? Why/ why not?Discuss!

C. What is the situation in your own region? Wouldyou remain an "unskilled labourer" withoutEnglish? Write a short text explaining your ideas.

D.1. Lord Babington Macaulay made English thelanguage of higher education in India. Find outmore about this period of India's history!

D.2. What is the status of English today? Is thelanguage still associated with the colonial past?Find out more about attitudes towards English! Usea discussion forum, for instance, to ask youngIndians what they think!

D.3. Present the results of your survey to the class!

EXERCISE

newsLetter - 17

GAMESAnd gear

Gaming is not just fun. It is also fashion. Gamers workvery hard to earn a new outfit at the end of their quest.

But enthusiasts want to dress up as their character inReal Life too, and devote days to patiently constructingcostumes. Some features which seem easy to visualisevirtually, may prove pretty tricky to accomplish!

Hazel struggled to produce glowing blue eyes for a nightelf character. She had trouble finding the right kind oftorches.

"Most were too big to make it look like my eyes werefloating," she explains, or else they were "not brightenough to shine through the veil." She then attached thetorches to a baseball cap, and used a chocolate barwrapper as a reflector.

Sophie even made hooves so she could transform to ablue-skinned Draenei druid. She started out with a pairof high heeled shoes, some papier-mâché and plaster.

Unfortunately, the hooves looked stunning, but weresheer torture for her feet! Next time, she will pick morecomfortable shoes, as a base for her design.

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A.1. What do costumes and gear mean for gaming?Discuss!

A.2. Can wearing a costume make you feel like adifferent person? Discuss!

B.1. In small groups, make drawings of two items ofcostume/ gear, each on a separate slip of paper,together with a short description. Put the slips ofpaper in a hat.

B.2. Brainstorm to think of all sorts of materials. Writethe names of the material on slips of paper, and placein another hat. If necessary, use a thesaurus to getmore ideas.

B.3. Now, let each group draw two slips of paper withcostumes, and four kinds of material.

B.4. How could you make the costumes using thesematerials?

B.5. Present your solution to the class. Which team wasmost ingenious?

C.1. In small groups, invent a character with a specialcostume. Decide a name for your character.

C.2. Make posters with a drawing of your character.Write a short text describing the costume. Give detailsabout the material it is made from, colours, and alsoany special properties it may have.

C.3. Post on the classroom wall!

EXERCISE

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DUFFY’S CUTRevisited

In the summer of 1832, fifty-seven young Irishimmigrants were working on the Philadelphia railroad.Suddenly, a brutal cholera epidemic killed them all. Ordid it?

At the time, cholera had a mortality rate of 40-60%. Buthistorians Frank and William Watson think that maybesurvivors were killed by Americans, who were afraid thedisease would spread.

Prejudice against the foreign workers may also haveplayed a part in the drama.

The workers had been hired by Mr Duffy, to build thissection of the railroad. After their death, he ordered thatthe shanty they had been living in be burnt. The bodieswere buried in the railroad fill, and the families werenever informed.

So far, skulls found in the mass grave indicate that atleast four victims were bashed in the head, and one wasshot.

Based on passenger lists and genetic peculiarities, one ofthe victims appears to have been 18-year-old JohnRuddy.

Remains will now be repatriated or buried in a propergrave.

17/01/2011

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A. What do you think happened? Discuss in smallgroups!

B. Let different groups each work on separate topicsthat relate to this drama:

B.1. Why were young Irish men emigrating to work inAmerica at this time? What were conditions like inIreland in the 1830s? / What was it like on the shipsthat sailed with emigrants to America? What viewgreeted them on their arrival? / What was it likeworking on the railroad? / Which ethnic origins wererepresented in the Philadelphia area at this time? Whatdid people feel about the Irish? Why?B.2. Present the topic your group was working on to theclass!

C. Find some books or other texts from this period,written in Ireland or Philadelphia. Read at home, andsummarise your impressions.

