The Reading / Listening - Sports - Level 4

The spread of COVID-19 is hitting world sport. As the coronavirus is now a pandemic, many sports are acting to stop the spread of the virus. European football is coming to a standstill and major leagues worldwide have suspended games for the coming weeks. The Champions League could be suspended. In other sports, the first grand prix of the Formula 1 season has been cancelled and major league sports in the USA have been suspended until further notice.

The biggest worry is uncertainty over the Tokyo Olympics. Japan is preparing to continue with the Games as scheduled and said it was "inconceivable" they would be cancelled. U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Japan should consider postponing the Games. Sport is already being hit in Japan. The nation's 15-day spring sumo tournament is being held behind closed doors, and a national high school baseball tournament has been cancelled.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Sports - Level 5 or  Sports - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/51853524
  • https://www.espn.com/soccer/uefa-european-championship/story/4073259/champions-league-cancellation-euro-2020-delay-on-table
  • https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/11956076/uefa-considers-champions-league-and-europa-league-suspension


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The spread
  2. the coronavirus is
  3. acting to stop
  4. European football is coming
  5. suspended games for the coming
  6. the Formula 1 season has
  7. major
  8. suspended until
  1. the spread
  2. league sports
  3. weeks
  4. further notice
  5. now a pandemic
  6. of COVID-19
  7. to a standstill
  8. been cancelled

Paragraph 2

  1. The biggest worry is
  2. Japan is preparing to
  3. it was
  4. Japan should consider postponing
  5. Sport is already being
  6. The nation's 15-day spring
  7. being held behind
  8. baseball
  1. closed doors
  2. inconceivable
  3. tournament
  4. continue
  5. sumo tournament
  6. the Games
  7. hit in Japan
  8. uncertainty

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The spread of COVID-19 (1) ___________________ sport. As the coronavirus is (2) ___________________, many sports are acting to stop the spread of the virus. European football is coming (3) ___________________ and major leagues worldwide have suspended games for (4) ___________________. The Champions League could be suspended. In other sports, the first grand prix of the Formula 1 season (5) ___________________ and major league sports in the USA have been suspended (6) ___________________.

The biggest worry (7) ___________________ the Tokyo Olympics. Japan is preparing to continue with the Games (8) ___________________ said it was "inconceivable" they (9) ___________________. U.S. President Donald Trump suggested Japan should (10) ___________________ Games. Sport is already being hit in Japan. The nation's 15-day spring sumo tournament is being held (11) ___________________, and a national high school baseball tournament (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThespreadofCOVID-19ishittingworldsport.Asthecoronavirusisnowa
pandemic,manysportsareactingtostopthespreadofthevirus.Europe
anfootballiscomingtoastandstillandmajorleaguesworldwidehavesus
pendedgamesforthecomingweeks.TheChampionsLeaguecouldbesu
spended.Inothersports,thefirstgrandprixoftheFormula1seasonhasb
eencancelledandmajorleaguesportsintheUSAhavebeensuspendedu
ntilfurthernotice.ThebiggestworryisuncertaintyovertheTokyoOlymp
ics.JapanispreparingtocontinuewiththeGamesasscheduledandsaidit
was"inconceivable"theywouldbecancelled.U.S.PresidentDonaldTru
mpsuggestedJapanshouldconsiderpostponingtheGames.Sportisalr
eadybeinghitinJapan.Thenation's15-dayspringsumotournamentis
beingheldbehindcloseddoors,andanationalhighschoolbaseballtourn
amenthasbeencancelled.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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