a l Summer c s of Sport The best of Inside Out elessons covering different sporting events

Transcription

1 Summer of Sport g Athle t i c s S urfi g n i l ng c y C xin Bo Foot ba ll s i n n e A T gb Ru y Basketb a l l The best of Inside Out elessons covering different sporting events

2 A Summer of Sport Football? Tennis? Athletics? It s all going on this summer. Want to do something topical but don t have the time to look something up? Look no further.. This download is one of those things that you can reach for in an emergency. It gives you over 15 lessons to use to inspire your students and allow them to engage, in English, about the sport going on around them. You can save to your desktop or simply print it off to have ready. Why not print one off for your staffroom? All the pages are photopcopiable as whole pages. Are you getting the regular Inside Out elessons? Visit to find out more. Join us on Facebook

3 A Summer of Sport CONTENTS TITLE SPORT CEF LEVEL PAGE Tennis Tennis B1 Intermediate 1 Tennis Balls Tennis A2 B1 Pre-intermediate 8 The Ice Man (Bjorn Tennis A2 B1 Pre-intermediate 12 Borg) The Beautiful Game Football B1 Intermediate 14 Manchester United Football A2 B1 Pre-intermediate 17 Lionel Messi Football B1 Intermediate 23 The Olympic Games ALL B1+ Good Intermediate 30 The Winter Olympics Winter Sports B1 Intermediate 33 The Bicycle Cycling B1 Intermediate 40 Extreme Sports Extreme A2 B1 Pre-intermediate 43 Sports Basketball Basketball A2 B1 Pre-intermediate 50 Rugby Rugby B1 Intermediate 57 Darts Darts B2 Upper intermediate 67 Surfing Surfing A2 B1 Pre-intermediate 74 Muhammad Ali Boxing B1+ Good Intermediate 81 Bullfighting Bullfighting A2 B1 Pre-intermediate 84

4 Tennis Teacher s Notes The subject of this lesson is the sport of tennis. The US Open, one of the most prestigious tournaments for professional players, takes place in August. Level Intermediate and above (equivalent to CEF level B1 and above) How to use the lesson 1. Ask the students to name their favourite and least favourite sports, and to explain why they like/dislike them so much. Then ask them what they think about tennis. 2. Divide the students into pairs, then hand out Worksheet A and give them a few minutes to work together in order to try to find the five words/expressions that are not connected with tennis. You could perhaps ask them to attempt this exercise without referring to the glossary. 3. Check answers in open class. Answers: Thirty-zero, sticks, field, bat, boots 4. Give the students another few minutes to complete the gap-fill sentences, which use vocabulary from the first exercise. 5. Check answers in open class. Answers: 1. match 2. court 3. tournaments, win 4. racquet, bat 5. net 6. hit, smashes 7. shot 8. fifteen, love 9. serves 10. points 6. Hand out Worksheet B and give the students five to ten minutes to read the two texts, encouraging them to look up any new vocabulary. When they have finished, ask them to what extent they share or disagree with the sentiments of Fiona and Dave. 7. Keeping the students in their pairs, hand out Worksheet C and ask them to work together to complete the crossword. 8. Check answers in open class. Answers: 1. enjoy 2. natural 3. skill 4. concentrate 5. points 6. grunt 7. hype 8. psychological 9. frame 10. entertaining 11. practise 12. nice If the sentences have been completed correctly, Justine Henin will read from top to bottom. 2. Related Websites Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself. From the BBC website, a comprehensive guide to the rules of tennis and the equipment necessary in order to play it. Accessible to intermediate level. A BBC Newsround interview (2006) with Rafael Nadal, currently number two in the men s international tennis rankings. Appropriate for intermediate level. Official website of the 2007 US Open tennis tournament. Intermediate level and above. This page has been downloaded from It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 1

5 Tennis Glossary Inside Out aggressive adjective very determined to win or be successful: an aggressive election strategy bat noun [count] a wooden object used for hitting the ball in games such as baseball, cricket, and table tennis battle verb to compete with someone: the three men battling for the world title beat verb to defeat someone in a game, competition, election, or battle: England needed to beat Germany to get to the final. breathtaking adjective extremely impressive or beautiful concentration noun [uncount] the process of giving all your attention to something: It took all his concentration to stay awake. court [count] an area marked with lines where some sports are played, including tennis and basketball: a tennis/squash court determination noun [uncount] the refusal to let anything stop you from doing what you want to do: The president's determination to pursue the rebels was clear. entertaining adjective enjoyable or interesting: an entertaining talk/evening/programme frame of mind phrase the mood that someone is in frustrating adjective making you feel annoyed and impatient because you are prevented from achieving something: It's frustrating to wait all day for a repairman who doesn't show up. grunt verb to make a short low sound in your throat and nose hide verb to prevent people from knowing your thoughts or feelings, or the truth: He could not hide his disappointment. hype noun [uncount] the use of a lot of advertisements and information to interest people love noun [uncount] a score of no points in tennis This page has been downloaded from It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 2