D. Choose one or several of the following:D.1. Imagine that you are one of the Irish workers.Write a letter home to your family in Ireland. Describeyour passage over the Atlantic, and what theatmosphere was like working at Duffy's Cut.D.2. Imagine that you are the family, and that you havenot heard anything for several months. Write a letterwith news from Ireland, and also express your worries.D.3. Imagine that you are the blacksmith, whom MrDuffy instructed to burn the shanty. Write a short textdescribing the events from your perspective.

Read some of your texts aloud to the class.

EXERCISE

newsLetter - 21

VITALITY SUPREMEMuscular Power and Beauty

New York is often associated with fashion, crime and thestock market. But did you know that many New Yorkersalso enjoy winter swimming?

Back in 1903, Bernarr Macfadden founded the ConeyIsland Polar Bear Club. And it is still going strong!Members swim every Sunday, from November throughApril.

Bernarr was actually called Bernard, but changed hisname to sound like the roar of a lion. In 1899, hefounded the Physical Culture magazine, and also ownedSPORT. Bernarr was obsessed with health and fitness.He advocated winter dips in icy water, to boostresistance and virility.

Every man "can be a vigorous vital specimen ofmasculinity," he thought, and every woman "can be asplendidly strong well poised specimen of femininity."His famous friends included Shirley Temple and RudolphValentino.

Nowadays, however, the polar bears have somewhatdifferent reasons for braving the cold. In the New Year'sfundraising effort, "Freezin for a Reason", more than30,000 dollars were raised. The money will be used tosend children with serious illnesses to camp in Maine,with their families.

17/01/2011

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A.1. Have you ever tried winter swimming? How is itpossible to swim at temperatures below freezing? Whatare the benefits? Are there dangers? Discuss!

A.2. In small groups, now find out more about thephysiological effects of winter swimming. Afterwards,discuss again.

B. Look at clips with Rudolph Valentino on Youtube.Have ideals changed?

C.1. Which aspects can physical culture involve, besidesexercise?

C.2. In which ways can physical culture improve yourhealth? In which ways can it be dangerous? Brainstormin small groups, then list your ideas on the whiteboard.

C.3. In MacFadden's days, physical culture was alsoconnected with the idea of developing a "superior"human being. What are the ideological dangers of suchtrends?

D.1. Which other fitness and body culture movementsmarked the 20th century? Work in groups on differentmovements, and make posters presenting the varioustrends.

D.2. Make the storyboard for a short video collage,presenting the history of physical culture, withappropriate narrative. - If you have time, make thevideo!

EXERCISE

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CHRISTMAS CRACKERStill going strong

Scotland's oldest donkey is enjoying life to the full. Atthe ripe old age of 52, he may even be the oldest livingdonkey in Europe.

"He's such a lovely character, and full of energy," saysRosemary.

The 80-year-old lady manages Scottish Borders DonkeySanctuary. This is where Christmas Cracker now lives,with 70 other donkeys.

Sadly, his former owners could no longer keep him,because their tenancy agreement had come to a close.

Rosemary assures he has settled down nicely. He getson well with the other animals at the sanctuary.

However, he needs his routines to feel comfortable. "Hescreams if you don't let him out in the morning. Andagain, if you don't put him back at the right time."

24/01/2011

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A. Go through the text in pairs. Imagine that oneof you is a journalist, and the other is Rosemary.

Use the information in the text for the interview,but you can also add other details if you like!

B. How old do donkeys usually get? What abouthorses? Find out more!

C.1. Some of the verbs in the text get theirmeaning from the preposition or adverb they areused with.What exactly do the phrasal verbs 'get on', 'let out'and 'put back' mean in the text?

C.2. What would be the opposite of theseexpressions?

C.3. Can 'get on' be used with other meanings?

D.1. Work in small groups. How many expressionscan you think of that combine 'get', 'let' and 'put'with other prepositions or adverbs?

