ABOUT YOU
03 Watch the video and then answer the questions.
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Do you prefer team sports or individual sports? Why?
I prefer team sports like football and basketball because playing with friends is much more motivating and exciting. Working together to win a match teaches cooperation and makes celebrating victory more fun. -
Which new sport or activity would you like to try?
I would like to try rock climbing or snowboarding because they seem challenging and provide a great adrenaline rush. -
How important is it to do sport regularly?
Doing sport regularly is extremely important because it helps maintain physical health, strengthens muscles, and reduces stress after a long day at school. -
Why do you think people like to take part in sports competitions?
People like taking part in competitions to test their abilities against others, experience the thrill of winning, and see how much their training has improved their skills.
VOCABULARY
1 Look at the photos. Discuss the questions.
- Which are individual sports? Which are team sports?
- Individual sports: Swimming (photo C), athletics/running (photos A and F), and tennis (photo E - singles).
- Team sports: Ice hockey (photo B) and football (photo D). Tennis (photo E) can also be a team sport when played in doubles.
- Which of these sports can you do at your school?
At our school, we can play football, run on the athletics track, and play tennis on the school court during physical education lessons.
2 Listen to three people talking about sport. Which sports do they talk about?
- Speaker 1: Swimming
- Speaker 2: Football (soccer)
- Speaker 3: Ice hockey
3 Listen again. Choose the correct words to complete the phrases.
- enter a competition or tournament
- win a prize, medal, game or match
- score a goal or point
- lose a game or match
- beat the other team
- have a go at something
- join a club
- give (someone) the chance
- miss an opportunity to do something
4 Complete the email with some of the phrases from Exercise 3.
Hi Helen,
I’ve just got more information about the tournament at the local tennis club next week. I think I’m going to 1 enter the tournament because I like tennis, and it looks like fun. The tournament isn’t only for people who are good at tennis. They want to 2 give people the chance to play, even if they aren’t very good at it. Why don’t you 3 have a go at playing a few matches? It’s all friendly and just for fun, so it doesn’t matter if you 4 lose all your matches. But if you do very well, you might 5 win a prize!
I think they’re looking for members for their club, too. I hope you can make it – we don’t want to 6 miss the opportunity to take part.
Text me if you want to know more.
Emma
5 Discuss the questions.
1 Have you ever won a medal? How did you feel?
Yes, I won a bronze medal in a school running race last spring. I felt proud of my achievement and excited to train even more.
2 Have you ever scored a goal or a point in a game? How did you feel?
Yes, I scored a goal during a football match with my classmates. It felt fantastic because the score helped our team win the match.
3 Which clubs have you joined or would you like to join? Why?
I have joined our school volleyball club because I enjoy team sports and want to stay healthy. I would also like to join a chess club to improve my logical thinking and concentration.
READING
1 Look at the photo of Ntando Mahlangu. What does he do? Read the article quickly and check your ideas.
Ntando Mahlangu is a Paralympic athlete and an amputee runner from South Africa who races using special prosthetic running blades.
2 Read the article again and the questions below. For each question, choose the correct answer.
1 B (He does not let challenges worry him.) 2 A (He prefers not to talk about it.) 3 D (He accepts that he may not get there.) 4 B (other people will follow his good behaviour.) 5 C (He’s a talented guy and nice, too.)
3 Match the highlighted words in the article to the meanings.
1 people who are in a competition – competitors 2 participates in an activity with other people – takes part in 3 has done something better than anyone has done before – broken a world record 4 doing a lot of things or moving around a lot – active 5 be in a race or competition – compete
TALKING POINTS
Why is it useful to have a positive attitude in life? Do you think it’s important to be competitive? Why? What do you think makes someone want to be the best at something, such as a sport?
A positive attitude helps people overcome difficult situations, stay motivated, and cope with stress. Being reasonably competitive is important because it pushes us to work harder and achieve better results, although enjoying the process and showing respect to others is just as essential. People usually want to be the best because they love what they do, enjoy setting high goals, and feel inspired by personal progress and recognition from others.
