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* 26-page lesson
    (40 exercises)

 

* 2-page MINI
    lesson    (PDF)

* MP3 (UK male)

* MP3 (USA female)

* MP3 (20 questions)

* Listen & spell

* Dictation -
    (10 sentences)

* Speed Reading
    (200 - 500 wpm)

* Text jumble 15

* Text jumble 24

* No spaces

* Text Jumble

* Grammar gap-fill

* Articles gap-fill

* Prepositions

* Word order

* Consonants

* Vowels

* Missing letters

* Initials only

* No letters

* Word pairs

* Missing words

* Gap-fill

  Sir Alex Ferguson retires as Manchester United coach (10th May, 2013)

The most successful football coach Britain has ever seen announced his retirement on Wednesday when Sir Alex Ferguson called an end to his 26 years in charge of Manchester United, one of the world's footballing powers. Sir Alex is perhaps the most successful coach in any British sport. He brought unparalleled success to his club, winning 38 trophies during his reign. In a statement he said: "The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time. It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so." He added: "I must pay tribute to my family. Their love and support have been essential."


 

Twitter said the news of Sir Alex's retirement received four times more mentions than news of the death of Margaret Thatcher last month. The top names in football were quick to pay homage to the legendary manager. David Beckham tweeted: "Without him, I would never have achieved what I have done in my career….I am truly honoured to have been guided by the greatest manager in football." FIFA president Sepp Blatter tweeted: "His achievements in the game place him without doubt as one of the greats." UEFA president Michel Platini described Ferguson as a "visionary" who "has made a massive contribution to football". His successor has an exceedingly tough act to follow.

Sources:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/may/08/alex-ferguson-retires-manchester-united
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/sir-alex-ferguson-retirement-generates-1877323
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22448168


 
 

WARM-UPS

1. SPORTS COACHES: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about sports coaches. Change partners often and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.

 

successful / retirement / footballing powers / trophies / reign / pay tribute / essential / tweeted / legendary / achieved / visionary / contribution / greats / tough act to follow

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. MANAGER: What makes a good one? Complete this table and share what you wrote with your partner(s). Change partners often.

Point

How to best do this?

How do I rate at this?

tactics

 

 

motivating

 

 

disciplining

 

 

big egos

 

 

losing streak

 

 

pressure

 

 

4. PLAYERS: Students A strongly believe the players win games, not the manager/coach; Students B strongly believe the coach/manager wins games.  Change partners again and talk about your conversations.



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5. SPORT: Rank these and share your rankings with your partner. Put the best at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • football / soccer
  • baseball
  • cycling
  • tennis
  • cricket
  • wrestling
  • basketball
  • archery

6. RETIREMENT: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word 'retirement'. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

BEFORE READING / LISTENING

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if  a-h  below are true (T) or false (F).

a.

The world's most successful soccer coach retired on Wednesday.

T / F

b.

The coach won an amazing 26 trophies in 38 years.

T / F

c.

The coach said that it was the right time for him to retire.

T / F

d.

The coach paid tribute to the essential role played by his family.

T / F

e.

Sir Alex's retiring saw more tweets than Margaret Thatcher's death.

T / F

f.

David Beckham said Sir Alex was the second greatest manager ever.

T / F

g.

FIFA's president said Sir Alex is one of soccer's greats.

T / F

h.

The article said his successor would be a hard act to follow.

T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.

announced

a.

without equal

2.

in charge of

b.

unquestionably

3.

unparalleled

c.

crucial

4.

lightly

d.

extremely

5.

essential

e.

managing

6.

homage

f.

mentored

7.

guided

g.

huge

8.

without doubt

h.

respect

9.

massive

i.

made public

10.

exceedingly

j.

carelessly

3. PHRASE MATCH:  (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1.

called an

a.

one of the greats

2.

He brought unparalleled

b.

tribute to my family

3.

I have thought a great

c.

times more mentions

4.

I must pay

d.

act to follow

5.

Their love and support

e.

success to his club

6.

received four

f.

deal about…

7.

pay homage

g.

end to his 26 years in charge

8.

