Englisch BHS, Maturatraining mit Audio-CD

79 Tapescript The Afghanistan marathon (CD 12) Announcer: You are going to listen to a radio report about running a marathon in Afghanistan. First you will have 45 seconds to study the task below, then you will hear the recording twice. While listening, complete the sentences (1–8) using a maximum of four words. Write your answers in the spaces provided. „e…rst one (0) has been done for you. A‡er the second listening, you will have 45 seconds to check your answers. (45 sec pause, acoustic signal) Presenter: Afghanistan recently hosted its…rst international marathon. It was held in the relatively peaceful Bamiyan province, high in the mountains west of the capital, Kabul. „e aim was to prove that, despite the challenges faced by the country and its people, it is possible to look beyond the con¥ict and, through running, unite people of di˜erent groups, faiths and genders in a positive way. Journalist, broadcaster and keen amateur runner Kris Klompas took part in the event and sent this report. Kris: We gathered on the plain in the cold wind, the mountains to the south of us covered in snow. Below us lay our route, the freshly tarmacked road to Bamiyan, the provincial capital. It’s an area that has largely escaped the violence of recent years and has already hosted sports events such as bicycle races, student marathons and winter ski races. However, preparations for this race were anything but normal. Race dates would usually be publicised to attract as many runners and crowds as possible. Here organisers had to take a di˜erent approach, keeping the details quiet and maintaining a low pro…le to avoid creating a potential target for trouble-makers. „ere had been endless discussions beforehand over cups of green tea with the local authorities – the state governor, police, army and faith leaders – to ensure their cooperation and guarantee the safety of the participants. On race day more than 60 of us assembled at the start as water melon slices and cakes were handed round. „e runners were from di˜erent ethnic groups within Afghanistan as well as from Britain, Canada, the US and Belgium. In addition, 45 Hazara girls were taking part in a separate 10-kilometre race for local females. It had been arranged by Free to Run, an organisation set up by a human rights lawyer, Stephanie Case, to give girls in con¥ict areas con…dence and education as well as exercise. „ese girls, in their hijabs were just as competitive as us men, and could hardly wait for the countdown before setting o˜ at a terri…c pace. For many of the runners this was their…rst marathon, and at an altitude of three thousand metres above sea level everyone knew it wouldn’t be easy. As we ran over the high plateau, the scenery was literally breathtaking. Descending through a gorge of the Bamiyan River, heavily-loaded donkeys crossed our path. We continued past…elds of potatoes being harvested by whole families, before the onset of the harsh winter. „ey looked at us in bemusement before breaking into huge grins and greeting us in the traditional way with a salaam. „en there were the friends on motorbikes, who rode alongside us, o˜ering li‡s to the tiring runners – obviously not familiar with marathon etiquette! I confess I was tempted, especially on the steepest climbs. But we all kept going. It was a long hard slog, more than 6 hours for some. I managed a respectable three and a bit hours, though hardly a personal best. But as we…nished on a desert hilltop overlooking the beautiful fertile valley below, we all felt a sense of overwhelming pride in the success of the event. Proudest of all was the state governor who presented us with our prizes. „e fact that the race took place at all was a triumph. It showed that people can come together in the most unlikely of circumstances against all the odds. Together we had created a good news story about Afghanistan, a rare event. Presenter: And the latest news is that the Afghanistan Marathon is planned to take place again next year. Now moving on, in our next report we … [fade out] (15 sec pause, acoustic signal, track replays, 45 sec pause) Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv