Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. make it to (somewhere)
    • ex. After years of hard work and long hours of studying, she finally made it to her dream college.
  2. a playoff
    • ex. Every player was nervous about the playoff because it’s much more important than a regular game.
  3. go against (something)
    • ex. The coach’s new plan goes against everything the team practiced last week.
  4. a party pooper
    • ex. He didn't want to play any games, so everyone called him a party pooper.
  5. charitable
    • ex. She spends her weekends doing charitable work at the local hospital.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Fans of the German soccer club Stuttgart are celebrating with their star forward, Ermedin Demirović. Demirović, who also plays for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, promised to buy drinks for everyone if his team could make it to the World Cup. Playing in the World Cup is a big dream for him. And now that his team has won in the playoffs against Italy, he is doing what he promised.

Demirović will give out free beer at a city festival for one hour. While he does not drink alcohol because it goes against his lifestyle, he is still buying it for others. He said he doesn’t want to be a party pooper. For children watching their training session, he is bringing an ice cream truck. He is also giving money to the club’s charitable organization to help people.

Demirović wants the fans to have fun and enjoy the celebration as a way of thanking them for supporting him. This season, he scored 12 goals for Stuttgart. Now, he is preparing for the games against Canada, Switzerland, and Qatar.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Ermedin Demirović’s Promises to Fans

  • What do you think about Demirović’s promises, like the free beer for adult fans and ice cream for children? Discuss.
  • How do you think the relationship between Demirović and his fans is affected now that he has decided to do what he promised? Discuss.
  • If you were a famous athlete or celebrity, would you also promise to do something for your fans to thank them for their support? Why or why not? Discuss.

Athletes and the World Cup

  • In your opinion, how important is the World Cup for soccer athletes? Discuss.
  • Playing in the World Cup is a big dream for Ermedin Demirović. What do you think about people who have big dreams? Discuss.
  • Imagine that you’re an athlete who will be playing at the World Cup for the first time. What would you do to make your games special? Discuss.