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Views #78 | Low-Intermediate 4

Ice Hockey

Like many Canadians, Chris loves hockey. He talks about his favorite sport.

Script
Vocab
Quiz


Chris	Todd

Todd: OK, Chris, Friday the 13th is coming up. So, first of all, are you superstitious?

Chris: Yes. When I play sports I'm superstitious. I have a lucky shirt and stuff like that.

Todd: Oh, really!

Chris: Yeah.

Todd: So what's your lucky shirt?

Chris: It's a bungy jumping shirt that I got about 10 years ago. It's all falling apart but it's still my lucky shirt.

Todd: OK, So you don't wash it or anything?

Chris: If I have a good game I don't wash it until I have a bad game and then I wash the badness out.

Todd: OK. What sport are we talking about?

Chris: I play ice hockey.

Todd: Oh, really.

Chris: Yeah.

Todd: Oh, so your a hockey player! Your a pretty solid guy.

Chris: Yeah, I'm a goalie. Being a goalie it's a lot to being comfortable in the position, so if you have a good game you don't touch anything. You do the same routine. Goalies are known to be a little strange.

Todd: Wow. So that's cool. Are you still playing in Japan?

Chris: I've played a few times but it's just too much trouble to drag my equipment on three trains and a taxi and about a 800 meter walk. It's just not worth it right now. If I had a car I'd try for sure.

Todd: Oh, that's too bad. Alright, well, good luck and...so right now is your shirt dirty of clean? Your unlucky shirt?

Chris: It's just been washed. Yeah, it needed a good washing this time.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

Friday the 13th or coming up

Friday the 13th is coming up.

When the 13th day of any month is on a Friday we call this 'Friday the 13th.' Some people have the idea that Friday the 13th is an unlucky day and bad things will happen on that day. In general, 13 is an unlucky number. If an event will happen in the near future we say it is 'coming up.' Notice the following:

She always stays in her house on Friday the 13th.
Your birthday is coming up next week.

superstitious

When I play sports, I'm superstitious.

People who are 'superstitious' believe in unlucky signs or rituals that they have to do to keep their luck. Some examples would be a black cat or a broken mirror, which can both cause bad luck. Notice the following:

We can't get a black cat because I'm superstitious.
He is superstitious and never flies on the 13th.

lucky shirt

My lucky shirt is a shirt I got ten years ago.

A 'lucky' item is something that we believe brings us good luck. Notice the following:

Did you wear your lucky shorts?
This is my lucky hat and I wear it to all the games.

wash out

After a bad game, I wash the badness out.

In this case, 'wash out' just means to clean the shirt and remove the bad luck. Notice the following:

Please wash out those glasses.
You have to wash the shampoo out of your hair.

solid

You're a pretty solid guy.

The term 'solid' is used to describe someone who is honest, reliable and generally a good person. It can also mean sturdy, strong or of good quality when referring to something. Notice the following: