Unit 3: Ball sports

Back

Aims and Objectives

In this lesson, you are going to learn vocabulary and phrases concerning basketball and volleyball. You will also practice various ways of expressing future as well as conversations on the plane or at the station.

The grammar focus of this unit is:

Vocabulary

Vocabulary Practice

Exercise not available in this language version.

Comprehension

Exercise 1: Multiple Choice Questions

Chose the correct answer.

Recording:
Transcript:

I very cordially welcome all of you aboard our flight JL380 destined for the city renowned for its fodder also known as Paris. I would like to express our immense and undying gratitude to all of you for presenting us with the privilege of having you aboard and being able to convey you to your destination. I hope you'll consider JL airlines whenever you think of spreading your wings again. I'd love to be with you a lot longer but unfortunately time and work prevent me from doing so. To keep you better informed and to make you feel less neglected, we are cruising very comfortably at 32000 ft landing in Paris in about 15 minutes at 18:27.

  1. According to the pilot, Paris is famous for its
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. The pilot feels like expressing
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. The pilot would like
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. The passengers
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice Questions

Chose the correct answer.

Recording:
Transcript:
PRESENTERIn our sports segment today we take a look up north to the defending NBA champions the Boston Celtics.
REPORTERYou made an investment in some star players, so has it paid off?
MANAGERWell, we did fine, we won the championship and our fans liked it. It also helped us economically.
REPORTERLooking forward, who is going to be doing the buying of sports teams?
MANAGERI think it won't change much from how it is now. It will be a group of individuals or individuals, it really is a community asset rather than corporate or something people want to make money from.
REPORTERWhat did your sponsors tell you?
MANAGEROur sponsors love to back the winner. Celtics have a huge tradition and our sponsors like to be associated with the franchise.
  1. The presenter is asking about
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. The acquisition of new players
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. The sponsors of Celtics
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Exercise 3: Multiple Choice Questions

Chose the correct answer.

Recording:
Transcript:

The career of volleyball player Kerri Walsh started at South Bay, Saratoga. She spent four years at Stanford, she won two national titles, she was a national player of the year, won a gold Olympic medal in 2004, has appeared on TV shows and is also a wonderful wife. :REPORTER: Do you ever see your husband? :KW: Here and there, not that much, but staying in the same city is a good start, now he is in SF. :REPORTER: You are a real athlete, how tall are you? :KW: About six two and a bit. :REPORTER: Wow, to be a little personal for a moment, your husband must be a confident guy then. :KW: He is, he is a smart savvy guy and we are the same height. :REPORTER: Isn't that cool? :KW: The first thing my father did when I brought my husband home was measure us. :REPORTER: How tall are your parents? :KW: My father is six eight and my mother is five seven. :REPORTER: Did you get a lot of pressure to play basketball? :KW: I played in high school but my heart was in volleyball.

  1. Kerry Walsh usually
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. Kerry's husband must be a confident guy because
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. Kerry's father is
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. When she was younger Kerry
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Grammar Practice

Exercise 1: Substitution

Use the text in brackets to transform each sentence.


  1. ?

  2. ?

  3. ?

  4. ?

  5. ?

  6. ?

Exercise 2: Exposed Cloze

Use the correct word or expression from the list below to fill in the gaps in the sentences.

  • am about to
  • intention of
  • is bound
  • is likely
  • is on the brink
  • wouldn't hesitate
Transcript:

The weather is likely to change.
What are you doing? I am about to set off to work.
I have no intention of coming to the party.
The bank is on the brink of collapse.
They wouldn't hesitate to do that.
There is no other possibility, he is bound to leave later.

The weather ? to change.
What are you doing? I ? set off to work.
I have no ? coming to the party.
The bank ? of collapse.
They ? to do that.
There is no other possibility, he ? to leave later.

Exercise 3: Exposed Cloze

Use the correct word or expression from the list below to fill in the gaps in the sentences.

  • are going to see
  • is
  • is already pushing
  • is closing in
  • might be
  • should
  • will hold
Transcript:

For the moment it is very mild but rain is already pushing to the west parts of the country. We are going to see spells of rain tonight, in fact some of the rain might be fairly heavy. The temperatures will hold at 6 or 7 degrees. Nevertheless an area of high pressure is closing in from the east so on Wednesday morning conditions should improve.

For the moment it ? very mild but rain ? to the west parts of the country. We ? spells of rain tonight, in fact some of the rain ? fairly heavy. The temperatures ? at 6 or 7 degrees. Nevertheless an area of high pressure ? from the east so on Wednesday morning conditions ? improve.

Exercise 4: Substitution

Find mistakes, rewrite the sentences in correct way.


  1. ?

  2. ?

  3. ?

  4. ?

  5. ?

  6. ?

Exercise 5: Cloze

Fill in the gaps in the text below. For each gap there is only one correct answer.

Transcript:

T: Good morning madam. Can I help you?
P: Yes I'd like to book a return flight to Paris.
T: How long would you like to stay?
P: I'd like to stay for three days.
T: Will you be there for a weekend?
P: Yes I'll be there for the weekend.
T: Fine, you can get a discount then.
P: Nice, how much is it?
T: It will be 54 pounds.
P: What time does the plane leave?
T: Every hour madam.
P: Friday morning at 8 is fine for me.
T: Ok, I'll just check availability.

T: Good morning madam. Can I help you?
P: Yes ? to book a return flight to Paris.
T: How long ?
P: I'd like to stay for three days.
T: ? there for a weekend?
P: Yes I'll be there for the weekend.
T: Fine, you can get a discount then.
P: Nice, how much is it?
T: It ? 54 pounds.
P: What time ? the plane leave?
T: Every hour madam.
P: Friday morning at 8 is fine for me.
T: Ok, ? just check availability.

Dictation

Exercise 1: Dictation

Listen to the complete recording first. Then go to the textbox and use the ‘>’ key to listen to the text section by section. Type what you hear into the textbox. For detailed instructions, read the Exercise Help.

Recording:
Transcript:

The attack is usually the third contact a team makes with the ball. The object is to handle the ball so that it lands on the opponent's court and cannot be defended.

?

Exercise 2: Dictation

Listen to the complete recording first. Then go to the textbox and use the ‘>’ key to listen to the text section by section. Type what you hear into the textbox. For detailed instructions, read the Exercise Help.

Recording:
Transcript:

An attempt to throw a piece of crumpled paper across the room into a waste basket is called waste basketball.

?

Checklist

Now, after finishing this lesson you should be able:

To understand announcements and dialogues on the plane and at the station.

To understand common vocabulary and phrases concerning basketball and volleyball.

To express future in various ways.

Version 1.1.0-alpha (2013-01-03 13:42 CET)
Warning: Media Player unavailable. Use a JavaScript enabled browser.