Harmony

Harmony

MAY EL-KHALIL

MAY EL-KHALIL

MAY EL-KHALIL was a marathon* runner and local sports official in Beirut, Lebanon. In 2003, she was inspired to found the Beirut Marathon after she nearly died in a running accident. Beirut had been the scene of a long-running civil war in Lebanon. Over the past decade, the Beirut Marathon has become not only the largest running event in the Middle East but also a powerful force for peace. May El-Khalil's idea worth spreading is that political turmoil can be overcome if opponents can put aside their differences for a day and join together to complete something challenging and rewarding – like a marathon.

Exercise 01

You are going to watch a TED Talk by May El-Khalil called Making peace is a marathon. Read the text about the speaker and the talk, then work in pairs and answer the questions.

Open Ended

1. Why do you think people in a war-torn country would be interested in a sporting event?

Open Ended

2. What skills and qualities do you think are necessary to prepare for and run a marathon?

Open Ended

3. Do you know other stories of people who created something good out of something that seemed very bad?

Exercise 02

Read the sentences (1–6). The words in bold are used in the TED Talk. First guess the meaning of the words. Then match the words with their definitions.

Read the sentences, then slect the correct word according to the definitions.

• The country was torn apart by a civil war that lasted six years. 

• The leaders of the opposing parties are civil when they meet.

• Something happened one fateful day that changed everything for me.

• The country is unstable and likely to fall into chaos.

• The peace agreement is new and still vulnerable to being destroyed.

• Doing good is contagious because when people see the result, they want to join in. 

Multiple Choice

Conflict between different groups of people from the same country.

Multiple Choice

Polite in a formal way.

Multiple Choice

Life-changing.

Multiple Choice

Likely to change suddenly.

Multiple Choice

Weak and easily hurt by.

Multiple Choice

Easily spread to other people.

Discourse markers

Discourse markers are words and expressions such as anyway, right, as I say, to begin with that show the connections between ideas and to engage listeners. Others, such as frankly, as a matter of fact, and by the way show a speaker's attitude. Recognising discourse markers will help you understand how ideas are connected.

Exercise 04

Look at the Authentic listening skills box. Then listen to extracts 1–3 from the TED Talk. 

Exercise 05

Match your underlined words with functions a–c.

Multiple Choice

a. Showing contrasting ideas

• You know, Lebanon as a country has been once destroyed by a long and bloody civil war.

• Honestly, I don't know why they call it civil war when there is nothing civil about it.

• For years, the country has been divided between politics and religion. However, for one day a year, we truly stand united, and that's when the marathon takes place.

Multiple Choice

b. engaging the listener by identifying shared knowledge

• You know, Lebanon as a country has been once destroyed by a long and bloody civil war.

• Honestly, I don't know why they call it civil war when there is nothing civil about it.

• For years, the country has been divided between politics and religion. However, for one day a year, we truly stand united, and that's when the marathon takes place.

Multiple Choice

c. showing the strength of the speaker's feeling

• You know, Lebanon as a country has been once destroyed by a long and bloody civil war.

• Honestly, I don't know why they call it civil war when there is nothing civil about it.

• For years, the country has been divided between politics and religion. However, for one day a year, we truly stand united, and that's when the marathon takes place.

Exercise 06

Write one discourse marker in each extract.