6 match noun [count] a game in which players or teams compete against each other: They lost the match on Saturday. media, the noun radio, television, newspapers, the Internet, and magazines, considered as a group: The story has been widely reported in the media. mood noun [count or uncount] the way that someone is feeling, or the way that a group of people is feeling at a particular time: I had never seen Ann in such a good mood before. net noun [count] in some sports, an object made of net that you hit, kick, or throw the ball over or into opponent noun [count] someone who is competing against you: His opponent received only 36 per cent of the vote. point noun [count] a unit for counting the score in a game or sport: Our team is two points behind. practise verb to repeat an activity regularly so that you become better at it: How many hours a day do you practise? professional noun [count] someone who plays a sport or takes part in an activity as a job rather than for enjoyment psychological adjective involving or affecting your mind: Harry's problems are more psychological than physical. racquet or racket noun [count] an object used for hitting the ball in games such as tennis score noun [count] the number of points that someone gains in a game or test: The average score for the test was 75. serve verb to hit a ball in order to start playing for a point in a game such as tennis shot noun [count] an act of throwing, hitting, or kicking a ball: That was another fine shot from Tiger Woods. skill noun [count or uncount] the ability to do something well, usually as a result of experience and training: I admired the skill and dedication of the nursing staff. smash verb in tennis, to hit a ball that is above your head downwards and very hard stick noun [count] a long thin piece of wood that is used for hitting or carrying something in a sport: This page has been downloaded from It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 3

7 a hockey stick talent noun [count or uncount] a natural ability for doing a particular activity well: She had an obvious talent for music. tournament noun [count] a series of games in which the winner of each game plays in the next game until there is only one player or team left This page has been downloaded from It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 4

8 Tennis WORKSHEET A Inside Out EXERCISE A Find five words and expressions in the table below that are not associated with tennis. net m atch sticks field boots Fifteen-love ball lose racquet points Thirty-zero win tournaments bat smashes game hit serves court shot EXERCISE B Now, using the table above to help you, can you fill the gaps in the following sentences? 1. I have to go now I ve got a tennis _ in 20 minutes. 2. Wouldn t it be good to live in a house with your own private tennis _? 3. I played in four amateur tennis _ last year and reached the final in two of them, but didn t _ either. 4. I was hoping to get a tennis _ as a Christmas present, but I only got a table-tennis _. 5. Look, we can t play on this court the _ s broken. 6. Why does he have to play so aggressively? Every time I _ the ball high in the air he just _ it past me. It s no fun at all. 7. Oh, what a great by Roger Federer! 8. What s the score now? _ -, or fifteen all? 9. She the ball so hard that I can hardly ever get it back. 10. She beat me really easily. I think I only won about 20 in the whole match. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 5

9 Tennis WORKSHEET B Fiona In the last few years I ve really started to love tennis. Recently I ve been playing at least twice a week, which is really helping me keep fit. On a nice summer evening there s nothing better than going along to my local club for a game. Most people there are really nice, so after playing I usually stay for a drink with some of them. I like the fact that it s a very psychological game you need determination and concentration. You can t hide when you re out there on the court. If the match isn t going well you can easily get into a bad frame of mind, so you have to battle against yourself as well as against your opponent. Also, I love watching tennis on TV, as the players skill and fitness are breathtaking. Of course they practise a lot, but it s also about natural talent I mean, I could practise five hours a day for five years and I d probably still not win a point against a top professional like Maria Sharapova. Dave Tennis has got to be one of the most boring sports in the world. Watching a little ball go backwards and forwards for two hours, while the players make ridiculous grunting noises you call that entertaining? Also, in Britain, I can t stand the hype in the media whenever one of our players has a chance of winning an important tournament. They always lose in the end, of course. Why can t we just accept that we re not very good? As for playing tennis, it s even worse than watching. I tried it for a while when I was a kid, and it was one of the most frustrating things I ve ever done. Hitting the ball and seeing it go into the net almost every time is enough to put anyone in a bad mood. I remember my dad said I should practise by hitting a ball against a wall. Well, I tried it, and it was a disaster. The wall beat me every time. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 6

