1

1
1

Sports and Leisure

e

Sports and Leisure

Reading skills and strategies 2 Quickly go over the passage and look for the
information you need to answer the questions
n ideas
Understanding mai below. Write down the line(s) where you found
the answer.
All the information in a text relates directly to a
Who likes skateboarding?
main idea, whether it be the main idea of the text
as a whole or the main idea in one paragraph.
Answer Paul and his 10-year-old daughter Line(s)
Section A: Reading Task 1 Identifying the main idea is key to good reading 15-16
comprehension. There are questions that test your
B 
R EADING AND ANALYZING THE TEXT
ability to recognize the main idea in a passage or What examples of extreme sports are mentioned?
The first reading task in the ECCE test consists in part of a passage. base jumping, skydiving, downhill
Answer Line(s)
of a short prose text followed by five multiple mountain biking, hang gliding, snowboarding, 1-3,
For example, look at paragraph 1 – it gives examples
choice questions. Read the passage and do the bungee jumping 8, 10
of some sports and says that they are considered
activities that follow.
extreme sports as they may be dangerous and What examples of traditional sports are mentioned?
exciting. Therefore, the main idea of paragraph 1 is soccer, tennis, basketball, boxing
This passage is about sports. Answer Line(s)
that extreme sports are dangerous and exciting.
7,
1 What do snowboarding, base jumping, 18-19
2 skydiving, downhill mountain biking, and hang When did Catherine start bungee jumping?
3 gliding have in common? They are all considered 1 Quickly skim the text to have an overall idea of the
passage. Can you easily identify the main idea
Answer a few years ago Line(s)
4 “extreme” sports because they involve some
of the rest of the paragraphs? 11
5 degree of danger, and lots of excitement.
Paragraph 2: Many people of different age groups take
6 Many people choose these alternative sports How long does a bungee jump take?
7 over traditional options like soccer or tennis. up extreme sports.

Answer 30 seconds Line(s)
8 Patrick, 25, started snowboarding when he was 31
9 eight. He still feels he needs to be constantly
10 on the edge. Catherine, 47, started bungee Paragraph 3: Alternative sports now have safety
A 
P RE-READING How old are Patrick and Catherine?
11 jumping a few years ago simply to add some measures, which makes them costly.
1 
Work individually. Make a list of all the sports 12 variety to her life. Indeed, extreme sports, or
Answer Patrick, 25 Line(s)
you can think of in one minute. 13 alternative sports as others prefer to call them, Catherine, 47 8, 10
suggested answers
14 attract people of all ages, including parents with
soccer skiing 15 their children. Paul, 35, enjoys skateboarding and Reading skills and strategies How old is Paul’s daughter?
16 mountain biking with his 10-year-old daughter. 10 years old
baseball gymnastics Answer Line(s)
ds
Identifying key wor
17 He says that skateboarding requires as much, if 16
18 not more, training and skill as soccer, basketball,
football volleyball
19 or boxing. Many parents like him feel that some Identifying key words in the questions will help you What sport does Patrick practice?
basketball tennis 20 of these sports create the perfect opportunity find the correct information in the text. Question
21 to teach children about safety, self-confidence snowboarding
Answer Line(s)
words like who, when, how long, how old, how many, 8
hockey golf 22 and endurance, while engaging in new physical and how much often ask about information that
23 activities. clearly stands out in the passage.
swimming cycling
Why are extreme sports usually expensive?
24 Undoubtedly, fear is a special component of If a question In the passage look for...
Answer because of the cost of the safety equipment Line(s)
25 these cool sports that attract young and mature asks about... 30
26 audiences alike. However, according to experts, a name capitalized words until you find the
2 
 Work with a partner. Compare your list 27 with the development of appropriate equipment
of sports. Find the ‘winners’ in the following name you need
28 that enables us to do sports safely, risk of injury How much does it cost to go bungee jumping?
categories: a date numbers, days and months
29 can be reduced. Unfortunately, in most cases,
Answer from $50 to over $300 Line(s)
or a year (also capitalized), or years
● Who has the longest list of sports? 30 safety equipment is expensive, raising the cost of 32
time time-related words like second, minute,
● Who has played most of those sports? 31 participating. For example, a 30-second bungee
hour, month, ago, yesterday, etc.
● Who has the highest number of less traditional 32 jump may cost from $50 to over $300 in different
sports? 33 parts of the world. price currency sign (e.g., $, £, €, etc.)
10 11
 1 1
Section A: Reading Task 1
Sports and Leisure

