Sturgis Motorcycle Rally - Free Podcast #14

In this episode we will be discussing the following:

Part 1 - Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

Part 2 – Short Story

Part 3 – Questions & answers

Hi everyone, my name is David, and it is my goal to help you learn English faster. Learning to speak English is easier than you think, you just need to use the correct learning methods. Remember that you can always access the complete written transcripts for each podcast at learningenglishfaster.com.

Part 1 - Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

Sturgis, South Dakota, United States is notable as the location of one of the largest and most famous annual motorcycle events in the world. The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is a 10-day event that begins on the first Friday of every August. It attracts large numbers of motorcycle enthusiasts from around the entire world. The founder of the famous event is Clarence Hoel, but many just call him “Pappy.” In 1936, Pappy bought an Indian motorcycle franchise and formed the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club the same year. The story is that someone saw Pappy and his friends on their motorcycles and said that they looked like a bunch of gypsies. A gypsy is a person who wanders from place to place and never really calls one place home. A Jack pine is a type of pine tree that is common in the areas around Sturgis. Pappy and his fellow riders held the first Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in 1938. There was a motorcycle race and motorcycle stunts, and Pappy even let people attending the rally camp out on his property. Stunts included crashing through walls of flaming boards, ramps, and even head-on collisions with automobiles.

In the early 1980’s the rally became so large that the Jackpine Gypsies handed the event over to the city of Sturgis. Today, the event is typically attended by about half a million motorcycle riders.

Part 2 – Short Story

Just listen and try to paint a picture of the story in your mind.

One day Joe heard about all the wild fun at the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Joe wanted to go to the rally, but he had a problem, he did not have a motorcycle. Joe found a place that rented motor scooters, and that gave him an idea. Joe talked some of his friends into renting motor scooters and going to the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Joe even had t-shirts made that said “scooters motor club” on the back. Joe’s friends were concerned that they might get beaten up if the real bikers did not have a sense of humor, but Joe told them all not to worry about a thing. When Joe and his friends rode into Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on their scooters, everyone was pointing at them and laughing. It turns out that everyone at the rally wanted to have their picture taken with Joe and his friends on their scooters. Joe and his friends were welcomed everywhere they went, and they cannot wait to return to Sturgis next year.

Part 3 – Questions & answers

Now I will tell a small part of the story followed by a pause, this pause is your turn to answer out loud. Short and quick one or two-word answers are best. This technique simulates a conversation and helps you to start thinking in English.

One day Joe heard about all the wild fun at the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

-Did Joe hear about the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally?

Yep, Joe heard about all the wild fun at Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Joe wanted to go to the rally, but he had a problem, he did not have a motorcycle.

-What was Joe’s problem, he did not know how to ride a motorcycle, or he did not have a motorcycle?

Joe’s problem is that he did not have a motorcycle.