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Learning English with CBC

Edmonton

Monthly feature story:

Tour of Alberta

October 2013 Learning plan created by Justine Light

http://www.cbc.ca/edmonton/learning‐english/ www.alberta.ca


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Feature Story Objectives

The Tour of Alberta

CLB competency outcomes Listening: Reading: Speaking: Writing:

L: Identify factual details and some implied meanings in extended narration; identify situation, purpose of speech, and relationship between speakers. R: Access, locate, integrate, interpret, and analyze information contained in a two or three page moderately complex text S: (knowledge and strategies) Produce intelligible and communicatively effective pronunciation focussing on linked sounds W: Develop ability to take notes on key examples and facts W: Write a summary

Language skills Vocabulary: Use vocabulary words in context

Grammar: Recognise complex subject‐verb agreement

Pronunciation: Identify strategies for correct rhythm – reducing function words and stressing focus words

Language Activities (in order of appearance in materials)

Completing pre‐listening activities to build vocabulary and prepare learners for audio Listening to the audio to identify facts and details Listening to audio to take effective notes Identifying meanings of simple present forms Identifying reasons for complex subject‐verb agreement cases Completing pre‐ reading vocabulary activity Reading for meaning – Recognize true false statements, sometimes with inferred meaning Reading strategies – Access relevant information using effective search strategies Writing a summary Identify strategies for correct rhythm – reducing function words and stressing focus words


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Introduction ‐ Background reading

About the province of Alberta

Located in the heart of western Canada, the province of Alberta is bordered by the Canadian Rocky

Mountains to the west and the prairies of Saskatchewan to the east. Banff and Jasper, world‐renowned

resorts in our Canadian Rockies, offer luxurious accommodation and fine dining. In the summer, find

stunning hiking, golf and spa experiences; in winter, ski the best powder in the world. Find out why so

many of our national parks are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Take a day trip south and east into

the Canadian Badlands and go back millions of years to the age of the dinosaurs. Or venture north into

a land of pristine lakes, backcountry lodges, and trophy fishing. In winter you’re sure to see the Aurora

Borealis ‐ try it by dog sled!*

Photo credit: Government of Alberta

The Tour of Alberta 2013

Food for thought:

Have you travelled around Alberta, or your own province?

What are your favourite parts of Alberta, or your own province? Why?

* http://travelalberta.com/Trip%20Essentials/About%20Alberta.aspx


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The Audio

In this video and audio, you will hear CBC journalist Adrienne Pan introducing the Tour of Alberta

cycling race, starting in downtown Edmonton.

Photo credit: Paul Moore, CBC

Before you listen: Do you ride a bicycle? Have you ever watched the Tour de France on TV? Is cycling popular in your home country?

Getting started

SPEAKER TOUR OF ALBERTA

0:00 Adrienne Pan Downtown Edmonton is a no‐traffic zone tonight unless you are one of the world’s

top cyclists. Dozens of them are gearing up for the start of the Tour of Alberta. The

CBC’s Paul Moore is at the start line in Churchill Square, Paul.


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Pre‐listening vocabulary

The words below are from the audio. The definitions are next to the words. Read the definitions then complete the sentences on the following page.

Extra definition: Peleton – The main group of cyclists in a race

Word/phrase Definition

1. gearing up (phrasal verb/

present participle)

getting ready/ preparing for something

2. congestion (noun) when something is blocked, especially with traffic

3. focus on (phrasal verb/

infinitive)

give a lot of attention to something in particular

4. impact (noun) the effect that one thing/person has on another

5. glimpse (noun) a very brief look

6. born and bred (adjective

phrase)

someone who was born and grew up in one particular place, and may

be typical of that place

7. showcasing (verb/ present

participle)

showing the best parts or qualities of something

8. complement (verb/

present participle)

make something seem better or more attractive

9. (to be) pumped (verb) to be full of excitement about something

10. perspective (noun) the way you think about something


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Use the vocabulary words to complete the following sentences.

(Answers can be found in the appendix.)

1. I have so many responsibilities with my work, my studies and my family that I find it difficult to

__________________ on anything.

2. There is so much __________________ in the downtown area during rush hour I prefer to take

the train to work.

3. My sister has made a video and put it on YouTube to __________________ her baking skills.

4. Even though I have travelled all around the world, I am really a __________________

Calgarian.

5. My kids are __________________ about going to the Justin Bieber concert this weekend.

6. The __________________ of many immigrants to Canada is that learning English is not as

difficult as having your professional credentials recognised.

