Reading

Euro 2020

Working with words

B. Consult a dictionary and define the following terms related to cricket.

Example: wicket = two sets of three sticks standing in the ground with pieces of wood lying

stump = three vertical posts that support the bails and form the wicket

crease = a line that runs horizontally across a cricket pitch

boundary = the perimeter of a playing field

sixer = a hit for six runs

googly = a type of delivery bowled by a right-arm leg spin bowler

leg-bye = a run scored by the batting team if the batsman has not hit the ball with their bat, but the ball has hit the batsman’s body or protective gear

wicket = one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch

maiden = any over that is bowled by the bowler that results in zero runs being added to the batting teams run total

pitch = field of playing cricket

power-play = the fielding restrictions in limited overs cricket

no-ball = no-ball is an illegal delivery to a batsman

yorker = a ball bowled which hits the cricket pitch around the batsman’s feet

C. Pronunciation

Divide the following words into two groups in accordance with their pronunciation /aɪ/ and /eɪ/.

/aɪ/	/eɪ/
fine	rein
shine	rail
bright	sleigh
might	break
five	freight
why	eight
sight	game
white	claim
by	friend
	gait
	hail
	frame

Comprehension

A. State whether the following sentences are True or False or Not Given.

a. England was the champion of 1996 World Cup Football. = False

b. Italy bagged its first Euro Cup trophy in the Euro Cup 2020. = False

c. The English team has won more trophies in International Football than Italy. = False

d. According to the captain of the English team, the pain of losing a match has lasting effects. = True

e. The Italian team was playing in their home ground. False

f. The goalkeeper of the Italian team had performed better than any other players in the match. Not given

B. Answer the following questions.

a. Why does the reporter say that England is waiting to heal its half-century long pain?
Ans: The reporter says that England is waiting to heal its half-century long pain because they are playing the European Championship final.

b. How did the Italian players react as soon as they became the champions?
Ans: Jubilant Italy players started shouting at the T.V. saying “Its coming Rome” which was the capital of Italy. It was actually a mock of the anthem of the England Football Team which meant football coming home.

c. Why did Saka and Sancho cry?
Ans: Saka and Sancho cried because their decisive spot kicks were saved by the Italian goalkeeper.

d. Penalty shoot-out has long been a bitter experience for the English team. Why?
Ans: England has lost the matches frequently due to the miss in penalty shootout, that’s why penalty shoot-out has long been a bitter experience for the English team. In Euro 2020, Bukayo Saka, England’s youngest players, missed the penalty that handed Italy the championship and denied England its first international victory since 1966 in Euro Cup 2020. England team penalty kickers Marcus Rashford and Jared Sancho also have failed to convert their shootout to the victory in the past. Such a condition had happened for the third consecutive time.

e. State the contribution of Roberto Mancini to Italian football.
Ans: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup 2018. It happened for the first time in six decades. Now, they are the best team in Europe and on a national-record 34-match unbeaten run under Roberto Mancini, their suave coach who has won an international trophy in his first attempt to add to the country’s other European title and its four World Cups.

f. How does the Euro Cup final 2020 remind the audiences of the 2018 World Cup semifinals? How?
Ans: When Italian players face English players in the Euro Cup final 2020, they use the same strategy that English players used when they faced Croatians in the 2018 World Cup Semifinals. In the 2018 World Cup semifinals, England scored early against Croatia and then spent the rest of the game chasing its opponent’s midfield until succumbing in extra time due to a recent Croatian goal. So, the Euro 2020 Match reminds the audiences of the 2018 World Cup semifinals.

Creative Thinking

a. What type of family is thought to be the oldest form of the family?
Ans: The Italian football is one of the most successful national teams in the history of football. They have won the four world cup titles and two European Championships. It was less than four years ago that the team plunged to the lowest moment of their soccer history as they failed to qualify for the World Cup 2018 for the first time in six decades.

