Bicycling

I love bicycling. It makes me feel free to grab my bike, pump up the tires, and head out the door, knowing I can go anywhere within 25 miles of my house.

Some days I take a ride on the bike trail that goes along the stream. In the middle of my ride, I can stop and get off the bike, sit down on a bench, and listen to the sounds of the water rushing over the rocks. It sounds beautiful, and helps me relax and clear my mind. When I feel refreshed, I get back on my bike and continue to ride.

Along the trail, I pass dozens of people.

Janeia’s First Bicycle Ride

When Janeia was 6 years old, her mother bought her a shiny red bicycle, complete with training wheels, for her birthday. Janeia was so excited that she jumped up and down for almost ten minutes when her father got the bike from the garage, where it had been hiding for nearly three weeks, and wheeled it into the kitchen.  It had a huge pink bow on it and was glowing brightly in the late-morning light of the kitchen.

Both of her parents were nervous that she might hurt herself when she started to learn how to ride, so they had also gotten her a green helmet and green elbow- and kneepads.  Janeia insisted that they go outside immediately and begin riding.  Even though her father was already late for work, he thought it best to spend at least 15 more minutes at the house watching his daughter take her first ride on a bike.  The two of them were gliding slowly up and down the driveway when Jan’s mother remembered to go and get the video camera, so that she could record this once-in-a-lifetime moment.

On Janeia’s 24th birthday, her father planned to show her a copy of the video her mother had made some 18 years earlier.  They all watched and laughed at the look Janeia had on her face when her dad first carried the bike through the door and set it on the warm tiled floor of the kitchen.  Her parents told her she was sheer joy and reassured her that the bike, both at the time and in retrospect, was maybe even a greater gift to them than it could have been to Janeia herself.

Today she turns 46 and she still smiles and is filled with joy when she watches the movie her mom recorded that morning.

Training

AUDIO FILE – Sports & Past Times Dictation

Audio Dictation –  Press play on the audio link above and listen to the sentences being read.  Fill in the blanks below with the missing words:

1. There are few things in life better than ______________________ spent on the beach.
2. Would you prefer to go _________________________  this afternoon?
3. How many people are we going to need for a pick-up _______________________?
4. I’d love to go ____________, ________________________ each time I go.
5. The boardwalk was so crowded that ____________________________ as fast as we would have liked.
6. She had never before seen _______________________ in one place.

 (Answers below)

Answers

1. There are few things in life better than a long summer day spent on the beach.
2. Would you prefer to go for a bike ride or a walk in the park this afternoon?
3. How many people are we going to need for a pick-up game of basketball?
4. I’d love to go skiing, but it’s so expensive each time I go.
5. The boardwalk was so crowded that we couldn’t skate down it as fast as we would have liked.
6. She had never before seen so many people dancing in one place.