…without doubt as

h.

to the legendary manager

9.

made a massive

i.

have been essential

10.

an exceedingly tough

j.

contribution to football

 

GAP FILL

The most successful football coach Britain has ever seen announced his (1) ____________ on Wednesday when Sir Alex Ferguson (2) ____________ an end to his 26 years in charge of Manchester United, one of the world's footballing powers. Sir Alex is perhaps the most successful coach in any British sport. He brought (3) ____________ success to his club, winning 38 trophies during his (4) ____________. In a statement he said: "The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great (5) ____________ about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time. It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible (6) ____________ and I believe I have done so." He added: "I must pay (7) ____________ to my family. Their love and support have been (8) ____________."

 

 

deal
tribute
called
essential
reign
retirement
shape
unparalleled

Twitter said the news of Sir Alex's retirement received four times more (9) ____________ than news of the death of Margaret Thatcher last month. The top names in football were quick to (10) ____________ homage to the legendary manager. David Beckham tweeted: "Without him, I would never have (11) ____________ what I have done in my career….I am truly honoured to have been (12) ____________ by the greatest manager in football." FIFA president Sepp Blatter tweeted: "His achievements in the game place him without doubt as one of the (13) ____________." UEFA president Michel Platini described Ferguson as a "(14) ____________ " who "has made a (15) ____________ contribution to football". His successor has an exceedingly (16) ____________ act to follow.

 

pay
massive
guided
visionary
mentions
tough
achieved
greats

LISTENING - Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)

The most successful football coach Britain has ever seen ______ retirement

 

a.  announced this
b.  announces his
c.  announces this
d.  announced his

2)

Sir Alex Ferguson ______ his 26 years in charge

 

a.  called an end too
b.  called an end two
c.  call Dan end to
d.  called an end to

3)

He brought ______ to his club, winning 38 trophies

 

a.  non-paralleled success
b.  unparalleled success
c.  a parallelogram success
d.  unparalleled successes

4)

The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have ______

 

a.  not taken lightly
b.  not token lightly
c.  not tucking lightly
d.  not taking lightly

5)

I must pay tribute to my family. Their love and support have ______

 

a.  done essential
b.  bin essential
c.  been essential
d.  given essential

6)

The top names in football were quick to ______ the legendary manager

 

a.  paid homage to
b.  pays homage to
c.  payee homage to
d.  pay homage to

7)

I am truly honoured to have ______ the greatest manager in football

 

a.  been guide did by
b.  been guy did by
c.  been guided by
d.  been guide aid by

8)

His achievements in the game place him without doubt as ______

 

a.  one of the greats
b.  one of the greatest
c.  one of the greys
d.  one of the greets

9)

Platini described Ferguson as a "visionary" who "has ______ contribution to football

 

a.  made a mass if
b.  made a massively
c.  made a mass sieve
d.  may dam ass if

10)

His successor has an exceedingly ______

 

a.  tough act to follow
b.  tough fact to follow
c.  tough act two follow
d.  tougher fact to follow

LISTENING – Listen and fill in the gaps

The most successful football coach Britain (1) _____________________ his retirement on Wednesday when Sir Alex Ferguson called an end to his 26 years in charge of Manchester United, (2) _____________________ powers. Sir Alex is perhaps the most successful coach in any British sport. He brought (3) _____________________ club, winning 38 trophies during his reign. In a statement he said: "The (4) _____________________ that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time. It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and (5) _____________________." He added: "I (6) _____________________. Their love and support have been essential."

Twitter said the news of Sir Alex's retirement received four times more (7) _____________________ death of Margaret Thatcher last month. The top names in football were quick to pay (8) _____________________ manager. David Beckham tweeted: "Without him, I would never have achieved what (9) _____________________ ….I am truly honoured to have been guided by the greatest manager in football." FIFA president Sepp Blatter tweeted: "His achievements in the game (10) __________________ one of the greats." UEFA president Michel Platini described Ferguson as a "visionary" who "has made (11) _____________________ football". His successor has an exceedingly (12) _____________________.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.

What did Sir Alex call an end to?

2.

How much silverware did Sir Alex win at his club?

3.

How much thought did Sir Alex put into his decision?

4.

What was important for Sir Alex to do before he retired?

5.

Why did Sir Alex want to pay tribute to his family?

6.

How many tweets did Sir Alex's retirement get?

