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3 Match the underlined words in the article with the definitions. 1 learnt to control 2 money that a government or an organisation provides for a specific purpose 3 bringing good results 4 an amount of money used to do something
1 Look at the photos and match them to these sports.
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5 to hit a ball with the aim of scoring 6 a smooth and beautiful way of moving Critical thinkers
1 Cycleball 2 BMX cycling 3 Artistic cycling
4 According to the text, what three reasons does the writer give to say extreme sports are different from traditional sports? 1 They are only performed by young people. 2 They can result in serious accidents or fatal injuries. 3 They aren’t widely known in some countries in the world. 4 They’re becoming more popular. 5 They often involve highly specialised equipment. 6 They don’t have a history like traditional sports.
2 29 Read the text. Are the sentences True (T) or False (F)? Write the line number where you found the answer. 1 Beth trains in three different places. T / F 2 Beth wasn’t expecting things to be difficult in 2016. T / F 3 UK Cycling stopped paying training for women and men. T / F 4 Beth needed to find money to pay to enter the Olympic Games. T / F 5 Beth started working and asked other people to contribute to her costs. T / F 6 Artistic cyclists are evaluated on the number of moves they perform. T / F 7 Kaufmann showed his skills during breaks in his circus act. T / F 8 Some artistic cycling tricks can be learnt in a week if you have great balance. T / F 9 You can use your feet and head in cycle ball. T / F 10 You need a special bike to perform all three sports. T / F
for the next Olympic Games. To get enough points for Olympic qualification, Beth needed to win at international competitions. Now she needed to find a way to pay her expenses so that she could continue to compete. So she started a part-time job as a teaching assistant and set up a crowdfunding campaign. That got her through. Recently, she received sponsorship and she’s heading for great success, so watch out for Beth Shriever! David Schnabel is another cyclist whose skills are incredible, but in a very different type of cycling. It was David’s father who introduced him to artistic cycling. It’s a sport in which you perform gymnastics on a customised bike. Athletes compete in five-minute rounds set to music on a special wooden court. A panel of judges give scores on difficulty, grace and style in 30 moves called figures. David, an eight-time world champion, has travelled the world to show off his skills. Many people have never seen an artistic cyclist before, although its first world championship was in 1956. It was a Swiss-American called Nicholas Kaufmann who made this sport popular in 1888. This circus artist performed during breaks at cycling races which attracted huge numbers of fans at that time. You need great balance and concentration to do this sport as well as hours of training. Although there are tricks which can be mastered in a week, many take up to five years. No doubt Beth and David would enjoy cycleball too! Cycleball is a team sport that combines football and cycling. Unlike traditional sports, extreme sports aren’t always well-known in every country, but cycleball is experiencing a rise in popularity in Europe and Japan. The rules are similar to football, except you can only use your bike to pass and shoot the ball into the opposing goal. A special bike is used. You don’t need acrobatic skills, but you do need a lot of strength and coordination! So, what are you waiting for? Get on your bike and ride – any way you like!
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GET ON YOUR BIKE AND RIDE!
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Beth Shriever is a BMX cyclist who competes internationally for Great Britain. She was nine years old when she first got into BMX. One day, her brother invited her along to the BMX club where he trained. That day changed her life. With a lot of hard work and practice, she started to win medals and trophies. BMX cycling is an extreme sport that demands strength, speed and technique. You have to stand up, turn and jump on lightweight bikes that have a smaller frame than ordinary ones. Apart from practising off-road (on dirt tracks), Beth does a lot of training at the local gym, lifting weights to increase her leg power. Her determination is paying off . 2017 was the year when she won the Junior BMX World Championships and in 2018 she won the BMX Supercross World Zolder Cup. However, it hasn’t been an easy ride. Extreme sports are risky and Beth has suffered serious injury. But perhaps her biggest challenge was losing her funding in 2016. When no British women qualified for the Rio Olympics®, British Cycling and UK Sport unexpectedly decided to support only male riders
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