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LESSON 3: ACHIEVING THE VICTORY
Lesson 1 Lesson 3
UNIT 1
ACHIEVING THE VICTORY
– Are you a fan of sport? Do you play а sport or watch it on TV?
Do you remember who the winners of the previous Olympics were? – Do the quiz about Guinness world records, then check with your teacher.
1) The most ratified world records by one athlete is 27 by … ?
a) Ukrainian pole vaulter Serhiy Bubka b) Jamaican Usain Bolt c) Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi
2) Who was the first cyclist to win the Tour de France and an Olympic Gold medal in the same year?
a) Miguel Indurain b) Bradley Wiggins c) Eddy Merckx
3) The fastest goal in the FIFA World Cup came after 11 seconds. True or False?
a) true b) false
4) In 2012 Usain Bolt achieved a “double double”.
What Olympic feat did it constitute?
a) four Gold medals b) medals for more than one country c) successive 100m and 200m Gold medals
5) Which boxer is the youngest to win the world heavyweight title?
a) Frank Bruno b) George Foreman c) Mike Tyson
VOCABULARY
1. Look at the equipment words below, name the sports they are used for. Where are these sports played? Add some venues where needed. club and ball / skies and poles / stick and puck / swimsuit and board / googles and cap / target and gun / trainers and tracksuit / racket and shuttlecock / strip and jumping rope / kimono / raft and oars / net and goalposts / helmet and saddle / arrow and bow
course / track / rink / pool / hall / pitch / range / court / hall / field 2. Complete the sentences using the appropriate word or expression.
1) Does Eddie do/make/play rugby for the university? 2) You should take/make/play some exercise every day if you want to lose weight. 3) They often make/go/do jogging in the streets near their home. 4) I expect our team will succeed/gain/win the game tomorrow. 5) I hope our team doesn’t lose/fail/defeat the match on Saturday. 6) Our football team will have to win/succeed/beat France 2:0 if they want to get a place in the World Cup final. 7) If the two players equal/match/draw, they will have to play the game again. 8) You will need to train/develop/learn hard to get a place in the Olympic team. 9) If our team manages to hit/score/enter another goal, they’ll be national champions! 10) Which football team do you support/encourage/accept?
3. Match the words to the definitions.
1) supporter 2) scoreboard 3) runner-up 4) amateur 5) stamina 6) set of rules 7) to qualify for 8) a cup a) a large board on which the score in a game is shown as the game progresses b) a person who encourages a football team c) to have the right to compete d) regulations and requirement, algorithm of the game e) not a professional f) a competitor or team taking second place in a contest g) an ornamental trophy, usually made of gold or silver h) the ability to sustain prolonged physical or mental effort
READING
4. Do you know any extreme sports or activities? What is the difference between extreme and dangerous activities? Why do you think people take the risk of doing extreme activities? Read the text quickly and say which of the sports from the pictures are mentioned in the text. Mark the sentences T (True) or F (False).
1) Nowadays fewer people are taking up extreme sports than in the past. 2) Jerome’s desire to take risks is a reaction against a society that in his opinion has become too safe. 3) For Dan, the best part of cliff-jumping is the amazing feeling you get as you fall through the air. 4) According to psychologists, people used to do dangerous things for pleasure in prehistoric times. 5) People with type T personalities find ordinary life boring. 6) According to Martin Bates, people often worry more about things they don’t have much experience of.
Tired of your quiet routine? How about leaving your computer games behind and taking up an extreme sport? Take to the skies with skydiving or hit the hills with mountain biking! As a matter of choice, you might try something more urban, such as climbing the external wall of a city block. There were times when such dangerous activities were reserved for adrenaline junkies, but in the last ten years, a huge trend towards thrill-seeking pastimes has grown into a whole industry to satisfy our desire for new and exciting sensations. Thrill seekers can now pay to be set on fire, just like stuntmen, and there’s even a service in New York which offers the chance to experience being kidnapped.
So, why are people so attracted to risk? 23-year-old Jerome, trainee surgeon by day and urban climber by night, says: “The world today is so dull with lots of rules and regulations governing everything we do. I just feel a need to break out at times.” He admits that he is actually quite afraid of heights, although he really enjoys the fear sensation. “I like the adrenaline rush – the racing heart, the butterflies in my stomach – that is what makes you feel alive.” Some daredevils are even braver – they’ve invented wingsuit flying: a sport in which you throw yourself into the air wearing an aerodynamic suit. Also, there’s base jumping, in which people jump from tall structures such as buildings or bridges with a parachute. Some such acts are illegal. Dan Witchalls had been skydiving for years when he decided to take up base jumping. He has jumped off The Shard – London’s 310 meter-high skyscraper – four times. He says: “Base jumping is scarier than jumping out of a plane. In a plane, there is no perception of height, but when you are standing on the edge of the building you can see people and cars – it makes it very real. The exhilaration you feel is totally indescribable. The sense of achievement you have after you’ve got through the experience takes over the risks.”