7.

Who thanked Sir Alex for being a great guide?

8.

What did Sepp Blatter say Sir Alex undoubtedly was?

9.

What did Michel Platini say Sir Alex did for football?

10.

What does Sir Alex's successor have?

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ

1.

What did Sir Alex call an end to?

6.

How many tweets did Sir Alex's retirement get?

 

a) 26 years as manager
b) a training session
c) press speculation
d) the offside rule

 

a) no one knows - the tweet-counter
    broke
b) 4 million
c) the most ever for someone in soccer
d) 4 times more than the death of
    Margaret Thatcher

2.

How much silverware did Sir Alex win at his club?

7.

Who thanked Sir Alex for being a great guide?

 

a) less than the gold he got
b) over 380 kg
c) 38 trophies
d) $50-million worth

 

a) Wayne Rooney
b) David Beckham
c) Cristiano Ronaldo
d) Sepp Blatter

3.

How much thought did Sir Alex put into his decision?

8.

What did Sepp Blatter say Sir Alex undoubtedly was?

 

a) 26 years of thought
b) a lot
c) not much
d) all his waking thoughts

 

a) football's greatest ambassador
b) Manchester United's manager
c) Scottish
d) one of the greats

4.

What was important for Sir Alex to do before he retired?

9.

What did Michel Platini say Sir Alex did for football?

 

a) win the World Cup
b) score at Wembley
c) win the Champions League three
    times
d) leave the club in good shape

 

a) he invented a new midfield
    formation
b) he made it popular in Greenland
c) he made a huge contribution
d) he inspired young managers to
    shout more

5.

Why did Sir Alex want to pay tribute to his family?

10.

What does Sir Alex's successor have?

 

a) for their essential love and support
b) for attending every home game
c) for not supporting Manchester City
d) they helped him win his last trophy

 

a) 39 trophies
b) a tough act to follow
c) no hair
d) one year to succeed

ROLE PLAY

Role  A – Soccer lover

You think walking is the best sport in the world. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them things that are wrong with their sport. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): baseball, tennis or cycling.

Role  B – Baseball lover

You think baseball is the best sport in the world. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them things that are wrong with their sport. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): soccer, tennis or cycling.

Role  C – Cycling lover

You think cycling is the best sport in the world. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them things that are wrong with their sport. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): baseball, tennis or soccer.

Role  D – Tennis lover

You think tennis is the best sport in the world. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them things that are wrong with their sport. Also, tell the others which is the worst of these (and why): baseball, soccer or cycling.

AFTER READING / LISTENING

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words 'coach' and 'manager'.

coach

manager

 

 

 

  • Share your findings with your partners.
  • Make questions using the words you found.
  • Ask your partner / group your questions.

2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

  • Share your questions with other classmates / groups.
  • Ask your partner / group your questions.

3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

  • announced
  • charge
  • powers
  • 38
  • lightly
  • essential
  • four
  • death
  • never
  • place
  • massive
  • act

SPORTS COACHES SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about sports coaches 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.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

  • Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
  • Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

SPORTS COACHES DISCUSSION

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

a)

What did you think when you read the headline?

b)

What springs to mind when you hear the word 'retirement'?

c)

What do you hope to achieve before you retire?

d)

What do you know about Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United?

e)

What does it take to be a successful coach?

f)

Do you have what it takes to be a good coach?

g)

Who do you think is the greatest ever coach?

h)

Which is the better word, coach (USA) or manager (UK)?

i)

How amazing is it Sir Alex led one of the world's top teams for so long?

j)

What is essential for you to be successful?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

a)

Did you like reading this article? Why/not?

b)

What do you think of a soccer coach's retirement being tweeted more than the death of Margaret Thatcher?

c)

Who has been your greatest guide / coach?

d)

In what sport would you like to be a coach?

e)

Which team or player would you like to coach?

f)

Who are your top three sporting greats?

g)

Is doing a sports coaching degree better than doing a business degree?

h)

What would a "visionary" do in football?

i)

Is soccer / football the world's greatest game?

j)

What questions would you like to ask Sir Alex Ferguson?

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

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

1.

________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________

5.

________________________________________________________

6.

________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

1.

________________________________________________________

2.

