Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Elite Athletics & The Olympic Spirit 6

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four professional tennis players sharing the loneliness and exhaustion of constantly traveling the globe.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people/sections (A-D). The people/sections may be chosen more than once.

Which person/section

1   mentions finding a specific personal strategy to cope with the repetitive lifestyle?

2   admits that the reality of the professional circuit was a sudden, unpleasant surprise?

3   expresses regret over repeatedly being absent for important personal milestones?

4   highlights the burden of organising the practical aspects of their constant journeys?

5   explains how the intense rivalry makes it difficult to form authentic relationships?

6   points out that their physical surroundings all start to feel identical after a while?

7   struggles with the fact that their income barely covers their travel expenses?

8   observes a sharp contrast between their public image and their private reality?

9   confesses to feeling disconnected from the passage of time due to constant travel?

10   admits that they often struggle to find the motivation to prepare their luggage?

Beyond the Baseline: The Hidden Toll of the Tennis Tour

A Liam

When I first turned professional, I was absolutely captivated by the idea of travelling the world. However, the glossy magazines don’t capture the sheer isolation of sitting alone in a five-star hotel room in Paris or Tokyo. To the outside world, I lead an incredibly glamorous existence, but the reality is starkly different. I’m often so jet-lagged that days and nights simply merge into one endless loop, making it completely impossible to keep track of what month it even is. I’ve had to make peace with the fact that my career demands immense sacrifices. My sister has had three children, and I’ve missed every single christening because I was competing on another continent. It breaks my heart. I try to stay in touch via video calls, but looking at a screen is no substitute for actually being there. If I had known the emotional toll it would take early on, I might have seriously reconsidered my path.

B Sofia

Stepping up from the junior ranks to the main tour was an absolute shock to the system. I’d always taken it for granted that I’d be travelling the globe with a close-knit group of mates. The bitter truth is that at this level, the stakes are so phenomenally high that genuine camaraderie is practically non-existent. You might share a brief chat in the locker room, but ultimately, everyone is fiercely guarding their own territory. It’s an incredibly cut-throat environment. To cope with the solitude, I often intend to explore the historic cities I visit, but the sheer physical exhaustion usually means I end up ordering room service and collapsing into bed. People assume the life of an athlete is a dream come true, and while I wouldn’t trade the thrill of stepping onto the court, the profound loneliness that sets in once the stadium lights go out was something I completely failed to anticipate.

C Mateo

Most spectators only witness the two hours we spend hitting balls over a net, remaining blissfully unaware of the logistical nightmare that goes on behind the scenes. Because I’m not ranked in the top fifty, I don’t have the luxury of an agent to manage my complicated itinerary. Consequently, I spend countless hours hunched over my laptop, desperately trying to book budget flights and affordable accommodation. The mental drain of acting as my own travel agent is immense. Furthermore, the financial pressure is absolutely crushing. If I get knocked out in the first round of a tournament, the prize money barely covers my airfare, let alone my coach’s fees. This constant anxiety over making ends meet definitely spills over into my athletic performance. I’m constantly living out of a battered suitcase, and there are mornings when the mere prospect of packing it up yet again fills me with utter dread.

D Elena

Being a naturally introverted person, I don’t actually mind the solitude as much as some of my fellow players do. However, what really wears me down is the relentless monotony of the circuit. Whether you are in Melbourne, New York, or London, the layout is invariably the same: an airport terminal, a shuttle bus, a generic hotel room, and the tennis courts. After a few months on the road, everything blurs into one indistinguishable backdrop, and you completely lose your sense of place. To prevent myself from going stir-crazy, I’ve had to develop a strict off-court routine. Wherever I go, I carry a collection of classic literature and force myself to read for at least an hour every evening. It provides me with a much-needed mental escape from the intense pressure of the tour. Without this deliberate distraction, the repetitive cycle of this nomadic lifestyle would have undoubtedly broken my spirit by now.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four athletes reflecting on the ethical dilemmas and immense pressure surrounding the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people/sections (A-D). The people/sections may be chosen more than once.

