Exploring time and tenses

➔ Walking on the time line

Present simple & Present continuous

The company 4U?

Vocabulary: Work
1 Discuss the questions.
1. What are the people doing in the photo?
2. What sort of company is it?
3. Would you like to work for a company like this?
Why/Why not?

2 A Work in pairs. Match the words in the box with definitions 1-10.

company /ˈkʌmpəni/ employee /ɪmˈplɔɪ-iː, ˌemplɔɪˈiː/ salary /ˈsæləri/

office /ˈɒfɪs/ customer /ˈkʌstəmə/ employer /ɪmˈplɔɪə/ staff /stɑːf/
task /tɑːsk/ boss /bɒs/ bonus /ˈbəʊnəs/

1. a business that makes or sells things or provides services  company

2. a person who buys products or uses services 
3. extra money given to a worker (often for especially good work) 
4. a place where many people work at desks 
5. a worker 
6. a job you need to do 
7. a person who manages the workers in the company 
8. everyone who works in the company 
9. a fixed, regular sum of money given to someone for doing a job 
10. a person or business that pays workers to do a job 

Answers in Annex 1 on page 12.

 listening 1 Word stress

Listen to the words and repeat.

Speaking
3 A Work in pairs. Discuss. What are the most important things for people who work?
Number the items below in order of importance. 1 = very important. 8 = not
important at all.

1
 interesting tasks

big bonuses for good work a chance to develop your skills

good relationship with other employees/customers

B Compare your ideas with other students.

Listening
4 A  listening 2 Listen to someone talking about how companies motivate their
staff. How are the pictures (A-D) connected to the ideas?

From Longman Wordwise Dictionary.

Audio script on page 16

B Listen and check. Which other ideas do they talk about? Which ideas do you think
are the best?

5 A  listening 3 Listen to three employees describing what they are doing. Tick
the activities they mention.

watching a film /ˈwɒʧɪŋ ə fɪlm/ choosing a CD /ˈʧuːzɪŋ ə siː diː/ fishing /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/
studying /ˈstʌdiɪŋ/ waiting for a customer /ˈweɪtɪŋ fər ə ˈkʌstəmə/
making coffee /ˈmeɪkɪŋ ˈkɒfi/ having a massage /ˈhævɪŋ ə ˈmæsɑːʒ/
checking emails /ˈʧɛkɪŋ ˈiːmeɪlz/

B Listen again. Answer the questions.

1. What is the ‘agreement’ between the two shops?

2. What does the company pay for?
3. Why can the woman start work at 1p.m.?
Audio scripts in Annex 2 on page 16.

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Grammar
Present simple and continuous

6 A Read sentences a) and b). Answer the questions.

a. This is the clothes shop.

b. I’m having a break.

1. Which sentence describes something that is always true?

2. Which sentence describes a temporary situation?
3. Which sentence uses the present simple?
4. Which sentence uses the present continuous?

B Read sentences a)-d). Answer the questions.

a. I’m choosing my free CD for the week.

b. I’m checking my emails.
c. I’m studying history.
d. Six of us are doing online courses.

1. Which two sentences refer to this exact moment?

2. Which two sentences refer to the general present, but not to this moment?

Language bank

Present simple Present continuous

+ I work at home. I’m working at home.
He watches TV. He’s watching TV.
- She doesn’t study now. She isn’t studying now.
We don’t text in class. We’re not texting in class.
? Does he live with you? Is he living with you?
Where do the workers have lunch? Where are the workers having lunch?

Use the present simple to describe something that is always or generally true.

It is common to use these words with the present simple: sometimes, usually, every day,
often.

I usually get up at 7a.m.

Use the present continuous to talk about:

• an activity happening right now, at the time of speaking.
• a temporary activity happening around now (maybe at the moment, but maybe not).

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 Spelling with -ing forms

verbs ending in: rule example

-e -e + ing take - taking
vowel + consonant double the consonant + -ing run – running
-ie -ie + y die - dying
-y + -ing study - studying

Form the present continuous with the verb be + the -ing form of the verb.

It is common to use these words with the present continuous: now, at the moment, currently,
this month.
I’m living with my parents at the moment.

Some verbs are not usually used with continuous tenses: be, know, like, love, understand,
want, etc. These are called ‘state verbs’.

I want to go to bed now. Not I am wanting to go to bed now.

Practice

A Complete the conversations with the correct for of the verbs in the box. Use the
present simple or present continuous.

eat be wait know work wear play

1 A: It takes him ten minutes to get to work.

B: I know. His house ________________ far from the office.