10 WORKSHEET C EXERCISE C Now fill the gaps below to complete the crossword and reveal the name of the Belgian player who is currently number one in the women s international tennis rankings Dave certainly doesn t tennis. 2. Fiona believes that professional tennis players have a lot of talent. 3. It seems Dave never had much as a tennis player. 4. Fiona thinks that to do well in a tennis match you have to and be determined. 5. Fiona doesn t think she d win many in a tennis match against Maria Sharapova. 6. Dave seems not to like the way some professional players when they hit the ball. 7. Dave thinks there s too much whenever a British tennis starts doing well. 8. Fiona enjoys the side of playing tennis. 9. Fiona thinks that to do well in a tennis match you need to be in the right of mind. 10. Dave doesn t think that watching tennis on TV is. 11. Dave s attempts to by hitting a ball against the wall didn t go very well. 12. Fiona says most of the people she plays with at her local tennis club are. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 7

11 Tennis Balls Teacher s Notes This worksheet takes a look at a most British tradition Wimbledon. Worksheet A provides the questions and a quick puzzle to solve, while Worksheet B provides the answers in a series of short texts. Level Intermediate and upwards How to use the lesson 1. Tell your students they are going to answer some questions about the Wimbledon Tennis tournament. Ask them if they know much about it, what the other Grand Slam events are (The French, U.S. and Australian Opens) etc. 2. Give each student in the class a copy of Worksheet A and ask them to fold their piece of paper so that just the top eight clues and the puzzle are visible. Ask them to look at the clues to see if they can answer any of them before seeing the answers. Tell them to write their answers in the boxes with corresponding numbers. 3. Give each student in the class a copy of Worksheet B and ask them to find the answers in the text. The letters in the bold boxes spell the name of a past Wimbledon champion. Give students the choice to work in pairs to answer the questions. Answers 1 strawberries 2 Voltchkov 3 advertising 4 clock 5 Sampras 6 Navratilova 7 white 8 grass Past champion: Rod Laver (Australian left-hander. Won in 1961, 62, 68, 69. In 1963, Rod turned professional and so wasn't allowed to play at Wimbledon until it changed to Open Tennis in On his return he won the title for the next two years. Without doubt, if he had been able to play for the years in between, he would have won the title nine times more than any other men's champion in the history of the sport.) 4. After the students have finished this stage, and you have checked the answers, ask them to cover Worksheet B and to turn their Worksheet A over, revealing ten more questions. Give them a time limit of two minutes to answer as many of the questions as they can. Ask students to work in pairs to speed things up. Answers 1 nearly 1,000 years ,000 4 SW19 5 l'oeuf 6 deux 7 Pat Cash (in 1987) 8 walls 9 Serena Williams ,000 Follow up There is plenty of information on the websites below for students to make their own quizzes for each other. Alternatively, play a game of categories tennis with your students. Divide the class into Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 8

12 two teams and choose a category (food, transport, sports etc.). A student from team A calls out one word from the category and then a student from team B calls out another word. Students from each team take it in turns to call out a word until someone repeats a word or they hesitate. The other team is awarded the point (scoring as in tennis 15, 30, 40, Game) and you choose a new category. The first team to win a game is the winner. This is a great five-minute filler. 2. Related Websites Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself. tells the history of tennis the BBC s page for Wimbledon the official website Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 9

13 Tennis Balls WORKSHEET A Inside Out The answers to these questions are on Worksheet B. Read the text and write your answers in the puzzle to find the name of a latter-day Wimbledon champion. 1. The name of a fruit associated with Wimbledon 2. He came so close in 2000, but didn t quite make it to the Finals. 3. You won t see any of this around the courts only on the players. 4. The scoring in tennis is thought to have come from the face of what? 5. He holds the men s singles title for highest number of victories. 6. She won nine titles at Wimbledon. 7. The players must all dress in this. 8. Wimbledon s the only Grand Slam tournament to be played on this You have two minutes to answer as many of these questions as possible. 1. How long ago did tennis start? 2. When did open tennis start at Wimbledon? 3. How much money will the women s singles champion get this year? 4. What s the post code of Wimbledon? 5. Which French word does love come from? 6. Which French word does deuce come from? 7. Who was the last Australian to win Wimbledon before Hewitt? 8. When tennis started, what was used instead of a net? 9. Who is the defending women s champion? 10. How much will the men s singles champion win this year? Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 10

