Upper Secondary: October 2013
Blood Sports
Warm-up
Fox hunting was banned in England and Wales in 2004 but it is still practiced in many
other countries of the world such as America, France, Australia, Italy and Ireland.
Watch this short video for a visual introduction + the 124 nuances available when
saying ‘good morning’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s5FoXkt2qI
1. Discuss these questions.
a. What is fox hunting?
b. What is its purpose?
c. Do you think it should be allowed today? Why? / Why not?
d. Do you think it can be considered a true sport?
e. What similarities and differences are there with bullfighting?
Vocabulary
A. Read these sentences. Work out the meaning of the underlined words and
match them to the correct definition.
The landowner had a top hat on his head and tan boots. The Master of the hunt
was wearing riding breeches and a jacket with brass buttons. He opened the gate
because the fence was too high for the hounds. She giggled and got off her horse
on the spot.
1. a type of trousers
2. a type of metal that looks like gold
3. a type of dog that has a good sense of smell
4. an activity in which you catch an animal
5. a light brown colour
6. someone who has a lot of land
7. a formal tall head covering
8. immediately
9. a wooden or metal barrier than gives access to a field
10. to laugh quietly and childishly
11. a metal or wooden barrier than encloses a field
B. Help your partner learn the words from exercise A.
Student A: Say a word and ask your partner to explain what it means.
A: What is a fence?
B: A fence is something that encloses a field.
Student B: Say a word and ask your partner to make a sentence with it.
A: fence
B: The farmer opened the fence and the cows went into the field.
Reading
FOX HUNTING CLUB RULES
1. ______________________
Cap: Bring any kind you like, but no baseball caps please.
Coat: Waterproof is recommended.
Vest: (optional) Recommended in winter to keep you warm.
Breeches: Black or tan coloured. Should be tucked into your leather boots.
Boots: Black or tan leather. Bring three pairs in case the first two get dirty.
Gloves: Unless you like the cold, it really is advisable.
2.
______________________
Turn up on time.
Say hello if you are in a good mood. If you are not, standard conduct is to wear dark glasses so everybody knows to ignore you.
Always introduce guests to everybody upon arrival. Remember: if they don’t have the correct garb, they have to walk instead of
ride.
3. ______________________
Don’t overtake people unless your horse is more expensive than theirs. Seriously though, the Field Master rides first.
Close all gates behind you, unless you want to find yourself being chased by an angry farmer.
Always report any damage caused immediately. Afterwards, hang your head in shame, for you have stained the reputation of
the club and yourself.
4. ______________________
Don’t wander off during the hunt, as you might get lost. If you get lost, we will come and find you, but we will also make you
pay for dinner.
No smoking! Horses don’t like it.
Don’t crash your horse into the one in front. Remember that after you go home, the horses still have to get along.
Put a red ribbon on the tail of a horse that kicks and a green ribbon on the tail of one that doesn’t.
Always stop to let hounds go past (they have the right of way). It’s the teeth, you see…
5. ______________________
Do not speak to hounds, it doesn’t get you anywhere.
Also, although fox hunting is a friendly pastime, please don’t talk around the hounds. They are highly strung, and take offense
easily.
If you hear the hounds coming, stand to one side and salute. It makes them feel important.
6. ______________________
When you come across a fox, remain quiet.
If you look back and see a fox behind you, try not to feel frustrated. Instead, politely ask if he wouldn’t mind very much being
chased.
7. _______
When the hunt is finished, remember to thank the staff. If you forget, no problem, just don’t expect to be invited back.
If you happen to fall from your horse during the hut, you’re in luck! You get to buy everyone a drink at the bar.
Adapted from http://www.oakridgefoxhuntclub.com/protocol.shtml
A. Read the text of one club’s fox hunting rules and chose the correct title for
each paragraph.
Viewing the Fox
After the Hunt
Treatment of the hounds
Proper Hunting Attire
During the hunt
Before the Hunt
Safety
B. Decide if the following sentences are true or false. Give your reasons.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
You must wear gloves to attend the hunt.
Only members can ride in the hunt, no friends are allowed.
You can go first in the hunt if you want to.
You can do what you want around the dogs.
You need to be quiet much of the time.
You mustn’t shout if you see the fox near to you.
Falling off your horse is taken in good spirits.
C. Decide if the tone of this piece is very formal or rather informal. Underline
examples in the text that support your choice.
Grammar: Upper Secondary 1
Present perfect / past simple / past continuous
A. Imagine you are watching TV with a group of British students who are
studying in Spain. Use these cues to write imaginary mini-dialogues. Follow
the same grammar structure as the example.
