Slow but Steady Wins the Race!

Hello everyone! How are you today?

What does “Slow but Steady Wins the Race” mean? It means that if you do work consistently and correctly you will reach your goal. This is also true when you are learning English: if you practice a little bit every day, you will slowly get better until you are fluent!

So, let’s do a listening today! Watch the following video and read the content in the text to understand the video. Also, at the bottom of the page you will find the vocabulary.

Content

“Snails donned their racing stripes for the 43rd Annual Snail Racing Championships in France.

Starting at the center of the circle, the gastropod sprinters slimed for their lives to the outer edge at the annual festival in Lagardere. And the stakes were high. Losers faced the prospect of turning into escargot.

Participants watched as the trail-glazing snails crept to the outer edge.

– “It’s great. It’s a lot of fun. It’s all about nature and it’s something different from what we usually see. It’s a little bit like horse racing with a bit of passion, and there you go.”

Winners received a pardon by the city’s Mayor Patrick Dubos.

– “We used to have a tradition of making ‘escargolades’ and eating the snails. One day we had an idea of having them race – it was just a silly idea and there was nothing more to it than that – it was not premeditated.”

This year’s champions will face a new crop of racers next summer – hopefully moving at anything but a snail’s pace.”

Vocabulary

To don – (verb) to put on (a piece of clothing).
Stripes – (noun) a long, narrow line of color
Gastropod – (noun) the scientific name of snails.
Sprinter – (noun) person who runs races over a short distance at a very fast speed.
To slime – (verb) to leave a trail of thick, slippery liquid.
Stakes – (noun) something (such as money) that you could win or lose in a game, contest, etc.
Escargot – (noun)  a dish of cooked land snails, usually served as an appetizer in France and in French restaurants.
To creep – (verb) to move slowly with the body close to the ground
Pardon – (noun) forgiveness for something
Race – (noun) a competition between people, animals, vehicles, etc., to see which one is fastest
Premeditated – (adjective)  done or made according to a plan : planned in advance
Crop – (noun) a group of people – in this case, snales – who begin to do something at the same time

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