Newest Hockey Team Makes the Stanley Cup Finals

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Materials Daily News

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

wound

Verb

wuːnd

to injure someone

A gunman wounded seven people at the main square last night.

lift the spirits

Phrase

lɪft ðə ˈspɪrɪts

to make people feel happy and hopeful

A comedy show was organized in an attempt to lift the spirits of those affected by the tragedy.

indescribable

Adjective

ˌɪndɪˈskraɪbəbl

so unusual or extreme that it is difficult to describe

The view from the top of the mountain was simply indescribable.

transplant

Noun

ˈtrænsplænt

a person who has moved to a new place

Many transplants live in this area.

band

Verb

bænd

to gather, group or unite

A group of fans have banded together at the square to celebrate the victory.

Exercise 2

Article

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

Newest Hockey Team Makes the Stanley Cup Finals

The newest professional ice hockey team in the United States has made it into the finals of the North American championship.

The Vegas Golden Knights of Las Vegas, Nevada, must win four out of seven games against the Washington Capitals in order to win the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Knights began their first season last October. At the time, Las Vegas was recovering from the worst mass shooting in the U.S. when a gunman killed 58 people and wounded more than 700 in a Las Vegas hotel.

Bill Bradley is with the sports department of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He said the Golden Knights worked to help the city recover.

He said team members "went to blood banks, went to food banks, went to meet with first responders. People felt like they cared."

The team won eight of their first nine games. Then came some losses and injuries. But Bradley said the team had made fans, with "600, 700, 800 people showing up for practices every day."

"To have the team come at that time to lift the spirits of everybody, it was truly indescribable," fan Brandon Laubhan said.

Camille Gabel moved to Las Vegas from Michigan. She said Las Vegas is a city of transplants.

She added, "Very few people are from here. Everybody moves here. So, the Knights have really given the community something to band around."

The Golden Knights are good, but can they win the Stanley Cup?

Fans say whatever happens now, the Vegas Golden Knights are already champions to the desert city.

Exercise 3

Questions

When did the Vegas Golden Knights begin their first season?

Did the Knights win all of their first nine games?

Why do the Knights have so many fans, according to Bill Bradley?

Exercise 4

Discussion

Have you ever been to an ice hockey game? If so, please share your experience. If not, would you like to?

Is ice hockey popular in your country? Why do you think this is the case?

What would you say are the most popular sports competitions in your country? Please share what you know about them.

Are there a lot of transplants in your town or city? Why do you think that is?

Have you ever been to Las Vegas? If so, please share your experience. If not, would you like to?

Exercise 5

Further Discussion

Have you ever tried ice skating? If so, did you find it easy or difficult to learn? If not, would you like to?

Do you play any sports? If so, which ones? If not, what sports do you follow?

In your opinion, what are the best sports to watch live? Why do you think so?

If given the chance, what athletes would you like to meet? Why?

To play the game is good; to win is better; but to love the game is best of all. - Unknown. Do you agree with this statement? Why? Why not?

Exercises for Further Self-Study

These self-study exercises are optional and should be carried out after the lesson has finished.

Exercise 6

Sentence Building

Write at least one sentence for each of the words in Exercise 1: Vocabulary. Begin by making sure you understand the definition of each word. Use the example sentences as a guide if you are unable to think of a sentence. Practice reading your sentences out loud.

Exercise 7

Summary

Make a brief summary of the article. Focus on the main topic and consider which pieces of information are most important. Make sure you include details such as what the article is about, who is mentioned in it, where and when the events took place, and also how and why they happened.

Parts of this lesson are based on:

An article by Voice of America.