Page 146 - Marina Krajka English Book

Woman: Talking to us today is fourteen-year-old reason. The dive went OK but I didn’t
Max Hart, who is a springboard diver. enjoy the experience.
Max, what does this mean? Woman: Do you enjoy your training sessions?
Max: Well, it means I jump from high boards Max: They’re pretty tough as you can imagine
into a deep swimming pool and I’m – when you land badly in the water it
given a score for the way I do it. It’s hurts! And there’s no question of having
a competitive sport and I’ve been a laugh with your classmates – it’s
involved in it since I was about ten. It serious stuff and there isn’t enough
was a simple progression from doing time to waste hanging around chatting. I
gymnastics. I loved that – though I don’t have the chance to watch how the
never qualified for any competitions – others are progressing either – it’s all
but I thought the two sports were close about perfecting my own dives. Putting
enough that I could easily take up as much effort in as you can pays off.
diving and perhaps qualify in that. I’m And even though the advances are
quite competitive as my coach will tell small, they’re always there.
you. So, yeah, it seemed the right thing Woman: What’s next for you? The Olympics?
to do. Max: Well, the Olympics is one of the greatest
Woman: And your first competition was the events any athlete can enter, but I’m
regional championships. giving it a miss this time round because
Max: Yeah. People assume I must have been I’ve not reached that standard yet.
pretty anxious about it cos of the other Maybe next time. No, my main ambition
participants, who’d been competing is simply to get higher marks for
far longer than me. My coach actually difficulty than I’ve achieved so far. I need
commented on how chilled out I was. to try some trickier dives. At some point
There was no chance of winning, so diving in a pair might be worth a try – I
I knew I could just have a good time. haven’t come to a decision about that yet.
I still did my best and though not as Woman: Finally, what do you like most about this
many people turned up to watch as I’d sport?
expected, I still enjoyed hearing people Max: Good question. You never know how
clap my first competitive dive! That was long it’ll last – you could have an injury
good enough for me. or stop progressing – so far that hasn’t
Woman: There are lots of different kinds of dive, happened, thankfully. They always say
aren’t there? it’s not the winning but the taking part
Max: Yeah – with interesting names like ‘pikes’ that matters, and that’s the way it is
and ‘tucks’. The kind I struggled with for me. When I stand on the platform
initially because of balance were the ready to dive, that’s where the real buzz
arm stand dives – the starting position comes in for me. You know everyone’s
is upside down standing on your hands! willing you to do well, and there’s an
I’ve actually won some competitions energy in the air I don’t get anywhere
doing arm stand dives – and while else in life.
they’re hardly my favourite, I don’t avoid Narrator: Now listen again.
doing them ’cos I seem to have gained
a decent level of skill in them. 3 1 too much 5 hard enough
Woman: I believe you once had to change a 2 good enough 6 good enough
competition dive at the last minute? 3 too 7 too
Max: Yeah, that was scary! My coach and I 4 enough 8 too fast
realised we’d missed something out
that was an essential element of the Get it right!
dive, so we came up with a new one the I don’t think it’s big enough.
day before the competition. I’m a quick I think it’s possible to go by bike, but we don’t have
learner, so it wasn’t forgetting what to enough time.
do that bothered me but the fact that it
involved a position my body just won’t Speaking Part 1:1
go into! No amount of practice seems to 1a 1 look like; b 3 like; a,
have made that easier to do for some
2 like; d, 4 alike; c

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