94
IN THIS UNIT
GRAMMAR
• second conditional
•
too
and
enough
VOCABULARY
• sports
• linking words
SCENARIO
• answering complex
questions
• using a questionnaire
STUDY SKILLS
• time management
WRITING SKILLS
• a formal email
(requesting
further
information)
Sport
12.1
MINORITY SPORTS
12
VOCABULARY AND SPEAKING
SPORTS
1
a
Discuss these questions in small groups.
1
What’s the most popular sport in your country to
a) watch and b) play?
2
How popular are these sports in your country?
gymnastics cycling basketball fencing
table tennis dragon-boat racing hockey judo
polo sailing swimming skiing
3
Which of the sports do you consider minority sports?
What other minority sports do you know?
4
Which verbs are used to talk about these and other
sports:
do
,
go
or
play
, e.g.
do judo
,
play football
?
5
Ask your partners about sports they play (or have
played), and about sports they would like to do.
1
b
How much do you know about some of these
sports? Do the quiz on page 138 with a partner.
READING
2
a
Read this letter that appeared in a national newspaper.
What is its purpose? Tick (
✓
) the correct answer(s).
1
to persuade the media to report minority sports more
2
to report on the success of Bahrain’s national fencing
team
3
to promote more investment in minority sports
Time for a change in sport
I read your story (20 October) with great interest. I –
and many other young people all over the country –
belong to a local sports club where a wide variety of
minority sports (e.g. fencing, gymnastics, archery) are
practised. We are all enthusiastic about and dedicated
to our sports. However, we are also sad, disappointed
and angry about the lack of media interest in our
sports, and also about our poor facilities and funding.
Our national fencing team, for example, has wonmany
awards in international competitions, and is training
hard for the next Olympics. The Bahrain national judo
team recently won four bronze medals in Abu Dhabi.
If these and other minority sports had more funding,
we would do really well in international competitions.
Let’s give the young people of this country a real
chance to improve their fitness, show their talents
and achieve success. We need proper investment in
facilities and training. We also need a sympathetic
media that tells young people about less well-known
sports in order to develop their interest.
I believe it is now time for us all to show the same
commitment to minority sports as the young people
who do them.
Yours sincerely,
M.s., Riffa, Bahrain
L
ett
e
rs
&
e
m
a
i
l
s
‘Sports do not build character. They reveal it.’
Heywood Broun, 1888–1939, US journalist
