Vocabulary and reading skills

Hornby's conclusion: success in sport has a «cruel clarity»

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

What conclusion about success would you draw from the young footballer’s story? Try to write it in one sentence.

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.

Do you agree with this conclusion?

Keep up, end up: two phrasal verbs from the story

Look at the examples. Then answer the question below.

Which phrasal verb suggests these ideas?

1. a final result ___

2. staying at the same level or speed ___

Six verbs + up: practise and match the meanings

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

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 ___ .

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 ___

Reflexive pronouns: when the subject and object are the same

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.

Dream about: a verb with a preposition

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.