2 A: Isn’t your son an actor?

B: Yes, but at the moment he ________________ in a restaurant.

3 A: What is all that noise? I’m trying to work!

B: I ________________ with the children.

4 A: What __________ you ____________ about the new software program?

B: The new software program? Absolutely nothing.

5 A: Why __________ you _____________ that jacket in the office? It’s really warm!
B: Because I’m cold!

6 A: Would you like some beef?

B: No, thanks. I ________________ meat. I’m a vegetarian.

7 A: Why are you standing there?

B: I ________________ for a taxi.

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B Find and correct the mistakes. There is a mistake in five of the sentences.

1. John works in sales and he is going to the office every day at 8a.m.
2. The new employee says she’s eighteen, but I’m not believing it.
3. At the moment, I’m doing a task for my boss.
4. Don’t buy a bottle of wine for her. She isn’t drinking alcohol.
5. I can’t speak Chinese, but my friend teaches me.
6. Excuse me, is anybody sitting here?
7. I’m taking art classes this term.
8. Hey! What do you do with that knife?

7 Make two sentences or questions with the prompts. Use the present simple and
present continuous.

1 You / work on a special task at the moment?

on Saturdays?
Are you working on special task at the moment?
Do you work on Saturdays?
2 I / look for a job at the moment ___________________________________
at my emails when I get to work __________________________________
3 I / not / use English for my job ___________________________________
the photocopier at the moment ___________________________________
4 You / watch the news on TV every day? ___________________________________
TV right now? ___________________________________
5 I / not / read any good books at the moment ___________________________________
a newspaper every morning ___________________________________
6 You / have a good time at this party? ___________________________________
a company car? ___________________________________
7 I / sell my house ___________________________________
IT products to companies in Asia _________________________________

8 A Make you questions with the prompts. Use the present simple or present continuous.

1. think / your salary / good? Do you think your salary is good? No, I don’t.
2. speak / any other languages? _____________________________________________
3. why / learn English? _____________________________________________
4. study for / an exam / now? _____________________________________________
5. work on / a special project / at the moment? ________________________________
6. have / your own / office? _______________________________________________
7. like / your / boss? _____________________________________________________
Answers in Annex 1 on page 12.

B Work in pairs. Choose four of five questions to ask you partner. Find similarities
and differences between you and your partner.

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 Adverbs of frequency - A risky business
Vocabulary: Jobs
1 A Work in pairs. Discuss. Which are the best/worst jobs? Think about:
• meeting people • opportunities to travel • problems to deal with
• tasks • hours of work • salary

B Match the jobs with photos A-G.

sales rep /seɪl rɛp/ fashion designer /ˈfæʃᵊn dɪˈzaɪnə/ IT consultant /aɪ tiː kənˈsʌltənt/
foreign correspondent /ˈfɒrɪn ˌkɒrɪsˈpɒndənt/ personal trainer /ˈpɜːsᵊnᵊl ˈtreɪnə/
rescue worker /ˈrɛskjuː ˈwɜːkə/ motorcycle courier /ˈməʊtəˈsaɪkl ˈkʊrɪə/

 listening 4 Stressed syllables

Listen and repeat. Underline the stressed syllables.
sale rep

Speakout TIP
The stressed part of a word or phrase sounds l o n g e r, LOUDER and higher than
the other parts. Practise saying new vocabulary, focusing on the stressed parts.
Photobank in Annex 3 on page 17.

2 A Complete the phrases with the words in the box.

work /wɜːk/ deal with /diːl wɪð/ risk /rɪsk/ get /ɡet/

1. __________ a good salary/long holidays

2. __________ in a team/under pressure
3. __________ their lives/your health
4. __________ problems/customers

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B Use the phrases to talk about the jobs in Exercise 1.
IT consultants get a good salary.

3 A Complete sentences 1-6 with the words in the box.

get /ɡet/ team /tiːm/ under /ˈʌndə/ deal /diːl/ holidays /ˈhɒlədiz, -deɪz/ risk /rɪsk/

1. People are more motivated when they ___________ a good salary.

2. People work better ___________ a lot of pressure.
3. It’s important that employees get long ___________ .
4. People who ___________ their lives at work should get more money.
5. It’s more enjoyable to work in a ___________ than alone.
6. These days, people usually ___________ with their own IT problems.
Answer in Annex 1 on page 10.