Which person/section

1   mentions that the financial expectations from backers create a heavy burden?

2   expresses anger at the insufficient consequences for athletes caught cheating?

3   was almost misled into taking a banned substance by someone they trusted?

4   felt tempted to cheat solely to accelerate their rehabilitation from physical damage?

5   points out the psychological difficulty of watching rivals achieve sudden, suspicious improvements?

6   advocates for the permanent exclusion of athletes found guilty of doping?

7   acknowledges that they can comprehend the desperation that drives others to cheat?

8   feels that maintaining their integrity is ultimately more valuable than winning?

9   highlights the ambiguous nature of products marketed as legal dietary additions?

10   mentions feeling robbed of a rightful victory by an unethical competitor?

The Hidden Cost of Winning: Athletes on Doping

A Liam

Being a professional sprinter is incredibly lucrative if you’re winning, but the expectations from corporate sponsors can be overwhelming. The psychological toll of wondering if you are the only clean athlete on the track is profoundly draining. Last season, I noticed several rivals making suspicious leaps in their performance, shaving impossible fractions of a second off their personal bests. It’s a bitter pill to swallow when you suspect the playing field is no longer level. I won’t deny that the thought of taking shortcuts briefly crossed my mind; the pressure to keep my funding was immense. However, I quickly came to my senses. Even if I hadn’t been caught, the guilt would have eaten me alive. I realised I would rather step off the podium knowing I had competed cleanly than wear a gold medal obtained through deceit. Ultimately, looking at myself in the mirror with a clear conscience is worth far more than any championship title.

B Chloe

In the world of professional cycling, the margins between victory and defeat are razor-thin. When I joined my first major team, I was remarkably naive. The team doctors constantly handed out various pills and powders, insisting they were merely legal nutritional supplements designed to aid recovery. I took it for granted that these authority figures had my best interests at heart. The sense of betrayal I felt towards the management later was overwhelming. It was only when I did my own research that I uncovered the ambiguous nature of these so-called vitamins. Some bordered closely on banned substances. I was horrified to realise how easily I could have been manipulated into crossing the line. It took a lot of courage, but I eventually walked away from that toxic environment. It taught me a harsh lesson: as an athlete, you must take absolute responsibility for whatever goes into your body.

C Marcus

Two years ago, I suffered a devastating shoulder tear just months before the Olympic trials. As a weightlifter, my entire career was hanging by a thread. During that gruelling period of rehabilitation, the temptation to use illegal performance-enhancing drugs was incredibly strong. I wasn’t looking to gain an unfair advantage or build unnatural strength; I was simply desperate to accelerate the healing process and avoid sitting out the most crucial season of my life. I can completely understand the sheer desperation that drives injured athletes to make poor ethical choices. Thankfully, my coach talked me out of it, reminding me of the severe health risks involved. If I had given in to that temporary moment of weakness, my reputation would have been ruined forever. I missed the Olympics, which was heartbreaking, but I managed to bounce back the following year entirely on my own merits.

D Elena

What frustrates me most about the current state of competitive swimming isn’t the intense training, but the staggering leniency of the sport’s governing bodies. A few years ago, I lost out on a major championship to a competitor who subsequently tested positive for a banned substance. She received a mere six-month suspension and was back in the pool before the end of the year. Being deprived of my rightful moment of glory by a cheat was utterly devastating. It infuriates me that the consequences for doping are often so insignificant that some athletes simply view them as a temporary inconvenience rather than a career-ending disgrace. If authorities are genuinely serious about cleaning up the sport, they need to implement much harsher penalties. In my view, anyone found guilty of deliberately using performance-enhancing drugs should face a permanent, lifelong ban. Anything less is an insult to those of us who train honestly.

Exercises:   123456