1 VOCABULARY sport 3 SPEAKING

a. In teams, race to answer all the questions. In pairs, interview your partner about sport using the
Shout when you cross the finish line! questionnaire. Ask for more information.

b. Check with your teacher. Who won?

c. ➤ Vocabulary Bank. Go to next page.

2 PRONUNCIATION /ɔr/ and /ər/

a. Write the words in the correct column. Be careful with
or (there are two possible pronunciations).
court four girl hurt score serve shirt
shorts sport warm up world worse work out

horse bird

b. Listen and check.

c. ➤ Sound Bank. Look at the typical
spellings of these sounds.
d. Listen and write six sentences.
1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
4. _____________________________________
5. _____________________________________
6. _____________________________________
SPORTS VOCABULARY BANK

4 PEOPLE AND PLACES a. Complete with the past tense and past participles.
a. Match the words and pictures. beat __beat__ ________
win ________ ________
lose ________ ________
tie ________ ________

b. Complete the Verb column with the past tense of a

verb from a.
Verb
1 Costa Rica the US 3-0. _________
2 Costa Rica the game 3-0. _________
3 The Chicago Bulls 78-91 to _________
the Boston Celtics.
4 Spain with Brazil 2-2. _________

c. Listen and check a and b.

d. Complete the Verb column with a verb from the list.
do get injured get in shape go
kick score throw train
captain /ˈkæptɪn/ spectators / spɛkˈteɪtər/
the crowd /ˈkraʊd/ 1. Professional sportspeople have to ________ every
coach /ˈkəʊtʃ/ team /ˈtiːm/ day.
fans /ˈfænz/ stadium /ˈsteɪdiəm/ 2. Don’t play tennis on a wet court. You might
players /ˈpleɪərz/ sports arena / spɔːts əˈriːnə/ _____________.
referee /ˌrɛfəˈriː/ 3. A soccer player has to try to ________ the ball
umpire /ˈʌmpaɪər/ into the goal.
4. I’ve started going to the gym because I want to
b. Listen and check. Cover the words and look at _____________.
the pictures. Test yourself. 5. Our new striker is going to ________ a lot of
c. Match the places and sports. goals.
6. Would you like to ________ swimming this
course /ˈkɔːrs/ court / kɔrt/ field /ˈfiːld/ afternoon?
pool /ˈpuːl/ slope /ˈsləʊp/ track /ˈtræk/ 7. My brothers ________ yoga and tai-chi.
8. In basketball, players ________ the ball to each
1. tennis / basketball ___court___
other.
2. soccer / baseball ___________
3. swimming / diving ___________ e. Listen and check. Cover the Verb columns in b
4. running / horse racing ___________ and d. Test yourself.
5. golf ___________
6. ski ___________
6 PHRASAL VERBS
d. Listen and check.
a. Match the highlighted phrasal verbs to their meanings
A-D.
5 VERBS 1 It’s important to warm up before you do any
🔎🔎 win and beat exercise.
2 My daughter works out every afternoon.
You win a game
3 The player got a red card and was sent off.
competition,
4 My team was knocked out in the semi-finals.
medal, or trophy.
You beat A. was eliminated
another team or B. do exercise, usually at the gym
person C. was told to leave the pitch court, etc.
NOT The Red D. do light exercise to get ready for a match for
example
Sox won the
Yankees. b. Listen and check.
a. Read the definitions. Then write the words. 7 LISTENING
1. a large group of people who are watching a a. In your country, are referees a) well-paid b) respected c)
sporting event _____________
unpopular? Why would somebody would want want to
2. people who are very enthusiastic about a sport
_____________ become a referee?
3. an official who makes sure that players obey the b. You're going to hear an interview with an ex-
rules in, e.g. football, rugby, hockey, etc. _________ champions league soccer referee from Spain. Listen to