Sports and Leisure

Reading skills and strategies Reading skills and strategies C INTERACTING WITH THE READING PASSAGE E PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE
es
d making inferenc  Decide if you agree or disagree with the Read the passage on page 10 again and answer
e
Identifying facts an Identifying purpos following ideas, and say why: the following questions.

Some questions will ask about specific facts Often, one of the questions asks you to identify 1 
Alternative sports are perfectly appropriate for 1 
What is the main purpose of this article?
mentioned in the passage. Others will require the main purpose of the passage. This means you children. a to show the advantages of alternative sports
that you make inferences. In this last case, the need to say why this passage was written. What 2 
Everyone should try at least one kind of extreme b 
to encourage people to take up sports
information is not clearly stated in the passage. was the writer’s purpose for writing this text? sport in high school. c to discuss the popularity of alternative sports
There are clues that help you make inferences and To answer this question, you need to consider 3 
Children should practice the sports that their parents d 
to discuss the dangers of certain sports
draw conclusions. information mentioned in the entire passage. Try have practiced.
to identify the main purpose of each paragraph 4 
Everyone should investigate the risks involved before 2 
Why does Patrick practice snowboarding?
first. starting a new physical activity. a He enjoys the excitement.
3 According to the passage on page 10, decide if b 
It builds endurance.
the following ideas c He finds it physically challenging.
D FOCUS ON KEY VOCABULARY d 
It helps develop self-confidence.
are TRUE based on information clearly stated in
a  4 
Look at the following items. Which of the
the passage options best describes the purpose of each Match each phrase taken from the text on
3 
According to Paul, what is true about skateboarding?
are FALSE based on information clearly stated in
b  paragraph of the passage on page 10? page 10 to its meaning.
the passage a It’s easier than soccer.
1 The main purpose of paragraph 2 is to 1 
have in common (line 3) a
are TRUE based on information that can be
c  b 
It does not require physical strength.
2 
choose sth over sth else (lines 6-7) b c It’s not expensive to do.
inferred from the passage a 
list people who practice new sports
3 
be on the edge (lines 9-10) c d 
It takes a lot of practice.
are FALSE based on information that can be
d  b 
show examples of parents practicing alternative
inferred from the passage sports 4 
add variety (line 11) d
are not discussed in the passage
e  c 
illustrate why people choose alternative sports 5 
attract young and mature audiences alike 4 
How can risks be reduced?
d 
explain how alternative sports were created (lines 25-26) e a by meeting with experts
1 
People of all ages practice alternative e 
teach children to play new sports 6 
create the perfect opportunity (line 20) f b 
by training with an expert
sports. a c by using appropriate equipment
2 
Paul’s daughter has been skateboarding a 
are similar to each other d 
by practicing in groups
for over ten years. d 2 The main purpose of paragraph 3 is to
b 
prefer
3 
Fear discourages people from doing a 
explain why extreme sports are popular c 
feel excited 5 
What can be inferred about the writer of this passage?
extreme sports. d b 
emphasize the need for safety when practicing a He has tried extreme sports in the past.
d 
make more interesting
4 
Over 2 million people practice extreme new sports e 
be enjoyed by everyone b 
He believes children should not take part in
sports in the US. e c 
explain the role of safety measures in extreme extreme sports.
f 
be a good chance
5 
Safety was a problem when practicing sports c He thinks extreme sports are not worth the cost.
extreme sports in the past. c d 
mention how much bungee jumping costs d 
He is in favor of extreme sports.
6 
Alternative sports produce better athletes e 
illustrate why people are afraid of sports
than traditional sports. e
7 
Prices to go bungee jumping vary from
place to place. a
8 
Extreme sports sometimes require more
training than traditional sports. c
9 
Not all extreme sports involve danger. b
10 
Alternative sports are not suitable for
children. b

