Worksheet N 1

Reading time!

2011

Lionel Andres Messi was born on 24 June 1987 in the south of Rosario, in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. Lionel Messi began playing football at a young age and he had great potential. As a child, when he was about 8 years old, he had to undergo special treatment in order to have a normal rate of growth. Every night he sat on his bed and had injections in his legs. The problem was that the treatment was very expensive and his family couldnt afford it. Primera Division club River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress, but did not have enough money to pay for the treatment, as it cost $900 a month. His parents tried everything. In the end, his father was offered a job in Spain and Barcelona signed him after watching him play, offering to pay for the medical bills if he was willing to move to Spain. His family moved to Europe and he started in the club's youth teams. Messi made his official debut on 16 October 2004 when he was 17 years old. Since then, he has won many team and individual awards. He is considered as one of the best football players of his generation and frequently cited as the world's best contemporary player.

1) Put the events in the correct chronological order.

a) Primera Division club River Plate showed interest in Messi's progress b) Lionel Messi began playing football at a young age c) His father was offered a job in Spain d) He had to undergo special treatment e) Barcelona signed him after watching him play

2) Read the statements and choose the correct option.

1) Messi is a) 22 years old b) 26 years old c) 24 years old

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2) He had to undergo a special treatment to have a) Normal rate of growth b) Faster rate of growth c) Slower rate of growth 3) The treatment consisted of a) Pills b) Injections c) Physical exercises 4) His family couldnt afford the treatment because a) It was expensive b) They did not want to c) It was dangerous 5) Which was the football club interested in him at first? a) Barcelona b) River plate c) Real Madrid 6) He is considered one of the a) Best football players b) Famous football players c) Youngest football players

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3) Regular and irregular verbs

a) Complete with the regular past form of the verbs.

*VERB
Watch Study Listen Chat Dance Stop Live Worry

*PAST FORM

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b) Match the verbs with their corresponding irregular past form.

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Be Become Find Go Have Leave Make Meet Win

Went Found Wrote Was/Were Made Had Became Met Left

NOTE! WA S and WER E are the pas t simple form of BE. We u se WAS wit h I, She, He, It and WER E with You, T hey, We.

4) Complete the sentences with the past form of the verb be.

Chaplin.a famous actor and film director. Pele and Maradona.well-known football players. Michael Jackson.a great singer and dancer. Davis Beckham..the captain of the English team in the 2002 World Cup. Lady Di .was the princess of England. Kirchner and Bill Clintonrulers of their respective countries. Titanic and Avatar directed by James Cameron.

5) Complete the sentences with the past form of the verbs in brackets.
a) He..... (make) his debut against Hungary. However, he only..... (play)

for three minutes of the game.

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b) Messi..... (obtain) Spanish citizenship on September 25. c) Messi ..... (leave) Argentina when he was 11.

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d) On August 4, Pekerman ..... (call) him up to the senior Argentine national

team. e) Antonella rouco ..... (be) his first girlfriend. He..... (meet) her in Rosario in 2005. f) He ..... (study) in Normal School in Rosario up to the age of 10. g) Messi ..... (Become) famous in the season of 2006 2007.

Remember! : Spelling rules

NORMAL Watch + ed Listen + ed FINAL- e Live +d Dance +d FINAL CONSONANT +-y Worry -y + ied Study -y + ied SHORT VOWEL + CONSONANT Stop Chat double consonant + ed double consonant + ed Stopped Chatted Worried Studied Lived Danced Watched Listened