14 Tennis Balls The most famous sights on offer every year at Wimbledon are: people eating strawberries and cream, people drinking Pimms and people sitting under their umbrellas enjoying the British weather! Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament which is held on grass. Also, all the players must dress only in white. Tennis started in France nearly 1000 years ago. The game was originally played in the courtyards of royal palaces, using the walls (like squash) rather than a net. The scoring (15,30,40) is thought to be based on the four quarters of a clock face. WORKSHEET B Open tennis started at Wimbledon in 1968, meaning that amateurs and professionals could play in the Championships. In 2000, Russian Vladimir Voltchkov came from obscurity and made it to the semi-finals. Pete Sampras holds the title for the highest number of championship victories having won seven times. Even more impressive is women s champion Martina Navratilova with nine wins. The prize money for this year s Wimbledon Championships is 9.3 million. Of this, the men s singles champion will receive 575,000 and the women s singles champion will receive 535,000. Inside Out The words love and deuce come from French words. Deuce comes from deux, meaning two, telling us that two more consecutive points are needed to win the game. Love comes from the word l oeuf, meaning egg, which represents zero. Wimbledon is a suburb of London. The post code for the area is SW19, one of the most famous post codes in the world. Lleyton Hewitt, the defending men s champion, was the first Australian to win since Pate Cash won 15 years earlier, in Serena Williams won both the singles and doubles tournaments last year. Unlike almost all other sporting events, Wimbledon is free from sponsorship. This means that there are no advertising banners around the courts. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 11

15 The Ice Man - Teacher s Notes It s Bjorn Borg s birthday on June 6 th. Although he hasn t done anything significant in tennis for a very long time, he remains one of the most famous players of all time. In this lesson we pay tribute to Ice Borg with a brief biography with gaps for your students to fill. Level Pre-Intermediate and upwards How to use the lesson 1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups and give one worksheet to each student in the class. 2. Ask students to quickly read through the first part of the biography to see who is being described (Bjorn Borg). Then ask them to work together to complete part 2 with a preposition from the box. 3. Check answers in open class. 4. Ask half the class (Group A) to complete part 3 and the other half (Group B) to complete part 4. When each group has completed their section, ask a student from Group A to work together with a student from Group B to complete both sections. 5. Check answers in open class. Answers 1. Bjorn Borg 2. 1) in 2) of 3) on 4) in 5) up 6) of 7) to 8) in 9) at 10) on 3. 1) eleven 2) six 3) five 4) four 5) twelve 6) twenty-seven 4. 1) top 2) show 3) style 4) came 5) feet 6) get 2. Related Websites Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself. All you need to know about the ice man An interview with Bjorn Borg Bjorn s clothing. The site is Dutch, but check out his spring/summer collection in the pop-up Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 12

16 The Ice Man Inside Out 1. Read the first part of the story and guess the name of the famous sportsperson. 2. Complete the story using the words in the box. on of up in to in on at in of I was born (1) a suburb (2) Stockholm called Sodertaljie (3) June 6 th, The two most popular sports (4) Sweden when I was growing (5) were football and ice hockey and I enjoyed playing both (6) them. When I was nine, my father won a tennis racket, which he gave (7) me. I became very interested (8) the game and found I was good (9) it. By the time I was thirteen I was playing tennis (10) the international circuit and at the age of eighteen I won my first Grand Slam title, the French Open, in Complete the next part of the story using the numbers in the box. four twenty-seven five twelve six eleven In total I won (1) Grand Slam singles titles. I won the French Open at Roland Garros (2) ( 74, 75, 78, 79, 80 and 81) times and I won the Wimbledon Championships (3) times ( 76, 77, 78, 79 and 80). I was finalist at the US Open (4) times but I never managed to win it. I was beaten by Jimmy Connors in 1976 and 1978, and by John McEnroe in 1980 and I never played the Australian Open. This was a matter of principal; I felt that all professional tennis players needed times when they rested instead of running around the world (5) months of the year. In 1983, when I was (6), I decided to retire from professional tennis. However, I did try to make a comeback in 1991, using my wooden racket, but my age and my equipment were no match for the younger players who had the advantage of youth and graphite rackets. 4. Complete the story using the words in the box. get came top feet show style When I was at the (1) of my profession people nicknamed me The Ice Man and Ice Borg because I never used to (2) any emotion during my matches. My (3) of play was to hit the ball from the baseline. I used to use two hands when I hit a backhand (this was an ice hockey slap shot, which (4) very naturally to me) and I was quick on my (5). I inspired modern players like Andre Agassi, who plays a similar game to mine (although I think he s much more emotional). These days I live in Monaco and I have my own label of clothes and sportswear. I still play tennis and enjoy competing against my old rivals when I (6) the chance. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 13