Example: be fox hunting? - Yes – When / first time? – 1998
A: Have you ever been fox hunting?
B: Yes, I have.
A: When did you go foxhunting for the first time?
B: I went for the first time in 1998.
1. fall off / horse? – Yes – anything happen? – break my arm
A. ___________________________ B. ___________________________
A. ___________________________ B. _____________________________
2. catch a fox? - of course – what happen? – hounds kill it – how long / take /
the hunt? – three hours
A. ___________________________ B. ___________________________
A. ___________________________ B. ___________________________
A. ___________________________ B. ___________________________
B. Complete these sentences with the past simple or the past continuous.
1. I ______________ (ride) along the woods when suddenly a fox __________ (run)
across the path.
2. He _________ (hear) the sound of the hunting horn and then a group of about
twenty riders __________ (cross) the field in front of him.
3. The hounds ____________ (follow) a scent, their noses to the ground. They
___________ (run and bark) frantically when the Hunts Man ____________
(appear) behind them.
4. Quietly the fox ___________ (approach) the hen house and ____________ (begin)
to dig a hole under the fence. Of course as soon as the hens _____________ (see)
him digging, they __________ (start) to cackle and squawk. It was their squawking
that ___________ (save) them for the farmer’s wife _____________ (wake) up,
_____________ (pick) up her gun and __________ (go) out to see what
______________ (go) on.
Grammar: Upper Secondary 2
Past tenses
A. Write about past habits using would and these verbs.
When I was a child, I would cry (cry) when I went to school.
She ____________ (feed) the horses whenever her father wasn’t looking.
He ___________ (not let) us take a baby rabbit out of the cage and pet it.
He ____________ (shoe) his horses once a month at least.
The Master _____________ (listen) and then he ____________ (lead) the hunters
through the dense woods along a path only he knew about.
5. When I went riding, I _____________ (not wear) a scarlet jacket or my white
breeches in case they got dirty.
1.
2.
3.
4.
B. Complete this text with the verbs in the correct tense: past simple, past
continuous, past perfect, and would (for past habits).
As I was 1) __________ (cross) the street, I 2) __________ (watch) a long line
of ants as they 3) __________ (crawl) along beside me. Looking up, I
4) __________ (see) the fox for the first time. I could see it had a cut on its hind
leg.
I tried to approach but it circled around me warily. It 5) __________ (not be)
going to be easy to catch it. I 6) __________ (plan) to take it too the local vet,
where it could rest and recuperate.
I 7) __________ (pretend) to have food in my pocket, 8) __________ (hope) to
attract it that was, but it was too smart to fall for that old trick. It clearly wanted
help, but at the same time was unable to overcome its instincts. It sat down and
stared at me. It seemed such strange behavior for a wild beast to be so calm.
I tried to help it, but whenever I drew close it 9) __________ (race) away out of
reach. If I 11) __________ (have) a piece of string I could have made a lead, but
no such luck.
Listening
You are going
to watchtothe
video
fox hunting
from
the introduction
page
again:
Eventually,
I decided
leave
it on
alone.
I turned
around
and walked
away,
never to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc8j3rPR3Wg
see the fox again.
Listening
A. You are going to watch and listen to a video about fox hunting in America.
Discuss the questions with a partner. Then watch, listen and check your
answers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc8j3rPR3Wg
A. From which country does fox hunting originate?
B. Are any features from the country of origin still evident in the sport today?
(You can start at 0, 42 minutes and watch the video. Then play it again and answer
these questions.)
Watch and listen again.
1. Douglas Hytla’s daughter is the _________ generation of her family to hunt.
a) First b) second c) third d) fourth
2. Douglas Hytla is pleased to see that there are _________ children who hunt.
a) not many b) many c) too many d) only a few
3. Douglas’ daughter likes _________ most.
a) Trotting b) galloping c) running d) jumping e) a combination answer
4. Gus Forbush explains that fox hunters are responsible for ____ the countryside
a) preserving b) destroying c) maintaining paths and fences in d) bringing
money to
5. He says that things haven’t changed a lot over the last _________ years.
a) 30 b) 35 c) 45 d) 55
6. His horse used to be _________.
a) a hunter b) a race horse c) a champion d) a jumper
7. When a horse is a ‘speed demon’ and likes to go fast, he recommends
changing _________.
a) the bit b) the food c) the saddle d) the boots
Speaking
A. Sometimes the English can be surprisingly over-the-top and loud when using
exclamations. This is done to encourage the speaker and add drama to the
interaction.
