Control Reading 10

Text #1

# 1 Complete the text using the words below

Finally, the day of the final arrived. The ___1___were excited and already cheering and making lots of noise in the stands.

Both ____were warming up and looked ready to play. After suffering a terrible ____ by our greatest opponents last year, we really wanted __________this year. We had all dreamed of receiving the gold ________! The _______blew the whistle and everyone headed out on to the pitch.

Finally, the day of the final arrived. The _______were excited and already cheering and making lots of noise in the stands.

Both __2__were warming up and looked ready to play.

After suffering a terrible ____ by our greatest opponents last year, we really wanted __________this year. We had all dreamed of receiving the gold ________! The _______blew the whistle and everyone headed out on to the pitch.

Finally, the day of the final arrived. The _______were excited and already cheering and making lots of noise in the stands. Both ___were warming up and looked ready to play.

After suffering a terrible __3__ by our greatest opponents last year, we really wanted __________this year. We had all dreamed of receiving the gold ________! The _______blew the whistle and everyone headed out on to the pitch.

Finally, the day of the final arrived. The _______were excited and already cheering and making lots of noise in the stands. Both ___were warming up and looked ready to play.

After suffering a terrible ____ by our greatest opponents last year, we really wanted _____4_____this year. We had all dreamed of receiving the gold ________! The _______blew the whistle and everyone headed out on to the pitch.

Finally, the day of the final arrived. The _______were excited and already cheering and making lots of noise in the stands. Both ___were warming up and looked ready to play.

After suffering a terrible ____ by our greatest opponents last year, we really wanted ________this year. We had all dreamed of receiving the gold ____5____! The _______blew the whistle and everyone headed out on to the pitch.

Finally, the day of the final arrived. The _______were excited and already cheering and making lots of noise in the stands. Both ___were warming up and looked ready to play.

After suffering a terrible ____ by our greatest opponents last year, we really wanted ______this year. We had all dreamed of receiving the gold _____! The ____6___blew the whistle and everyone headed out on to the pitch.

Text #2

Complete the text with the sentences below:

THE TATE GALLERY

The Tate Gallery is situated on the Bank of the Thames river, opposite St Paul's Cathedral. It is a large, imposing building. What used to be the Bankside Power Station, which was designed by Giles GHbert Scott, the creator of the red telephone box, is now Britain's national gallery of modern art, the Tate Modern. Since it first opened in the year 2000, the Tate Modern has become the most visited modern art gallery in the world.

The best way to approach the gallery is to walk from the north side of the river across the Millennium Bridge __1__. You might want to have your photo taken while you're on the bridge too, with the gallery in the background. When you get inside, stop for a moment to admire the majestic Turbine Hall. _____ It is now used to display large, specially-commissioned works by contemporary artists.

THE TATE GALLERY

The Tate Gallery is situated on the Bank of the Thames river, opposite St Paul's Cathedral. It is a large, imposing building. What used to be the Bankside Power Station, which was designed by Giles GHbert Scott, the creator of the red telephone box, is now Britain's national gallery of modern art, the Tate Modern. Since it first opened in the year 2000, the Tate Modern has become the most visited modern art gallery in the world.

The best way to approach the gallery is to walk from the north side of the river across the Millennium Bridge ____. You might want to have your photo taken while you're on the bridge too, with the gallery in the background. When you get inside, stop for a moment to admire the majestic Turbine Hall. ___2___. It is now used to display large, specially-commissioned works by contemporary artists.

Going up from here, there are a large number of rooms on five levels to explore in the gallery and each contains fabulous treasures from the world of modern art. __3__. These are organised according to where they are placed in important moments or movements of twentieth century art. The permanent collections are displayed on levels 3 and 5 of the gallery.

After admiring the Turbine Hall and any exhibits it holds, the next level is level 2, where you can see small, temporary exhibitions of contemporary art. This is where you can see very new, daring and often exciting works by the latest artists. __4____. These sections are entitled Material Gestures, which focuses on abstract and expressionist works of art; and Poetry and Dream, which displays surrealist works of art from artists such as the great Salvador Dali.