GRAMMAR
1 Match the examples to the rules.
1 b (to talk about a fact, system or process) 2 e (to talk about future plans and arrangements that we are sure about) 3 a (to talk about something that we do regularly) 4 d (to talk about things that are happening now) 5 c (with state verbs (want, like, love, etc.) which describe what we like, think and feel)
2 Choose the correct verb forms.
1 Most athletes begin their day with exercise. 2 Wow! This is an exciting final. Everyone is playing so well. 3 I ‘m meeting Maria later today. 4 I usually get up at about 7 o’clock. 5 The new fitness coach speaks French and comes from Canada. 6 Our class is visiting a castle tomorrow. 7 Do you think you really know all your friends on your social media sites? 8 My brother likes the same music as you.
3 Read the sentences. Which have a mistake? Correct the mistakes.
1 Mistake: Tonight we are going to the cinema. 2 Correct: I’m writing to invite you to a picnic in the park on Saturday. 3 Mistake: Those flowers smell really lovely. 4 Mistake: That’s the reason why I am speaking to you today. 5 Correct: I’m really pleased you are visiting my country. 6 Mistake: Su-Jay is wearing his new trainers today. 7 Correct: This evening, I’m going to a beach party with my friends. 8 Mistake: My dad’s company produces material for NASA.
4 Think about a famous sportsperson. Find out about him or her and make some notes. Present your sportsperson to the class. Try to use the present simple and continuous.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh is a famous high jumper from Ukraine. She holds the world record in the women’s high jump and competes in international championships. She trains hard every day to stay in top shape. At the moment, Yaroslava is preparing for her next big athletic tournament and is working on improving her technique.
VOCABULARY
1 Read the sentences and complete the words.
1 Ntando runs. He is a runner. 2 He competes in the Paralympics. He’s a competitor.
2 Choose the correct suffix to make the words into nouns for people. Sometimes the spelling of the word changes when the suffix is added.
| -er | -ist | -or |
|---|---|---|
| climber | canoeist | sailor |
| footballer | spectator | |
| surfer | ||
| swimmer | ||
| winner |
3 Complete the words with the correct suffix.
1 My sister is a soccer player. 2 My dad was the oldest competitor in the swimming race. 3 Every Sunday a group of cyclists ride past our house. 4 We didn’t win the game. We were the losers. 5 Thousands of football supporters travelled to London last week for the cup final.
4 Choose the correct word to complete the sentence.
1 Shh! I’m watching the final of the rugby world cup. It’s so exciting! 2 Even if I didn’t win the competition, I was proud that I was a finalist. 3 He won the silver medal, but wanted the gold. 4 At the Paris Olympics, Olexandr Khyzniak became a gold medallist in boxing.
WRITING
1 Ntando received his first blades from an organisation called Jumping Kids. There are many organisations that do similar work. Read a post on a school website about Runners Inc. What is it? Don’t read the comments yet.
Runners Inc. is an organisation that gives children with leg amputations the chance to lead full and active lives by providing them with special equipment to help them walk and run.
2 Read Zoe’s and Nat’s online comments. Then answer the questions.
1 Zoe suggests organising a non-uniform day where each student donates £1 and wears green clothes. 2 She links her suggestions using the words and phrases and, as well, and In addition. 3 Nat mentions doing a sponsored run around the school sports field. 4 He gives three reasons for his idea: there are lots of runners in the school, most people like doing things for charity, and it is a good way to tell the community about Runners Inc. 5 He links his reasons using the linking words and, Also, and as well.
3 Read the Prepare to write box. What phrases do Zoe and Nat use to make suggestions?
Zoe uses the phrases “Why don’t we (organise…)” and “we could (all wear…)”. Nat uses the phrases “Why not (encourage…)” and “What about (posting…)”.