17 The Beautiful Game -Teacher s Notes Inside Out The English Football Association was formed in London on October 26 th, At first there wasn't much interest in the game, but all of that seems to have changed recently. This worksheet marks the birthday of the FA with a potted history of the game. Level: Intermediate and above How to use the lesson: Elicit from your students where they think the game of football started. Divide the c lass into two groups, A and B. Give one copy of Worksheet A to each st udent in Group A and one copy of Worksheet B to each student in Group B. Tell y our students they have the sam e text, but there is som e information missing from each worksheet. Explain that they are goin g to ask a member of the other group som e questions to help them complete the text, but first they need to prepare the questions. Ask the students to work with another member of the same group to prepare and write down the questions they need to ask to complete the text. When all the students have prepared their questions, ask a student from Group A to work with a student from Group B. They should take it in turns to a sk and answer the questions th ey have prepared and write the answers in the spaces in their texts. When both students have finished asking and answering, allow them to compare worksheets. Check answers in open class. Suggested questions: 1. Who was the game of football invented by? 2. When did a group of London clubs agree to follow them (the schoolmaster s rules)? 3. What did the group call themselves? 4. What did the Chinese call the game? 5. What does tsu cha mean? 6. What was the ball made of? 7. Who enjoyed playing a game which they called pheninda? 8. What was the Roman game called? 9. When did Japanese Imperial society play kemari? 10. What does kemari mean? 11. What was in the middle of each wall? 12. When did Marco Polo visit China? 13. What did Marco Polo bring back from China? 14. Where was calcio developed? 15. Who tried to ban the game? 16. Who was the headmaster of Uppingham School? For more work on subject/object questions see Unit 1 of Inside Out Intermediate Student's Book. 2. Related Websites Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself. The official website of the Football Association International footballing organisation Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 14

18 Beautiful Game Inside Out Complete the questions at the bottom of the page. Then ask your partner the questions and complete the text. In Mexico and Central America in 600 AD, the creation of the rubber ball brought about a game played on a court with a tall wall at each end. In the middle of each wall was a 11). A goal was scored by kicking or throwing the ball through the ring. The game of football was invented by 1). Or was it? Certainly today s game follows the rules which were written by a schoolmaster nearly 150 years ago. On October 26 th, 1863, a group of London clubs agreed to follow them. This group called themselves 3). So, the rules of today s game were started by the English, but what about the origins of the game itself? The earliest form of the game was played in China in 200 BC. The Chinese called the game tsu chu, which means 5). The ball, which was made of animal skin, was kicked between two 10-metre bamboo poles to score a goal. About two hundred years later, in 4 BC, 7) enjoyed playing a game which they called pheninda. In this game, players could kick, run with and handle the ball. Soon afterwards came the Romans. Their game was called hapastum. The object of the game was for teams to kick and throw the ball to each other while moving forward and eventually throw it beyond the opponents goal-line to score a goal. In 9), Japanese Imperial society played kemari, which means kick ball. Eight players kicked the ball to each other on a square playing ground. There were no goalposts or teams (so no winners and losers) because this was a ceremony for the emperor rather than a competition. In the 13 th century, Marco Polo visited China. He is thought to have met a Japanese kemari player there who explained kemari to him. As we know, Marco Polo brought back 13) from China, changing the Italian diet forever, but did he also bring back the game of football? Who knows, but we do know a game called calcio (from the verb calciare meaning kick) was developed in Florence, Italy in the 15 th century. In England, although the game was played as far back as the 12 th century, it was a mob sport and people were often injured or killed. For hundreds of years, 15) tried to ban the game, without success. In the 19 th century, public schools like Eton, Harrow, Rugby and Uppingham adopted ball games to encourage team spirit and discipline. The game developed by Rugby school is now named after the school (rugby), but it was the headmaster of Uppingham School, called Edward Thring, who wrote down the first set of football rules. These rules lead to the foundation of The Football Association and today s game is based on them. So, clearly the rules may have originated in England, but the game has been around for a lot longer. Write the questions. 1 Who? 3 What? 5 What? 7 Who? 9 When? 11 What? 13 What? 15 Who? Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 15

