David Beckham
As a Real Madrid player, David Beckham is used to winning, and failure is
something that he is simply unaccustomed to. He is one of the most
famous Englishmen in the World today.
Of course, it is impossible to have an unbiased opinion of this young man
or the team that he plays for. If you are a Real Madrid fan, you love him.
If you aren’t a fan of this team, then your opinion of Mr. Beckham may be
quite different. In fact, in recent times, his treatment by fans of other
teams has been extremely unsavoury, especially when he has been playing
for England. Some of the worst comments have not even been aimed at
Beckham but at his wife and young children, which is a bad thing. It has
been hard for the football authorities to control such unruly behaviour.
How can you discipline people for their comments when so many people
are guilty?
Beckham’s attitude when faced with such problems has been unflappable
though. Under the pressure of being shouted and sworn at by so many
people, he has always remained calm.
Of course, a lot of the bad things written and said about Beckham are
due to his own actions. He is a very fashionable young man, but some of
the clothes he has worn have been simply amazing. Why a person in his
position would choose to wear a skirt in public is truly unfathomable!
Furthermore, to wear such things in unseasonable times as mid-winter
seems even crazier!
His behaviour on the football pitch has also been unpredictable at times.
Sometimes he is brilliant; sometimes he does crazy things. Some of the
most famous footballing incidents involving Beckham are not his
spectacular goals but his ungainly tackles. The most famous occasion was
in France ’98, when a clumsy tackle led to him being sent off.
David Beckham
The following are a series of questions relating to the reading passage. Please write short yes / no
answers where possible.
1) Who does Beckham play for?
2) Do you think he is accustomed to winning or losing?
3) Do you think that most people have a biased opinion of Beckham; they either
love him or hate him?
4) Do fans of other teams like this footballer?
5) Have fans made unpleasant comments about his family?
6) What have the football authorities done about the fans’ behaviour towards
Beckham?
7) Has Beckham often panicked when being shouted at by fans of opposing
football teams?
8) Do you think that Beckham likes to wear expensive clothes?
9) What strange item of clothing has he worn?
10) At what time of year did he wear this unusual thing?
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2001
Taken from the Lesson Share section in [Link]
11) In the past, has it been easy to predict Beckham’s behaviour?
12) Thinking about football, what does the passage say he is most famous for?
13) When was the most famous occasion in which he was sent off?
14) Does he make bad, clumsy tackles most of the time?
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2001
Taken from the Lesson Share section in [Link]
The following are a series of questions relating to the vocabulary in the reading passage. Again,
please write short yes / no answers where possible. Look at the passage to help you answer the
questions.
1) Does being unaccustomed to something mean that you are used to it or not used to
it?
2) Biased means that you favour one side or another. Is unbiased the opposite, meaning
that you don’t favour a side?
3) The treatment shown to Beckham by other fans is described as unsavoury. Do you
think that this is pleasant, agreeable and tasteful?
4) Do you think that an unruly thing is difficult or impossible to control?
5) Beckham is described as remaining calm when he was being shouted at by opposition
fans. Is unflappable a good word to describe this calmness?
6) Do you think that Beckham’s decision to wear a skirt is difficult to understand?
What word does the passage use to describe this?
7) What would you think to be a seasonable time to wear a skirt? Why is Beckham’s
skirt wearing unseasonable?
8) Is Beckham’s behaviour on the pitch predictable because he is sometimes brilliant
and sometimes crazy?
9) Is ungainly a good word to describe Beckham’s awkward and clumsy tackles?
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2001
Taken from the Lesson Share section in [Link]
