Vocabulary and reading skills

1 Read the text on page ⁦76 quickly⁩ again. Discuss the following in pairs or small groups.

1. What conclusion about success would you draw from the young footballer’s story? Try to write it in one sentence.
2. Now read what Hornby himself says about what we can learn from the story.

• fever pitch = the level of someone’s emotions: excitement and enthusiasm

3. Which is the best summary of Hornby’s conclusion?

A You need to be really good to succeed in sport, the arts or writing.

B In sport, just having skill is not enough. You have to try hard as well.

C If a sports person is not quite good enough, it will become clear in the end.

4. Do you agree with this conclusion?

2 Look at the examples. Then answer the question below.

Examples

He simply couldn’t keep up with the top players.

He ended up moving to smaller and smaller clubs.

Which phrasal verb suggests these ideas?

1. a final result ⁦2 staying⁩ at the same level or speed Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby

The lesson that Nick Hornby draws from his story is that one of the great things about sport is what he calls its ‘cruel clarity’. There are a lot of people who manage to make careers in acting, writing or music without having huge talent, but in sport it quickly becomes obvious if you’re not good enough. For example, the professional 100-metre runner who isn’t particularly good at it just doesn’t exist. The young footballer in Hornby’s story clearly knew he was good. He tried his hardest, he was determined, he had opportunities, but in the end he didn’t make it.

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3 Complete the sentences with the verbs in the box + up. (Change the form of the verb if necessary.)

give end keep clear grow take

1. I’ve recently running. It’s really helping me to stay fit.
2. Don’t now. One last try might be enough to do it.
3. If you don’t take this chance now, you’ll ___ regretting it later.
4. You can do it in the kitchen as long as you ___ the mess when you finish.
5. Slow down! I can’t ___ .
6. My daughter wants to be a doctor when she ___ .

4 Match the phrasal verbs in Activity ⁦3 with⁩ their meanings.

1. become an adult
2. start a new hobby or sport ___
3. make something tidy again ___
4. stop trying
5. go at same speed ___
6. finally be or do something ___

5 Look at the example. Then read the information below.

Example

The most important thing is to believe in yourself.

The word yourself is a reflexive pronoun (the subject and the object are the same).

6 Complete the sentences with the correct reflexive pronouns.

1. Most very young animals are not able to feed ___ .
2. She has a habit of talking to ___ when she’s on her own.
3. We need to keep telling ___ that we can win.
4. It wasn’t a present. I bought it ___ .
5. Help to the food, everyone.

7. Look at the example. Example

The rest of us can only dream about having his kind of skill.

8 Complete the sentences with the correct tense of the verbs in the box.

read hear write think complain

1. You’re very quiet. What ___ you about?
2. This is a really good restaurant. I ___ about it from a friend.
3. Several people about the article. They said it had a lot of mistakes.
4. In his articles, he usually ___ about travelling abroad.
5. I’ve never studied the subject, but I ___ a lot about it in books.