102

Culture Choice 1 1 Vocabulary Look at the network. What do you like

and dislike about football?

I love big games when my team scores a goal!

Football

Playing: win/lose a game/match,

score a goal, get a penalty

Style: (un)creative, fast/slow,

hard, physical, (un) skilful, stylish, good/bad ball

control

Watching: football ground/pitch

fl ags, scarves, songs/chants, dancing football crowds/supporters

hooligans, violence

Organisation: FIFA World Cup, national leagues,

football clubs, national teams

In his � rst year at Cambridge University, Nick went to see Arsenal with his new girlfriend and found her reaction to the game very interesting.

did something else in that year, apart from watch football, talk and listen to music: I fell stomach-clenchingly for a smart, pretty and vivacious girl from the teacher-training college. We spent much of the next three or four years in each other’s company.

She is part of this story, I think in several ways. For a start, she was the fi rst girlfriend who ever came to Highbury (in the Easter holidays at the end of our second term). Arsenal had just beaten the club record for the longest losing streak in their history – they had managed to lose, in consecutive games, to Manchester City, Middlesbrough, West Ham, Everton, Ipswich, West Brom and QPR. She charmed the team, however, much as she had charmed me, and we scored three times in the fi rst quarter of the game. Graham Rix got the fi rst on his debut and David O’Leary, who went on to score maybe another half a dozen times in the next decade, got two in the space of ten minutes.

Because it was a special occasion, Nick had bought expensive tickets so that they could watch the game comfortably sitting down.

It was strange having her there – all I remember is how she responded each time Arsenal scored. Everyone in the row stood up apart from her – three times I looked down to see her shaking with laughter. ‘It’s so funny,’ she said by way of explanation, and I could see her point. It had never really occurred to me before that football was, indeed, a funny game, and that like most things which only work if one believes, the back view (and because she remained seated she had a back view, right down a line of mostly misshapen male bottoms) is preposterous, like the rear of a Hollywood fi lm set.

2 Your Culture Work in pairs. Ask and answer the questions about your country.

1 How popular is football with young people? 2 What are the most famous clubs and players? 3 What style of football does your national

team play? 4 How do supporters from your country behave at

football matches?

3 Quiz Work in pairs. Try to answer the quiz.

1 Where and when were the rules of football invented? a Italy in the 16 th century b England in the 19 th century c France in 1904

2 How many football players (amateur and professional) are there in the world?

a 25 million b 250 million c 2.5 billion

3 How many people watched the 2010 World Cup Final between Spain and Holland?

a 70 million b 700 million c 2.7 billion

4 What is the typical style of football in England? a skilful b creative and stylish c fast and physical

5 What are the two ‘big’ South American football nations?

a Brazil/Chile b Uruguay/Argentina c Argentina/Brazil

6 Which country has won the World Cup fi ve times? a Argentina b Italy c Brazil

7 Which supporters sing You’ll never walk alone ? a Manchester United b Arsenal c Liverpool

8 How many female football players are there in the world?

a 3 million b 13 million c 30 million

4 6.2 6.3 Listen to the talk about football and check your guesses from Exercise 3.

5 Read the information about Nick Hornby on page 103. When did he become an Arsenal fan? What are his feelings about his club?

6 Look at the drawing about one of Nick Hornby’s experiences. Which of these things do you think happened?

a Nick went to an Arsenal game with his girlfriend . b His team scored a goal . c They both celebrated the goal . d His girlfriend thought the situation was funny.

7 6.4 Read and listen to the extract from Fever Pitch and check your guesses from Exercise 6.

8 Use the glossary to read the extract again. Are the statements true (T) or false (F)?

1 Nick did not study very hard in his fi rst year at university. T

2 He fell in love with a woman who was training to be a nurse.

3 They had a serious relationship. 4 Arsenal was having a very good season that year. 5 One Arsenal player scored three goals. 6 His girlfriend laughed at the people when they

celebrated the goal.

9 Work in pairs. Answer the questions.

1 What other situation does Nick Hornby mention that looks silly from a di� erent angle?

2 Have you been in a ‘serious’ situation that you thought was funny?

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SAMPLE

SAMPLE How do supporters from your country behave at

SAMPLE How do supporters from your country behave at

Work in pairs. Try to answer the quiz.

SAMPLE

Work in pairs. Try to answer the quiz.

Where and when were the rules of football invented?

SAMPLE

Where and when were the rules of football invented?

century

SAMPLE

century c

SAMPLE

c France in 1904

SAMPLE

France in 1904

How many football players (amateur and

SAMPLE

How many football players (amateur and How many football players (amateur and

SAMPLE

How many football players (amateur and professional) are there in the world?

SAMPLE

professional) are there in the world? 250 million

SAMPLE

250 million c

SAMPLE

c 2.5 billion

SAMPLE

2.5 billion

How many people watched the 2010 World Cup

SAMPLE

How many people watched the 2010 World Cup Final between Spain and Holland?