7. A car almost ran me down in the crosswalk and although I got a __________________ of the

driver I did not have time to read the licence plate.

8. The paint colours in your living room really __________________ the furniture.

9. It is time to start __________________ for our trip to India because we have so many things

to organize.

10. After I started to advertise my cupcakes on Kijiji, I noticed a big __________________ on the

number of orders I receive.


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Listening for meaning Listen to the news report about the Tour of Alberta and answer the following questions.

1. What problems did the Tour of Alberta cause in downtown Edmonton?

2. Give three benefits of having the Tour of Alberta pass through the Edmonton region that were

mentioned in the news story.

3. How many times has Tour of Alberta taken place in Alberta before?

4. How many times has the Tour of Alberta taken place in Canada before?

5. Why do you think the Government of Alberta given funds to support the race?

6. What is the prize that each cyclist in the Tour is competing to win?

(Answers can be found in the appendix.)


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Listening strategies: Taking notes on a word web

The goal of the listening strategies section of the monthly feature lesson is to help you to improve your listening skills for all listening situations– not just this audio.

While you are listening, complete this word web. Focus on writing only the most important information.

Note that there are at least 2 details/examples that can go into each.

(See the appendix for a sample answer.)

Tour of Alberta

Negative side effects

on Edmonton

Postive side effects

on Edmonton

Tourism beneKits for province of Alberta

Tour Of Alberta locations


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Grammar Activity – Subject‐verb agreement Basic rules to remember when thinking about subject‐verb agreement in the simple present

he

she

If the verb’s subject is it use the ‘s’ form (third person singular)

one

If the subject is a singular noun like, child use ‘s’ form

If the subject is a singular indefinite pronoun, like everybody, use ‘s’ form

Be careful though – the subject and verb can be separated with words in between them:

Those children in the playground need supervision.

PLURAL NO ‘S’

High levels of mercury in tuna are dangerous for pregnant women.

PLURAL – the levels are the subject

The regulation of pollution levels is a positive step.

SINGULAR – the regulation is the subject – third person singular form = IS

Also when the subject follows the verb, in the case of there is and there are, the verb agrees with that following subject:

There are a lot of children in the playground today.


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Grammar Activity – Subject verb agreement – continued.

Here are some examples from the audio:

The excitement is building here and so are the crowds.

This is where the riders are going to come flying on this course.

What you need to know is that much of downtown is shutdown.

Everybody knew this congestion was going to happen.

There are thousands of people here.

The weather is just complementing it all.

These tourists from New Zealand are pumped.

Underline the subject and verb in each sentence.

Can you explain the reason for the agreement?

Answers in the appendix.


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Building Speaking Skills: Reducing function words, stressing content words

The English language is very rhythmic. To speak with a natural English rhythm, certain words are spoken loudly, clearly, and slowly, while other words are so quiet and quick they can barely be heard. Listen two times to the excerpts below.

• The first time, notice that the highlighted words are spoken more clearly, more loudly, more slowly, or with a higher or lower pitch than other words.

• The second time, notice how the word “to” is spoken: very quietly, quickly, with an unclear vowel that sounds like “tuh,” [tə], or just “t”. (You may have noticed that the only time the vowel in “to” had an oo sound is when it was linked to “her”: “to her” sounded like “toower”).

2:11 Kristina

Partsinevelos

Adrienne, I am in Churchill Square right now where fans are lining up to catch a

glimpse of some of their favourite athletes. The race is about to begin and this city is

ready. Six days of cycling from Edmonton to Calgary, making this race a one of a kind

for Canada and fans are excited.

In English, we tend to stress content words (words that carry meaning, like nouns, verbs and adjectives) and reduce function words1. Many function words have two pronunciations: a strong form for when the word is stressed for some reason or is at the end of a word group, and a more common “weak” (often called “reduced”) pronunciation, when the speaker’s lips hardly move and the word is spoken very quietly and quickly. For example:

“to” often sounds like tuh, ti, or just t “them” often sounds like thum, or just um [əm] “her” often sounds like er “been” often sounds like bin

When a speaker reduces function words and says them very quickly and quietly, the listener can focus on the content words. This makes it easier for the listener to catch the main ideas.

Now look at another passage from the audio. Highlight the words you think should be stressed, then read it aloud (answers can be found in the appendix). Practice saying “to” so that it is very quiet, quick, and your lips don’t move. Then listen to Paul and Adrienne talking.