19 The Beautiful Game Inside Out WORKSHEET B Complete the questions at the bottom of the page. Then ask your partner the questions and complete the text. The game of football was invented by the English. Or was it? Certainly today s game follows the rules which were written by a schoolmaster nearly 150 years ago. On 2), a group of London clubs agreed to follow them. This group called themselves The Football Association. So, the rules of today s game were started by the English, but what about the origins of the game itself? The earliest form of the game was played in China in 200 BC. The Chinese called the game 4), which means kick ball. The ball, which was made of 6), was kicked between two 10-metre bamboo poles to score a goal. About two hundred years later, in 4 BC, the Greeks enjoyed playing a game which they called pheninda. In this game, players could kick, run with and handle the ball. Soon afterwards came the Romans. Their game was called 8). The object of the game was for teams to kick and throw the ball to each other while moving forward and eventually throw it beyond the opponents goal-line to score a goal. In about 500 AD, Japanese Imperial society played kemari, which means 10). Eight players kicked the ball to each other on a square playing ground. There were no goalposts or teams (so no winners and losers) because this was a ceremony for the emperor rather than a competition. In Mexico and Central America in 600 AD, the creation of the rubber ball brought about a game played on a court with a tall wall at each end. In the middle of each wall was a stone ring. A goal was scored by kicking or throwing the ball through the ring. In 12), Marco Polo visited China. He is thought to have met a Japanese kemari player there who explained kemari to him. As we know, Marco Polo brought back pasta from China, changing the Italian diet forever, but did he also bring back the game of football? Who knows, but we do know a game called calcio (from the verb calciare meaning kick) was developed in 14) in the 15 th century. In England, although the game was played as far back as the 12 th century, it was a mob sport and people were often injured or killed. For hundreds of years kings and queens tried to ban the game, without success. In the 19 th century, public schools like Eton, Harrow, Rugby and Uppingham adopted ball games to encourage team spirit and discipline. The game developed by Rugby school is now named after the school (rugby), but it was the headmaster of Uppingham School, called 16), who wrote down the first set of football rules. These rules lead to the foundation of The Football Association and today s game is based on them. So, clearly the rules may have originated in England, but the game has been around for a lot longer. Write the questions. 2. When? 4. What? 6. What? 8. What? 10.What? 12. When? 14. Where? 16. Who? This page has been downloaded from It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2002 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary 2003, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. 16

20 Manchester United Teacher s Notes The subject of this lesson is one of the world s most famous and best supported football clubs: Manchester United. Level Pre-intermediate and above (equivalent to CEF level A2-B1 and above) How to use the lesson 1. Ask your students if they like football, and if so, why. Ask them to name what they consider the most popular and/or successful football clubs in the world, and to say what they know about them. Brainstorm on the subject of Manchester United, asking the students to list all the things and people they associate with the club. 2. Give each student in the class a copy of Worksheet A and give them five to ten minutes to read through it, encouraging them to look up new vocabulary. Note that some of the words that might be new are not in the glossary because they form part of Exercise Hand out Worksheet B, divide the students into pairs and ask them to do Exercise 1, in which they have to match the words from the text on Worksheet A with the definitions. 4. Check answers in open class. 5. Keeping the students in their pairs, hand out Worksheet C and ask them to do the crossword. 6. Check answers in open class. 7. If you want you could also draw attention to some of the features of British English in the text for example the use of match rather than game, the possibility of using manager rather than coach in a football context, and the frequent treatment of sports teams as plurals ( United have more fans, etc). Answers: Exercise 1 1. D 2. F 3. H 4. N 5. A 6. J 7. B 8. L 9. M 10. C 11. G 12. E 13. I 14. K Exercise 2 1. big 2. stadium 3. Germany 4. player 5. won 6. played 7. Liverpool 8. English 9. millions 10. hold 11. founded If the sentences have been completed correctly, Gary Neville will read from top to bottom. This page has been downloaded from It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2 nd Edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2007 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary Macmillan Publishers Limited

21 2. Related Websites Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself. The official Manchester United website. Intermediate level and above. A BBC Newsround interview (2009) with David Beckham. Challenging for preintermediate level. A Newsround article (October 2009) previewing a match between Manchester United and Liverpool, including a short video of Manchester schoolchildren predicting the score. Challenging for pre-intermediate level. This page has been downloaded from It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2 nd Edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2007 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary Macmillan Publishers Limited