Psychologists say the push to take risks has been passed down to us from our prehistoric ancestors for whom it was essential to take risks for survival. Our modern life presents us with very few dangers, but instinct still remains in some people, who are considered to have a type T personality. They are constantly seeking thrill, crave new and exciting experiences and don’t like routine. One may wonder if these extreme activities are as dangerous as people believe. According to Oxford professor Martin Bates and his research into risk-taking, people often miscalculate risks. He says there are risks, but provided you’ve got the right equipment, they are no greater than in many of the more mainstream sports, such as motor racing or ice skating. People aren’t so worried about the risks involved in these sports because they are familiar with them. However, when it comes to less common activities, they imagine the risks to be higher.
Lesson 1 Lesson 3
UNIT 1
Lesson 1 Lesson 3
UNIT 1
5. Find words or expressions in the text and match them to their synonyms.
6. Do you like taking a risk?
Have you ever tried any extreme activity? Do you know any type T personality? Which sports or activities would you recommend for these teenagers in the photos?
8. Listen to the speaker and put the instructions in the order you hear them. What motivates you? How can you apply these instructions in your life?
people, doing dangerous things for excitement and to impress others / risk-taker / feelings / addicted to thrill-seeking / a motive / strong feelings of excitement / a euphoria / traditional sports / to desire strongly / excitement / run away
LISTENING
7. What skills, habits, and thoughts transform an ordinary athlete into an extraordinary champion? Listen to the recording about the way Olympians achieve their victories.
Before listening, check the meaning of the words and give synonyms.
goal / motivate / impact / stay on track / keep down / setback
_ Take care _ Goal driven _ Stay positive _ No excuses _ Motivational quotes _ Keep a journal _ Handle the hard times _ Coaching _ Look at the long term _ No pain, no gain
GRAMMAR
GRAMMAR BANK
THE PRESENT PERFECT AND THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
The Present Perfect Simple tells about a past action which is completed and has the result in the present while the Present Perfect Continuous tells about unfinished action and its result in the present, and talks about how long it has been happening.
Ex.: I’m tired, I’ve been working out for 2 hours. I’ve made lots of strength exercises. The Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous are commonly used with different time expressions (always or never for PP, since/for or all … with PPC). Ex.: I have always wanted to become a sportsman. I’ve been playing football since I started to walk. Although with some verbs, such as live, work, study, teach, and wear, we can use since/for with either the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous and the meaning is the same. Ex.: I have been studying/have studied in sports academy for 5 years already. NOTE! We don’t use the continuous form with always and never or with the nonaction verbs. Ex.: I have been always having a dream to win the Olympics. I have always had a dream to win the Olympics.
9. Read the interview with a young tennis player Milly
Davis, use the word in brackets to complete each sentence with the correct tense. More than two tenses are possible.
Refer to the Grammar Bank at page 20 if necessary.
Interviewer: How long 1) (play)? Milly: I 2) (play) since I was 5, since 2004. My father 3) (buy) me my first racquet and I 4) (love) it since the moment I 5) _____(step) out on court. I 6) _____(love) being in the open air. Interviewer: How often 7) (practice)? Milly: I normally 8) (practice) every day after school. My father 9) (coach) me. Sometimes I also 10) (go) to the gym or swimming. Interviewer: ever 11) (be) injured? Milly: Yes. I 12) (break) my ankle. I 13) (go) for a low ball at the net and 14) (slip). It 15) (hurt) a lot. But now I 16) (be) OK, though. Interviewer: ever 17) (win) any competitions? Milly: Oh yes, loads. I 18) (win) about ten, I think. I 19) (win) a trophy recently. I 20) (try) really hard preparing for it, for five months almost. I 21) (not play) to win, though. I _____always 22) ____ (be) crazy about sport. One day, I’d like to play at Wimbledon.
10. Make up 8 sentences that are true for you using the sports vocabulary from previous exercises and time expressions always/never/all (year, my life) or since/for.
For example: I have never tried professional sports in my life, because it requires so much stamina. I have been only doing some amateur sports all the time.
SPEAKING
11. Work in pairs. Read the following words and ideas about extreme sports. Put them into two groups: for and against. Add some ideas of your own as well.
thrill / risk / adrenaline rush / danger is exciting / challenging your body / death / injury / sense of achievement / doing something different / accident / fun / reliable equipment
FOR AGAINST
12. Discuss and support your opinion using the following expressions.
1) I think/guess/find it . 2) In my view/opinion, /To my mind, . 3) Personally, I think ________/As I see it, . 4) On the one hand , but on the other hand . 5) I completely agree/disagree . 6) Absolutely!/Exactly!/I suppose so!