B Work in pairs. Discuss. Which of the sentences above do you agree/disagree with?
Why?

Reading

4 A Work in pairs. Discuss. Which of the jobs in Exercise 1 do you think is the best
paid, most interesting or most dangerous? Why?

B Work in groups. Student A read the text below, Students B on page 19 and
Student C on page 20 (Annex 4: Pair/group work). Make notes on:

• job • country • people interviewed

• why the job is dangerous • special memories/stories
C Tell your group about your text using the notes.

Student A

Up in the mountains, the view is beautiful. But not for emergency

doctor Martin Schmidt, paramedic Marius Adler and helicopter pilot
Klaus Hartmann. Their job is to find and rescue people in trouble:
climbers caught in an avalanche, injured skiers, even lost walkers.
Reporter Lucy Rose met the team and asked them about their work.

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Adler says they love their jobs, but they sometimes get angry with the people they rescue.
‘Climbers always risk their lives, but when they get into trouble they also risk ours.’

What exactly are the dangers? Hartmann says that, although the sun is shining today, they
usually fly in much worse weather conditions, which can be very dangerous. Another
problem is that, often, the people they rescue are frightened. They panic, and this makes it
difficult for the team.

And what are the best things about the job? Hartmann says, ‘Saving lives is its own reward.’
And occasionally they get a surprise. ‘One time we rescued a woman after a skiing accident.
She was badly hurt. Later her husband brought us a huge box of chocolates.’ The people they
rescue, Schmidt explains, hardly ever say thank you!

Grammar
Adverbs of frequency

5 A Look at the sentences 1-9. Put the words in bold in the correct place on the line.

1. He never worries. ____________________________________

2. Often the people they rescue are frightened. ____________________________________
3. The mountain rescuers sometimes get angry. ____________________________________
4. It usually involves a few broken bones. ____________________________________
5. Life as a jockey is rarely safe. ____________________________________
6. These people always risk their lives. ____________________________________
7. The people they rescue hardly ever say thank you. _______________________________
8. Once in a while jockeys even die during a race. __________________________________
9. Occasionally they get a surprise. ____________________________________

B Read your text again. Underline all the adverbs or expressions of frequency. Look
at the other texts to find more examples.

Language Bank

Use adverbs of frequency to say how frequently you do something. Some of the most common
are: never, rarely, occasionally, sometimes, often, usually, always.

There are several adverbial phrases of frequency, e.g. hardly ever, once in a while, every
day/month/year.

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With be, put the adverb after the verb.
I am always here.
They were usually early.

We usually put the adverb before other verbs.

I sometimes spoke to him.
We hardly ever ate there.

With auxiliary or modal verbs, we usually put the adverb after the auxiliary or modals.
She doesn’t stay here.  She doesn’t usually stay here.
We haven’t visited them.  We have never visited them.
I can help.  I can always help.

Adverbs of frequency can also go at the beginning, middle or end of a sentence.

Occasionally I go dancing.
I occasionally go dancing.
I go dancing occasionally.

Always and never do not normally go at the beginning or end of sentences.

Once in a while and every day/month/year usually go at the beginning or end of sentences.

There are other phrases to show how frequently something happens:

every day = one time per day
I have a shower every day.

once a week = one time per week

She writes to me once a week.

twice a week = two times per week

They go shopping twice a week.

Practice

A Put the words in the correct order to make sentences.

1. I / dinner / at / weekend / cook / sometimes / the

I sometimes cook dinner at the weekend.
2. once / I / while / go / in / swimming / a
_____________________________________________________
3. I / money / waste / never / my
_____________________________________________________

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4. Najim / often / tennis / play / doesn’t
_____________________________________________________
5. Akiko and Toshi / evening / stay / usually / the / home / at / in
_____________________________________________________
6. Why / late / are / always / you?
_____________________________________________________
7. I / work / Fridays / rarely / late / on
_____________________________________________________
8. Mary / ever / hardly / deals / with / customers
_____________________________________________________
9. occasionally / a / team / work / I / in
_____________________________________________________

B Underline the correct alternative.

1. Always / Usually / Hardly ever our IT consultant deals with these problems; it’s his job.
2. I get up early never / rarely / every day and go to work at 6a.m.
3. You sometimes / every week / once in a while need to risk your life in this job.
4. We often / never / rarely see each other – maybe once a year.
5. We occasionally / always / rarely work pressure; we never have a chance to relax.
6. Often / Hardly ever / Once in a while I speak to my boss – maybe once a month.
7. We have a summer party every year / always / never.
8. I deal with customers rarely / often / occasionally, but only if my boss is out.

