FATEFUL BIKE

by Rob MacMillan

La versión en español

NIVEL: Principiante – Intermedio

30 minutos para cada ejercicio

Eight or nine years ago my wife and I were thinking of moving to Spain to live. During this period I had planned to spend a day mountain biking with some friends in the hills of Scotland, a very beautiful area which is perfect for off - road cycling.

Unfortunately, I fell off my bicycle that day and broke my left collarbone and four ribs! As I work in the offshore oil industry this of course meant that I could not go to work.

LEARNING SPANISH

I realized that for the next few months I was going to be inactive, so I started to learn Spanish. This four-month period of intensive study gave me a good basis on which to build later.

Scottish Highland scene. Hotel Las Piramides, Fuengirola.

A year or two later I started to study for a modern languages degree, [Spanish and English], at university and at present I have one more year to do to complete my studies. One day I would like to work as an English teacher.

LIVING IN SPAIN

Over the last two years we have visited most of the tourist towns in Spain and we have completed our plans to move to Spain. We have decided to live in Fuengirola in Andalucia.

One of the reasons for choosing Fuengirola is that Pablo Picasso airport in Málaga has flights to many destinations in the United Kingdom every day, and good communications are important to me.

SPANISH CULTURE

Another reason was simply the way of life in the south of Spain; we love the culture, the Spanish attitude to life and, of course, the sunny weather.

QUESTIONS

1. When did the writer and his wife first start to think of moving to Spain?

2. How does the writer describe the hill region (Highlands) of Scotland?

3. What injuries did the writer suffer when he fell off his bicycle?

4. How long did he spend in his first period of intensive study?

5. When will the writer complete his  language studies at University?

6. What kind of work would the author like to do in the future?

7. In what period of time does the writer say he and his wife have visited most of the tourist towns in Spain?

8. Mention one of the author’s main reasons for choosing Fuengirola.

9. Málaga airport is named after a famous Spanish artist: which artist?

10. Please state two of the things the author likes about Spain.

Palabras o frases claves:

1. Eight years ago

2. A very beautiful area

3. Broken collarbone and four ribs

4. Four months

5. In one more year

6. English teacher

7. Two years

8. Airport has many flights to UK

9. Pablo Picasso

10. The way of life; the sunny weather