KrumetoName ____________________Date __________

Ice skating

A2 · 232 words · ≈ 2 min

A Scene on the Ice, a winter painting by Hendrick Avercamp

Ice skating is skating on ice as a sport, entertainment or pastime. Ice skates, a special type of boot with metal blades on the bottom, are worn to skate on ice. Figure skating and speed skating are the sport forms of ice skating. Hockey is also played on ice, with players wearing ice skates. The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international governing body for figure skating and speed skating.
Ice skating probably began in Scandinavia as early as 1000 BCE, as a way to travel in the winter. The sport of skating started in the Netherlands. Since the Middle Ages, people in the Netherlands have skated on canals. The first skating club was created in Scotland in 1742. In 1850, Edward Bushnell created steel-bladed skates which allowed skaters to make difficult turns and movements on the ice. Figure skating was included in the Olympics in 1908. It was the first winter sport included in the Olympics. Today, ice skating is a popular pastime. Ice shows, like Ice Follies and Ice Capades, are a popular form of entertainment.
Modern figure skates have two edges on the blades and a toothed toepick on the front of the blade. The toepick is used for jumps and spins. Figure skating boots are made of leather. Ice hockey skates also have two edges, but no toepick. Speedskating ice skates have a single edge on the blade.

Words to know

entertainment A2: shows and activities that people enjoy watching — Unterhaltung — entretenimiento, trebejo — divertissement — intrattenimento, divertimento — rozrywka, zabawa — entretenimento — развлечение, забава, потеха — eğlence — розвага, забава, утіха
pastime: something you do for fun in your free time — Zeitvertreib — pasatiempo — passe-temps — passatempo — rozrywka — passatempo — времяпрепровождение, развлечение, забава — eğlence, hobi, meşgale — розвага
blade B2: thin flat metal parts under a skate — Klinge — hoja, cuchilla — lame — lama — ostrze — lâmina, fio, gume — лезвие — ağız — лезо, лезво
govern B1: controlling and making the rules for — regieren, steuern — gobernar — gouverner — governare — rządzić, władać — governar — управлять, править — idare etmek, hüküm sürmek — керувати, правити
canal B1: man-made rivers for boats — Kanal — canal — canal — canale — kanał — canal — канал — kanal, mecra — канал
steel B1: a very strong metal made from iron — Stahl — acero — acier — acciaio — stal — aço — сталь — çelik — сталь, криця
edge B1: the thin sharp sides of a blade — Rand, Kante — borde, orilla, lado — bord, arête — bordo, orlo — krawędź, skraj, rąbek — margem, aresta — край, грань, кромка — kenar — край, грань, ребро
toothed: having small sharp points like teeth — bezahnt, gezahnt — dentado, dentellado — denté — dentato — zębaty
spin B2: fast turns round and round — vuelta, giro — tour — testacoda — obrót — volta, giro — вращение
leather A2: material made from animal skin — Leder — cuero — cuir — cuoio — skóra — couro — кожа — deri — шкіра

Text: Simple English Wikipedia, “Ice skating”, Wikipedia contributors, https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_skating · CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) · shortened · Picture: Hendrick Avercamp, Public domain (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hendrick_Avercamp_-_A_Scene_on_the_Ice_-_WGA01076.jpg · Translations: English Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) · Worksheet: https://krumeto.com/read/ice-skating

KrumetoIce skatingName ____________________

A. Choose the right answer

Where did ice skating probably begin? A2
1. a) In Scandinavia
2. b) In England
3. c) In the Netherlands
4. d) In Scotland
Why did people first skate in Scandinavia? A2
1. a) To travel in the winter
2. b) To entertain the king
3. c) To take part in competitions
4. d) To play hockey
Where and when was the first skating club created? A2
1. a) In the Netherlands in 1850
2. b) In Scotland in 1742
3. c) In the Netherlands in 1742
4. d) In Scotland in 1850
What was special about Edward Bushnell's skates? B1
1. a) They were the first skates used at the Olympics.
2. b) Their steel blades let skaters make difficult turns.
3. c) They were the first skates with leather boots.
4. d) They had a toepick for jumps.
Which was the first winter sport at the Olympics? A2
1. a) Figure skating
2. b) Ice hockey
3. c) Skiing
4. d) Speed skating
Which skates have a toepick? A2
1. a) All three kinds
2. b) Ice hockey skates
3. c) Speedskating skates
4. d) Figure skates
How many edges does a speedskating blade have? A2
1. a) Two
2. b) One
3. c) None
4. d) Three

B. Answer in full sentences

Have you ever tried ice skating or another winter sport? Describe the experience, or what you imagine it is like.
Skating started as a way to travel and later became a sport. Can you think of other activities that changed in the same way?

KrumetoIce skatingAnswer key

Answer key

a) In Scandinavia — Paragraph 2 says ice skating probably began in Scandinavia; the sport of skating started later in the Netherlands.
a) To travel in the winter — Paragraph 2 says it began as a way to travel in the winter.
b) In Scotland in 1742 — Paragraph 2 says the first skating club was created in Scotland in 1742.
b) Their steel blades let skaters make difficult turns. — Paragraph 2 says his steel-bladed skates allowed skaters to make difficult turns and movements.
a) Figure skating — Paragraph 2 says figure skating was included in 1908 and was the first winter sport in the Olympics.
d) Figure skates — Paragraph 3 says figure skates have a toepick, and ice hockey skates have no toepick.
b) One — The last sentence of paragraph 3 says speedskating skates have a single edge.