0:00 ADRIENNE

PAN

Downtown Edmonton is a no‐traffic zone tonight unless you are one of the world’s

top cyclists. Dozens of them are gearing up for the start of the tour of Alberta. The

1 Function words are grammar words that include prepositions (to, in), pronouns (he, her, them), modals and helping verbs (can, have, is), coordinators (and), and articles (the, a).


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1:38 Paul Moore And this race certainly is getting the community together. There are thousands of

people here as riders continue to come down this start line to warm up. The race is

about to start in about twenty minutes and I’ll be back at 6:30 to show you some of

that action.

Practice speaking the above passages at the same time as the speakers (Jane, Adrienne, and Cameron). Try to sound exactly like them, stressing the words they stress, reducing the words they reduce, pausing where they pause, and linking where they link. Try snapping your fingers or tapping your toes with each highlighted word.

Note: CBC journalists, often have a particularly clear rhythmic pattern to their speech. This clear rhythm makes them very easy to understand, as the important words in what they are saying (content words) stand out clearly. You may want to practice reading along with the journalists through the whole interview (see Appendix), focusing on their rhythm. Give a beat to those words they stress, and reduce the words they reduce.


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Reading Activity ‐ Pre‐reading vocabulary

The following vocabulary activity will help you to understand the reading below.

Match each word to its correct definition.

The first one is done for you. (Answers can be found in the appendix.)

1. foray F A. covering from one side to another

2. traverse B. to show the best parts of something

3. spanning C. to move or travel across something

4. seed money D. wins, beats all others

5. showcase E. the most typical example of something

6. bomb down F. do something that is not familiar to you, for just a short time

7. conquers G. money used to start a business or activity

8. etch H. steep hills or banks

9. skirt I. to move around the edge of something

10. quintessential J. to cause a large change

11. quaint K. to move very fast, especially in a street or down a hill

12. bluffs L. attractive because it is special, especially old‐fashioned

13. shake up M. strong emotions, high level of excitement

14. fever pitch N. to be remembered for a long time

Extra definitions to help your understanding of the reading: inaugural ‐ The first of something, marking the start of something new Prologue – This is an individual sprint at the start of the bigger race. Cyclists race individually and are timed to see who completes the course fastest Grades – This refers to the steepness of a hill Daredevil – A person who enjoys doing dangerous things bandshell ‐ an outdoor theater


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Reading text:

The Tour of Alberta

The inaugural Tour of Alberta marks Canada’s first major international professional stage race, and Alberta’s first foray into the growing global sport of cycling. Adopted through the vision of Albertan Alex Stieda, the first North American to wear the yellow leader’s jersey at the Tour de France, the Tour of Alberta is scheduled for September 3 – 8, 2013 throughout the province.

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This world‐class event, which is free to the public, will start in Edmonton and finish six days later in Calgary, home of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games. The course is estimated to traverse more than 800 kilometer of urban as well as rural roads in Alberta. The event will include more than 50 communities of various sizes, making it one of Canada’s most unique and most spanning sporting events. The initial seed money to fund the start‐up of the project comes from the Rural Alberta Development Fund, a key partner for the event in its inaugural year.

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Tour of Alberta Stages

Prologue – Capital Start

Tuesday, September 3 – Edmonton Start/Finish Location: Sir Winston Churchill Square (99 Street and 102A Avenue) Distance: 7.3 kilometres

The Tour of Alberta will begin with a Prologue to showcase the racers with a one at a time individual time trial through Alberta’s capital city, where racers fight for seconds for the right to wear the first ever Tour of Alberta leader’s jersey. Starting and finishing at Sir Winston Churchill Square in the heart of downtown Edmonton, this eight‐kilometre course will be covered by the individual cyclists in less than 10 minutes. However, those 10 minutes will be action‐packed as spectators will see racers navigate tight neighborhoods, bomb down Grierson Hill at 80‐kilometres‐an‐hour, or fight their way up the climb from the North Saskatchewan river valley through the Alberta Legislature grounds back to downtown. The man who conquers all will be the first to etch his name in Tour of Alberta history.

