English Exercises > readings exercises

Downloadable worksheets: The 1st 45-minute-lesson (of 2) on the topic My Favourite Sport -- Reading Comprehension for Upper Elementary and Lower intermediate students Level: intermediate Age: 10-17 Downloads: 2079   Are You a future sports star? - Quiz for elementary or lower intermediate students Level: elementary Age: 10-17 Downloads: 608   Soccer: Reading Comprehension+ A crossword Game+ A matching Task (+Key) Level: intermediate Age: 8-14 Downloads: 577   WORLD CUP 2010 FLAGS, COUNTRIES AND NATIONALITIES Level: elementary Age: 9-12 Downloads: 553   Kids and sports (+Key) Level: elementary Age: 9-14 Downloads: 473   PLACES PICTIONARY 1 Level: elementary Age: 5-17 Downloads: 449

��SOCCER SAM ������������������� by Jean Marzollo �Sam stood at the airport window and watched. He was going to meet his Mexican cousin Marco for the first time. Soon a boy Sam's size came through the door. Sam's mother hugged him. "Marco, this is Sam," she said slowly. "Sam, this is Marco." "Hi," said Sam. Suddenly he felt shy. "�Hola!" said Marco softly. In the car Marco was very quiet. So was Sam. "We are happy you have come to live with us for a year," said Sam's mother. "S�," said Marco. But he didn't look happy. He just looked out the window. "You like sports?" asked Sam. Sam loved sports. He was very good at them too. Marco shrugged. "He doesn't speak much English," said Sam's mother. When they got home, she said, "Take Marco out to play, Sam. Introduce him to your friends." "What if he doesn't understand what we say?" asked Sam. "Speak slowly," said his mom. "He'll learn:" � I. Choose the correct name. 1. Who says "We are happy!����� SamSam's momMarco 2. He loved sports.����� SamSam's momMarco 3. He doesn't understand English.����� SamSam's momMarco�������������������������������������������������������� � � Sam and Marco went outside. At the end of the street, kids were shooting baskets. "This is� my cousin Marco, " Sam said. He tried to talk slowly , but it was hard. "Marco, this is Billy, Chris, Rosie, Tommy and Freddy." Billy shot Marco the ball. Marco caught it on his head and bounced it up and down . Everyone started to laugh at him. Sam's face got hot. Chris caught the ball�. He threw it to Marco. This time Marco caught the ball on his knee and bounced it up and down. Again everyone laughed at him. Sam felt awful. "Let's go home," he told Marco. � II. Write True or False. � 1. Rosie , Tommy and Freddy are Sam's friends.�������� 2. Sam's friends laughed at Marco.����������������������������� 3. Sam feels happy.������������������������������������������������������ 4. Sam� feels sad.������������������������������������������������������� � ��������������������������������������� � The next day Sam and Marco went to school together. At recess they played kickball. When the ball came to Marco, he stopped it with his feet. "Don't you ever use your arms?" asked Freddy. But Marco didn't understand. Back home Sam tried to explain the rules of sports to Marco. "Hold the ball in your hands," said Sam. "When you play basketball, bounce the ball as you run. It's called dribbling." But Marco just looked at Sam. He didn't understand English. He couldn't even say Sam's name right. He said Sammee. The next day after school, Sam didn't want to go outside. He was afraid his friends would make fun of Marco. "Why don't you draw?" Sam's mother asked. So Sam got out his crayons. He drew a picture� of a basketball player. Marco drew a picture of his mother and father. Sam's mother looked at the pictures. "You know what I think?" she said. "I think Marco's homesick. Let's take him to the mall to cheer him up." � III. Complete with 1, 2 or 3 words.��������������������������������������������������������������������� � 1. Sam��� �� Marcos how to play basketball. 2. Marco drew a picture about�� 3. Sam's mother knows what is� � � They walked down the mall, looking at the stores. When they came to the sports store, Sam stopped to look at footballs. But Marco�ran over to a display of black and white balls in boxes. Suddenly he was�smiling from ear to ear. "Why didn't I think of this before?" said Sam's mom. "Most kids in Mexico play soccer." "Soccer? Nobody plays that around here," said Sam. "Well, maybe they will now," said his mother with a smile.� Back home Marco took his new ball outside. He bounced it on his head. He kicked it around with his feet. Chris and Billy came over. Chris caught the ball with his hands. "No hands," said Marco. Soon �all the kids were practicing with the ball using their feet and heads. "This is awesome!" said Sam. "Let's bring it to the school tomorrow," said Chris. "�Que bien!" said Marco."Good!" � IV. Choose F for facts and O for opinions. � 1. Sam is looking at the footballs.������� FO 2. Most kids in Mexico play soccer.�������� FO 3. Mexico is a beautiful country.�������� FO 4. Chris and Billy are friends.������������� FO������������������������������������ 5. Sam's mother smiles nicely.����������� FO � The next day at recess Marco showed the other second graders how to play soccer. They all liked it. The third graders came by and and laughed. "No hands?" they said. "What a weird game." Some of the second graders felt stupid. They didn't like to be teased by third graders. "Forget it," said Sam. "I've got a plan. Let's practice all week. Then we'll challenge the third graders to a game. They beat us in football, in basketball and in baseball. But they won't beat us� in soccer, will they?" The second graders liked the plan. They practiced all week. On Friday morning Sam went up to the third graders in the playground and challenged them to play soccer at lunch. The third graders took the challenge. The class passed and finally it was lunchtime. Everyone ate quickly and rushed outside. The second and third graders met on the field. Sam marked the goals with jackets and Billy went over the rules. The game began. Marco passed the ball to Chris. Chris started to dribble the ball up the field. One of the third graders ran in front of him, kicked the ball and scored. The score was 1-0. Sam looked worried. "No importa," said Marco. He dribbled the ball to the opposite goal by himself, third graders tried to get the ball away from Marco,� but he zigzagged around them. Marco kicked the ball.�It went in! Now the score was a 1-1- tie. �������������������������� �������������������� ��������������������������� V. Find the meaning of the verbs in red in the wordsearch. � ����������������������������������������������������� � � The second graders started scoring like crazy. Bam! Chris got a goal. Slam! He got another one. Wham! Wham! Billy got one goal, and Rosie got two. But Sam And Marco were the team stars. They scored six goals each. When lunchtime was over, the score was 19- 1.����������������������������������������������������� "A wipe-out!" said Sam. The third graders were good losers. They all shook hands with the second graders. Then they asked Marco if he would teach them how to play better. "S�," said Marco. "Soccer Sammee teach you too." Everyboby laughed. "Soccer Sammee!" they shouted. "Soccer Sammee!" And that's how Sam got his nickname. At first he wasn't sure if he liked it or not. "Is bueno?" asked Marco. "You like new name?" Sam looked at his cousin. He knew that anything Marco gave him., he would like. "S�," said Sam. "I like. Gracias."