6 A Find and correct the mistakes in sentences 1-6. There is one mistake in each
sentence.

1. I work always at night.

2. Once on a while I study at weekends.
3. I ever hardly study alone.
4. I work at home occasional.
5. It is sometime difficult to study and work at the same time.
6. I don’t usualy miss classes because of work.

B Write four sentences about your job or studies.

I deal with customers once in a while.

C Compare with a partner.

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Speaking

7 A Work in groups. You are making a TV programme about dangerous jobs. Discuss
the questions and choose three jobs for your programme.

1. Which jobs are dangerous? Why? How often are the people in dangerous situations?
2. Which jobs are the most interesting for your TV audience?
3. Who will you interview for the programme? What questions will you ask them?

B Work with another group and compare your ideas.

Design adapted by Mercado Paz Rubén

Source:
Clare A., Wildon JJ (2015): Speakout Pre-intermediate. Pearson Education Limited.

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 Annex 1: Answer key

The company 4U?

2 A Match the words in the box with definitions 1-10.

1- company 2- customer 3- bonus 4- office 5- employee

6- task 7- boss 8- staff 9- salary 10- employer

4 A  listening 2 Listen to someone talking about how companies motivate their

staff. How are the pictures (A-D) connected to the ideas?

A. Yahoo employees have a free bus ride to work.

B. Yahoo employees watch films together once a month.
C. Pontiflex provides a nap room for tis employees.
D. At one company, the boss writes thank-you notes to employees.

B Listen and check. Which other ideas do they talk about? Which ideas do you think
are the best?

At Yahoo there’s a dentist and a hairdresser at the office. At Google lunch is free and you can
get a cheap massage at the office. At another company the staff does a job swap two days a
year.

5 A  listening 3 Listen to three employees describing what they are doing. Tick
the activities they mention.

1. choosing a CD 2. studying 3. checking emails

B Listen again. Answer the questions.

1. The employees at the music shop get free coffee at Kinko’s. The employees at Kinko’s get
one free CD a week from the music shop.
2. It pays for employees to do courses.
3. Because the company has flexible hours.

Grammar
6 A Read sentences a) and b). Answer the questions.

1. a) 2. b) 3. a) 4. b)

B Read sentences a)-d). Answer the questions.

1. a) and b) 2. c) and d)

Language bank - Practice

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A Complete the conversation with the correct for of the verbs in the box. Use the
present simple or present continuous.

1. isn’t 2. ‘s working 3. ‘m playing

4. do, know 5. are, wearing 6. don’t eat
7. ‘m waiting

B Find and correct the mistakes. There is a mistake in five of the sentences.

1 John works in sales and he is going goes to the office every day at 8a.m.
2 The new employee says she’s eighteen, but I’m not believing I don’t believe it.
4 Don’t buy a bottle of wine for her. She isn’t drinking doesn’t drink alcohol.
5 I can’t speak Chinese, but my friend teaches ‘s teaching me.
8 Hey! What do you do are you doing with that knife?

7 Make two sentences or questions with the prompts. Use the present simple and present
continuous.
1. Are you working on a special task at the moment? – Do you work on Saturday?
2. I’m looking for a job at the moment. I look at my emails when I get to work.
3. I don’t use English for my job. I’m not using the photocopier at the moment.
4. Do you watch the news on TV every day? Are you watching TV right now?
5. I’m not reading any good books at the moment. I don’t read a newspaper every morning.
6. Are you having a good time at this party? Do you have a company car?
7. I’m selling my house. I sell IT products to companies in Asia.

8 A Make you questions with the prompts. Use the present simple or present continuous.

1. Do you think your salary is good?

2. Do you speak any other languages?
3. Why are you learning English?
4. Are you studying for an exam now?
5. Are you working on a special project at the moment?
6. Do you have your own office?
7. Do you like your boss?

