SAFE SWIMMING.SELECTIVIDAD L.

When the summer holidays arrive, what could be nicer than a day at the seaside? Or perhaps you plan to lie by the pool, or try a bit of river or canal boating.The water looks so sparkling and inviting that it is easy to forget it can also be a deadly hazard.


According to the Swimming Teachers Association (STA), the tragic fact is that 400 people drown every year in the UK. Lives could be saved if more people knew the basics of safe swimming. According to the STA, everyone needs to know five basic skills.

First of all, we should all be able to float for one minute without a rubber ring or other support. In terms of distance, for safety you need to be able to swim a minimum of 25 metres without stopping. This is the length of a standard swimming pool. You need the ability to turn over from your front on to your back in case you get tired in the water and have to wait for help. For safety, you should also be able to exit the pool without a ladder. And it is important to learn how to enter the water safely, make a turn, and get out of the water again.

It is never too late to learn, and age is no barrier. For most of us, swimming is excellent for the heart, lungs, muscles and joints. Even if you have a disability, you can learn to swim. A properly trained swimming teacher can work with your abilities, and find ways to help you stay safe while you enjoy all the health benefits of swimming –and all the fun!

I * COMPREHENSION (This section consists of six items combining ‘True/False’ and/or ‘Multiple Choice’ questions) (3 points)

CHOOSE AND WRITE THE CORRECT OPTION (A, B, C or D). (0.5 points each)

1. According to the STA...
(a) 400 people drown in the UK in summer.
(b) 400 people are saved by the STA every year in the UK.
(c) 400 people die by drowning every year in the UK.
(d) everybody knows five basic swimming skills in the UK.

2. One of the five basic skills is ...
(a) swimming 25 metres underwater.
(b) being able to float with support.
(c) being able to get out of the pool without using any structure. 
(d) entering the water making a turn.

3. Handicapped people
(a) cannot learn to swim.
(b) also have the ability to learn how to swim.
(c) need special equipment in order to swim.
(d) may have heart problems when trying to swim.

ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWERS WITH THE PRECISE WORDS OR PHRASES FROM THE TEXT, OR USE YOUR OWN WORDS. (0.5 points each)

4. Water can be tempting as well as dangerous. TRUE. The water looks so sparkling...hazard
5. A conventional swimming pool is longer than 25 metres. FALSE. This is the length of a standard swimming pool. 
6. We can learn to swim at any age. TRUE.It is never too late to learn, and age is no barrier. 

7. FIND IN THE TEXT ONE SYNONYM FOR “incapacity” (noun).
Disability

8. GIVE A NOUN WITH THE SAME ROOT AS “excellent” (adjective) (line 12). 
Excellency, Excellence

9. WHICH WORD DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME MEANING?
support / aid / help / aim

10. FILL IN THE GAP WITH THE CORRECT FORM OF THE VERB IN BRACKETS:

“By the time we got to the bus station, the bus...... (already leave).”
had already left

11. FIND IN THE TEXT THE WORD WHICH HAS THE FOLLOWING DEFINITION:

“a part of human body where bones are connected”. Joint

12. FILL IN THE GAP WITH THE CORRECT OPTION:

“My sister is really keen......swimming.” of / for / on / with

13. REWRITE THE SENTENCE WITHOUT CHANGING ITS MEANING. BEGIN AS INDICATED:

“People say that he is a good trainer.”
He ... is said to be a good trainer.

14. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONAL SENTENCE:

“If they had learnt to swim, ...”
They could have saved their lives

15. TURN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE INTO DIRECT SPEECH:

He told me not to do that again. Don´t do this again.He told me.

16. JOIN THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES USING A RELATIVE. MAKE CHANGES IF NECESSARY.

”That girl over there is in my class. Her mother is a well-known artist.”
That girl over there, whose mother is a well-known artist, is in my class

17. GIVE A QUESTION FOR THE UNDERLINED WORDS:
 “My brother has been swimming for two hours.”
How long has your brother been swimming?