Prepared by Natália Guerreiro

Mountain Climbing
Name: _____________________________________________________________________________
Teacher: _________________________ Level: _________________ Date: ____/ ____ / _____

Everest Conquest 50 Years On

1. Match the words to their meanings.

a) asc_nt a path
b) b_se c_mp ( ) an organized journey with a purpose

c) e_p_d_t_on ( ) a place where food and general supplies

are kept, especially for people climbing a
d) fr_stb_te
mountain
e) r_ _ch s_mm_t
( ) injury to someone caused by severe cold,
f) r_dge
usually to their toes, fingers, ears or nose
g) r_ _te
( ) to arrive at the top of the mountain
( ) ( ) the act of rising or mounting upward
( ) a high edge along a mountain

2. Watch the video snippet and answer:

a) What are the commercial climbs?
b) Why does he criticize those climbs?
c) What is mountaineering in his opinion?
d) What was the effect of tourism on the local community?

 Check your answers with the text on the following page.

3. Circle the best words to fill the gaps in the text.

1) (a) dominate (b) conquer (c) set foot (d) reach

2) (a) before (b) before now (c) since (d) ago
3) (a) largest (b) tallest (c) highest (d) height
4) (a) living (b) life (c) live (d) lively
5) (a) actually (b) currently (c) nowadays (d) visiting
6) (a) in (b) on (c) at (d) of
7) (a) climb (b) to mountaineer (c) mountaineer (d) mountaineering
8) (a) summit (b) base camp (c) ascent (d) expedition
9) (a) summit (b) base camp (c) ascent (d) route
10) (a) lead (b) led (c) have led (d) be led
11) (a) experience (b) experienced (c) experiencing (d) experiential
12) (a) far (b) by far (c) farthest (d) very
13) (a) said (b) told (c) alleged (d) spoke
14) (a) but (b) instead of (c) rather than (d) in spite of
15) (a) overcome (b) become (c) support (d) improve
Hillary laments Everest changes

The first man to 1._________ Everest 50 years 2._________

has said many modern climbers do not subscribe to
the true philosophy of mountaineering.

Speaking to the BBC, Sir Edmund Hillary criticised many

commercial climbers today who pay large sums of money
to be helped to the top of the world's 3._________ peak.

But he said 4._________ standards of local Sherpas had

improved considerably as more people visited the Everest
region. Sir Edmund says mountaineering has changed a lot

Record numbers of people are 5._________ on the mountain to mark the golden anniversary of the
first-ever ascent 6._________ 29 May 1953.

Changes

Sir Edmund said 7._________ was a challenge between the mountain and the mountaineer and
accused some people of paying their way to the 8._________.

He said this was one of the most significant changes since his 9._________ with Sherpa Tenzing
Norgay in 1953.

"Having people pay $65,000 and then 10._________ up the mountain by a couple of 11._________
guides, I personally think, is 12._________ less attractive. It isn't really mountaineering at all," he said.

But he was quick to concede that the vast numbers of people attracted by Everest had had spin-offs
for local people.

He 13._________ schools and hospitals had been built and fresh water could now be piped to the
villages.

These benefits came much more from tourism as a whole, _________ from mountaineering alone,
14.
Sir Edmund said.

"I think these are things that give the young people the opportunity to step forward and to
15._________ the harshness of their environment."

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/2938596.stm

Published: 2003/05/26 15:31:50 GMT

 TEACHER’S GUIDE

Meant to accompany English File Upper Intermediate Lesson 3B. This worksheet should be used with the
homonymous powerpoint presentation. Answer key and further teacher’s notes are available there.