A risky business - Vocabulary: Jobs

1 B Match the jobs with photos A-G

A. fashion designer B. rescue worker C. motorcycle courier

D. sales rep E. IT consultant F. foreign correspondent
G. personal trainer

Speakout TIP
The stressed part of a word or phrase sounds l o n g e r, LOUDER and higher than
the other parts. Practise saying new vocabulary, focusing on the stressed parts.

sales rep fashion designer IT consultant

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foreign correspondent personal trainer rescue worker
motorcycle courier

Photobank

1. P 2. I 3. E 4. G 5. J 6. B
7. H 8. O 9. M 10. D 11. K 12. N
13. L 14. C 15. F 16. A

2 A Complete the phrases with the words in the box.

1- get 2- work 3- risk 4- deal with

3 A Complete sentences 1-4 with the words in the box.

1- get 2- under 3- holidays 4- risk 5- team 6- deal

Reading

4 C Tell your group about your text using the notes.

Job: A mountain rescue worker B motorbike courier C jockey

Country: A Austria B Brazil C France
People interviewed
A: Martin Shimidt, emergency doctor; Marius Adler, paramedic; Klaus Hartmann, helicopter
pilot
B: Robert Coelho, motorbike courier; car drivers
C: Vincent Dax. Jockey
Why the job is dangerous:
A: bad weather conditions; people often panic, which makes the team’s job more
difficult/dangerous
B: accidents and robberies
C: broken bones and occasional deaths
Special memories/stories:
A: They once rescued a woman after a skiing accident. Her husband brought them a box of
chocolates to say thank you.
B: He was robbed and lost everything.
C: He once fell off his horse and was knocked unconscious.

Grammar - Adverbs of frequency

5 A Look at the sentences 1-9. Put the words in bold in the correct place on the line.

never hardly ever rarely occasionally/once in a while sometimes often usually always

B Read your text again. Underline all the adverbs or expressions of frequency. Look
at the other texts to find more examples.

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Text A
They sometimes get angry with the people they rescue; Climbers always risk their lives; they
usually fly in much worse weather conditions; often, the people they rescue are frightened;
occasionally, they get a surprise; The people they rescue … hardly ever say thank you

Text B
The motoboys usually earn just $450; they often work under time pressure; Once in a while,
they try to change the traffic laws

Text C
It is sometimes easy to forget; Life as a jockey is rarely safe and it usually involves a few
broken bones; Once in a while jockeys even die; he never worries

Language Bank - Practice

A Complete the conversation with the correct for of the verbs in the box. Use the
present simple or present continuous.

2 Once in a while; I go swimming. / I go swimming once in a while.

3 I never waste my money.
4 Najim doesn’t often play tennis.
5 Akiko and Toshi usually stay at home in the evening.
6 Why are you always late?
7 I rarely work late in Fridays?
8 Mary hardly ever deals with customers.
9 Occasionally; I work in a team. / I occasionally work in a team. / I work in a team
occasionally.

B Find and correct the mistakes. There is a mistake in five of the sentences.

1. Usually 2. every day 3. sometimes 4. rarely

5. always 6. Once in a while 7. every year 8. occasionally

6 A Find and correct the mistakes.

1 I always work at night. 2 Once in a while I study at weekends.
3 I hardly ever study alone. 4 I work at home occasionally.
5 It is sometimes difficult to study and work 6 I don’t usually miss classes because of
at the same time. work.

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 Annex 2: Audio script

The company 4 U?

2 Listen to someone talking about how companies motivate their staff.

A: Today we’re looking at how companies motivate their staff. Sarah, can you tell us more?
B: Absolutely. Internet companies are famous for this type of thing. At Yahoo there’s a free
bus ride to work for employees. There’s also a dentist and a hairdresser at the office.
A: Makes life easier for employees …
B: Exactly. And, wait for it, one day a month the staff watch films together.
A: Great ideas.
B: Yep. Now at Google, lunch is free, and you can also get a cheap massage at the office.
A: Wow!
B: And other companies are bringing in new ideas, too. A company called Pontiflex in New
York created a nap room, where employees could sleep for 15 minutes.
A: Nice idea.
B: At several companies we’re hearing that the relationship between bosses and employees is
changing. At one company, the boss writes thank-you notes to employees. At another,
the staff does a job swap two days a year. So a senior manager might clean floors for the
day, and the cleaner can sit in an air-conditioned office.
A: Does that motivate everybody?
B: Well, it helps employees to see what everyone else is doing in the company, which I think
is … very valuable and of course …

3 Listen to three employees describing what they are doing.

Conversation 1
M = Man I = Interviewer

M: Hi. I work at Kinko’s office shop across the street. But, er, at the moment I’m having a
break here in the music shop.
I: And what are you doing on your break?
M: I’m choosing my free CD for the week.
I: Free CD? Can you tell us a bit more? Why are you doing this?
M: Sure. Kinko’s, the coffee shop, has an agreement with the music shop. The employees at
the music shop get free coffee at Kinko’s. They all come in during their break. And we
get one free CD a week form the music shop.
I: Great!
M: We all know each other and it works really well.