4. a group of people who play a sport or. game Part 1 and choose a, b, or c.
together against another group _____________
5. an official who makes sure that players obey the
rules in, e.g. tennis _____________
6. people who play a game or sport _____________
7. a large structure, usually with no roof, where
people can sit and watch sport _____________
8. an area with seats around it where public ________
9. entertainments such as sports events are held
_____________
10. the person who is the leader of a team __________
11. a building where, e.g. indoor football is played
_____________ 1. Why did he become a referee?
12. a person who trains people to compete in certain a. His father was a referee.
sports _____________ b. He liked sports, but wasn't good at them.
13. people who are watching a sports event _________ c. He was always attracted by the idea.
b. Complete the sentences with the past simple form of 2. What was the most exciting game he ever refereed?
the verbs from the list. a. His first professional game.
b. He can't choose just one.
beat do draw train get injured go
c. Real Madrid against Barcelona.
kick lose score throw get in shape win
3. The worst experience he ever had as a referee was
1. My wife __did__ athletics when she was younger. when ________ attacked him.
2. The team ____________ hard every day before the a. a player
tournament. b. a woman
3. The French runner ____________ the race. He got c. a child
the gold medal.
4. I ____________ by cycling to work every day. Now 4. Why does he think there is more cheating today?
I'm much healthier than I used to be. a. Because soccer is big business.
5. England and Spain ____________ their match 2-2. b. Because the referees are worse.
6. I didn't play well in the semi-final. I ____________ c. Because soccer players are better at cheating.
2-6, 1-6.
5. How does he say soccer players often cheat?
7. Marc ____________ the ball to his brother, but he
dropped it. a. They fall over when no one has touched them.
8. Brazil ____________ Sweden 5-0 in the final. They b. They accept money to lose games.
had a much stronger team. c. They touch the ball with their hands.
9. The Argentinian striker ____________ four goals in
the last match. c. Now listen to Part 2. Complete the sentences with
10. Our best player ____________ in the second half one to three words.
and was taken off to see the team's doctor. 1. The most difficult thing for him about being a
11. We ____________ swimming every day when we referee is making _______________ during a game.
were on holiday. 2. One of the reasons why it's difficult is because
12. Everyone laughed when I ____________ the ball soccer today is so _______________.
and my shoe came off.
3. Making correct decisions often depends on the
c. Complete the phrasal verbs in the sentences with the referee's interpretation of _______________.
words from the list. 4. He thinks that players who cheat are still
_______________.
off out (x2) up 5. A study that was done on Leo Messi shows that he
1. You get fit quickly if you work ___out___ every can run exceptionally fast _______________.
day. 6. He thinks Messi isn't the _______________ soccer
2. That player is going to be sent _________ if he player.
carries on arguing with the referee.
3. We'll be knocked _________ of the tournament if d. Do you agree with the referee that there is more
we don't win our next match. cheating in soccer than before? Is it true in other
4. You can get injured if you don't warm _________ sports as well? Would you like to be a sports referee
before you play a match. (or umpire)? Why (not)?
8 READING
a. Do you do any of these things when you
want to have good luck or avoid bad luck?