Level 4 is used for major temporary exhibitions. If you want to see one of these then you have to pay an entrance fee. __5__. The top floor of exhibition space is level 5.This contains the rest of the permanent collection. Fans of artists such as Pablo Picasso can find his work in the section called States OF Flux. The final section is Energy and Process, which focuses on an art movement called Arte Povera.

From the magnificence of the building to the treasures contained in it, Tate Modern is a must for any visitor to London. __6__. Apart from walking across the bridge, visitors have access by boat, train or tube. If get the chance, don't miss out on one of the best art experiences in the world!

Text #3. Choose the right answer.

TEN EVENTS, ONE CHAMPION. THE DECATHLON

Fay Webster takes a look at the world of athletics and finds out what it takes to be a true champion.

  The Olympic Games have changed a lot since their origins in Ancient Greece. Today, athletes from countries all over the world take part and the Olympics are big business, watched by millions on television. Some things, though, have stayed the same. The athletes then could make a lot of money from winning, just like today's competitors. In the ancient Games, a great champion might have received as much as a year's pay for winning a race.

1 The writer says that athletes today

Another thing that hasn't changed is the search for an all-round champion, somebody who can defeat their opponents at a number of different sporting events. In the ancient Olympics, athletes competed in the pentathlon. This consisted of the long jump, the discus, the javelin, a running race and wrestling. The first winner, in 708 ВС, was Lampis of Sparta, who must have been a great athlete to beat so many others from all over the Hellenic world. The pentathlon was an important part of the Olympics until Emperor Theodosius of Rome banned the Games in 393 AD.

2. The ancient pentathlon didn't test athletes' abilities to

The Stockholm Olympics of 1912 brought back this tradition of the search for all-round greatness. The modern pentathlon was included (shooting, swimming, fencing, riding and running) and so was the modern decathlon (ten events), with the heptathlon (seven events) for women being introduced later. So what drives someone to take on this running, throwing, jumping challenge and push their body to its limits? I met American decathlete Bruce Thorpe in New York and told him he must have been crazy to take up the decathlon. He laughed.

3 According to the passage, the heptathlon for women

I asked him to explain what happens in the decathlon. The way it works is you complete each event and you get points, depending on how well you do in that event. At the end of two days, the person with the most points is the champion and takes the gold medal, the second person gets the silver and the third the bronze medal. We start with the 100 metres, the long jump, the shot put, the high jump and the 400 metres. The second day, it's the 110-metre hurdles, the discus, the javelin, the pole vault and the one that we all dread, the 1500 metres.' I asked him what made the 1500 metres such a struggle. All the other events demand speed or strength. With the long race, it's stamina. Really, decathletes aren't built for that event.'

4 What do you have to do to win a gold medal in the decathlon?

I asked him to explain what happens in the decathlon. The way it works is you complete each event and you get points, depending on how well you do in that event. At the end of two days, the person with the most points is the champion and takes the gold medal, the second person gets the silver and the third the bronze medal. We start with the 100 metres, the long jump, the shot put, the high jump and the 400 metres. The second day, it's the 110-metre hurdles, the discus, the javelin, the pole vault and the one that we all dread, the 1500 metres.' I asked him what made the 1500 metres such a struggle. All the other events demand speed or strength. With the long race, it's stamina. Really, decathletes aren't built for that event.'

5 What does Bruce say about the events?

  So what tips does Bruce have for those of you thinking of taking up the decathlon? 'Start as early as you can and join a good club,' he said. 'It takes a long time to master ten different events, or seven for the heptathlon, and you need expert help. And don't expect to have much free time!'

  Ten events, one champion. Think you might be the one? If you're interested in finding out more about the decathlon, contact your local athletics club.

6 What is Bruce's advice for people thinking of becoming decathletes?