It’s by far my favourite sport to watch. I love the excitement that builds up as the match progresses, with the fans cheering and chanting. There’s always an amazing atmosphere.
My team usually loses, it has to be said, although last week they drew. When they play away I always try to go and support them. And I’ve got the latest kit, but they’re getting more and more expensive so I may have to stop buying them. I think the clubs take advantage of fans’ loyalty to push up the prices.
Team sports are a fantastic way for young people to improve their fitness. I coach a junior team at the weekend. We don’t train in a stadium, of course, just on a pitch in our local park. I was really delighted last week when our youngest player scored the winning goal with a beautiful header. I think he might prove to be a real up-and-coming talent.
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What do you do to keep fit? Are you good at sport? What sports do you play? What is the most popular sport in your country?
What do you do to keep fit? I go to the gym twice a week. I don’t really enjoy it, to be honest, but it’s an easy way to keep fit. I mainly do cardiovascular exercises, rather than muscle building.
Are you good at sport? Not really, but I try my best. I prefer individual sports to team sports because if I do badly in a team game I always feel I’m letting everyone down.
What sports do you play? I go kite-surfing sometimes. I enjoy it because it’s so exhilarating. I can’t go often, though, because there’s rarely enough wind where I live. I might take up another water sport instead.
What is the most popular sport in your country? I’d say the most popular sport is football, as in most countries. Most people have a favourite team who they support through thick and thin. The teams are often English ones, and Manchester United is the most well-known.
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Oh great, the match is starting ! Oh great, the match is starting. Liverpool won. Fantastic. Liverpool won! Fantastic !
CD1 Tracks 11-12
See page 20 for text.
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I’d like to talk about the most exciting tennis match I’ve ever seen. It was about six years ago just outside Bordeaux in France, and it was the boys’ final of a junior championship. My favourite player, a rising star, had got to the final so I wanted to see him. At the time, I didn’t know anyone else who was interested in tennis – all my friends preferred football so I went on my own. I set off really early to make sure got there on time, but I end ed up being too early and I had to wait for two hours for the match to start. It did ‘t matter, though, because this meant I got one of the best seats, right at the front in the middle of the court – I was delighted about that.
Other people gradually started arriving, the seats filled up, and we waited expectantly for the players. When the match started, it soon became clear that I was practically the only person supporting Jean Martin. Most people were there to support the other guy who had won the previous two years and was the favourite to win this year, too. Every time Paul Fernandez won a point, the crowd erupted into applause but I sat silently, getting more and more anxious.
Martin lost the first set, but then there was a dramatic turnaround. He suddenly seemed to find some self-belief and he started to win. That’s what I love about tennis – it’s a battle of the mind _ as much as the body. I find it interesting to see how some players may be highly skilled but don’t have the mental strength to win. Martin obviously did have this strength, and Fernandez was slowly falling apart. The atmosphere was electric. Martin showed off his amazing skills, hitting ball after ball straight down the line. Martin served for the match – you could have heard a pin drop. When he served an ace, the crowd went wild! Although they had begun by supporting his opponent, they had grown to respect him for his cool head and control of the ball. When he was presented with the trophy, he cried with joy.
Do you play tennis yourself? Yes, I’m a keen tennis player. I joined a club about two years ago and play all the time.
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Keeping fit What are the best ways to keep fit? Do you think most people consider exercise a chore or do they find it fun? What is the most popular form of exercise in your country?
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I need it for studying