cross your knock on carry a lucky

fingers wood charm

b. Read the article about superstitions in sport.

What's the answer to the question in the title?
c. Match paragraphs 1-4 to topics A—D.
A the physical effects of superstitions
B examples of sporting superstitions
C the disadvantages of superstitions
“I’m not superstitious either, but those were the days
D the psychological effects of superstitions Harris wore his lucky socks.”
d. Read the article again. Mention why the
following examples are mentioned. S port has always been full of superstitions, even
for the best athletes in the world. Long-distance
Paragraph 1: runner Mo Farah always shaves his head before a race.
Cristiano Ronaldo's right foot and Judo star Kayla Harrison always wears the lucky socks
Serena Williams's ball that were a gift from her grandmother. Footballer
___________________________________________ Cristiano Ronaldo always steps onto the pitch with his
Paragraph 2: right foot first. And tennis legend Serena Williams
lucky golf balls and lucky charms always bounces the ball five times before a first serve,
___________________________________________ and twice before a second serve.
Paragraph 3: Do actions like this have any real effect on sports
adrenaline and other chemicals results? According to a study at the University of
___________________________________________ Cologne, it seems that they can increase confidence and
Paragraph 4: a sense of control, which might help athletes. The study
two players with the same superstition showed that people who were given a golf ball that
___________________________________________ they were told was 'lucky' played better than those who
used a 'normal' ball. And it isn't just sports. In another
e. Write a paragraph giving your opinion about
experiment, people who were allowed to carry their
the questions below.
lucky charm performed better at memory tests than
1. Do you know of anyone who is superstitious? people without one. The researchers concluded that
What do they do? superstitions make people feel more confident, which
2. Do you have any superstitions, e.g. when it makes them perform better.
comes to sports, or when you do an exam,
Superstitions may also have a positive physical
when you travel, or on New Year’s eve?
effect. Dan Abrahams, a sports psychologist, says that
3. How do you convince someone to stop
sporting rituals can cause the release of adrenaline and
following superstitions? Or do you even
other chemicals which help the athlete to focus better.
need to stop them?
4. In what ways can superstitions be harmful Most psychologists, however, say that superstitions
or dangerous? In what ways can being can be bad as well as good. Abrahams tells the story of
superstitious benefit people? a professional football club where two players had the
same superstition —they both had to be the last person
Describe a superstition. You should say: to leave the changing room before the game. They
• what it is about and when it started (origin) couldn't agree how to solve the problem, and it had a
• how has the superstition changed over time? really negative effect on them and on the team. And
• what evidence or science say about it? what happens if you sit down to take an exam and
… and give your opinion about this superstition. realize you've forgotten your lucky pen?
9 GRAMMAR past tenses past continuous: was / were + verb + -ing
a. Read Taking a Short Cut about a marathon 1. We use the past continuous to talk about an
runner who cheated. How did she cheat? action in progress at a specific time in the past.