________________________________________________________

3.

________________________________________________________

4.

________________________________________________________

5.

________________________________________________________

6.

________________________________________________________

MULTIPLE CHOICE - LANGUAGE

The most successful football coach Britain has ever seen announced his retirement on Wednesday when Sir Alex Ferguson (1) ____ an end to his 26 years (2) ____ charge of Manchester United, one of the world's footballing powers. Sir Alex is perhaps the most successful coach in any British sport. He brought (3) ____ success to his club, winning 38 trophies during his (4) ____. In a statement he said: "The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great (5) ____ about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time. It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so." He added: "I must (6) ____ tribute to my family. Their love and support have been essential."

Twitter said the news of Sir Alex's retirement received four times more mentions than news of the (7) ____ of Margaret Thatcher last month. The top names in football were quick to pay homage to the (8) ____ manager. David Beckham tweeted: "Without him, I would never have achieved what I have done in my career….I am (9) ____ honoured to have been guided by the greatest manager in football." FIFA president Sepp Blatter tweeted: "His achievements in the game place him without doubt as one of the (10) ____." UEFA president Michel Platini described Ferguson as a "visionary" who "has made a (11) ____ contribution to football". His successor has an exceedingly (12) ____ act to follow.

Put the correct words from the table below in the above article.

1.

(a)

called

(b)

yelled

(c)

shouted

(d)

voiced

2.

(a)

by

(b)

at

(c)

in

(d)

of

3.

(a)

unyielding

(b)

untrammeled

(c)

unparalleled

(d)

unveiling

4.

(a)

line

(b)

rain

(c)

lane

(d)

reign

5.

(a)

duel

(b)

dole

(c)

deal

(d)

dial

6.

(a)

sell

(b)

pay

(c)

cost

(d)

earn

7.

(a)

dying

(b)

death

(c)

dead

(d)

died

8.

(a)

legends

(b)

legendary

(c)

legend

(d)

legionary

9.

(a)

true

(b)

truth

(c)

truly

(d)

truism

10.

(a)

amazes

(b)

bests

(c)

goods

(d)

greats

11.

(a)

missive

(b)

massed

(c)

missile

(d)

massive

12.

(a)

chewy

(b)

rubbery

(c)

firm

(d)

tough

SPELLING

Paragraph 1

1.

nodcnnaeu his retirement

2.

He brought lprleadaenlu success to his club

3.

38 shrptoie

4.

In a nsemetatt he said…

5.

pay ietrubt to my family

6.

Their love and support have been tlseiensa

Paragraph 2

7.

four times more enosmnit

8.

the ngyeelard manager

9.

His cnhtveseaeim in the game

10.

made a massive rcntbuoiotni

11.

His usossrcce

12.

an ydnilgecxee tough act to follow

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

(    )

deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time. It was important

(    )

to his club, winning 38 trophies during his reign. In a statement he said: "The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great

(    )

made a massive contribution to football". His successor has an exceedingly tough act to follow.

(    )

when Sir Alex Ferguson called an end to his 26 years in charge of Manchester United, one of the world's footballing

(    )

in my career….I am truly honoured to have been guided by the greatest manager in football." FIFA

(    )

the death of Margaret Thatcher last month. The top names in football were quick to pay homage to the legendary

1  )

The most successful football coach Britain has ever seen announced his retirement on Wednesday

(    )

powers. Sir Alex is perhaps the most successful coach in any British sport. He brought unparalleled success

(    )

to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done

(    )

greats." UEFA president Michel Platini described Ferguson as a "visionary" who "has

(    )

Twitter said the news of Sir Alex's retirement received four times more mentions than news of

(    )

so." He added: "I must pay tribute to my family. Their love and support have been essential."

(    )

president Sepp Blatter tweeted: "His achievements in the game place him without doubt as one of the

(    )

manager. David Beckham tweeted: "Without him, I would never have achieved what I have done

PUT THE WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

1.

called an end to his 26 years in charge Ferguson.

2.

the coach British Perhaps successful any most in sport.

3.

club his to success unparalleled brought He.

4.

about that thought deal One have great I a.

5.

support and love Their essential been have.

6.

The in quick homage names were pay top football to.

