Winter Olympics Start in Italy

Level 1 Lesson by: Aron Thode Source:bbc.com

How to study this lesson

Ask: (1) Do you like watching sports on TV? (2) What is your favorite season? Why?

The opening ceremony at the Winter Olympics in Milan. The Olympic rings are above the athletes.
The opening show at the Olympics in Milan.

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The 2026 Winter Olympics started in Italy. Milan and Cortina are two cities in Italy. The Games are there.

The opening show was very big. It was at the San Siro. The San Siro is a big place for sports in Milan. Athletes (sports people) from many countries walked in. People were very happy. Andrea Bocelli sang a famous Italian song. He is a famous singer from Italy. Mariah Carey sang, too. She is an American singer.

The Games have a new sport. It is called skimo. Athletes go up a mountain on skis. Then they take off the skis and walk up. Then they ski down the mountain. It is very fast and hard.

Many people like snowboarding. It is a big sport at the Winter Olympics. The snowboarders go very fast. They do big tricks in the air. Fans want to see it.

Vocab List

  • Olympics (n.) — A big sports event for many countries.
  • Athlete (n.) — A person who plays sports.
  • Famous (adj.) — Known by many people.
  • Trick (n.) — A special move that is hard to do.
  • Mountain (n.) — A very high hill.
  • Snowboarding (n.) — A sport of riding a board on snow.

Listen and fill the gaps below:

Listen and Fill Gaps

Listen to the audio and complete the gaps below:

The 2026 Winter Olympics started in Italy. Milan and Cortina are two (1) __________ in Italy. The Games are there.

The opening show was very big. It was at the San Siro. The San Siro is a big place for sports in Milan. Athletes (sports people) from many (2) __________ walked in. People were very happy. Andrea Bocelli sang a famous Italian song. He is a famous singer from Italy. Mariah Carey sang, too. She is an American singer.

The Games have a new sport. It is called skimo. Athletes go up a (3) __________ on skis. Then they take off the skis and walk up. Then they ski down the mountain. It is very fast and hard.

Many people like snowboarding. It is a big sport at the Winter Olympics. The snowboarders go very (4) __________. They do big tricks in the air. Fans want to see it.

True or False

Answer each question by selecting True or False, then click CHECK to see your results.

  • The 2026 Winter Olympics started in Italy.
    The article says the 2026 Winter Olympics started in Italy.
  • The opening show was at a small place.
    The San Siro is a big place for sports in Milan.
  • Andrea Bocelli is an American singer.
    Andrea Bocelli is a famous singer from Italy, not America.
  • Skimo is a new sport at the Games.
    The article says the Games have a new sport called skimo.
  • In skimo, athletes only ski down the mountain.
    Athletes go up on skis, walk up, and then ski down.

True or False

1. The 2026 Winter Olympics started in Italy. T / F

2. The opening show was at a small place. T / F

3. Andrea Bocelli is an American singer. T / F

4. Skimo is a new sport at the Games. T / F

5. In skimo, athletes only ski down the mountain. T / F

Put Events in Order

Put the events from the story in the correct order from first (1) to last (3):

  • ___ Andrea Bocelli and Mariah Carey sang.

  • ___

  • ___ Athletes from many countries walked in.

  • ___

  • ___

Vocab List
  • Olympics (n.)
  • Athlete (n.)
  • Famous (adj.)
  • Trick (n.)
  • Mountain (n.)
  • Snowboarding (n.)

Vocab Match

Match each vocabulary word with a definition:

1. Olympics

2. Athlete

3. Famous

4. Trick

a) A special move that is hard to do.

b) Known by many people.

c) A person who plays sports.

d) A big sports event for many countries.

Discussion Builder

Discussion Builder

Choose the best phrase for each gap:

  1. I like watching the Olympics ________ the sports are exciting.

    because / so / but

  2. Skimo looks very hard ________ I want to try it.

    and / but / because

Discussion Questions

  1. Do you like the Olympics? Why or why not?
  2. What winter sport do you like? Why?
  3. Do you like cold weather? Why or why not?
  4. Do you want to visit Italy? What do you want to see?
  5. Do you know any famous athletes? Who are they?
  6. Who is your favorite singer? What songs do they sing?

Answers

Listening: (1) cities, (2) countries, (3) mountain, (4) fast

True or False:

  1. True. The article says the 2026 Winter Olympics started in Italy.
  2. False. The San Siro is a big place for sports in Milan.
  3. False. Andrea Bocelli is a famous singer from Italy, not America.
  4. True. The article says the Games have a new sport called skimo.

  5. False. Athletes go up on skis, walk up, and then ski down.

Put Events in Order:

  1. The opening show was at the San Siro.
  2. Athletes from many countries walked in.
  3. Andrea Bocelli and Mariah Carey sang.

Vocabulary:

  1. Olympics: A big sports event for many countries.

  2. Athlete: A person who plays sports.

  3. Famous: Known by many people.

  4. Trick: A special move that is hard to do.

Discussion Builder:

Hints: 1) Reason. 2) Contrast.

  1. because

  2. but

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