22 Manchester United - Glossary Inside Out championship noun [count] a competition to find the best player or team in a sport or game the World Chess Championships a chance of phrasal verb the possibility that something will happen For the first time in 15 years, they have a realistic chance of winning an election. crowd noun [count] a large number of people in the same place The boys disappeared into the crowd. cup noun [count] a sports competition in which the prize is a large metal cup the team s victory in the World Cup fan noun [count] someone who likes watching or listening to something such as a sport, films, or music very much, or who admires a famous or important person very much a crowd of noisy football fans footballer noun [count] someone who plays football, especially as their job have heard of [phrasal verb] to know about the existence of someone or something The author s name was James Bomford. Never heard of him! hold verb [transitive] to be able to fit an amount of something inside The stadium holds 80,000 people. mean verb to refer to someone or something when you are talking, looking, pointing etc at them No, I don t mean her I mean the tall woman. refer to verb [transitive] to mention someone or something when you are speaking or writing Even as a boy he referred to his father as Steve. stadium noun [count] a large building, usually without a roof, where people watch sports events such as football matches or races a baseball/football stadium successful adjective used about a business or project that makes a lot of money He described them as the most successful guitar band of the decade. win [past tense = won] to defeat everyone else by being the best or by finishing first in a competition Celtic must win by three goals to reach the semifinal This page has been downloaded from It is photocopiable, but all copies must be complete pages. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2 nd Edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2007 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary Macmillan Publishers Limited

23 Manchester United Inside Out WORKSHEET A Many English football teams have the word United in their name, but by far the most famous is from the northern city of Manchester and plays in red shirts and white shorts. When football fans refer to Manchester United just as United, as they often do, other fans always know who they mean. It s possible that United have more fans than any other football team in the world. Their stadium, Old Trafford, holds around 75,000 people and is full for almost every match. It s also true that tens of millions of people around the world watch their matches on TV, and that when they play friendlies thousands of miles away in Asia or Africa (as they have done in recent years in July or August, before the English football season starts) the crowds are always very big. The club was founded back in 1878 and has had a successful history. It has won the English championship eighteen times (the same number as Liverpool, their biggest rivals) and the European Champions League (previously the European Cup) three times. A well-known tragedy in United s history was when many of their best players died in a plane crash in Munich, Germany, in It seemed the club might not recover, but ten years later, in 1968, they became the first English team to win the European Cup. United s best players in their great team of the late 1960s included Bobby Charlton (probably the most famous English footballer of the 1960s) and George Best (who some say was the best player who never played in a World Cup the reason was that he was from Northern Ireland, a country that never qualified for the World Cup during his career). United were not so good in the 1970s and 80s but have been very successful again since the 1990s under their Scottish manager Alex Ferguson. In the 1990s the best players included Eric Cantona, a Frenchman who was very popular with the fans, and David Beckham, who even people who hate football have heard of. United s best player at the moment is perhaps the 24-year-old English forward Wayne Rooney. He is so good that some fans think England have a chance of winning if he plays, but no chance if he gets injured. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2 nd Edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2007 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary Macmillan Publishers Limited

24 Manchester United worksheet B Inside Out Exercise 1 Match the words (1-14) from the text on Worksheet A with the definitions (A-N). 1 rival A game 2 found B an accident that happens when a moving vehicle hits something 3 tragedy C the years of a person s life when they are working 4 injured D a person, team or business that competes with another 5 match E in or from the north of a country 6 qualify F to start an organization, company, club, etc 7 crash G coach; someone who trains a sports team 8 forward H a very sad event that causes people to suffer or die 9 recover I a period of the year when a particular sport is played 10 career J to reach a particular stage of a competition by doing well at an earlier stage 11 manager K a game that is not part of a competition and is therefore probably less serious or important 12 northern L a player in a game such a football or hockey whose job is to attack the other team and score goals 13 season M to get better or stronger after a difficult period or experience 14 friendly N hurt in an accident or an attack Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2 nd Edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2007 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary Macmillan Publishers Limited

25 Manchester United Inside Out WORKSHEET C Complete the crossword below. If all the words are correct, the name of the current Manchester United captain will read from top to bottom crowds have watched Manchester United play friendlies in Asia and Africa. 2. United s is called Old Trafford. 3. The 1958 plane crash happened in. 4. Wayne Rooney is a very good. 5. United the European Cup for the first time in Eric Cantona and David Beckham for United in the 1990s. 7. have won the English championship eighteen times. 8. George Best was not. 9. Many of people watch United s matches on TV. 10. Old Trafford can very large crowds. 11. United was in the nineteenth century. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2 nd Edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2007 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary Macmillan Publishers Limited