12 13
 1 1
Section B: Reading Task 2
Sports and Leisure

Sports and Leisure

 A 
R EADING AND ANALYZING THE TEXT
Reading skills and strategies 2 Now it’s your turn to paraphrase ideas. How can
The second task in the ECCE test consists of a set of four related texts followed by 10 multiple choice you rewrite the following ideas using different
questions. Read the texts below and do the activities that follow.
Paraphrasing words? suggested answers
1 
You are one of the applicants we are considering.
COLORADO No Snow This Winter?
A C Some questions will ask you to find information
are one of the candidates we are thinking
You
that is paraphrased. This means the same idea is
Silver Mountain Resort By James Wright expressed in a different way. Some ECCE items will of hiring.
Colorado Springs, stores, to name a contain information that is similar to what is in the 2 
If you want this position, contact our secretary.
The perfect place to go skiing CO. At this point few, rely on the
we don’t know winter season to
text but that is expressed in different words. Your If you are interested in this job, get in touch with our
and snowboarding in Colorado
what to expect. make ends meet. challenge is to find which of the options correctly secretary.

Winter season: November 1 to March 31 During the last 50 If we don’t attract describes the information in the text.
years, our winters tourists from all 3 
We were impressed by your outstanding qualifications.
Peak elevation: 12,500 ft. For example, the following phrase in section D
were characterized over the world, if We found your excellent qualifications impressive.
Skiable area: 350 acres by perfect, soft, white snow. we don’t have what tourists “... we estimate that we will receive 50% of the
Longest trail: 5.5 miles Our annual average snowfall want in winter, we will need tourists we usually get at our resort ...” can be
ranged from 25 to 50 inches. to find new alternatives to paraphrased as: “We won’t get as many visitors this
4 
Half-day tickets are available.
4.1 Ski area hours: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Last year we had less than keep our beautiful city alive. year.” Both phrases express the same idea.
10 inches of snow. And You can buy half-day tickets.
Half-day hours: 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The City Council will soon
something similar happened
or 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. schedule an open meeting
all over the country.
with local residents and
Last winter Vermont, 1 Find the sentences or phrases in the texts that 5 
There is still time to submit more initiatives.
Full-day tickets: $60 businesspeople to discuss
Massachusetts, Philadelphia, There is still time to hand in more proposals.
Half-day tickets: $45 what the city should do mean the same as these ideas:
and Montana had about 50%
in response to changes
of the average snowfall of 1 
produced by global We are glad you want to work with us. (section D)
Accommodations: hotels available within 5 miles, the last twenty years.
warming. We should all appreciate your interest in joining our team ...
We
starting at $120 for double rooms.
4.2 The economy of our city be there. It’s time to start
thinking about what we want

depends on the weather.
4.4 NEW!! This summer, throughout the months of Our ski resorts, hotels, for the future and to start 2 
We would like to invite you to this meeting.
June and July, we will have mountain biking races! restaurants, sporting goods making new plans. (section B)
requests the honor of your presence …
…
B D
THE CITY OF COLORADO SPRINGS
The Mayor of Colorado Springs, 3 
You can find a place to stay near the resort. (section A)
Ms. Alisha White, requests the honor [email protected] … hotels available within 5 miles …