D.2. List these on the whiteboard.

D.3. Let each group take turns picking one of thesephrasal verbs to make a sentence. If the sentenceis correct, cross out the expression on thewhiteboard.

EXERCISE

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PREPARING THE OPENBungee jumping or the aquarium ?

The Australian Open is offering emotions of every kindthis year. Temperatures have been bouncing up anddown, and quite unpredictable.

Hot weather was expected, of course, but the Open hasalso been experiencing some chilly days.

This does not only affect the players, but also the waythe courts play. The warmer it gets, the higher the ballsbounce.

Andy Murray was unsure how he would do against 23-year-old Marchenko last week, but came out of the gamewith flying colours.

In the second set things were getting nervous at onepoint, when the score stood 0-2. His endurance paid offthough, and Murray won 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.

Australian Tomic knew that facing Nadal would not beeasy. "You have to win the point two or three times, justin order to get a 15 love," he commented.

Rafa, on the other hand, mainly felt he needed to relax."I'll go to the zoo or something," he said.

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A.1. How would you prepare for a game? Relax orstudy your adversary? Are there other ways toprepare mentally?

A.2. Make a survey among your classmates.

A.3. List different strategies on the whiteboard.

B. How important is mental preparation? Whichother factors count? Discuss!

C.1. In which city is the Australian Open played?What has the weather been like?

C.2. Which options do you have for relaxing in thearea? Find out more!

C.3. Tell your classmates what you would do if youwere there for the Open. Use the conditional.

D.1. Work in small groups and let each groupchoose one of the determining games of thetournament. How did these games go?

D.2. Why? Analyse the results in your group.

D.3. Present these games to the class, and giveyour analysis of the results.

EXERCISE

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ANGER ON THE ROADSAnger in the schools

Some years back, the Beatles travelled to India. Likemany others, they felt that this was the right place tolearn about meditation, and connect with the spiritualside of existence.

But if they had made that trip today, they would havehad a nasty surprise. Today, big cities like Mumbai, areall about "money, money, money", according to lifecoach Vikram Kalloo.

Psychiatrist Dr Matcheswalla explains that there is abuild up of daily frustrations. This is why people lose thecapacity to deal with minor provocations. The result is"micropsychotic episodes", where people just lose touchwith reality.

"When you work in a city like Mumbai, you're alwaysvery stressed," one young professional explains. "Youget frustrated and angry and lose patience very quickly."

"People are running, but where are they heading?" sighsVikram. Is it really worth it, at the end of the day?

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A. Watch video footage on Youtube from thestreets of Mumbai.

B.1. Which factors might make people in Mumbaiangry and frustrated? Brainstorm in small groups,then discuss in class.

B.2. Is this problem unique for India? Discuss!

C.1. How can anger create a vicious circle, so thatincidents snowball? Give examples from your ownexperience!

C.2. What could you do to reduce the levels ofstress and anger in a city like Mumbai? Brainstorm!

C.3. Work in small groups to make posters for acampaign to prevent anger and frustration at yourown school.

D. Write a short essay with your thoughts on thetopic: People are running, but where are theyheading?

EXERCISE

newsLetter - 29

HOW COLDIs cold ?

With children spending so much time watching TV or attheir computer, recess is more important than ever.

Schoolchildren clearly need to get outdoors and move.That is, unless the cold just gets unbearable!

This year, winter has been exceptionally cold in mostparts of the US. But there is no consensus about howcold it has to be for students to stay indoors.

In many places, the principals draw the line at zero, andchildren do not go out if it is below freezing. Severalschools look at factors like precipitation or wind chill.

In Vermont, kids are quite happy to have recess outsideeven when it's snowing. "They like the outdoors. A lot ofstudents really like to be out there," says one principal.

While in Minnesota, principals do not necessarily feel itgets "iffy" until 20 below.