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Stage 1 – Heartland Highways

Wednesday, September 4 –Strathcona County to Camrose


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Start Location: Festival Place (100 Festival Way) Distance: 158 kilometres Finish Location: Recreation Centre (5212 53 Street)

The first road stage of the Tour of Alberta will fittingly begin at Festival Place in Sherwood Park, as the event itself is a celebration of all of Alberta. After a neutral parade start, the race blasts north through the Strathcona suburbs to make a quick visit to the City of Fort Saskatchewan. From there racers curl south to Ardrossan and the scenic lake district, where they skirt the edge of beautiful Miquelon Lake Provincial Park. The day’s real challenge will lay in the tight, twisting, and rolling finishing circuits in Camrose. Here the Recreation Centre will play host to three laps of this circuit and while the town will provide the hospitality, the circuit and its uphill finish will provide the worthy victory.

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Stage 2 – Country Roads

Thursday, September 5 — Devon to Red Deer Start Location: Downtown (Athabasca Avenue between Erie and Huron Streets) Distance: 175 kilometres Finish Location: 50th Street, between 47 and 48 Avenue

Stage 2 – Country Roads begins in “Bike Town Alberta” — Devon. This cycling friendly town has seen many races and rides, but this may top them all. That’s just the beginning, and with nearly a half dozen communities along this 175‐kilometre stage, this really is a tour of Alberta. Stage 2 brings the race to the people, as the race will pass by homes, business and farms and properties of thousands of Albertans. From Leduc to Millet, Wetaskiwin, Hobbema and Ponoka, following this lighting‐speed tour of towns the racing turns serious as it approaches the City of Red Deer. A sharp climb up from the Red Deer River east of town will surely open the hostilities. Then it’s on to another tough finishing circuit. This time each of the three laps includes a 30‐metre climb, and an 80‐kilometers‐per‐hour downhill to the finish. It’s going to take legs and nerves to win in Red Deer.

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Stage 3 – Dinosaur Trails

Friday, September 6 — Strathmore to Drumheller Start Location: Downtown, 2nd Avenue between and 3 Street and Lakeside Boulevard Distance: 169 kilometres Finish Location: Riverside Drive and Centre Street

Strathmore is quintessential small town Alberta, from the quaint main street to the park bandshell, but Stage 3 of the Tour of Alberta is anything but small. The flatlands are left behind as the race deepens its

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hunt for an overall victor. Strathmore’s plains quickly give way to some serious rolling hills as the race heads east then north through the community of Rosebud. Then it’s back to the banks of the Red Deer River in the heart of the Badlands – the Town of Drumheller. The river bluffs will provide more than great views and fossils on this day. These steep grades will be the launch pads to victory for the race’s best climbers. Drumheller fans get a front row seat for this action and a rare treat as the race will pass through town before doing a large loop north and back into town for a fast finish right under the world’s largest dinosaur. Look for this first day of serious hills to really shake up the race standings.

Stage 4 – Black Diamond / Foothills

Saturday, September 7 Distance: 169 kilometres

Stage 5 – Urban Finish

Sunday, September 8 – Okotoks to Calgary Start Location: Seaman Stadium (2111 N. Railway Street) Distance: 132 kilometres Finish Location: Downtown Calgary (Centre Street and 4th Avenue)

Small town or suburb, the Town of Okotoks is both, and Seaman Stadium, Home of the Dawgs, will see the racers off for their final start. At the other end, skyscrapers and skywalks await the grand finale in downtown Calgary. The hill country west of Okotoks gives one final chance for those less affected by gravity, but chances are this day will belong to the daredevil sprinters. Through the community of Bragg Creek and a flat run into the city the speeds will slowly build up. They should reach fever pitch along Memorial Drive before crossing the Bow River and hitting the downtown finish circuit. Four laps await the racers and they will blaze a path around downtown putting on one final show for the crowd. The encore? A 60‐kilometre shoulder‐to‐shoulder sprint in the shadow of Calgary Tower will determine the Tour of Alberta’s first ever champion.*

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* http://travelalberta.com/Things%20to%20Do/Events%20and%20Festivals/Tour%20of%20Alberta.aspx?view=overview http://travelalberta.com/Articles/Tour%20of%20Alberta%20Stages.aspx?_ttd={642D9B00‐9892‐44C0‐9B6C‐72D71234657E}


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Reading for meaning Read the following statements. Identify whether the statements are true or false.

Write down the paragraph number where you found the information to show whether the statement was true or false.

(Answers can be found in the appendix).