of your presence at an open forum
[email protected]
4.2 Winter without snow: Analyzing alternatives Your application
4 
Anything could happen. (section C)
August 1 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Dear Mr. Addison, 4.1 (At this point) we don’t know what to expect.
City Council Auditorium We appreciate your interest in joining our team of ski
1200 Main Street, Colorado Springs instructors. We were very impressed by your outstanding
qualifications and experience.
5 
The weather affects how successful our economy is.
The Presidents of the Colorado Hotel We were originally planning on hiring five new instructors 4.2
Association, the United Ski Resorts Association, (section C)
but the drop in the annual snowfall has made us reconsider.
and the mayor will present and award the best Since we estimate that we will receive 50% of the tourists we The economy of our city depends on the weather.
five initiatives received from city residents. usually get at our resort, we will be hiring only two new ski 4.1
instructors, who will work full-day shifts. You are one of the
Each of the top five initiatives applicants we are considering. We would like to schedule 4.4 6 
We will have to come up with new ways to keep our
will get an award of $100,000 from the city an interview with you at our resort on June 30 to discuss businesses open. (section C)
4.2 to support the creation of new businesses and more initiatives that you could help us with next winter. If
the development of alternative sources you are still interested in this position, please contact Betty we will need to find new alternatives to keep our
…
of income not dependent on snow. Davidson to make the arrangements for your upcoming visit. beautiful city alive.

I recommend you stay in the area for one or two nights so
There is still time to submit more initiatives. we can show you around our facilities and the local area. 7 
We would like to meet with you on our premises.
If you have an initiative to propose, submit it by Yours sincerely, (section D)
e-mail to [email protected] by July 15. Trevor Banks, would like to schedule an interview with you at our
We
General Manager
resort …

14 15
 1 1
Section B: Reading Task 2
Sports and Leisure

Sports and Leisure

Reading skills and strategies Reading skills and strategies Questions 4-5 refer to section C on page 14.
B 
F OCUS ON KEY VOCABULARY
4 
What is the main point of section C?
n
entifying purpose lationship betwee  Match the two halves to make compound nouns.
Id Recognizing the re a A city is undergoing an economic crisis.
sections of the text 1 
city f a 
room
ideas or different
b Tourists are no longer interested in skiing
In questions about purpose, there is always one 2 
open b b forum vacations.
correct option that summarizes the purpose of the
Some of the questions will ask you to identify 3 
double a c warming c The mayor has agreed to have a meeting.
section. The other options are either very general d d A way to attract more tourists should be found.
information that is mentioned in more than one 4 
general d manager
or too specific. You have to find the option that
section of the task. Look at the following question: 5 
sporting g e biking
best summarizes the author’s purpose for the 5 
How much snow did Vermont get last winter?
entire text. 6 
mountain e f council
1 
What will Mr. Wright probably be doing on August 1? a 
equivalent to the annual average
7 
global c g goods
a visiting Silver Mountain Resort b 
more than expected
b attending an open forum c 
half of the annual average
3 Answer the following questions about the c interviewing for a job d 
more than in previous years
texts on page 14. Identify which options are d writing a proposal C 
INTERACTING WITH THE READING PASSAGE
too general and which ones are too specific to  Imagine you were going to the open forum Question 6 refers to section D on page 14.
describe the purpose of the section. The correct answer is b – attending an open forum.
in Colorado Springs. What proposals would 6 
Why did Mr. Addison receive this e-mail?
In section C, James Wright mentions in his article
1 
What is the main purpose of section A? you make to the mayor to attract tourists to a 
He has been hired for a job.
that all residents should attend the open meeting
a to publicize a resort’s opening hours the town? Discuss with your partner and then
organized by the City Council. Details of this b 
His working conditions have changed.
present your ideas to the class.
b to advertise a hotel meeting are mentioned in section B. The date set c 
He is being considered for a job.
c to invite bikers to mountain bike races for this open forum is August 1. d 
He is being made redundant.
d to advertise a holiday destination
D 
P UTTING IT INTO PRACTICE Question 7 refers to sections A, B, C, and D.
2 
What is the main purpose of section B?
4 Answer the following questions according to Choose the best option to answer the following 7 
Which sections invite the reader to contact
a to encourage people to submit proposals
the information in the text. The questions refer questions: somebody?
b to announce the date of an event
to sections A, B, C, and D. Justify your answers Questions 1-2 refer to section A on page 14. a 
sections A and C
c to invite people to an award ceremony by underlining the relevant parts in the text. b 
sections B and D
d to invite residents to meet the mayor 1 
What is the purpose of section A?
1 
What will Mr. Addison’s working hours be if he is c 
sections C and D
a 
to advertise a resort
3 
What is the main purpose of section C? selected for this job? d 
sections B and C
b 
to announce a new activity
a to explain why we get less snow a 
8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. c 
to advertise a hotel
b to make readers think about possible changes b 
12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. d 
to announce new prices
c to invite residents to an open meeting c 
8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
d to predict what will happen in the future d 
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 2 
How much would it cost to ski at the resort from
1 p.m. to 6 p.m.?
4 
What is the main purpose of section D? 2 Which sections have references to the impact of the
a 
$45
a to enquire if a candidate is interested in a job weather on the city’s economy?
b 
$60
b to confirm a job offer a 
sections A, B, and C
c 
$90
c to reject a job candidate b 
sections B, C, and D
d 
$120
d to introduce Betty Davidson c 
sections A, C, and D
d 
all sections Question 3 refers to section B on page 14.
3 
What will happen at the open forum?
3 What can Mr. Addison do during his visit to Silver
Mountain Resort? a 
A dinner will be held.
b 
The residents will present their initiatives.
a 
go skiing
c 
Five residents will get cash awards.
b 
teach snowboarding lessons
d 
The mayor will propose new initiatives.
c 
attend the mayor’s meeting
d 
go mountain biking