In Atlanta, on the other hand, the whole school systemshut down for a week, due to 4 inches of snow...

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A.1. Find Vermont, Minnesota and Atlanta on amap of the US.

A.2. Why does cold weather affect schoolsdifferently in various parts of the country?

B. When do you think schoolchildren should haveindoor recess? Where do you draw the line? Arethere special circumstances you need to consider?Discuss!

C. The notion of 'cold' can have different meaningsin different contexts.

Work in small groups, and let each group workwith a different kind of definition of cold:geographical, cultural, physical, medical,emotional, literary, culinary... Give examples!

D.1. Write a short text that conveys the idea of'cold' without actually using the word.

D.2. Listen to some of the other students readingtheir texts aloud. What makes a text expressive?

E. Make posters with collages, drawings,expressions and poems to the theme 'cold'!

EXERCISE

newsLetter - 31

THE SCIENCEOf laughter

A joke a day keeps the doctor away. But what exactlymakes us laugh, and why?

Did you know that 70% of women will laugh when a mantells a joke, but only 40% of men will laugh when awoman tells one?

Science may not have all the answers, but does givehumour a new dimension. At a conference that was heldat the British Library last week, several theories werediscussed.

Some jokes make us feel clever - or at least clevererthan the protagonist of the anecdote. Like the man whowas proud that he completed a jigsaw in 30 minutes (onthe box, it said five to six years).

Others deal with our deepest fears. The doctor tells hispatient: The bad news is you have 24 hours to live. Thereally bad news is I have been trying to contact yousince yesterday.

Finally, certain jokes catch us unawares. What kind ofmurderer has moral fibre? - A cereal killer.

And for the record, the last joke was not told by anyman or woman, but was computer generated, inProfessor Wiseman's Laughlab!

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A.1. Brainstorm for three minutes in small groups,and think of as many different reasons as possiblethat would explain why more women laugh at mentelling jokes.

A.2. Discuss in class.

B.1. Select some good jokes, and practice tellingthem in small groups. Pay special attention tointonation, pauses and stress. Try out differentways of telling the same joke. Give each otherfeedback.

B.2. Learn a joke by heart, and then tell it to theclass.

C.1. Select ten random jokes in English, from acollection in a book or on the internet. Analysethem in small groups. What makes these jokesfunny?

C.2. Do they match the categories of humourdiscussed by scientists at the British Library? Canyou identify other kinds of humour?

D.1. Pick two jokes in English and translate to yourown language. Are they still funny?

D.2. Pick two jokes in your own language, and firsttry translating them directly to English. Is thereany way you can adapt these jokes, to make themwork better in English?

EXERCISE

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COULD BEOne of you

Five young Australians have just completed a rather longbike ride. 2,000 km, to be precise.

Isaac, with his friends Adrian, Alec, Lyell and Jimi, rodeall the way from Melbourne to Byron Bay.

The ride took 20 days. They camped every night, and allslept in the same tent.

Isaac is 18 years old, and often goes cycling with hisfriends. This is the first time he has done anything likethis, though.

"I'd do it again. Just not right now!" he says.

The teens took on the challenge to raise money for thecharity People Like You. They managed to raise 6,500dollars for youth mental health.

Mental health problems affect one in four young people.

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A.1. Find Byron Bay on a map of Australia, and lookat the route the boys took. How many kilometresdid they ride each day?

A.2. What kind of terrain were they crossing? Whatis the weather like in these areas right now?

A.3. Find out more about this part of Australia!Look for photos or video footage on the internet.

B. Have you ever been on a long bike ride? Whatwas it like? Share your experiences with yourclassmates!

C. What kinds of mental health problems do youngpeople have in Australia? Find out more!

D. Why do people talk so little about mentalhealth? Is the topic especially sensitive for youngpeople? Discuss!

E. Why do we often see problems as somethingthat happens to "someone else"? Write a shorttext with your ideas.

EXERCISE