Unit 11: Water sports

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Aims and Objectives

In this lesson you are going to learn vocabulary and phrases concerning water polo and swimming. You will also review orientation vocabulary. Finally you are going to practice comparatives and superlatives as well as modal verb should.

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:
ANDREWAre you planning to attend the swimming contest?
ANIEWell, I heard about it, but I am not sure about where and when.
ANDREWIt's tomorrow at 4 pm at Glenn Cove.
ANNIEAt Glenn Cove? So it's an open water event?
ANDREWSure, didn't you know that?
ANIEI didn't obviously. How do I get there?
ANDREWTake the road from Penzance to Land's End, you'll see big signs after several miles. You can't miss it.
ANIEThank you very much Andrew, I'll be there.
  1. Andrew is not sure about
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. The swimming contest is going to take place
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. Andrew didn't know that
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. It looks like Andrew is
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice Questions

Chose the correct answer.

Recording:
Transcript:
JAMESI need new goggles. Would you recommend some, Tania?
TANIAWell, I heard the blue ones over there are very good.
JAMESAha, thank you, but it seems the shop is closed.
TANIANever mind, they also have them at Greene Street.
JAMESI'm afraid I don't know where that is.
TANIAYou know where the library is, right?
JAMESSure.
TANIASo it's right around the corner, across from the butcher's. The shop is called Deep Marine.
JAMESOh, now I know. Thank you Tania.
  1. James needs to
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. James can't buy what he needs because
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. Tania knows
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. The place is
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Exercise 3: Exposed Cloze

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

  • Swimming
  • bones
  • healthy
  • life
  • only
  • stroking
Transcript:

Swimming is basically a combination of floating and stroking movement while in the water. Knowing how to swim and doing it regularly can be fun, tiring, healthy, and can also save your life in case of an emergency on the water. It is said it is the only sport that does not put too much pressure on bones and joints (cycling comes close).

? is basically a combination of floating and ? movement while in the water. Knowing how to swim and doing it regularly can be fun, tiring, ?, and can also save your ? in case of an emergency on the water. It is said it is the ? sport that does not put too much pressure on ? and joints (cycling comes close).

Exercise 4: Exposed Cloze

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

  • players
  • quarters
  • scoring
  • team
  • time
  • volleyball
  • water
Transcript:

Water polo team consists of seven players. The game is played like soccer in the water using only one hand at a time to handle the ball. You get points for scoring a goal. Played in a 30 meter pool, over 4 quarters with a duration of 7 minutes per quarter. Ball is the size of a volleyball and yellow.

Water polo ? consists of seven ?. The game is played like soccer in the ? using only one hand at a ? to handle the ball. You get points for ? a goal. Played in a 30 meter pool, over 4 ? with a duration of 7 minutes per quarter. Ball is the size of a ? and yellow.

Grammar Practice

Exercise 1: Cloze

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

Transcript:

These goggles are much (good) better then the red ones.
It is (hard) harder to swim in the ocean then in the pool.
Her swimsuit is (nice) nicer then yours.
This pool is (long) longer then the one in Coventry.
It is (far) further to the Land's End then to the Glenn cove.
The weather is much (warm) warmer then yesterday.

These goggles are much (good) ? then the red ones.
It is (hard) ? to swim in the ocean then in the pool.
Her swimsuit is (nice) ? then yours.
This pool is (long) ? then the one in Coventry.
It is (far) ? to the Land's End then to the Glenn cove.
The weather is much (warm) ? then yesterday.

Exercise 2: Substitution

Write the opposite.


  1. ?

  2. ?

  3. ?

  4. ?

  5. ?

  6. ?

Exercise 3: Cloze

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

Transcript:

I don't swim very fast. I must swim faster.
Greg thinks the water is not warm enough. He prefers warmer water.
It is not very easy to swim 3 kilometres. David thought it was easier
This game is not very good for us. The other one was better.
The short course pool is not very big. The long course pool is bigger.
You don't work very hard. You must work harder.

Example:

The weather is not very nice. It was nicer yesterday.

I don't swim very fast. I must swim ?.
Greg thinks the water is not warm enough. He prefers ? water.
It is not very easy to swim 3 kilometres. David thought it was ?
This game is not very good for us. The other one was ?.
The short course pool is not very big. The long course pool is ?.
You don't work very hard. You must work ?.

Exercise 4: Exposed Cloze

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

  • the best
  • the happiest
  • the hardest
  • the quickest
  • the worst
  • the worst
Transcript:

That pass was very quick. It was the quickest I have seen in this match.
Our goalkeeper made a bad mistake. It was the worst mistake he could make.
It was a very happy day for them. It was the happiest day for them.
This swimming contest is very hard. It is the hardest contest in the Netherlands.
Your equipment is very good. Your equipment is the best.
Their results are very bad. Their results are the worst.

That pass was very quick. It was ? I have seen in this match.
Our goalkeeper made a bad mistake. It was ? mistake he could make.
It was a very happy day for them. It was ? day for them.
This swimming contest is very hard. It is ? contest in the Netherlands.
Your equipment is very good. Your equipment is ?.
Their results are very bad. Their results are ?.

Exercise 5: Exposed Cloze

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

  • should be
  • should drink
  • should foul
  • should go
  • should use
  • should watch
Transcript:

When you play water polo, you should watch the ball.
It is very late and you get up early, you should go to bed.
There are too many fouls in this game. We should foul less.
The goalkeeper often gets injured therefore he should be very careful.
Swimmers should drink proper amount of water.
You should use front crawl if you want to swim fast.

When you play water polo, you ? the ball.
It is very late and you get up early, you ? to bed.
There are too many fouls in this game. We ? less.
The goalkeeper often gets injured therefore he ? very careful.
Swimmers ? proper amount of water.
You ? front crawl if you want to swim fast.

Exercise 6: Substitution

Write negatives.


  1. ?

  2. ?

  3. ?

  4. ?

  5. ?

  6. ?

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:

Land's End is the westernmost part of England.

?

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:

I am not sure whether she won the last competition in Penzance.

?

Checklist

Now, after finishing this lesson you should be able:

To ask about the way.

To understand common vocabulary and phrases concerning water polo and swimming.

To use comparatives and superlatives.

To use modal verb should.

Version 2.0 (2011-12-07 01:25 CET)
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