1. The Tour of Alberta has been held on three previous occasions.

True or False Paragraph number: _____________

2. Many people have paid a lot of money for tickets to watch the event.


3. The Race began with an individual time trial event.


4. Cyclists completed three laps of the race in Camrose.


5. The race is passing through to the town of Devon which has little experience with cycling.


6. The Dinosaur Trails section of the race will show which riders can deal with hills.


7. The race ends in the town of Okotoks.



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Reading Strategies ‐ Scanning a text

The goal of the reading strategies section of the monthly feature lesson is to help you to become a better

reader of all reading texts – not just this text. This activity builds your skills for scanning a text for specific facts

or examples. It is the same strategy you would use for looking up a name on a list, or a specific event on a

schedule. In order to scan effectively you move your eyes very quickly across a page looking for one or two

words to locate the information you are searching for.

Complete the following table by scanning the text above. When you begin to scan for a fact make a note of

which word(s) you are using to search with.

QUESTION SEARCH WORD(S) ANSWER

1. How long is Stage 2 of the race?

2. How many minutes does it take each rider to complete the time trial or prologue?

3. What speeds do the cyclists travel during the last section of stage 2 to the finish in Red Deer?

4. How many communities will be visited during the race?

5. In which stage do the riders pass through the town of Fort Saskatchewan?

6. Which is the longest stage?

7. In which stage do the riders pass through the community of Bragg Creek?

8. On which date does the last stage of the race take place?

Answers in the appendix


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Writing Activity – Writing a summary How to write a summary Writing a summary is an important writing skill. The process of writing a summary can help you to understand a text you are reading; the summary itself can show your teacher how well you understand and can express the main ideas of a text in your own words. It is important to remember that when you write a summary, you should use your own words but keep the ideas and organization of the original text. A summary should be shorter than the original text and you can do this by trying to cut out all of the details and examples that are not needed. When you are planning and writing your summary, think about what the author is saying. Below are some steps that will help you to write a good summary.

1. Skim the text – check out the title and sub‐headings and think about the main ideas you can get from these.

2. Read the text from beginning to end. What is the author saying? 3. If you have a photocopy of the text (not the original book or magazine), circle the key

words, or highlight the main idea of each section. 4. Re‐read the main points you have highlighted. 5. Identify the title, author and original date of the text you are going to summarize. 6. Write one sentence that summarizes the main idea of the text. 7. Write the main points and important details in your own words. You will have to use the

same technical vocabulary and proper names for things in the original text. Do not waste words by using such expressions as, “The original text says,” or “The author states…” The whole summary tells us what the original text says.

8. Keep the same organization as the original author. 9. Do not add your own ideas or conclusion, unless your teacher specifically asks you to do

this. 10. Proofread your summary – ask yourself, “Have I kept the authors original ideas but used my

own words?”

Re‐read the text: Tour of Alberta. Using the steps suggested above, write a summary of the text. Write the summary in one paragraph.

You can see an example summary in the appendix.


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Links

To find out more about tourism in Alberta including things to do and places to visit:

http://travelalberta.com/

To learn more about the Tour of Alberta, the race results for 2013 and to take a look at a route map:

http://tourofalberta.ca/site/

To read about cycling in the City of Calgary:

http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TP/Pages/Cycling/Cycling‐introduction.aspx

To read about cycling in the City of Edmonton:

http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/cycling_walking/cycling.aspx

To read about cycling in the community of Devon:

http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/cycling_walking/cycling.aspx For an interactive online game to help you improve your pronunciation skills: http://www.englishaccentcoach.com/


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Appendix ‐ Answer Keys

Pre‐listening vocabulary

1. I have so many responsibilities with my work, my studies and my family that I find it difficult to

focus on anything.

2. There is so much congestion in the downtown area during rush hour I prefer to take the train to

work.

3. My sister has made a video and put it on YouTube to showcase her baking skills.

4. Even though I have travelled all around the world, I am really a born and bred Calgarian.

5. My kids are pumped about going to the Justin Bieber concert this weekend.

6. The perspective of many immigrants to Canada is that learning English is not as difficult as

having your professional credentials recognised.

7. A car almost ran me down in the crosswalk and although I got a glimpse of the driver I did not

have time to read the licence plate.

8. The paint colours in your living room really complement the furniture.

9. It is time to start gearing up for our trip to India because we have so many things to organize.

10. After I started to advertise my cupcakes on Kijiji I noticed a big impact on the number of orders

I receive.

