Exercise 4:

Read the text and decide whether the statements are TRUE, FALSE or DOESN’T SAY.

Everyone’s a winner
Our discussion in Live Sport this week is how to be a good loser. Rebecca Coleman is a hockey umpire. She describes some losers’ reactions, and how bad losers can learn to react positively.

How do you react if you lose a rugby match? What do you do if you are last in a race? If you react positively when you lose, you are a good loser. If there were more sportspeople like you, my job would be a lot more enjoyable. I’m a school hockey umpire and I’m going to list a few of the reactions I’ve seen during hockey matches this week.

1  A 15-year-old boy missed a goal, insulted me, and hit another player.
2  A 12-year-old girl threw down her hockey stick and began to cry after her team lost the match.
3  A 17-year-old boy lay on the grass and refused to shake hands with the other team after they won the match.
4  A 14-year-old girl kicked an opponent who ran past her and scored a goal.
5  A 16-year-old boy was emotional after losing a match. He left the club and hasn’t come back.

Of course, these are only a few of the negative reactions I’ve seen. In my opinion, there are far too many bad losers in school hockey. And they spoil the match for the other players.

So, how can bad losers learn to be good losers? Well, the first thing to remember is that sport is like life. You can’t win all the time. And if you lose, you have to make sure you lose with dignity. Secondly, if your opponent scores the winning goal, learn from him. What did he do that you could try? Thirdly, losing doesn’t always mean you played badly. Maybe the other team was just too good. You have to accept that sometimes you lose even if you play well. Fourthly, don’t blame your defeat on someone else. And finally, remember that taking part in sport is more important than winning. Think of the other advantages of playing, and don’t focus too much on the result.

Statements

True / False / Doen’t say

1. The writer gives examples of good losers she has seen this week.
2. The 15-year-old boy said something bad to the writer.
3. The 12-year-old girl said sorry to the writer.
4. The 17-year-old boy lay down after the match.
5. The 14-year-old girl was angry because her opponent went past her and scored.
6. The 16-year-old boy is going to play in next week’s match.
7. Other players are leaving hockey clubs because there are too many bad losers.
8. The writer says that life and sport are very similar.
9. The writer says that if you lose, you have played badly.
10. The writer says that you should focus on winning.

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