Name: Mark:

 UNIT 3 Test Level 1 

WRITTEN COMPREHENSION

1 Read the blog entry. Five sentences have been removed from it. From sentences A-F, choose the one
that fits each gap. There is one extra sentence. (5 x 2 = 10 points)
A Some commentators have even been nationally recognised for their work.
B It was exactly what every fan felt and needed to hear.
C What’s more, you must be able to constantly describe what’s going on in front of you without any hesitation.
D In addition, you can make a lot of money as a commentator.
E In other cases, he would say things that were completely illogical.
F And still, even he made some errors during his career.

The World of Sports Commentating

I
Most people don’t give much thought to the commentary they hear in the background of sporting events.
When they do, it’s often to complain that the commentary is too slow or too fast, or that the commentators
are just saying the first things that come to their minds. In reality, however, there’s a lot more to
II commentating than people realise.
Commentating on a live sporting event isn’t an easy job. Not only are you expected to remember the
names of all the players or athletes, but you must also have facts and figures about their achievements at
your fingertips.1 If you think that sounds simple enough, turn the volume down the next timeyou watch a
sporting event and try it for yourself.
III
Given the pressure and fast pace of the job, it’s no wonder that commentators often make mistakes. David
Coleman, who worked as a BBC commentator for 46 years, is widely considered to be one of the best in
history, having covered eleven Olympic Games and six football World Cups.2
IV Sometimes, Coleman would state things that were obvious, just to fill the silence.3
Commentating on a runner’s performance, he once stated, “That’s the fastest time ever run, but it’s not as
fast as the world record.” Coleman’s mistakes were so amusing that a newspaper column was created to
quote his funniest moments.
V But of course, sports commentating is about more than making mistakes and being mocked for them.
Many commentators are also famously remembered for the powerful things they’ve said, often at just the
right moments. For example, when one baseball player who was thought to be too injured to play hit a
home run in the 1988 World Series, Vin Scully, the commentator, said, “The impossible has happened!”
4Even today, people haven’t forgotten those words.
5The National Sportscaster of the Year is an award given by the National Sports Media Association once
VI a year to the best sports commentator in the USA, and is only one of several awards given to
commentators over the years. Some people might think that commentating is just the simple act of
describing an event, but the truth is, it’s commentators that shape our experiences and make sporting
events so exciting and memorable.

1
 Name: Mark:

2 Decide if the following sentences are true (T) or false (F). Find evidence in the text to support your
answers. (4 x 2 = 8 points)
1 The writer doesn’t think it’s surprising that commentators make errors. ......
.............................................................................................................................................................................
2 Coleman never commentated on any international sports events. ......
.............................................................................................................................................................................
3 Coleman’s best mistakes were published for everyone to see. ......
.............................................................................................................................................................................
4 Even the greatest commentators don’t receive any prizes for their work. ......
.............................................................................................................................................................................

3 Find words or expressions in the text that mean: (6 x 2 = 12 points)

1 ready or accessible (paragraph II) .............................

2 speed (paragraph III) .............................
3 believed by many people (paragraph III) .............................
4 repeat or report something that was said (paragraph IV) .............................
5 laughed at (paragraph V) .............................
6 influence or affect (paragraph VI) .............................