Imagine you are still at the party with the English students. He has finished
telling you about foxhunting, and now you want to tell him about a bull
running event.
Student A: describe a bull running event you have been to or seen on TV.
Student B: You haven’t got a clue what A is talking about. Listen carefully and
make encouraging comments to show you are paying attention. Ask questions if
appropriate.
Useful interjections for student B:
Oh really! Wow! You’re joking! Never! Is that true? No! (You can also pronounce it
Noooooo! In a low tone to show disbelief or amazement), No way! (Also used to
show disbelief) Yes, I know
Change partners and tell your story again. Try to do it better the second time. Add
more adjectives and linkers.
B. Hold a debate on bull running or fox hunting
Work with a partner, choose your topic and decide 5 arguments for and against it.
Then make an ultimate decision on whether you are for, or against, your chosen
topic.
Now, when the teacher tells you, try to argue your position against a group who
have chosen the opposite opinion (i.e. if you are anti-foxhunting, present your
arguments to a pro-foxhunting group).
The rest of the class can vote on which group ‘won’ the argument.
Useful expressions when offering arguments:
It is true that … However, …
On one hand, … On the other hand …
As well as … / In addition to … / I would like to add that …
It is important to take into consideration … / We mustn’t forget that … / It should be
noted that …
Writing
1. Imagine that you want to write an article explaining Bullfighting to English
people.
First make a plan: adapt some of the paragraph headings in the reading as a
structure for your brochure.
Think about what you want to say: do you agree with Bull fighting? Is it an out-ofdate tradition, or one to be proud of? Would you compare it to fox hunting? Perhaps
Bullfighting is a more populist sport in Spain than fox hunting in the UK (which
tends to be a sport for conservative, wealthy people).
Think about grammar: notice the grammatical structures used in the reading and
include some sentences with these structures.
Think about vocabulary: use linkers. Use adjectives and adverbs to add colour to
your writing.
Here are some words related to the topic to help you.
Bull: male cow, national animal of Spain
Bullring: a circular building where you can see a bullfight.
Bullfighter: the man who fights the bull
Horns: a bull has two dangerous horns on its head
To gore: to attack with horns
To trample on: to walk on and hurt
Crowd: large number of people all together
Narrow street: A road that is not many metres wide
To be drunk: to be under the influence of alcohol
Scarf: a square of material usually worn around the neck
Spectators: people who are watching an event
Think about tone: do you want your article to sound serious or funny (jovial).
Now: write your brochure.
Answers
Vocabulary
A.
1. breeches
2. brass
3. hound
4. hunt
5. tan
6. landowner
7. top hat
8. on the spot
9. gate
10. giggle
11. master
12. fence
Reading
A.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Proper hunting Attire
Before the Hunt
During the Hunt
Safety
Treatment of the hounds
Viewing the Fox
After the Hunt
B.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
False, only if you are worried about the cold.
False, friends are allowed.
False, the Field Master goes first.
False, you must be quiet, and let them go first.
True
True
True
C.
There are hints of informality and humour about the text. The context is formal but the
writing is humorous, e.g. saluting the hounds.
Grammar 1
A.
1. Have you ever fallen off a horse? Yes, I have. Did anything happen? Yes, I broke
my arm.
2. Have you ever caught a fox? Of course I have. What happened? The hounds killed
it. How long did the hunt take? It took about three hours.
B.
1.
2.
3.
4.
was riding, ran
heard, crossed
were following, were running and barking, appeared
approached, began, saw, started, saved, woke, picked, went, was going
Grammar 2
A.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
would feed
wouldn’t let
would shoe
would listen, would lead
wouldn’t wear
B.
1. crossing
2. watched
3. crawled
4. saw
5. wasn’t
6. was planning
7. pretended
8. hope
9. raced
10. had had
Listening
A. England
B. Clothes
1. d
2. b
3. b & d
4. a
5. b
6. d
Images
Fox Hunting
Author: Henry Thomas Alken
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fox_Hunting_-_Henry_Alken.png
Picture of the hunt master and hounds exiting Powderham castle for a hunt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hunt_Master_exits_Castle_cropped.JPG
Bull running 1
photo by R.W. de Salis, Feb, 2005.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BedaleHunt2005.jpg
Bull running 2
Author: Dirección General de Turismo. Consejería de Economía e Innovación
Tecnológica. Comunidad de Madrid.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Detalle_toros_en_encierro_de_San_Sebastián_
de_los_Reyes.jpg