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Conversation 2
W = Woman I = Interviewer

W: So, this is the clothes shop. And this is the study area.
I: Right. So you have a study area?
W: Yeah. As you can see, David, over there, is studying. And these two are doing an online
course.
I: And this is during company hours? Does the boss know about this?
W: It’s the boss’ idea. The company pays for employees to do courses. So during our breaks
or after seven when the shop closes, we can stay on and study.
I: That’s excellent. And are you studying at the moment?
W: Yeah, but I’m not studying anything connected with fashion.
I: What are you studying?
W: I’m studying history.
I: And the company pays?
W: The company pays. It pays for about six of us. I think six of us are doing online courses.
I: Brilliant.

Conversation 3
E = Employee I = Interviewer

E: Hi there. I work for a software company.

I: And what are you doing now?
E: Well, I’m checking my emails at the moment because I need to see what work I have to
do today.
I: At one o’clock?
E: Well, the company has flexible hours. You can arrive when you want and go home at any
time.
I: That’s sounds good.
E: It’s great. We get a salary for good work, not for the time we spend in the office. So, really,
the important thing is to do your job well. That’s what the boss says, anyway!

17
 Annex 3: Photobank

A risky business – job

1 Match photos A-P to the jobs.

1. accountant /əˈkaʊntənt/ - 2. architect /ˈɑːkətekt/ -

3. businessman /ˈbɪznəsmən/ woman /ˈwʊmən/- 4. chef /ʃef/ -
5. electrician /ɪˌlekˈtrɪʃən, ˌelɪk-/ - 6. estate agent /ɪsˈteɪt ˈeɪʤənt/ -
7. housewife /ˈhaʊswaɪf/ - 8. lawyer /ˈlɔːjə/ -
9. PA (personal assistant /ˈpɜːsᵊnᵊl əˈsɪstənt/) - 10. plumber /ˈplʌmə/ -
11. receptionist /rɪˈsepʃənɪst/ - 12. sales assistant /seɪlz əˈsɪstənt/ -
13. scientist /ˈsaɪəntɪst/ - 14. soldier /ˈsəʊldʒə/-
15. TV presenter /prɪˈzentə/ - 16. vet /vet/ -

2 Work in pairs. Discuss. Which jobs do you think are dangerous/enjoyable/boring?

Why?

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 Annex 4: Pair/group work

A risky business

Student B

In Brazil, they are called motoboys, and on average, one of

them dies in traffic every day. Foreign correspondent Peter
Lane met the motoboys of São Paulo. He learnt that accidents
are not the only problem – there are also robberies. It happened
to Roberto Coelho.

‘It was terrible, a really bad time for me. I lost everything. We don’t have insurance and the
company doesn’t help us.’ The motoboys usually earn just $450 a month.

Lane asks, ‘When you know the streets are dangerous, why do you still drive so fast?’ Coelho
says it’s because they often work under time pressure. ‘We know it’s dangerous, but we have
no choice.’

Lane also spoke to some car drivers. One said, ‘These

motorcycle couriers are so dangerous. They drive too
fast and they don’t care about the rules of the road.’
Another said, ‘Most of them are just kids. It’s no
surprise they have accidents.’

Once in a while, they try to change the traffic laws – they want the motoboys to drive like
everyone else. But the changes all failed, so the motoboys continue to risk their lives in one
of the most dangerous jobs in the world.

19
Student C

‘Bang!’ goes the gun. The gates open and the horses come
running out. All eyes are on them. Money, fame and glory are
the prizes.

Horse riding looks so beautiful that it is sometimes easy to forget how dangerous it is. Life as
a jockey is rarely safe and it usually involves a few broken bones. Once in a while, jockeys
even die during a race.

Jill Cleveland spoke to jockey Vincent Dax in France. As a

young man, Dax was one of the best jockeys of his
generation. He knows the sport is dangerous, but he never
worries. ‘When the race starts, we forget about the danger.
We know it’s not like riding a bicycle or driving a car; but
all we think about is winning.’

During his career; Dax has broken many bones, including both arms and one leg, and he once
fell off his horse and was knocked unconscious. So why do jockeys risk their lives? ‘We love
racing. We love the speed and we love the money. Jockeys know the risks involved, but we
are good at what we do. If we get hurt, we just get back on the horse. That’s life.’

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