Listening for meaning

1. What problems did the Tour of Alberta cause in downtown Edmonton?

Road closures, detours and whole areas of downtown shutdown to vehicles

2. Give three benefits of having the Tour of Alberta pass through the Edmonton region that were

mentioned in the news story.


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Brings the community together in the downtown, a large worldwide TV audience, and people in

restaurants and shops downtown

3. How many times has the Tour of Alberta taken place in Alberta before?

It is the first time in Alberta

4. How many times has the Tour of Alberta taken place in Canada before?

It is the first time in Canada

5. Why has the Government of Alberta given funds to support the race?

To promote tourism

6. What is the prize that each cyclist in the Tour is competing to win?

The yellow jersey


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Listening strategies –

Grammar – Subject‐verb agreement

The excitement is building here and so are the crowds.

In this sentence there are two subjects, excitement/crowds and two verbs is/ are

sharing one present participle, building

This is where the riders are going to come flying on this course.

Subject – This (place) verb ‐ is

Tour of Alberta

Negative side effects

on Edmonton

TrafKic congestion

Businesses closed early

Postive side effects on Edmonton

People re‐discover downtown

30 million people see Edmonton on TV Tourism

beneKits for province of Alberta

See Kields of wheat

Hoodoos of Drumheller

Tour Of Alberta locations

Edmonton, Calgary

Strathcona County, Camrose, Drumheller


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What you need to know is that much of downtown is shutdown.

Much = subject – singular verb ‐ is

Everybody knows about this congestion

If the subject is a singular indefinite pronoun, like everybody, use the singular verb ‐

knows

There are thousands of people here

The subject follows the verb, there are, the verb agrees with that following subject ‐

thousands

The weather is just complementing it all.

Weather is uncountable – singular verb

These tourists from New Zealand are pumped.

Tourists is the subject not New Zealand – plural verb

Pronunciation – Linking sounds

0:00 ADRIENNE

PAN


top cyclists. Dozens of them are gearing up for the start of the tour of Alberta. The



people here as riders continue to come down this start line to warm up. The race is

about to start in about twenty minutes and I’ll be back at 6:30 to show you some of

that action.


25

Reading Activity Pre‐reading vocabulary

1. foray F A. covering from one side to another

2. traverse C B. to show the best parts of something

3. spanning A C. to move or travel across something

4. seed money G D. wins, beats all others

5. showcase B E. the most typical example of something

6. bomb down K F. do something that is not familiar to you, for just a short time

7. conquers D G. money used to start a business or activity

8. etch N H. steep hills or banks

9. skirt I I. to move around the edge of something

10. quintessential E J. to cause a large change

11. quaint L K. to move very fast, especially in a street or down a hill

12. bluffs H L. attractive because it is old‐fashioned

13. shake up J M. strong emotions, high level of excitement

14. fever pitch M N. to be remembered for a long time

Reading for meaning

1. The Tour of Alberta has been held on three previous occasions.

True or False Paragraph number: _______1______

2. Many people have paid a lot of money for tickets to watch the event.

True or False Paragraph number: ______2_______

3. The race began with an individual time trial event.



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4. Cyclists completed three laps of the race in Camrose.


5. The race is passing through to the town of Devon which has little experience with cycling.


6. The Dinosaur Trails section of the race will show which riders can deal with hills.


7. The race ends in the town of Okotoks.


Reading strategies

QUESTION SEARCH WORD(S) ANSWER

1. How long is Stage 2 of the race? Stage 2 + kilometres

175 Km

2. How many minutes does it take each rider to complete the time trial or Prologue?

Prologues + minutes

10 minutes

3. What speeds do the cyclists travel during the last section of stage 2 to the finish in Red Deer?

Red Deer + kilometers per hour

80 km/h

4. How many communities will be visited during the race?

Communities +

a number

50 communities

5. In which stage do the riders pass through the town of Fort Saskatchewan?

Fort Saskatchewan + Stage

Stage 2

6. Which is the longest stage? Stage + kilometres Stage 2

7. In which stage do the riders pass through the community of Bragg Creek?

Bragg Creek + Stage

Stage 5


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8. On which date does the last stage of the race take place?

A date + last/ final September 8

Writing activity – For the first time an international cycling stage race is taking place in Canada.