FAMOUS (cheating) moments in sports

Although it isn't true that everybody in sports cheats, it is • What were you doing at six o’clock last
certainly true that there are cheaters in every sport... night?
• At 4 pm last Tuesday, I was working in the
office.
2. We often use the past continuous to describe a
past action in progress that was interrupted by
another action (expressed in the simple past).
• I was driving when it started raining.
• I was listening to the radio when Helen phoned.
3. We often use the past continuous with while for
two actions happening at the same time.
• While I was doing the housework, the children
On April 21, 1980, 23-year-old Rosie Ruiz 1 was the first were playing in the yard.
woman to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon. • Phil was trying to mend his car while his brother
She 2 finished the race in the third-fastest time for a female was curiously watching him.
runner (two hours, 31 minutes, 56 seconds). But when the 4. We often use the past continuous to describe the
organizers congratulated Rosie after the race, they were beginning of a story or anecdote.
surprised because she 3 wasn't sweating very much. Some
• It was a cold night and it was raining. I was
spectators who were watching the race told them what watching TV in the living room...
4.
had really happened.
During the last half mile, Rosie suddenly jumped out of the
past perfect: had + past participle
crowd and sprinted to the finish line. The marathon
organizers took Ruiz's title away and awarded it to the real
winner, Jacqueline Gareau. It was later discovered that
three months earlier, Rosie 5 had also cheated in the New
York City Marathon where she 6 had taken the subway! • When they turned on the TV, the game had already
finished.
• As soon as I shut the door, I realized that I’d left my
b. Look at the highlighted verbs in the text. keys on the table.
Which of them are used for...? • We couldn’t get a table in the restaurant because we
hadn’t booked one.
1. , a completed action in the past
We use the past perfect when we are talking about the
2. , , an action that happened
past and we want to talk about an earlier past action.
before the past time we are talking about
Compare:
3. an action in progress (or not) at a particular
• When John arrived, they went out .
moment in the past
(= first John arrived and then they went out)
• When John arrived, they had gone out .
GRAMMAR BANK (= they went out before John arrived)
simple past: worked, stopped, went, had, etc.
using narrative tenses together
1. We use the simple past for finished actions in the
past (when we say, ask, or know when they It was a cold night and it was raining. I was watching
happened). TV in the living room. Suddenly I heard a knock at the
door. I got up and opened the door. But there was
nobody there. The person who had knocked on the
door had disappeared…
When you’re narrating a story:
• She was born in Seoul. • Use the past continuous (was raining,
• They got married last year. was watching) to set the scene.
• On the way to Rome we stopped • Use the simple past (heard, got up, etc.)
in Florence for the night. to say what happened.
• The plane didn’t arrive on time. • Use the past perfect (had knocked, had
• What time did you get up this morning? disappeared) to say what happened
2. Remember Irregular verbs p.165. before the previous past action.
a. Circle the correct form. c. Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs
in parentheses: simple past, past continuous, or past
1. The teacher gave Robbie a zero because he
perfect.
cheated / had cheated on the exam.
2. They didn’t win the game although
they were training / had trained
every evening.
3. Mike had an accident while he
drove / was driving to work.
4. When we arrived, the game started
/ had started. We got there just in
time and saw the whole game!
5. The captain didn’t score /
hadn’t scored any goals when
the referee ejected him.
6. My son got injured while he played /
was playing basketball last Saturday.
7. Luckily, we stopped / had stopped
skiing when the snowstorm started.
We were already back at the hotel.
8. The Lakers weren’t losing / hadn’t lost any of
their games during their trip to the East Coast.
9. The referee suspended the game because it This story 1 ___happened__ (happen) to me about
was raining / rained too hard to play. five years ago, and it's probably the worst thing that's
ever happened to me while driving a car.
b. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the
verbs in parentheses. Use the simple past, past I 2 __had bought__ (buy) my car the week before,
continuous, or past perfect. and I 3.__________________ (still feel) very excited
about it. It 4.________________ (not have) air
1. We were late. When we arrived (arrive), everyone conditioning but that 5.________________ (not matter)
else had finished (finish) their lunch and they to me because it was my first ever car! I
were sitting (sit) on the patio having coffee. 6
.________________ (know) that my best friend Penny
2. They ______________ (drive) to the airport when 7
._____________________ (always want) to visit a
they suddenly ______________ (remember) that
picturesque little village in the mountains about 100
they ______________ (not turn off) the lights.
miles from where we live, so I 8 ________________
3. The game ___________________ (already / start)
(call) her and 9 ________________ (tell) her that I
when we ______________ (turn on) the TV. The
Red Sox ________________ (lose) and they would take her there the following day.
________________ (play) very badly. It was a perfect, warm spring day. The sun
4. I ______________ (not recognize) many people
10.
____________________ (shine) and the sky was
at my old school reunion because everyone blue. While I 11 ______________________ (drive) and
______________ (change) a lot in twenty years. we 12 _________________ (talk), I 13 ________________
5. My sister ______________ (wait) to go out (see) something out of the corner of my eye. It was a
for dinner yesterday when her boyfriend wasp that 14 ________________ (fly) into the car!
______________ (call) her to say that he Penny and I both 15 ________________ (try) to kill the
______________ (not can) come because wasp that 16.__________________ (buzz) around
his car ______________ (break down). inside the car. But the wasp suddenly
6. Real Madrid ______________ (beat) Barcelona 17.
_______________________ (disappear). Then I
yesterday. Barcelona ______________ (win) 1-0 18
.________________ (feel) a pain in y arm: the wasp
in the first half, but Madrid ______________ 19
________________ (sting) me! I forgot that I
(score) two goals in the second half. 20
._____________________ (drive), and... BANG!
7. He ____________ (run) to the station, but the nine I 21 ________________ (crash) into the car in front of us.
o’clock train ______________ (already / leave). Nobody was hurt, but that was the end of our day out
The station was empty except for two people who and of my car.
______________ (wait) for the next train.
8. It _________ (start) raining when I ______________
(walk) to work. I ______________(not call) a car
service because I _________________ (not wear) d. Cover the text. Look at the picture and try
a coat and I ____________ (not have) an umbrella. to remember the story.
e. Read about the Argentinian player, Diego Maradona 10 SPEAKING
and British triathlete, Alistair Brownlee. Complete the
a. You're going to tell anecdotes. See the topics below
articles with the correct past tense.
and plan what you are going to say.