Now, the Italian football team is the best team in Europe. Roberto Mancini is their head coach. He has guided the team to win their second European Championship. The team has set a new world record after breaking the 36-match unbeaten. They prove that every match is a new opportunity as one can put its failure behind and start over again.

b. When a team plays in a home ground, its gets a huge support from the audience in the stadium. Does this support them to win the match or the players may feel pressure to win and thus lose?
Ans: Yes, the players benefit much from this. Players like the opportunity to complete in front of their own fans, who provide constant encouragement and motivation throughout the game. On the field, the audience’s encouragement of the team members means a great deal to them. The games take place in a more intimate setting, with a more supporting crowd. However, the players may also encounter unexpected outcomes in the course of the games.

There is no way to predict the outcome of a game. Players may even feel pressured to play their home games in front of their adoring fans. Because they don’t want to disappoint their fans, players avoid losing in front of them. They are anxious about the outcome of the match. In their home stadium, they have a lot of pressure to win against their rivals. When they first begin to play, they make a lot of blunders because they are scared. As a result, they lose games and are criticized by both their supporters and the media.

Writing

A. Correct the punctuation marks of the following text.

A lot of people try to get away from home for a few days each year for a holiday. There are lots of things to choose from, and where you go depends on how much money you’ve got to spend. Ideas for holidays include relaxing on a beach, exploring cities, and skiing. One man wanted to go to Australia but thought he’d never have enough money to get there. He’d go to his brother’s caravan at the seaside instead. A young woman wanted to go clubbing in Ibiza as she’d heard it was a lot of fun.

B. Write a news story based on the given information.

Argentina beats Brazil in the COPA America Cup

By Reuters

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 10

Argentina beats Brazil in the final of Copa America 2020 which was hold in Saturday. Argentina grabs the first major title in 28 years and got the first medal for Lionel Messi in a blue-an-white shirt. 

The only one goal scored by Di-Maria of Argentina leads Argentina to hold the title Copa America Winners. He gave them a 1-0 win over Brazil. Argentina wins Copa America title 15th times which is equal to Brazil. Brazil pilled on the pressure but they could not get an equaliser and lost the match. Brazil were aggressive in the second half but the outstanding performance of Argentina’s defense leads Argentina to win the Cup.  

From the beginning to the end, it seemed as though Brazil had no other alternatives. Argentina used skills to defeat Brazil.

Grammar

B. Complete the following sentences with much, many, few or little.

a. He is an introvert. He has got very few friends.

b. I am busy preparing for my examinations. I have very little time to give you.

c. The entire winter season was dry this year, We had little rain.

d. Our town has almost been modernized. There are few old buildings left.

e. You can come today. I haven’t got much to do.

f. The party was crowded. There were too many people.

g. How many photographs did you take while you were in Switzerland?

h. There was little traffic so I came in time.

i. Can I borrow a few books from you?

j, Mohan can’t be a good teacher. He has little patience.

C. Put each or every in the following sentences.

a. The party split into three functions, each faction headed by a former prime minister.

b. Leap years occur every four years.

c. Every parent worries about their children.

d. We had a great time in Singapore. We enjoyed every minute of our time.

e. I could catch the main idea of his speech but I didn’t understand each of his words.

f. In Nepal, every motorcycle rider should wear a helmet.

g. You must read each of these books for the exam.

D. Rewrite the following sentences using all of, most of, none of, both of or some of.

a. Your garden is superb, All of the flowers are beautiful.

b. Do you know Bharat and Kamal? Of course, both of them are my friends.

c. I bought a box of apples thinking it would be cheaper but I was mistaken most of them were rotten.

d. When I was in the town, I asked some people for directions but none of them were able to help me. I had call my friend.

e. We all were soaked in the rain because none of us had carried an umbrella.  

f. My father is healthy in his seventies but he feels isolated because most of his friends are dead now.

g. All of the tourists are not Chinese, some of them are Korean too.

E. Choose the best word from the brackets to complete the sentences.

a. Give me the money I owe you.

b. I want a boat which would take me to the island.

c. Could you pour me some water, please?

d. Only a few employees know how important the project was.

e. He was looking for an umbrella.

f. A large amount of water was evaporated due to excessive heat.