SAMPLE

Final between Spain and Holland? 70 million

SAMPLE

70 million b

SAMPLE

b 700 million

SAMPLE

700 million

What is the typical style of football in England?

SAMPLE

What is the typical style of football in England? a SAMPLE

a skilful SAMPLE

skilful bSAMPLE

b creative and stylish SAMPLE

creative and stylish

What are the two ‘big’ South American football SAMPLE

What are the two ‘big’ South American football SAMPLE

nations? SAMPLE

nations? Brazil/Chile SAMPLE

Brazil/Chile SAMPLE 6

SAMPLE 6 His girlfriend laughed at the people when they

SAMPLE His girlfriend laughed at the people when they

UNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITSUNITS

Nick went to an Arsenal game with his girlfriend .

UNITS Nick went to an Arsenal game with his girlfriend .

They both celebrated the goal .

UNITS They both celebrated the goal . They both celebrated the goal .

UNITS They both celebrated the goal . His girlfriend thought the situation was funny.

UNITS His girlfriend thought the situation was funny. His girlfriend thought the situation was funny.

UNITS His girlfriend thought the situation was funny.

Read and listen to the extract from

UNITSRead and listen to the extract from Read and listen to the extract from

UNITSRead and listen to the extract from Read and listen to the extract from

UNITSRead and listen to the extract from and check your guesses from Exercise 6.

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UNITS and check your guesses from Exercise 6.

Use the glossary to read the extract again. Are the

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UNITS Use the glossary to read the extract again. Are the Use the glossary to read the extract again. Are the

UNITS Use the glossary to read the extract again. Are the statements true (T) or false (F)?

UNITSstatements true (T) or false (F)? statements true (T) or false (F)?

UNITSstatements true (T) or false (F)? statements true (T) or false (F)?

UNITSstatements true (T) or false (F)?

1

UNITS 1 Nick did not study very hard in his fi rst year at

UNITS Nick did not study very hard in his fi rst year at Nick did not study very hard in his fi rst year at

UNITS Nick did not study very hard in his fi rst year at

university. UNITSuniversity. TUNITS

T 2 UNITS 2 He fell in love with a woman who was training to UNITS

He fell in love with a woman who was training to be a nurse. UNITSbe a nurse. UNITS

They had a serious relationship. UNITS They had a serious relationship. Arsenal was having a very good season that year. UNITS Arsenal was having a very good season that year.

103

Glossary bottom: (n) the part of your body you sit on charm: (v) to make someone like you company: (n) when someone is with you consecutive: (adj) one after another debut: (n) fi rst public appearance of a player or actor decade: (n) a period of ten years fall for someone: (v) to fall in love with someone fi lm set: (n) where a fi lm is made losing streak: to lose several times in a period of time misshapen: (adj) not a normal shape occur to someone: (n) to have an idea about something preposterous: (adj) silly or ridiculous rear: (n) the back of an object or a place row: (n) a line of things or people see someone’s point: (v) to understand someone’s opinion shake with laughter: (v) to laugh violently stomach-clenchingly: (adj) painfully, madly vivacious: (adj) full of life

My Culture Project

10 Choose a sporting event that was

important for your country, region

or city. Write notes about the things

below.

• why it was important

• the atmosphere before it

• who you watched the event with

• what happened during the event

• how you felt at the end

• what happened afterwards

11 Work in pairs. Ask and answer

questions about the sporting event.

A: Why was it important?

B: Well, it was the fi nal of the World

Cup and my country had never won

it before.

In his � rst year at Cambridge University, Nick went to see Arsenal with his new girlfriend and found her reaction to the game very interesting.

did something else in that year, apart from watch football, talk and listen to music: I fell stomach-clenchingly for a smart, pretty and vivacious girl from the teacher-training college. We spent much of the next three or four years in each other’s company.

She is part of this story, I think in several ways. For a start, she was the fi rst girlfriend who ever came to Highbury (in the Easter holidays at the end of our second term). Arsenal had just beaten the club record for the longest losing streak in their history – they had managed to lose, in consecutive games, to Manchester City, Middlesbrough, West Ham, Everton, Ipswich, West Brom and QPR. She charmed the team, however, much as she had charmed me, and we scored three times in the fi rst quarter of the game. Graham Rix got the fi rst on his debut and David O’Leary, who went on to score maybe another half a dozen times in the next decade, got two in the space of ten minutes.

Because it was a special occasion, Nick had bought expensive tickets so that they could watch the game comfortably sitting down.