7.

what done would achieved have I have I never.

8.

greatest the by Guided football in manager.

9.

who "visionary" A contribution massive a made has.

10.

to His an act has tough follow successor exceedingly.

CIRCLE THE CORRECT WORD (20 PAIRS)

The most successful football coach Britain has ever seen announced his retirement on Wednesday when Sir Alex Ferguson called an end to his 26 years in charge of Manchester United, one of the world's footballing powers. Sir Alex is perhaps the most successful coach in any British sport. He brought unparalleled success to his club, winning 38 trophies during his reign. In a statement he said: "The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time. It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so." He added: "I must pay tribute to my family. Their love and support have been essential."

Twitter said the news of Sir Alex's retirement received four times more mentions than news of the death of Margaret Thatcher last month. The top names in football were quick to pay homage to the legendary manager. David Beckham tweeted: "Without him, I would never have achieved what I have done in my career….I am truly honoured to have been guided by the greatest manager in football." FIFA president Sepp Blatter tweeted: "His achievements in the game place him without doubt as one of the greats." UEFA president Michel Platini described Ferguson as a "visionary" who "has made a massive contribution to football". His successor has an exceedingly tough act to follow.

Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

INSERT THE VOWELS (a, e, i, o, u)

Th_ m_st s_cc_ssf_l f__tb_ll c__ch Br_t__n h_s _v_r s__n _nn__nc_d h_s r_t_r_m_nt _n W_dn_sd_y wh_n S_r _l_x F_rg_s_n c_ll_d _n _nd t_ h_s 26 y__rs _n ch_rg_ _f M_nch_st_r _n_t_d, _n_ _f th_ w_rld's f__tb_ll_ng p_w_rs. S_r _l_x _s p_rh_ps th_ m_st s_cc_ssf_l c__ch _n _ny Br_t_sh sp_rt. H_ br__ght _np_r_ll_l_d s_cc_ss t_ h_s cl_b, w_nn_ng 38 tr_ph__s d_r_ng h_s r__gn. _n _ st_t_m_nt h_ s__d: "Th_ d_c_s__n t_ r_t_r_ _s _n_ th_t _ h_v_ th__ght _ gr__t d__l _b__t _nd _n_ th_t _ h_v_ n_t t_k_n l_ghtly. _t _s th_ r_ght t_m_. _t w_s _mp_rt_nt t_ m_ t_ l__v_ _n _rg_n_s_t__n _n th_ str_ng_st p_ss_bl_ sh_p_ _nd _ b_l__v_ _ h_v_ d_n_ s_." H_ _dd_d: "_ m_st p_y tr_b_t_ t_ my f_m_ly. Th__r l_v_ _nd s_pp_rt h_v_ b__n _ss_nt__l."

Tw_tt_r s__d th_ n_ws _f S_r _l_x's r_t_r_m_nt r_c__v_d f__r t_m_s m_r_ m_nt__ns th_n n_ws _f th_ d__th _f M_rg_r_t Th_tch_r l_st m_nth. Th_ t_p n_m_s _n f__tb_ll w_r_ q__ck t_ p_y h_m_g_ t_ th_ l_g_nd_ry m_n_g_r. D_v_d B_ckh_m tw__t_d: "W_th__t h_m, _ w__ld n_v_r h_v_ _ch__v_d wh_t _ h_v_ d_n_ _n my c_r__r…._ _m tr_ly h_n__r_d t_ h_v_ b__n g__d_d by th_ gr__t_st m_n_g_r _n f__tb_ll." F_F_ pr_s_d_nt S_pp Bl_tt_r tw__t_d: "H_s _ch__v_m_nts _n th_ g_m_ pl_c_ h_m w_th__t d__bt _s _n_ _f th_ gr__ts." __F_ pr_s_d_nt M_ch_l Pl_t_n_ d_scr_b_d F_rg_s_n _s _ "v_s__n_ry" wh_ "h_s m_d_ _ m_ss_v_ c_ntr_b_t__n t_ f__tb_ll". H_s s_cc_ss_r h_s _n _xc__d_ngly t__gh _ct t_ f_ll_w.