16 17
 1 1
Section C: Vocabulary Expansion
Sports and Leisure

Sports and Leisure

1  Work with a partner. Which of the following 3 
Meanings Circle T (true) or F (false) for each 4 Prepositions Fill in the correct prepositions. 5 
Derivatives The following words appeared in
are important for you when choosing a sport? of the following sentences. Correct the false in the texts in this unit. Place them in the correct
1 
My sister and I have nothing common
Why? sentences. suggested answers column below and then fill in their other forms.
with each other.
athletic skill ● coach ● cost ● equipment ● friends 2 
I decided to choose English lessons over consider ● alternative ● attract
1 I f you have self-confidence you believe in
● ●

● fun ● risks ● safety ● sense of danger ● social status Spanish as I thought it would be more useful for my ● confidence ● endurance ● development
yourself. T/F
● team ● time ● training ● uniform ● venue career. ● participate ● analyze ● creation

● dependent ● propose ● submit ● produce ● response
3 
People of all ages will find the play
Based on your partner’s answers, which sports ● appreciate ● impress ● instructor ● applicant
entertaining.
would you recommend that he/she try? 2 I f you have endurance, you get tired easily. T/F ● schedule ● arrangement ● recommend
4 
Your success at work depends on your
If you have endurance, you don’t get tired easily. / … ability to work well as part of a team.
you have lots of strength and stamina. Verb Adjective Noun
5 
Jacob relies a lot on his family to support considerable /
2 
Synonyms These words are from the texts on him. He really should get a job of his own. consider consideration
3 I f you engage in something, you do not considerate
page 10 and 14. What do you think they mean? in
participate in it. T/F 6 
Her angry outburst was really alter / alternate alternative alteration
Match the words from the reading texts with
If you engage in something, you participate in it. response to the fact that she is having problems at
their meanings.
home. attract attractive attraction
i
1 mature 7 
Gerry shows no interest in his studies
2 undoubtedly d 4 I f you present an award, you win it. T/F and may have to repeat the year. - confident confidence
g If you present an award, you give it to somebody. on
3 significant 8 
My family plans relocating to the endure endurable endurance
4 appropriate b States next year.
in developed /
5 endurance c 5 I f you submit an assignment, you give it in to 9  There has been a drop sales this develop development
developing
f the teacher. T/F season.
6 qualifications participate participating participation
10 Our prices range from €10.00 to €50.00 per
7 initiative e
pair of shoes. analyze analyzed analysis / analyst
8 constantly a
9 alternative h 6 If you propose something, you recommend it. T / F create creative creation
10 component j
depend dependent dependence