TELL US ABOUT…
• …a time you cheated (in a
sport / game or on an exam)
When and where did this
happen? What were you doing?
Why did you cheat? What
happened in the end?
The hand of God?
• …a competition or contest
It was June 22, 1986. Argentina 1 __was playing__ (play)
you participated in.
England in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, and both
What was it about? Where and
teams 2______________ (play) well. The score 3.___________
when was it? What happened in
(be) 0-0. In the 51st minute, the Argentinian captain, Diego
Maradona, 4_______________ (score) a goal. The English the event? Were you successful
players 5_________________ (protest), but the referee in the competition?
6___________ (give) the goal. However, TV cameras showed
• …a time you had an
that Maradona 7___________ (score) the goal with his hand!
accident or got an injury.
Maradona 8______________ (say) the next day, "It was partly
When and where did this happen?
the hand of Maradona, and partly the hand of God."
What were you doing? How did the
Later in the game, Maradona 9 ________________ (score)
accident happen? What part of
another goal, and Argentina 10 ________________ (win) the
your body did you hurt? What
game 2-1. They went on to win the World Cup.
happened next? How long did it
take you to recover?

• …a time you missed or nearly

missed something important (e.g. a
flight, an exam, a date, etc.)
What did you miss or nearly miss?
Why? How did you feel? What
happened in the end?
Sacrifices gold... to help his brother
Nobody will remember who won the world triathlon in • …a time you got lost.
Cozumel, Mexico, in 2016. Instead, they will remember the Where were you going? How
sacrifice of Alistair Brownlee, who stopped to help his were you traveling? Why did you
brother, Jonny, instead of winning the gold medal himself. get lost? What happened in the
As Jonny, 26, entered the last kilometer of the 10 km run, end?
he 1._____________________ (win) by a long way – he’d gone
very fast in the swimming and cycling stages. But then he b. Work with a partner. Tell each other your stories. Give
2._______________ (begin) to feel ill, because he as much detail as you can. Use the language from the
3.________________ (not drink) enough in the hot conditions, Telling an anecdote box.
and he stopped at the side of the road. His brother, Alistair,
4.____________________ (run) behind him, but when he saw 🔎🔎 Telling an anecdote
Starting an anecdote
that Jonny 5.______________ (stop), he didn't run past him to
I’m going to tell you about a time when…
win the race. Instead, in a wonderful act of brotherly love,
This happened a few years ago…
he took his brother's arm and 6.________________ (help) him
When I was younger, …
to run the final few hundred meters. Seconds before they
reached the finishing line, South African Henri Schoeman, Listening to an anecdote
who 7._______________ (be) behind them until then, ran past Wow! Really?
them both and 8.__________________ (win) the gold medal. That sounds terrible / awful.
Alistair said, 'It was a natural human reaction to my How amazing!
brother, but for anyone, I would’ve done the same thing.' What happened next / after that / in the end?
11 READING
Are you afraid of black cats? Would you open an
Read the article. Then answer the questions 1-8. umbrella indoors? And how do you feel about the number
thirteen? Whether or not you believe in them, you’re
probably familiar with a few of these superstitions. So how
did it happen that people all over the world knock on
wood, or avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks?
Well, although they have no basis in science, many of
these weirdly specific beliefs and practices do have
equally weird and specific origins. Because they involve
supernatural causes, it’s no surprise that many
superstitions are based in religion. For example, the
number thirteen was associated with the biblical Last
Supper, where Jesus Christ dined with his twelve
disciples just before being arrested and crucified. The
What benefits might sports fans get from group resulting idea that having thirteen people at a table was
superstitions aimed at helping their teams win? bad luck eventually expanded into thirteen being an
unlucky number in general.
Now, this fear of the number thirteen, called
triskaidekaphobia, is so common that many buildings
around the world skip the thirteenth floor, with the
numbers going straight from twelve to fourteen.
But not all superstitions are religious. Some are just
If you grew up fearing the number 13, what kinds
based on unfortunate coincidences and associations. For
of things might help you get over your fear?
example, many Italians fear the number 17 because the
Roman numeral XVII can be rearranged to form the word
VIXI, meaning ‘my life had ended’. Similarly, the word for
the number four sounds almost identical to the word for
death in Cantonese, as well as languages like Japanese
and Korean that have borrowed Chinese numerals. And
Can positive (lucky) superstitions be harmful? since the number one also sounds like the word for must,
What about negative (unlucky) superstitions? the number fourteen sounds like the phrase must die.
That’s a lot of numbers for elevators and international
hotels to avoid!
So why do people cling to these bits of forgotten
religions, coincidences, and outdated advice? Aren’t they
being totally irrational? Well, yes, but for many people,
superstitions are based more on cultural habit than
Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of __________________. conscious belief. After all, no one is born knowing to avoid
Where does the belief of knocking on wood stem walking under ladders or whistling indoors, but if you
from? grow up being told by your family to avoid these things,
_________________________________________. chances are they’ll make you uncomfortable, even after
Which superstition was once good advice? you logically understand that nothing bad will happen.
_________________________________________. And since doing something like knocking on wood
doesn't require much effort, following the superstition is
Many superstitions come from history of: often easier than consciously resisting it.
_________________________________________. Besides, superstitions often do seem to work. Maybe
What is not a reason people believe in superstitions? you remember hitting a home run while wearing your
a. Because they grew up hearing about lucky socks. This is just our psychological bias at work.
superstitions You're far less likely to remember all the times you struck
b. Because superstitions give them a out while wearing the same socks. But believing that they
sense of control work could actually make you play better by giving you
c. Because superstitions the illusion of having greater control over events.
often appear to work So in situations where that confidence can make a
d. Because superstitions difference, like sports, those crazy superstitions might not
really do work be so crazy after all.