Project in Costa Rica – B
Exercise 2: Can you listen to the account and then put these statements in the order in which you hear the points made?
a They booked some lavish hotels in the town before going out to the projects.
b The people in one group knew each other – in the other they just knew of each other.
c They had been told to set up an exercise plan before leaving for Costa Rica so that they were physically fit by the time they arrived.
d The teams gelled really well, apart from one person who was rude.
e They had a training weekend in Kielder forest, when it was very cold & very wet.
f The trip involved two different projects and a three-day trek.
g However, they learned their lesson because they were back within budget by the end of the 3 weeks away.
h The malaria tablets made some people feel grumpy and nauseous.
i This meant they risked coming in over budget, which they were not supposed to do.
j In her group there were also three young people from a school in Scotland whom nobody else had met before.
k They found the climate hot, humid and tiring.
l Some people felt homesick at the beginning of the project.
m Annie wanted to go somewhere out of Europe.
n Having to take total control over budgeting, book accommodation and meals was a new experience for Annie.
Exercise 3
o The people with whom they worked in more remote areas were shy, and less easy to communicate with.
p She is aware it is a clichéd thing to say, but it was a coming-of-age journey for her.
q They were used to socialising with foreigners, and miming instructions because of the language barriers.
r Now she has seen poverty and lived with it, she hopes she will continue to be aware of issues to do with poverty.
s What impressed Annie was that they were very hard workers, and clearly determined to set up the clinic they were building.
t She reflects that before this trip she had never fully understood poverty.
u The people they met on the turtle conservation project were used to outsiders coming in.
v They had to have an adult with them of course, but he really took a back seat and did what they had organised.