It was strange having her there – all I remember is how she responded each time Arsenal scored. Everyone in the row stood up apart from her – three times I looked down to see her shaking with laughter. ‘It’s so funny,’ she said by way of explanation, and I could see her point. It had never really occurred to me before that football was, indeed, a funny game, and that like most things which only work if one believes, the back view (and because she remained seated she had a back view, right down a line of mostly misshapen male bottoms) is preposterous, like the rear of a Hollywood fi lm set.

Read the information about Nick Hornby on page 103. When did he become an Arsenal fan? What are his feelings about his club?

Look at the drawing about one of Nick Hornby’s experiences. Which of these things do you think happened?

a Nick went to an Arsenal game with his girlfriend . b His team scored a goal . c They both celebrated the goal . d His girlfriend thought the situation was funny.

Read and listen to the extract from Fever Pitch and check your guesses from Exercise 6.

Use the glossary to read the extract again. Are the statements true (T) or false (F)?

1 Nick did not study very hard in his fi rst year at university. T

2 He fell in love with a woman who was training to be a nurse.

3 They had a serious relationship. 4 Arsenal was having a very good season that year. 5 One Arsenal player scored three goals. 6 His girlfriend laughed at the people when they

celebrated the goal.

Work in pairs. Answer the questions.

1 What other situation does Nick Hornby mention that looks silly from a di� erent angle?

2 Have you been in a ‘serious’ situation that you thought was funny?

Nick Hornby (1957–) lived near

London when he

was a boy and

started going to

watch Arsenal at

Highbury with his

father when he was

eleven. After leaving school, Nick studied

English Literature at Cambridge University

and continued supporting Arsenal. After

university, Nick taught English and then

became a journalist and writer. His fi rst

book, Fever Pitch (1992), was about his

experiences as a fanatical Arsenal fan and

his love/hate relationship with his team.

Since then he has written successful novels

like High Fidelity and About a Boy that have

become Hollywood fi lms.

Z01_CHOI_SB_INTGLB_2032_CC.indd 103 23/09/2011 13:02

SAMPLE

SAMPLE

SAMPLE

SAMPLE In his � rst year at Cambridge University, Nick went to see

SAMPLE In his � rst year at Cambridge University, Nick went to see

Arsenal with his new girlfriend and found her reaction to the

SAMPLE Arsenal with his new girlfriend and found her reaction to the

did something else in that year, apart from watch football,

SAMPLE

did something else in that year, apart from watch football, talk and listen to music: I fell stomach-clenchingly for

SAMPLE

talk and listen to music: I fell stomach-clenchingly for a smart, pretty and vivacious girl from the teacher-training

SAMPLE

a smart, pretty and vivacious girl from the teacher-training college. We spent much of the next three or four years in each

SAMPLE

college. We spent much of the next three or four years in each

She is part of this story, I think in several ways. For a start, she was the

SAMPLE

She is part of this story, I think in several ways. For a start, she was the fi rst girlfriend who ever came to Highbury (in the Easter holidays at

SAMPLE

fi rst girlfriend who ever came to Highbury (in the Easter holidays at the end of our second term). Arsenal had just beaten the club record

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the end of our second term). Arsenal had just beaten the club record for the longest losing streak in their history – they had managed to

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for the longest losing streak in their history – they had managed to for the longest losing streak in their history – they had managed to

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for the longest losing streak in their history – they had managed to lose, in consecutive games, to Manchester City, Middlesbrough, West

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lose, in consecutive games, to Manchester City, Middlesbrough, West Ham, Everton, Ipswich, West Brom and QPR. She charmed the team,

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and David O’Leary, who went on to score maybe another half a dozen times in the next decade, got two in the space of ten minutes. SAMPLE

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Because it was a special occasion, Nick had bought expensive SAMPLE

Because it was a special occasion, Nick had bought expensive SAMPLE

SAMPLE U

NITSUNITSUNITSUNITS

Glossary

UNITSGlossarybottom:

UNITSbottom: (n) the part of your body you sit on

UNITS(n) the part of your body you sit on

charm:

UNITS charm: (v) to make someone like you

UNITS (v) to make someone like you

company:

UNITS company: (n) when someone is with you

UNITS (n) when someone is with you

consecutive:

UNITS consecutive: (adj) one after another

UNITS (adj) one after another

debut:

UNITS debut: (n) fi rst public appearance of a player or

UNITS (n) fi rst public appearance of a player or

actor

UNITSactor decade:

UNITS decade: fall for someone:UNITSfall for someone:someone UNITSsomeone UNITS

UNITSUNITS

his love/hate relationship with his team.

UNITShis love/hate relationship with his team.

Since then he has written successful novels

UNITSSince then he has written successful novels

High Fidelity

UNITSHigh Fidelity and

UNITS and High Fidelity and High Fidelity

UNITSHigh Fidelity and High Fidelity About a Boy

UNITSAbout a Boy

become Hollywood fi lms.

UNITSbecome Hollywood fi lms.

UNITS