PRELIMINARY for Schools Reading Assessment Part Three

 Multiple choice

Read to understand gist, global and detailed meaning, attitude, opinions and feelings, and answer five  multiple-choice questions with four options (A, B, C, D). 

Same as old Part 4.

PRACTICE HERE.

EXAMPLE:

Play to win 

16-year-old Harry Moore writes about his hobby, tennis. 

 

My parents have always loved tennis and they’re members of a tennis club.  My older brother was really good at it and they supported him – taking him to lessons all the time.  So I guess when I announced that I wanted to be a tennis champion when I grew up I just intended for them to notice me.  My mother laughed.  She knew I couldn’t possibly be serious, I was just a 4-year-old kid! 

 

Later, I joined the club’s junior coaching group and eventually took part in my first proper contest, confident that my team would do well.  We won, which was fantastic, but I wasn’t so successful.  I didn’t even want to be in the team photo because I didn’t feel I deserved to be.  When my coach asked what happened in my final match, I didn’t know what to say.  I couldn’t believe I’d lost – I knew I was the better player.  But every time I attacked, the other player defended brilliantly.  I couldn’t explain the result. 

 

After that, I decided to listen more carefully to my coach because he had lots of tips.  I realised that you need the right attitude to be a winner.  On court I have a plan but sometimes the other guy will do something unexpected so I’ll change it.  If I lose a point, I do my best to forget it and find a way to win the next one. 

 

At tournaments, it’s impossible to avoid players who explode in anger.  Lots of players can be negative – including myself sometimes.  Once I got so angry that I nearly broke my racket!  But my coach has helped me develop ways to control those feelings.  After all, the judges have a hard job and you just have to accept their decisions. 

 

My coach demands that I train in the gym to make sure I’m strong right to the end of a tournament.  I’m getting good results:  my shots are more accurate and I’m beginning to realise that with hard work there’s a chance that I could be a champion one day.