The spider boy
(Level: A2  / Elementary to Pre-Intermediate /  * to **)

You are going to watch to a TV show (from National Geographic) with 11-year-old Tom Buchanan from Australia as he was lying in a plastic box with spiders during the Australia Guinness World Records (TV show) that took place in Sydney, New South Wales on 27 August 2005.

Before watching:

The following words and notes could be useful:
a moniker = nickname: surnom
swelling: gonflement (dû à une morsure)
This takes the cake: ça, c'est le bouquet!
the guideline: la directive
to pour: verser / déverser
to tickle: chatouiller
wranglers = cow-boys
to squash: écraser

The golden (silk) orb (weavers): a type of spiders noted for the impressive webs they weave (to weave = tisser). They can also be called giant wood spiders or banana spiders.


Now watch the video and answer the questions (multiple-choice)

 

 

 

While watching:

Choose the right alternative:

1.  To break the record, Tom had to get in the plastic box…

                    a) with 75 spiders for 30 seconds.

                    b) with 125 spiders for 30 seconds or more.

                    c) with 125 spiders for 55 seconds.

 

2.  Tom was doing this…

a)      because he liked spiders and had been with them for 3 years.

b)      because he thought it was fun.

c)      because he wanted to please his mum.

d)      because he wanted to be famous

 

3.  These spiders were poisonous.

                   a) True   

                   b) False     

                   c) The information  is not in the video

4.   He doesn’t like having spiders in his hair.

                   a) True    

                   b) False    

                   c) The information is not in the video

 

5. Why didn’t  he get up before they’d  removed all the spiders? Because…

                   a)  …it was necessary according to the guideline.

                   b) …there was a spider on his eye.

                   c) …he didn’t want to kill any.

 

6. How long was he in the box?

                   a) 30 seconds     

                   b) 55 seconds     

                   c) 40 seconds

 

7. Did his mother mind that?

                   a) No, she didn’t     

                   b) Yes, she did     

                   c) Just a little

 

8. The Guinness Book adjudicator’s instruction was:

                  a) Tom could only wear shorts and had to lie on his back.

                  b) Tom had to lie on his back for more than 50 seconds.

                 c) Tom had to lie with spiders preferably on his face for more than 30 seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

When you are finished, check your answers

 

1.  To break the record, Tom had to get in the plastic box…

                    a) with 75 spiders for 30 seconds.

               

2.  Tom was doing this…

                     b) because he thought it was fun.

 

3.  These spiders were poisonous.

                    b) False     

                  

4.   He doesn’t like having spiders in his hair.

                    c) The information is not in the video

 

5. Why didn’t  he get up before they’d  removed all the spiders? Because…

                    c) …he didn’t want to kill any.

 

6. How long was he in the box?

                    b) 55 seconds     

                  

7. Did his mother mind that?

                    c) Just a little

 

8. The Guinness Book adjudicator’s instruction was:

                  a) Tom could only wear shorts and had to lie on his back.