Hobbies, sport and games
I. Topic vocabulary in contrast
1. pitch/track/court/course/ring/rink
2. win/beat/score 7. bat/stick/rod/racket
3. play/game 8. amateur/professional
4. spectator/viewer 9. sport/athletics
5. umpire/referee 10. interval / half time
6. final/finale/end/ending 11. draw/equal
12. competitor/opponent
II. Phrasal verbs
13. bring forward 20. knock out
14. carry on 21. look out
15. get round to 22. pull out
16. get up to 23. put off
17. go in for 24. put up with
18. go off 25. take to
19. join in 26. take up
III. Phrases and collocations
27. best make the best of sth; do your best; the best at sth/doing
28. chance have/take/get a chance to do; have a chance of doing; some/little/etc
chance of (your doing; the chances of (your) doing; take a chance (on
sth); chance of a lifetime
29. go your go; have a go
30. height in height; afraid of heights; height of sth
31. mad mad about/on sth/sb/doing; go/become mad
32. pleasure take pleasure in sth/doing; gain/get pleasure from sth/doing
33. popular popular with/among
34. side (on) the opposite side; (on) the far side; side with sb; on the
winning/losing side
35. time on time; just) in time; the whole time; high/about time; take your time
(doing); take time to do; sth takes up (your time; spend time doing;
spend time on; at/for a certain time; time passes; find time to do; make/
find time for; for the time being; have a good/nice time (doing); tell the
time: free/spare/leisure time
36. turn turn (a)round/away; turn sth over; in turn;take turns; take it in turn(s) (to
do); your turn (to do)
37. talent have a talent (for sth/doing); talent contest
IV. Word patterns
38. compete against/with sb; compete for/in sth
39. concentrate on sth/doing
40. difficult to do; find sth difficult; find it difficult to do
41. fond of sth/sb/doing
42. free to do; free from/of sth; free for sth
43. interested in sth/doing
44. involve sth/doing; involved in sth/doing
45. listen to sth/sb
46. love sth/sb/doing; love to do
47. mean to do; it/this means that; it/this means sth/doing
48. prefer to do (rather than [to] do); prefer sth (rather than sth); prefer sth/doing (to
sth/doing)
49. stop sth/doing; stop to do; stop sb from doing
50. sure/certain make/be sure/certain that; sure/certain to do; be sure/certain of sth
V. Word formation
51. allow disallow, allowance, allowable
52. associate disassociate, association, (un)associated
53. compete competition, competitor, competitive(ly)
54. enjoy enjoyment, enjoyable equip equipment, equipped
55. fortune misfortune, (un)fortunate(ly)
56. interest (un)interesting(y)
57. know knowledge, (un)knowledgeable
58. lose lost, loss:
59. maintain maintenance
60. medal medallist, medallion
61. oppose opposition, opponent, opposite, opposing
62. practice practise, (im) practical(ly)
63. train retrain, trainer
Exercises
1 Complete using the correct form of the words given.
course • court • pitch • ring • rink • track • beat • win • score • bat • stick • rod • racket
1 We used to go skating at the ice ........................ every Saturday.
2 Keith had never seen such a large golf ........................ until he went to Scotland.
3 We all met at the basketball ........................ at half past three.
4 It's called a boxing ........................ , but it's actually square!
5 For the 800 metres race, you have to run round the ........................ twice
6 The football match had to be called off because the ........................ was flooded.
7 Our team ........................ until half time, but in the second half the other team ........................ three
goals, and so they ........................ us. But it was a great match!
8 Adrian got a new fishing ........................ for his birthday.
9. Can | borrow your tennis ........................ ?
10 Why are hockey ........................ such a strange shape?
11 I'd spend hours putting linseed oil on my cricket ........................ to keep the wood strong.
2 Circle the correct word or phrase.
1 The umpire / referee blew the whistle and the most important football match I've ever
played began.
2 We used to play rugby in the winter term, football in the spring term, and we'd do athletics /
sport and swimming in the summer term.
3 Do you fancy a game / play of cards?
4 I only do magic tricks for fun. I've never thought of becoming an amateur / a professional
magician.
5 The play was so boring, we walked out during half time / the interval.
6 Coventry City equalled / drew 3-3 with Sunderland in the match last Saturday.
7 Spectators / Viewers who watched last week's programme will remember we were looking at
the history of baseball.
8 We got through to the final / finale, but then lost to Cirencester.
9 Most people prefer films which have a happy end / ending.
10 Would all opponents / competitors please make their way to the starting line?
3 Complete each second sentence using the word given, so that it
has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Write between two
and five words in each gap.
1 I don't know how you can stand getting up so early to go to the pool. put
I don't know how you can ........................................................................ up so early to go to the pool.
2 I've finally started sorting out my postcard collection. round
I've finally ........................................................................ sorting out my postcard collection.
3 What did you do at the weekend? get
What did you ........................................................................ at the weekend?
