British Council

Before reading

Match the definitions （A～F） with the vocabulary （1～6）.

Vocabulary Definitions

1.satellite television A.a small gold,silver or bronze disc given as a reward for winning a competition

2.medal B.television services providing different channels from all over the world via satellites

3.take up C.a sledge for racing on ice

4.bobsleigh D.a small hill of sand on a beach or desert

5.goggles E.to start(a new hobby or activity)

6.dune F.special glasses that protect your eyes when you swim,ski or use a dangerous machine

Afel was only a very small boy when he first saw snow.But it wasn't real snow that he saw.No,there was no real snow where he lived.He saw the snow in a picture book.The book had lots of pictures of children playing in big white fields.He asked his mother,“What are those white fields?”,and his mother laughed and said, “That's snow!”She tried to explain to him what snow was,but Afel didn't really understand.Sometimes there was rain where he lived,but not very much,so it was very difficult for him to understand what this cold,ice rain that his mother described was.It didn't matter.Even when he was only a very small boy,Afel was already in love with snow.

He dreamed about snow all the time,trying to imagine how it really was.He thought of big white fields.He thought of the big,heavy clothes the children playing in the snow wore.He thought about feeling cold.He dreamed of being able to fly across the white fields of snow.

Then,when Afel was twelve years old,the next thing happened.One day he was watching the TV at his uncle's house.His uncle had a big,new TV,with all the satellite channels.Afel was watching one of the satellite channels and a programme came on,and the programme was full of snow.Lots and lots of it.And not only snow—there were people flying across the snow.

They looked like strange animals,like fantastic birds.They had hats which covered all their heads and big goggles over their eyes.They wore brightly coloured clothes.And on their feet,they had things that looked like strange shoes.

“What are those?” he asked his uncle excitedly.

“Skis,” replied his uncle.“And those people are called skiers.” Afel was in love.Here was the snow,and here were people who were flying across the snow.It was just like one of his dreams.It was perfect.At that moment,he decided.He wanted to be a skier.

He asked his uncle what the programme was.

“The Winter Olympics,” said his uncle.“It's like the normal Olympics,but for sports where you need snow—skiing,ice skating,bobsleigh,those sorts of things.They have it every four years.”

Afel found out that the next Winter Olympics was in Vancouver,Canada,in 2010.

“Perfect,” he thought.“Enough time for me to become a brilliant skier.Then I'll go to the Winter Olympics,and win the gold medal for skiing.”

“But there's no snow here! ” people told him.“Where are you going to ski?”

Afel didn't care.He made himself a pair of skis from two pieces of wood.He tied them to his feet and practised skiing holding two sticks in his hands.At first he couldn't move,but he practised and practised and practised until he could move quite quickly across the sand or the earth where he lived.He tried to fly down the hills like the people on TV,but he couldn't.

He could only move slowly.

“Never mind,” he thought.“It's a start...”

“How will you go to the Olympics?” people asked him.“Our country doesn't even have a team that goes to the Winter Olympics.Why don't you take up athletics instead?You don't need lots of expensive equipment to practise.Our country is very good at athletics.We have lots of runners.And every time we win lots of medals at the Olympics.But no skiing,no.”

Afel didn't care.He found that Jamaica had sent a bobsleigh team to the Olympics a few years ago.

“If Jamaica has a bobsleigh team,” he thought,“then our country can have a skier.”

So every night,out in the middle of the desert,Afel now practises skiing down sand dunes.He dreams that the yellow sand and brown earth of the desert is the white,white snow of the mountains he saw on the television.He dreams that the yellow sand and brown earth are as gold as the medal he will bring home with him,when he is the world champion.

Learning

Activities

Activity 1

Are the sentences true（T） or false（F）?

（ ）1.Afel first saw snow on television.

（ ）2.Afel didn't like the idea of snow at first.

（ ）3.Afel dreamed about snow often.

（ ）4.Afel first saw people skiing on his uncle's new television.

（ ）5.Afel bought his first skis on the Internet.

（ ）6.People thought Afel should do athletics instead of skiing.

（ ）7.Afel was happy to discover that Jamaica had a bobsleigh team.

（ ）8.In the end,Afel realised that his dream is not possible.

Activity 2

Complete the sentences with a word from the box.

1.My uncle has a farm with a big green_______________where he keeps cows.

2.Which_______________are you watching?Is the Olympics on?

3.Can I borrow your_______________to go swimming?I hate getting water in my eyes!

4.She won a gold_______________in the Olympics last year.

5.When you walk up hills a_______________can help.

6.You don't need much_______________to play football—just a ball,really.

Discussion

Do you think it is possible for Afel to realise his dream?Why?