Jeremy Taylor - Take Five (Great Stories: Low Intermediate)

a basketball bouncing

• dribble: In basketball, bouncing the ball on the ground while running at the same time is called dribbling.
• championship: This is a competition to find the best player or team in a particular sport. A person who wins is a champion. If a team wins, they are all champions.

• cup: A cup is something you drink tea out of, but a large metal cup is also the prize for a team or player that wins a championship.

a championship cup

• quarter final, semi-final, final: When there are eight teams left in a competition, they play the quarter finals (four matches, or games). When there are four teams left, they play the semi-finals (two matches). When there are only two teams left, that is the final.

Advertising

• advertise: When a company advertises, they pay money so that people see their products and (the company hopes!) buy them. You can advertise on television, radio, newspapers, online or on the shirts that sports stars wear. The noun form is advertisement, or ad for short.
• sponsor: If a company sponsors a team, they give some money to that team. This helps the team, but is also a form of advertising for the company.
• sponsorship: Many sports clubs look for sponsorship, so a company will give them money in return for letting the company advertise their products with the help of the club.
• persuade: To make someone do or believe something. For example, an advertisement tries to persuade you to buy a product.

Discussion questions

Talk about these ideas with a friend or classmate, or just think about them yourself before you read.

1. What do you know about basketball? Do you know any top stars? Do you ever watch basketball games live or on TV?
2. What does a coach do for a sports team? How important is it to have a good coach?
3. In some sports, such as Formula 1 racing, the cars and drivers are covered in advertising. How do you feel about this?
4. If you ran a successful company, would you want to sponsor a sports team? Why or why not?
5. If you ran a sports club, what kind of business would you want as a sponsor? Are there any businesses that you wouldnt want?
6. Some TV companies say that they dont show womens basketball very often because it isnt popular. Other people believe womens basketball isnt as popular as mens basketball because its not shown on TV very often. Which do you think is true?

So, Im afraid things dont look good for the future. Waterbridge Sports Club is losing moneya lot of money. Unless things change for the better in the near future, the club may have to close. The President of the club looked at the eleven members of the committee. Has anyone got any ideas for how to save the club?

When none of the regular committee members spoke, Madeline Flowers coughed gently.

Ah, Mrs Flowers. Do you have any ideas on how to save Waterbridge Sports Club?

Well, Im not sure, began Mrs Flowers who was clearly nervous talking to the committee for the first time, but I have a suggestion.

The President and the eleven members of the committee looked at Madeline Flowers. She was in her forties and was still an attractive woman. She smiled at the committee members before continuing.

As many of you probably know, I have a small company here in Waterbridge, Bango Burgers Unlimited. I was wondering if it would be possible for Bango Burgers Unlimited to give some money to the Waterbridge Sports Club.

The President smiled at Mrs Flowers. That is most kind of you, Mrs Flowers. We are most grateful.

Some of you may know that I have a son, Peter. However, I dont think you know that I once had a daughter. Mrs Flowers reached into her handbag and pulled out a handkerchief. She blew her nose loudly before continuing. Pauline was fifteen when she died. The doctors said she was lucky to live so long. Shed had problems with her heart all her life. But that didnt stop her living life to the fullest.

The committee listened in complete silence.

Her first and only love was basketball. She played it every day. She watched videos of all her favourite teams. She even slept with a basketball in her arms! Mrs Flowers stopped speaking while she wiped a tear from her eye. I was hoping that I could sponsor the womens basketball team, the Waterbridge Wildcats, in memory of Pauline Flowers. Some kind of sponsorship.

Thats a very kind offer, Mrs Flowers. Im sure the Wildcats will be very happy with any amount of money your company could give.

Of course, Ill have to talk to the directors of the company. Ill have to ask them very nicely, but I was hoping that we could offer around twenty-five thousand pounds a year.

Twenty-five thousand pounds! repeated the President. Thats a lot of money. Are you sure...

Im sure that Pauline is watching us today. And Im sure that shes happy to see that Im supporting the sport that she loved so much.

Okay, girls, today I want to look at your defence. Its not bad, but I think it could be better.

Alice Brooks, coach of the Waterbridge Wildcats, took a basketball and walked onto the court. The players sat on the benches at the side. Okay, Jenny, try to score. Ill try to stop you.

Alice threw the ball to Jenny Hill. Jenny bounced the ball in front of her and moved slowly towards her coach. Alice put out both hands to stop Jenny moving past. Jenny continued to bounce the ball in front of her, waiting for the right moment. Suddenly she ran to the right, jumped, and threw the ball right through the basket.