a 
all the time 7 I f you schedule a meeting, you cancel it. T/F propose proposed proposal
b 
suitable If you schedule a meeting, you arrange it.
submit submitted submission
c 
strength
d 
certainly, without a doubt production /
8 I f you appreciate something, you are thankful produce productive productivity
e 
new idea, first step for it. T/F
respond responsive response
f 
education, training
g 
important appreciate appreciative appreciation
h 
not traditional, different 9 If you estimate a cost, you calculate it. T/F
impress impressive impression
i 
not young
j 
part instruct instructed instructor /
instruction
10 If you consider something, you think about it. T/F apply applied applicant /
application

schedule scheduled schedule

arrange arranged arrangement

recommend recommended recommendation

18 19
 1
Vocabulary Review 1 13 The quality of the food at the new Greek restaurant is 20 I will be happy to

Vocabulary Review
when you visit our town
. next month.
a upcoming a make ends meet
b 
outstanding b 
be on the edge
c reduced c be made redundant
1 
We had a serious and unexpected problem that 7 
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not always cheaper to d 
extreme d 
show you around
required measures. book over the web when planning a holiday.
a available a elevations 14 Many parents specialized training sessions in 21 Taking drama classes can help build in shy
b 
challenging b 
initiatives order to provide home schooling to their kids. children.
c obsolete c premises a attended a confidence
d 
extreme d 
accommodations b 
awarded b 
qualification
c assigned c production
2 
The new 007 movie kept the audience of 8 
If you are interested in joining our team, please fill out d 
arrived d 
endurance
their seats. form and send it to us by e-mail.
a in the border a a destination 15 She on her parents for financial support until 22 After the accident, the school implemented new
b 
on the edge b 
an application she managed to find a job. procedures.
c at the cliff c a reference a relied a healthy
d 
in the thrill d 
an assignment b 
endured b 
arrangement
c involved c safety
3 
Taking up a sport or hobby is a good to meet 9 
My husband and I were very with the service d 
recommended d 
consideration
new people. we received at your hotel.
a situation a impressed 16 The Grand Hotel is undergoing renovations so we will 23 We need to pick up the camping that your
b 
method b 
characterized have to find a new for our party. uncle will lend us.
c chance c glad a area a equipment
d 
possibility d 
thankful b 
forum b 
income
c venue c team
4 
Even though Tim and Tom are twins, they do not have 10 Everyone thought that Ian was very for his d 
destination d 
skill
a lot with each other. age.
a in common a mature 17 I guess we can’t say that Jim is by politeness 24 The winners will be announced in the issue of
b 
in favor b 
constant and good manners. our electronic newsletter.
c in response c alike a awarded a previous
d 
without a doubt d 
equivalent b 
qualified b 
upcoming
c accepted c enduring
5 
When I lost my job, I had to look for alternative 11 Each employee has to work a four-hour one d 
characterized d 
applied
of income. weekend a month.
a arrangements a shift 18 The students’ ages at this community college 25 I’m calling to my booking for a double room
b 
sources b 
trail from 20 to 85 years old. on 25 March.
c assignments c schedule a confirm a confirm
d 
components d 
arrangement b 
predict b 
advertise
c range c enquire
6 
The new coffee shop downtown mostly 12 Not everyone knew that Jason had spent a d 
rely d 
reject
a young, trendy crowd. part of his life at the house by the lake.
a enables a suitable 19 Smoking is not allowed on our ; please put out
b 
engages b 
physical your cigarette.
c introduces c significant a premises
d 
attracts d 
competitive b 
accommodations
c elevations
d 
hotels
20 21