26 Lionel Messi Teacher s Notes This lesson is about Lionel Messi, the 23-year-old Argentinian footballer who is the biggest star in the Barcelona team and is widely seen as having the potential to be the greatest player of all time. Level Intermediate and above (equivalent to CEF level B1 and above) How to use the lesson 1. Presuming some of the students will be interested in football, ask them who they think is/are the best player(s) in the world, and why. Brainstorm on the subject of Lionel Messi: how much do the students know about him? You might want to introduce some football-related vocabulary, including words that come up in the text goal, score, shot, dribble, etc. 2. Give your students between five and ten minutes to read through Worksheet A, encouraging them to look up new vocabulary. Note, however, that many of the words that might be new are not in the glossary because they form part of Exercise Give each student a copy of Worksheet B, then divide the class into pairs and ask students to work together to do Exercise 1, in which they have to find the words to match the definitions. 4. Check answers in open class. 5. Ask the students to turn over their copies of Worksheet A or to give them back to you temporarily. Then, keeping the students in their pairs, hand out Worksheet C and ask them to move on to Exercise 2, in which one word has been omitted from each line of the text. With no indication of what the words were, or any gaps to show exactly where they have been taken from, how many of the words can the students remember and replace? This is not a test of memory alone, however: the students should be able to draw on their grammatical and lexical knowledge, and you should also point out that both the glossary and the students correct answers to Exercise 1 on Worksheet B should be of some use. Award a point for each word that is correctly replaced. (You could perhaps award half a point if the students come up with a word that fits the sentence but is not actually the original word, such as child instead of boy for number 24.) 6. Check answers in open class. Answers: Exercise 1 1. stocky 2. goal 3. compatriot 4. diagnose 5. string 6. stands 7. napkin 8. potential 9. crucial 10. sign 11. impression 12. at first sight 13. limpet 14. dart 15. coach Exercise 2 1. minute 2. between 3. goal 4. to 5. metres 6. scored 7. victory 8. won 9. old 10. has 11. Brazilian 12. Argentinian 13. greatest 14. Born 15. his 16. run 17. ball 18. string 19. is 20. team 21. fan 22. gave 23. touched 24. boy 25. not 26. parents 27. doctors 28. happened 29. Spain 30. the 31. piece 32. contract Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2 nd Edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2007 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary Macmillan Publishers Limited

27 2. Related websites Send your students to these websites, or just take a look yourself. A fans website on the subject of Lionel Messi, including quotes and recent news items. Accessible to Intermediate level. The official UEFA Champions League (European football) website. Accessible to Intermediate level. The official FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) website. Accessible to Intermediate level. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2 nd Edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2007 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary Macmillan Publishers Limited

28 Lionel Messi Glossary athletic adjective physically strong, active, and good at sports a tall athletic-looking man Inside Out award noun [countable] a prize or other reward that is given to someone who has achieved something She won the Player of the Year award. contract noun [countable] LEGAL a written legal agreement between two people or businesses that says what each must do for the other or give to the other After six months she was offered a contract of employment. deficiency noun [countable/uncountable] a lack of something that your body needs anaemia caused by iron deficiency expert noun [countable] someone who has a particular skill or who knows a lot about a particular subject a safety/health/computer expert fan noun [countable] someone who likes watching or listening to something such as a sport, films, or music very much, or who admires a famous or important person very much a crowd of noisy football fans growth hormone noun [countable] BIOLOGY a hormone that helps the process of growth in animal and plant cells. In animals, it is produced in the pituitary gland. heir noun [countable] the next person to have a particular job or to continue someone s work or ideas the heirs to Mussolini s fascist regime medal noun [countable] a small flat piece of metal that you are given for winning a competition or doing something very brave She won a silver medal in swimming. muscular adjective very strong and attractive, with muscles that have been developed through exercise He was tall, blond, and muscular. opposition, the noun [uncountable] a person, team, business, or group that someone is competing against The opposition scored a goal in the last seconds of the game. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2 nd Edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2007 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary Macmillan Publishers Limited

29 physique noun [countable] the shape of someone s body, especially a man s a strong physique Inside Out professional adjective playing a sport or doing an activity as a job rather than for enjoyment a professional actor/photographer score verb [intransitive/transitive] to get a point in a game or sport No one scored in the first half. shot noun [countable] an act of throwing, hitting, or kicking a ball, or a ball that has been thrown, hit, or kicked They didn t manage to get a single shot at our goal. trial noun [countable/uncountable] the process of testing a product, plan, or person over a period of time The drug is now undergoing clinical trials. Copyright Macmillan Publishers Limited Definitions from the Macmillan English Dictionary 2 nd Edition Macmillan Publishers Limited 2007 and the Macmillan Essential Dictionary Macmillan Publishers Limited