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Exercise 2
Read the article about four people (A–D) who are describing an activity they enjoy. Then answer
Question 10 (a)–(j).
My favourite activity
A Tanya
I enjoy different sports, but skateboarding is my absolute favourite. To me, it’s my sport, my hobby,
and even my daily mode of transport! I don’t even own a bicycle any more! Skateboarding has
shaped me into the person I am today. It’s taught me to always get up after I fall, to never give up,
to stick with something until I get it right and to be proud of what I have achieved. When I was little,
I used to go to the skate park near my home and practise simple things like turns and small jumps.
I was this little kid skating around and accidentally getting in the way of all the bigger kids. But they
never yelled at me to get out of the way or said anything rude to me at all. In fact, some of these kids
even gave me tips and showed me how to do certain tricks.
B Patricia
When I was five, my parents enrolled me in a gymnastics programme. I remember being really
nervous before the class, but my cousin decided to start with me, and that gave me confidence. I
began by learning the basics – like how to walk across the balance beam, and how to do forward
rolls for the floor exercise. After two years, I was good enough to join the team, and I had classes
with the older, more advanced gymnasts. They were good role models, as I could see how hard they
worked. Soon I was competing nationally, even winning some individual medals. As competitions
got harder, I had to learn new skills, including something called a back handspring. I had difficulty
getting it right, although I practised a lot. Then I fell and damaged my shoulder, so I didn’t enter
anything for a year. I considered quitting, but actually, having a break for that year was good, and I
decided to continue, which I know was the right move – I’m so happy I carried on.
C Danni
When I was about 11, I had no idea what sports I wanted to do. My sister did cross-country running
at school and didn’t like it because she always came last, but I decided to have a go. So I joined the
school cross-country running club. Running in the heat was really hard, but I kept going, and got
picked for the team. This took a lot of commitment, as I had to get up very early to go on training runs.
Strange as it may seem, though, I’ve always liked early mornings! I remember my first competition.
I was anxious about finishing in last place. Once the race started, I felt better and managed to stay
in 8th place almost the whole time and I was able to move up to finish in 6th place. After that, I was
determined to keep improving, and even when I’m not training for a particular event, I still go running.
D Eleanor
Parkour, also known as Free Running, is my favourite activity. It’s the art of going over, under and
around objects and obstacles as fast as possible for fun. That means leaping from rail to rail, climbing
buildings, jumping over fences, and much more. Some people are worried that it’s dangerous, or only
for those who are extremely athletic. But when I do Parkour, I practise each part of a jump, checking
each landing point for safety before doing it for real. Anyone can do it, and everyone progresses at
a different rate and gets to different levels. Over time, it becomes easier and much more fun. A lot of
people will also include some gymnastics, mixing in flips and flashy moves. This makes it really fun
to watch – there are loads of videos online of people doing Parkour in incredible places. In Parkour,
the world is my playground.
© UCLES 2020 0510/21/M/J/20
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10 For each question, write the correct letter A, B, C or D on the line.
Which person …
(a) gives a reason for not participating in competitions? .......... [1]
(b) explains that people can combine skills from another sport in the activity? .......... [1]
(c) describes how she got advice from other people? .......... [1]
(d) explains that she wasn’t put off doing an activity by someone else’s bad experience? .......... [1]
(e) mentions positive characteristics she’s developed through her interest? .......... [1]
(f) explains what she learned from watching other people? .......... [1]
(g) mentions having a lack of confidence before a competition? .......... [1]
(h) explains that the activity has a practical use in everyday life? .......... [1]
(i) says how people have to prepare well to avoid accidents? .......... [1]
(j) mentions that sharing a difficult experience was helpful? .......... [1]
[Total: 10]
© UCLES 2020 0510/21/M/J/20 [Turn over