The race, which is called the Tour of Alberta, is winding its way through the

province in the first week of September. The race starts in Edmonton and ends

in Calgary and criss-crosses the rural areas in between. The Tour of Alberta

begins with a time trial being held in downtown Edmonton and then moves east

through the area from Strathcona County to Camrose. Stage 2 of the race

passes along country roads from Devon to Red Deer. The end of stage 2 is a

challenge with a steep climb and fast finish. The next stage passes through

‘Dinosaur country.’ The unique landscape of the Strathmore to Drumheller region

is home to some very steep climbs. The race will end with an urban finish in

Calgary. After four laps of the downtown a new Tour of Alberta champion will

be crowned.


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Appendix – Transcript

TIMES

FROM

VIDEO

SPEAKER TOUR OF ALBERTA

0:00 Adrienne

Pan


top cyclists. Dozens of them are gearing up for the start of the Tour of Alberta. The


0:18 Paul Moore Well, Adrienne, the excitement is building here and so are the crowds. We had to

arrives hours early just to get this little spot in front of the start line. This is where the

riders are going to come flying on this course. It’s just under 8 kilometres through

downtown Edmonton. People here are excited; the riders are out warming up right

now. The Canadian national team just rode by a couple of seconds ago as they begin

their warm up. We’re about 20 minutes from race start and that means that people

all around the city are coming here, but it’s also causing some traffic troubles. If

you’re still trying to get to downtown or even trying to get out of downtown, take a

look at this interactive map that we have on our website. All of the area within the

downtown area, where this race is happening, is shutdown to traffic. Those closures

will remain in effect until about 9 o’clock. What you need to know is that much of

downtown is shutdown. Streets are closed and officials are warning drivers to stay

away. Everybody knew this congestion was coming so many workers in downtown

went home early to avoid the mess.

1:14 C J Stacey Hopefully I can get out and get home. I have never seen this before, so I am not too

sure what is happening.

1:22 Joanne

Mekdara

I think it’s great. I think that the city needs to focus on sporting events. It gets people

out to the downtown core. Because sometimes on evenings, the downtown core is

pretty dead. So the fact that it’s bringing people in and getting the community

together is a great opportunity for us.


people here right now as riders continue to come down this start line to warm up.

The race is about to start in about twenty minutes and I’ll be back at 6:30 to show


29

you some of that action, Adrienne.

1:51 Adrienne

Pan

Looking forward to that, thanks Paul. Paul Moore live in Churchill Square tonight Race

organizers and city officials say the roadblocks and detours are a small price to pay

for what the Tour of Alberta will mean to Edmonton’s economy and reputation.

Kristina Partsinevelos is downtown tonight with more on the impact of the race,

Kristina.

2:11 Kristina

Partsinevel

os

Adrienne, I am in Churchill Square right now where fans are lining up to catch a

glimpse of some of their favourite athletes. The race is about to begin and this city is

ready. Six days of cycling from Edmonton to Calgary, making this race a one‐of‐a‐kind

for Canada and fans are excited.

2:29 Ron Hoover I’m a born and bred Edmontonian and I’m really glad to see this event here, it’s

showcasing Canada, Alberta, Edmonton and the weather is just complementing it all.

I hope that people from all over the world get to see how great a city Edmonton is.

2:44 Ilene

Larson

It’s amazing because usually we are watching at home on TV in Italy or in France, you

know. So having the big names here makes this really special.

2:54 Kristina

Partsinevel

os

These tourists from New Zealand are pumped. They arrived downtown at 11 this

morning.

2:59 Lynn Dow Absolutely we will be here and absolutely we are excited. [Why?} We’ve not seen live

cycling before. It always looks exciting on TV.

3:09 Kristina

Partsinevel

os

The race means part of the city is in lockdown, meaning many businesses closed

early. The Downtown Business Association says the roadblocks will be worth it.

3:17 Jim Taylor You know you want people on the sidewalks, people in the restaurants, people in the

stores and people downtown, and people re‐discovering downtown and wanting to

come back downtown. This is how you do it. It comes with some side effects.

3:31 Kristina

Partsinevel

os

And some are positive. The race will be broadcast to over 30 million viewers

worldwide.

3:37 Richard Some of the images of the peloton of cyclists you know going past fields of ripening


30

Starke wheat and pump jacks and hoodoos and the Drumheller area and you know, from a

tourism perspective you can’t have it any better than that.

3:49 Kristina

Partsinevel

os

Today it’s Edmonton, tomorrow, it’s Strathcona County to Camrose, where riders are

gearing up to win the yellow jersey and become the first Tour of Alberta winner,

Adrienne.

4:00 Adrienne

Pan

Alright thanks for that Kristina.

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