4 I'm not so keen on skiing now I've discovered snowboarding. gone
I've ........................................................................ since l discovered snowboarding.
5 Why do you continue to have riding lessons if you can't afford them? on
Why do you ........................................................................ riding lessons if you can't afford them?
6 We can't delay the match any longer. put
We can't ........................................................................ any longer.
4 Write one word in each gap.
1 Tony never used to want to join ........................ with the other kids in the playground.
2 Look ........................ ! There's a car coming!
3 Simone's ........................ to wearing a helmet whenever she goes cycling.
4 I was thinking of taking ........................ scuba diving until I found out how expensive the
equipment is.
5 They were knocked ........................ in the semi-final.
6 Maybe we should bring the meeting ........................ to this Tuesday instead of having it in two
weeks' time.
7 Becca had to pull ........................ of the race when she sprained her ankle. in for adventure sports.
8 Melissa doesn't ........................ in for adventure sports.
5 Choose the correct answer.
1 Why don't you ........................ a go? It's not 8 ........................ your time - don't rush.
difficult! A Tell C Spend
A make C do B Find D Take
B have D set 9 Each player takes it ........................ turn to roll
2 Carl wasn't very good at mountain climbing the dice.
as he's afraid of. A on C at
A highs C heights B in D to
B highness D height 10 Time ........................ so quickly when you're
3 There's little ........................ of our getting into doing something enjoyable.
the final. A takes C passes
A opportunity C luck B spends D finds
B chance D fortune 11 Our new coach is popular ........................ the
4 Rachel is mad ........................ the Eurovision whole team.
Song Contest. A for C by
A from C for B to D with
B against D about 12 She'd ........................ hours lying on her bed,
5 Just ........................ you best - that’s all anyone reading.
can ask of you. A spend C make
A do C be B take D pass
B make D have 13 He'd been planning to leave the team the
6 It's ........................ time you learned to swim. ........................ time, and hadn't told anyone.
A big C high A complete C total
B tall D far B whole D full
7 Grandma ........................ a lot of pleasure from 14 I'm not siding ........................ her because she's
gardening. my sister, but because she's right.
A does C makes A from B for
B has D gets C to D with
6 Match to make sentences.
1 I'm not very fond A in playing for the school team.
2 She's interested B to find enough time to have any hobbies.
3 You should concentrate C to try to find the golf balls we'd lost.
4 I used to find it difficult D of playing in goal.
5 Let's listen E from finishing the game.
6. We stopped F to what the coach thinks first.
7. The bad weather stopped us G on getting fit.
7 Fill in the blanks with one word each.
I used to wear glasses when I was at school, and so l 1 ........................ sport very difficult. I wanted
to be involved 2 ........................ school sports competitions, and I loved the idea of teams
competing 3 ........................ each other, but being on the rugby team, for example, 4 ........................
having to take off my glasses, and that meant 5 ........................ I couldn't see! And it's difficult 6
........................ catch a ball when you can't see it! So, I wasn't very good and the captains always 7
........................ sure that I wasn't on their team. This meant I 8 ........................ free to do other
activities, like being on the debating team, and actually I preferred to 9 ........................ things I
was good at doing 10 ........................ than have everyone laugh at me.
8 Complete the sentences by changing the form of the word in
capitals when this is necessary.
1 I need to buy a new pair of ................................................ (TRAIN).
2 Ellie used to ................................................ (PRACTICE) for hours to learn to juggle properly.
3 That was the most ................................................ (INTEREST) book I've ever read. I can't wait for the
sequel!
4 Would you describe yourself as a ................................................ (COMPETE) person?
5 Many professional basketball players earn a ................................................ (FORTUNE) these days.
6 F.A. stands for Football ................................................ (ASSOCIATE).
The gold, silver and bronze ................................................ (MEDAL) took their places on the podium for
the presentation ceremony.
8 In Britain, the money parents give their children is often called pocket money. In America, it's
often called an ................................................ (ALLOW).
9 I'm afraid the swimming pool is closed at the moment as they're carrying out some essential
................................................ (MAINTAIN).
9 Use the words given in capitals at the end of each line to form a
word that fits in the gap in the same line.
A snooker player speaks
When I first started playing snooker, I had no real (1) .......................................... of the KNOW
rules. I just thought it looked an (2) .......................................... game. Also, I didn't need ENJOY
to buy any expensive (3) .......................................... because the snooker hall near my EQUIP
house had tables and cues. I spent (4) .......................................... all the free time I had PRACTICAL
practising, and then decided to enter a (5) .......................................... . It was great fun! COMPETE
My (6) .......................................... was someone who'd been playing for years. Of course, OPPOSE
he beat me, but the fact that I'd (7) .......................................... didn't put me off at all. LOSE
And, (8) .......................................... , my game improved enough for me to become a FORTUNE
professional snooker player three years ago.