PUNCTUATE THE TEXT AND ADD CAPITALS

the most successful football coach britain has ever seen announced his retirement on wednesday when sir alex ferguson called an end to his 26 years in charge of manchester united one of the world's footballing powers sir alex is perhaps the most successful coach in any british sport he brought unparalleled success to his club winning 38 trophies during his reign in a statement he said "the decision to retire is one that i have thought a great deal about and one that i have not taken lightly it is the right time it was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and i believe i have done so" he added "i must pay tribute to my family their love and support have been essential"

twitter said the news of sir alex's retirement received four times more mentions than news of the death of margaret thatcher last month the top names in football were quick to pay homage to the legendary manager david beckham tweeted "without him i would never have achieved what i have done in my career…i am truly honoured to have been guided by the greatest manager in football" fifa president sepp blatter tweeted "his achievements in the game place him without doubt as one of the greats" uefa president michel platini described ferguson as a "visionary" who "has made a massive contribution to football" his successor has an exceedingly tough act to follow

PUT A SLASH ( / ) WHERE THE SPACES ARE

ThemostsuccessfulfootballcoachBritainhaseverseenannouncedhisretirementon
WednesdaywhenSirAlexFergusoncalledanendtohis26yearsinchargeofManchester
United,oneoftheworld'sfootballingpowers.SirAlexisperhapsthemostsuccessful
coachinanyBritishsport.Hebroughtunparalleledsuccesstohisclub,winning38
trophiesduringhisreign.Inastatementhesaid:"ThedecisiontoretireisonethatI
havethoughtagreatdealaboutandonethatIhavenottakenlightly.Itistherighttime.
ItwasimportanttometoleaveanorganisationinthestrongestpossibleshapeandI
believeIhavedoneso."Headded:"Imustpaytributetomyfamily.Theirloveand
supporthavebeenessential."TwittersaidthenewsofSirAlex'sretirementreceived
fourtimesmorementionsthannewsofthedeathofMargaretThatcherlastmonth.The
topnamesinfootballwerequicktopayhomagetothelegendarymanager.David
Beckhamtweeted:"Withouthim,IwouldneverhaveachievedwhatIhavedonein
mycareer….Iamtrulyhonouredtohavebeenguidedbythegreatestmanagerin
football."FIFApresidentSeppBlattertweeted:"Hisachievementsinthegameplace
himwithoutdoubtasoneofthegreats."UEFApresidentMichelPlatinidescribed
Fergusonasa"visionary"who"hasmadeamassivecontributiontofootball".His
successorhasanexceedinglytoughacttofollow.

FREE WRITING

Write about sports coaches for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

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ACADEMIC WRITING

Soccer is the best game in the world, although many people disagree. Compare and contrast soccer with a sport of your choice.

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HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about Sir Alex Ferguson. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. SPORTS COACHES: Make a poster about sports coaches. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

4. SIR ALEX: Write a magazine article about Sir Alex Ferguson. Include imaginary interviews with players who played for and against his team.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

6. LETTER: Write a letter to a soccer expert. Ask him/her three questions about Sir Alex Ferguson. Give him/her three of your opinions on sports coaches. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

ANSWERS

TRUE / FALSE (p.4)

a

F

b

F

c

T

d

T

e

T

f

F

g

T

h

F

SYNONYM MATCH (p.4)

1.

announced

a.

made public

2.

in charge of

b.

managing

3.

unparalleled

c.

without equal

4.

lightly

d.

carelessly

5.

essential

e.

crucial

6.

homage

f.

respect

7.

guided

g.

mentored

8.

without doubt

h.

unquestionably

9.

massive

i.

huge

10.

exceedingly

j.

extremely

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS (p.8)

1.

26 years in charge of Manchester United

2.

38 trophies

3.

A great deal

4.

Leave the club in the strongest possible shape

5.

For their essential love and support

6.

4 times more than the death of Margaret Thatcher

7.

David Beckham

8.

One of the greats

9.

He made a massive contribution

10.

A tough act to follow

MULTIPLE CHOICE - QUIZ (p.9)

1.

a

2.

c

3.

b

4.

d

5.

a

6.

d

7.

b

8.

d

9.

c

10.

b

ALL OTHER EXERCISES

Please check for yourself by looking at the Article on page 2.
(It's good for your English ;-)

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