Heading a Soccer Ball Can Injure Brain (30th November, 2011)

1. GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text.
New research suggests that soccer players are at ____________ of brain injury,
especially those who head the ball a lot. Researchers in America ____________
out tests on 3 amateur football players o!er the age of 3" who had played the
sport since childhood. #octors ga!e them $R% brain scans and tests to
____________ their brain function. &he players were as'ed to ____________
the number of times they had headed a ball in the past year. &he research
findings indicate a ____________ of brain injury not usually present in people
who do not play soccer. #octors reported the condition to be a ____________
of concussion 'nown as ____________ traumatic brain injury (&)%*. &his can
easily occur in soccer due to the fre+uent impact of the head with a ball can
tra!el at speeds ____________ to ,"" 'ph.


form
estimate
carried
close
risk
degree
mild
assess
-ead author #octor $ichael -ipton explained the ____________ heading a ball
can ha!e on the brain. /0eading a soccer ball is not an impact of a
____________ that will 1cut2 ____________ fibers in the brain, but repetiti!e
heading may set off a cascade of responses that can lead to a degeneration of
brain ____________.3 0e added. /)rain injury and cogniti!e impairment can
result from heading a soccer ball with ____________ fre+uency4.&hese are
findings that should be ta'en into consideration in planning future research to
____________ approaches to protect soccer players.3 #octor -ipton concluded
it would be difficult to ____________ brain injury in children as it ta'es years
of heading a ball for the damage to ____________ up in brain scans.

develop
magnitude
show
nerve
high
effect
detect
cells
2. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h belo a!e t!ue "T# o! false "F#.
a. A report says soccer players are athletes most at ris' of brain damage. & 5 6
b. &he study loo'ed at brain scans of players in their twenties. & 5 6
c. 0eading a soccer ball can lead to a condition similar to concussion & 5 6
d. A soccer ball can reach speeds of ,"" 'ph. & 5 6
e. &he report7s main writer headed a ball to show the effects on the brain. & 5 6
f. 0eading a ball cuts the ner!e fibers in the brain. & 5 6
g. A doctor said the study should be used to protect players in the future. & 5 6
h. %t is difficult to detect heading8related brain damage in children. & 5 6
$. S%&'&%( (AT)*: $atch the following synonyms from the article.
,. suggests a. damage
9 especially b. shape
3. assess c. effect
:. form d. particularly
;. mild e. methods
<. impact f. indicates
=. magnitude g. find
. impairment h. e!aluate
>. approaches i. si?e
,". detect j. light
+. P*RASE (AT)*: (@ometimes more than one choice is possible.*
,. soccer players are at ris' a. into consideration
9 Researchers in America carried b. the head with a ball
3. tests to assess c. impairment
:. a form of d. out tests
;. the fre+uent impact of e. of responses
<. set off a cascade f. of brain injury
=. cogniti!e g. their brain function
. findings that should be ta'en h. up in brain scans
>. it would be difficult to detect i. concussion
,". damage to show j. brain injury
,. E-PRESSI'&.
,. Ahat do you thin' about what you read B
9. Ahat +uestions would you li'e to as' #r. -iptonB
3. @hould heading be banned in soccer, or should soccer players wear some 'ind oh helmetB
:. Ahat other sports put the brain at ris'B
)o!!e.tion:
TRUE / FALSE:
a. 6 b. 6 c. & d. & e. 6 f. 6 g. & h. &
S%&'&%( (AT)*:
,. suggests a. indicates
9 especially b. particularly
3. assess c. e!aluate
:. form d. shape
;. mild e. light
<. impact f. effect
=. magnitude g. si?e
. impairment h. damage
>. approaches i. methods
,". detect j. find
P*RASE (AT)*:
,. soccer players are at ris' a. of brain injury
9 Researchers in America carried b. out tests
3. tests to assess c. their brain function
:. a form of d. concussion
;. the fre+uent impact of e. the head with a ball
<. set off a cascade f. of responses
=. cogniti!e g. impairment
. findings that should be ta'en h. into consideration
>. it would be difficult to detect i. brain injury
,". damage to show j. up in brain scans