News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Sailing World Record
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

Home
Donate

COPYRIGHT:
Please write to
me for permission.

Teenager Breaks World Sailing Record

A 17-year-old American is the youngest person to sail around the world alone. His name is Zac Sunderland and he is from California. He comes from a family of sailors, so he grew up sailing. He sailed into a California harbour on Thursday, July 16th, completing his 45,000-km record-breaking trip. His family and friends cheered his safe return. Zac crossed three oceans, five seas, and the equator twice in just over 13 months. Many parts of his boat broke. He also had to escape from pirates. Zac said: “It’s been a crazy 13 months.”

Advertisements

I want to break that record now. It looks and sounds great fun. I think it would be a really good adventure. I’m not sure what I would do for 13 months alone on a boat. I would probably dive into the sea every day and swim. But I would soon get pretty bored of that. I’d have to think of other ways to pass the time. I think Zac Sunderland did really well. I wonder why he did it. I bet he wanted his name in the Guinness Book of Records. He is a hero now. I guess I’ll see him on TV being interviewed. He showed that teenagers can do amazing things.

Advertisements

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	the youngest person to sail	a.	up sailing
2	He comes from a	b.	his safe return
3.	he grew	c.	13 months
4.	his 45,000-km record-	d.	around the world
5.	family and friends cheered	e.	family of sailors
6.	It’s been a crazy	f.	breaking trip

Paragraph 2

1.	I want to break	a.	he did it
2	it would be a really	b.	the time
3.	soon get	c.	that record now
4.	ways to pass	d.	being interviewed
5.	I wonder why	e.	good adventure
6.	I’ll see him on TV	f.	pretty bored

LISTENING GAP FILL

A 17-year-old American is the youngest person ______________ world alone. His name is Zac Sunderland and he is from California. He comes from a family of sailors, ______________ sailing. ______________ California harbour on Thursday, July 16th, completing his 45,000-km record-breaking trip. His family and friends ______________ return. Zac crossed three oceans, five seas, and the equator _________________ 13 months. Many parts of his boat broke. He also had to escape from pirates. Zac said: “______________ 13 months.”

I want ______________ record now. It looks and sounds great fun. I think it would be a really good adventure. I’m not sure ______________ for 13 months alone on a boat. I would probably ________________ every day and swim. But I would soon get pretty bored of that. I’d have to think ______________ pass the time. I think Zac Sunderland did really well. I wonder ______________. I bet he wanted his name in the Guinness Book of Records. He is a hero now. I guess ______________ TV being interviewed. He showed that teenagers can do amazing things.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

A 17-year-old American is the youngest person to (1) ____ around the world alone. His name is Zac Sunderland and he is from California. He comes from a family (2) ____ sailors, so he grew up sailing. He sailed into a California harbour on Thursday, July 16th, (3) ____ his 45,000-km record-(4) ____ trip. His family and friends cheered his safe return. Zac crossed three oceans, five seas, and the equator twice in just over 13 months. Many parts of his boat broke. He also had to (5) ____ from pirates. Zac said: “It’s been a crazy 13 months.”

I want to break that record now. It looks and (6) ____ great fun. I think it would be a really good adventure. I’m not sure what I would do for 13 months (7) ____ on a boat. I would probably dive into the sea every day and swim. But I would soon get (8) ____ bored of that. I’d have to think of other ways to pass the time. I think Zac Sunderland did really well. I wonder why he did it. I (9) ____ he wanted his name in the Guinness Book of Records. He is a hero now. I (10) ____ I’ll see him on TV being interviewed. He showed that teenagers can do amazing things.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	sailing	(b)	sails	(c)	sail
2.	(a)	at	(b)	by	(c)	of
3.	(a)	completed	(b)	completing	(c)	complete
4.	(a)	breaking	(b)	break	(c)	broke
5.	(a)	escaping	(b)	escapes	(c)	escape
6.	(a)	sounds	(b)	hears	(c)	listens
7.	(a)	lonely	(b)	alone	(c)	lone
8.	(a)	cute	(b)	beautiful	(c)	pretty
9.	(a)	bet	(b)	beat	(c)	better
10.	(a)	guess	(b)	try	(c)	wonder

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	the getsouny person
2.	he wrge up sailing
3.	his 45,000-km record-bkeirgna trip
4.	Zac crossed three seacon
5.	cseeap from pirates
6.	a yarcz 13 months
Paragraph 2
7.	oussdn great fun
8.	a really good vnaeeutrd
9.	get pyttre bored
10.	I oewdrn why
11.	I’ll see him on TV being wnreideietv
12.	do gaziman things

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	is from California. He comes from a family of sailors, so he grew up sailing. He sailed into a California harbour on
( 1 )	A 17-year-old American is the youngest person to sail around the world alone. His name is Zac Sunderland and he
( )	now. I guess I’ll see him on TV being interviewed. He showed that teenagers can do amazing things.
( )	I want to break that record now. It looks and sounds great fun. I think it would be a really good
( )	return. Zac crossed three oceans, five seas, and the equator twice in just over 13 months. Many parts
( )	did really well. I wonder why he did it. I bet he wanted his name in the Guinness Book of Records. He is a hero
( )	day and swim. But I would soon get pretty bored of that. I’d have to think of other ways to pass the time. I think Zac Sunderland
( )	of his boat broke. He also had to escape from pirates. Zac said: “It’s been a crazy 13 months.”
( )	Thursday, July 16th, completing his 45,000-km record-breaking trip. His family and friends cheered his safe
( )	adventure. I’m not sure what I would do for 13 months alone on a boat. I would probably dive into the sea every

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	alone youngest sail world The to the person around.
2.	from comes He sailors of family a.
3.	and return friends cheered His his family safe.
4.	also He pirates from escape to had.
5.	been crazy months It’s a 13.
6.	break to want I now record that.
7.	be good I would really it a adventure think.
8.	probably the day would into every I dive sea.
9.	pass of the other time ways to Think.
10.	amazing Teenagers do things can.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about sailing for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about sailing. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about sailing. Include imaginary interviews with two people who sailed all the way round the world. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Zac. Ask him three questions about sailing. Give him three ideas about what he should do with his life from now. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

Back to the top

News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Sailing World Record (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)