4 Read the task below and plan your ideas.
- Sport: Skateboarding and rollerblading.
- Why teenagers would enjoy it: It is modern, active, exciting, and allows teenagers to learn cool tricks while hanging out with friends.
- Why it is good for the club: It attracts a large number of young members, requires minimal indoor equipment (such as ramps and rails), and encourages teamwork and social interaction.
5 Write your comment.
Why don’t we open an indoor skateboarding and rollerblading section? It is a great sport for teenagers because it is exciting, active, and keeps everyone fit. Teenagers would definitely love learning new tricks and spending time with their friends after school. In addition, this sport would be fantastic for the club because it attracts many new members, and we could also organise local competitions. I would really recommend that!
ABOUT YOU
What kinds of weather do you like / dislike? How do you or your family check the weather forecast? What is the weather usually like at this time of year where you live?
I really like warm, sunny weather because I can spend time outside and ride my bicycle, but I dislike cold, rainy, and windy days. My family and I usually check the weather forecast using weather apps on our smartphones or by visiting specialized weather websites online. At this time of year, the weather is usually quite warm and pleasant with occasional rain showers.
VOCABULARY
1 Look at the photos. What is happening in each one? Which do you think is the scariest? Why?
In photo A, there is a severe wildfire creating a massive cloud of smoke and a fire storm. In photo B, there is a flood in a town where dirty water is flowing rapidly down the street. In photo C, a heavy rainstorm has flooded a city street and pedestrians are walking with umbrellas through the water. In photo D, a severe snowstorm has covered a major city in deep snow and stopped traffic.
I think photo A is the scariest because wildfires spread extremely quickly, generate extreme heat, and destroy houses and natural habitats in a very short time.
2 Listen to four people talking about extreme weather. Match each person to a photo.
Speaker 1 – D (snowstorm) Speaker 2 – A (fire tornado) Speaker 3 – B (flood) Speaker 4 – C (earthquake)
3 Listen again. Complete the sentences with a word from one of the boxes.
Speaker 1 1 The speaker talked about a snowstorm. 2 There was no power in the city possibly because the wind blew so hard.
Speaker 2 3 There was a lightning storm. 4 The speaker saw a fire tornado.
Speaker 3 5 There was a flood where the speaker lives. 6 There was so much rain that the river rose by two metres. 7 It poured for hours. 8 Dirty water flowed along the street.
Speaker 4 9 The speaker experienced a big earthquake a few years ago. 10 The ground shook violently. 11 Many buildings fell down.
4 Match some of the words in Exercise 3 to the meanings.
1 rained a lot – poured 2 when wind moved and made currents of air – blew 3 bright light that you see in the sky during a storm – lightning 4 when it snows very heavily – snowstorm 5 a large amount of water covering an area in a way that is a problem – flood 6 an extremely dangerous wind that moves in a circle – tornado 7 moved quickly from side to side – shook 8 (water) increased in level – rose
5 What are the infinitives of blew, fell down, rose and shook?
• blew – blow • fell down – fall down • rose – rise • shook – shake
6 Discuss the questions.
1 What should you do in case of a flood, fire and earthquake?
In case of a flood, you should move to higher ground or upper floors and avoid walking or driving through moving water. In case of a fire, you must leave the building immediately, crawl low under the smoke, call emergency services (101), and never use lifts. In case of an earthquake, you should drop to your hands and knees, take cover under a sturdy table, and hold on until the shaking stops.
2 What was the last extreme weather event in Ukraine?
The last severe weather event was a violent winter blizzard with heavy snowfall and gale-force winds in the southern regions of Ukraine, which blocked major roads and caused widespread power cuts.
3 Have you ever been in an extreme weather event? What happened?
Last summer, I was at my grandparents’ house when a sudden thunderstorm hit our village. The wind blew violently, huge hailstones fell from the sky, and it poured so heavily that the whole street was flooded for several hours.