English For Today chapter 7: Games and Sports

Unit Seven

Games and Sports

Learning outcomes

After we have studied this unit, we will be able to

• read, understand and enjoy stories, and other text materials
• ask and answer questions
• participate in short dialogues and conversations on familiar topics
• understand and enjoy stories, poems, and other text materials
• write answers to questions
• write short paragraphs and informal letters

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Lesson 1: Tales of Two Players (1)

Keywords : striker, coach, half six, school compound, talk show, quiz

A . Look at the pictures. What are they about?

Figure

Description: A football match on a ground; a goalpost with a net is on the right, and one boy is kicking the ball.

Figure

Description: A man and a woman with a child ride a bicycle together, and another child rides a bicycle beside them.

Figure

Description: Several people stand together under a roofed shelter; one man holds a paper and talks to the others.

Figure

Description: A man in a cap stands holding a ball, with several boys in sports vests beside him.

Figure

Description: Boys in sports vests walk in a line, with a man in a cap behind them.

Figure

Description: Boys in sports vests play a game on the ground; some are running and some are jumping.

Figure

Description: A boy sits up in bed with both arms stretched out, a blanket over his legs.

Figure

Labels: 7, 12, 9, 8, 5, 11 (numbers printed on the jerseys) Description: Boys in white sports jerseys stand together in front of a board; the jersey numbers are shown.

B . Read the text. Write the day below each picture.

Every Thursday afternoon Ashish Biswash plays football. He is a striker. He plays for the local Friends Club. Do you want to know what else he does on other days? This is what Ashish says: "Friday and Saturday are my weekends. On Fridays, I go to my village home. Going home is really a wonderful experience. My mother waits for me there.

In the afternoon, I go cycling with my friends. Sometimes I go for a long walk. Next day I get up a little late. In the afternoon I play kabadi. In fact, I was a kabadi player during my school days.

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From Sunday to Thursday I go to the club at 7 o'clock in the morning. It's the time for our regular practice. So, I have to get up by 6 o'clock. Usually on Monday afternoon, the team doctor sees all the players. On Tuesday our coach shows us videos of important matches. We learn a lot from them. On Thursdays when we practise, our team manager watches our performance and keeps a record of that. Then he selects the team for the day. In the afternoon I go to the club at 1 o'clock. I spend some time with my teammates. At 4 o'clock our match begins. We regularly play with other local teams."

C . Use the pictures in A to describe Ashish Biswas's week.

Example: He plays kabadi on Saturday afternoon.

D . Answer the following questions.

1. What's your favourite sport?
2. What's your favourite team?
3. Who is the captain?
4. Who is your favourite player?
5. How often do you go to the stadium and watch sports programmes?

Listening text: 8

E . Listen to the audio or your teacher and answer the following questions.

1. Who narrates the above story?
2. What is his dream?
3. Where does he live?
4. Why does he consider himself fortunate?

Printed page 75

F . Look at the chart. Listen to the teacher/ audio again and write the time for each activity in the chart.

Listening text: 8

G . Does Arun do these things? Complete the sentences.

Example:

He gets up at 6 o'clock. He doesn't practise on Fridays.

1. He ………………………at four o'clock. (get up)
2. He ………………………... to school by bus. (go)
3. He ……………………… in the morning. (jog)
4. He ……………………… to be a national cricketer. (want)
5. He ……………………… every day. (practise)
6. He ……………………… his practice. (miss)
7. He ……………………… back home at 6 in the afternoon. (get)
8. He ……………………… little time watching TV. (spend)
9. He ……………………… until ten in the evening. (study)
10. He ……………………… Talk Shows. (watch)

H . What do you think about Arun's life? Do you like him? Why/ why not?

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Lesson 2: Tales of two players (2)

Keywords : practise, weight lifter, opportunity, school compound

A . Read the text below aloud.

Ashish and Arun are two players. I have known them for a long time. They are both very close to my family. Ashish is from a village. Arun lives in a small town. Ashish plays football. He doesn't play tennis. Arun practises cricket but he loves athletics as well. Arun goes to a local school. He has opportunities to practise in his school compound. Arun practises in his club field. Ashish has one brother. His name is Abir. He is a weight lifter. Arun has no brother. He has a sister. Her name is Apala. She doesn't like cricket. She is a swimmer.

B .Work in pairs. Make questions for Asish, Apala, Arun, and Abir using the table below. Then ask and answer the questions. Also ask these questions to your partner. Use the words in italics to complete the sentences.

you she they he do does

C . Change your partner. Ask and answer questions about his/her previous partner's sports habit and routine.

Example: Does Emil play cricket? Does he practise regularly?

D . Do you remember Ashish Biswash, the footballer in the previous lesson? Here is an interview with him. Complete the questions. Use the verbs in the brackets.

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Interviewer : Do you practise on Fridays and Saturdays?

Ashish : No, I don't. That's my weekend.

Interviewer : What ………………… on Fridays? (do)

Ashish : I go to my village home.

Interviewer : ………… anyone ………………there now? (live)

Ashish : Yes, my mum lives there. She waits for me.

Interviewer : What ……………… she do there? (do)

Ashish : She is a social worker.

Interviewer : When…'………. practice everyday? (start)

Ashish : I start practising at 7 from Sunday to Thursday.

Interviewer : How ……………. your free time? (spend)

Ashish : I play kabadi, go cycling, or take long walks with my friends. Sometimes I chat with my mum.

Interviewer : When ………… back from your village? (come)

Ashish : On Saturday evening.

E . Make a few more questions and answers for this interview. Work with a partner. Act out the interview.

F . Choose a sports star. Make six questions to ask him/her. Use the words in the box below. Then act out the interview with a partner.

G . Make a personal fact file to talk about a day in your life. Answer the questions.

1. What time do you get up?
2. What do you have for breakfast?
3. How do you get to school?
4. What games or sports do you play? Why?
5. Who is your favourite sports star?
6. When do you go home from school?
7. Do you go home at the same time everyday?

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8. What is the first thing you do when you get back home?
9. How long do you watch television each day?
10. What's your favourite programme?
11. How often do you go out with your friends?
12. Where do you go? What do you do together?
13. What time do you go to bed?
14. What is your dream for the future?

H . Work in pairs. Ask and answer the above questions. Keep a record of your partner's answers and write a paragraph about him or her on the basis of your record. Start like this ....

Moon (partner's name) gets up at 7 o'clock in the morning. Then she has breakfast. She eats two pieces of chapati and a portion of vegetables. Sometimes she eats a banana and drinks a glass of milk. She……………………..