Juggling is my life: I’m a long jumper. I train four times a week and compete on Sundays. I love athletics, but my life isn’t easy and involves a lot of juggling. Schoolwork, training, family life, sleeping and socializing all need my attention and there are only 24 hours in a day! So what are my biggest problems?

A. : Most of my friends aren’t sporty so they don’t understand why I am. If we’re hanging out and I have to leave early because I’ve got an athletics meeting on the next day, they say ‘No, Sam, you mustn’t go!’

B. : An athlete can eat a lot and not get fat, but I must eat healthy food to support all the exercise (and brainwork) I do. I have to ignore the machines selling sweets and chocolate (not easy!) and make sure I eat enormous helpings of protein, vegetables and fruit.

C. : When I’m training hard I should go to bed early, or I quickly feel exhausted. This is a problem, as I’ve sometimes got loads of homework to do when I get home. Luckily, there’s Saturday!

D. : I have to use every free moment. I often revise in the car to and from training. I do homework after dinner, but I shouldn’t stay up late, so usually I finish my coursework at the weekend, when my friends are out having fun. I’m not surprised they think I’m crazy! I don’t have to do this, so why do I? Because I’m good at it, and I want to win a gold medal!

Task 1. Match headings 1-4 with paragraphs A-D.

1. Diet

2. Schoolwork

3. The attitude of my friends

4. Getting enough sleep [4 points]

Task 2. Complete the sentences with the words in bold in the text. [3 points]

1. A is a portion of food.

2. To before an exam you read things you did in class and try to remember them.

3. To keep throwing three or four balls in the air, without dropping them is called .

Task 3. Answer the questions.

1. Why can Sam eat a lot?

a) he does a lot of ‘brainwork’

b) he doesn’t get fat

2. What happens when he does a lot of training and he doesn’t go to bed early?

a) he feels tired very quickly

b) he can’t compete on Saturdays

3. How do Sam’s friends feel about him?

a) they think he has fun

b) they think he’s crazy [3 points]

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