NEB Grade XII Compulsory English Note | Language Development | Unit- 3 Euro 2020 | News

Unit: 3

Euro 2020

Key points from the text:

- Italy won the European Championship for the second time by beating England 3-2 on penalties.

- The match finished 1-1 after extra time at Wembley Stadium.

- Italy's victory came after England's third straight failure from the penalty spot in the shootout.

- Italy's goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, made crucial saves and was named player of the tournament.

- Italy's win marks a redemption story for Italian soccer, as they failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018.

- England experienced heartbreak in shootouts once again, adding to their history of penalty defeats in major tournaments.

- Luke Shaw scored the fastest goal in a European Championship final for England.

- Italy dominated possession throughout the game, while England resorted to a defensive strategy.

- The victory brings joy to Italian fans and marks the resurgence of the national team under coach Roberto Mancini.

- The trophy is headed to Rome, and Italian fans around the world are celebrating the victory.

Pronunciation

/aɪ/

fine, shine, why, height, bright, might, five, sight, white, by

/eɪ/

rein, rail, sleigh, snail, break, fake, freight, eight, game, claim, friend, gait, hail, frame

Comprehension

A. True or False or Not Given

a. England ....... 1996 World Cup Football.

... Answer:
False

b. Italy ....... trophy in the Euro Cup 2020.

... Answer:
False

c. The English team ....... International Football than Italy.

... Answer:
False

d. According to the captain of the English team,....... has lasting effects.

... Answer:
False

e. The Italian team ....... in their home ground.

... Answer:
False

f. The goalkeeper of the Italian team ....... the best than any other players in the match.

... Answer:
True

B. Answer the following questions.

a. Why does the reporter ....... heal its half-century long pain?

... Answer:
The reporter says that England is waiting to heal its half-century long pain because the English team has not won a major international trophy since the 1966 World Cup.

b. How did the Italian players react ....... became the champions?

... Answer:
The Italian players reacted with jubilation and relief as soon as they became the champions. They ran onto the field and mobbed their goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, who had saved the decisive penalty kick.

c. Why did ....... cry?

... Answer:
Saka and Sancho cried because they had both missed their penalty kicks in the shootout.

d. Penalty shoot-out ....... the English team. Why?

... Answer:
Penalty shoot-outs have long been a bitter experience for the English team because they have a history of losing in them. They have lost in six penalty shoot-outs at major tournaments, including the Euro 2020 final.

e. State ....... Roberto Mancini to the Italian football.

... Answer:
Roberto Mancini's contribution to Italian football includes leading the team on a national-record 34-match unbeaten run and guiding them to win the European Championship in 2020.

f. How does the Euro Cup final 2020 remind ........ the 2018 World Cup semifinals? How?

... Answer:
The Euro Cup final 2020 reminded the audience of the 2018 World Cup semifinals because both matches saw England taking an early lead but eventually losing the match. In both instances, England's opponent managed to level the score and eventually secure the victory, leaving England to face disappointment.

Critical thinking

a. "Every match is a new opportunity. Put its failure behind and start over again." Does this apply to ............ in the European Championship in these four years?

The Italian football is one of the most successful national teams in the history of football. They have won the four world cup titles and two European Championships. It was less than four years ago that the team plunged to the lowest moment of their soccer history as they failed to qualify for the World Cup 2018 for the first time in six decades.

Now, the Italian football team is the best team in Europe. Roberto Mancini is their head coach. He has guided the team to win their second European Championship. The team has set a new world record after breaking the 36-match unbeaten. They prove that every match is a new opportunity as one can put its failure behind and start over again.

b. When a team plays in a home ground, it gets a huge support from the audience in the stadium ........ to win and thus lose? What do you think?

In most team sports, a team playing in a home ground is considered to have a significant benefit over a visiting team. Many studies have shown that home ground matches support the teams to win the match. Taking home ground advantage into consideration, many important games have special rules for determining what match is played where.

Physical environment and crowd involvement are the factors, attributing to home advantage. The home ground benefit takes in players’ comfort with their physical environment. They are more easily able to maintain their practice and rest in comparison to the visiting teams. Familiarity with the physical characteristics of the competition venue could provide a competitive advantage to home performers.

Home audiences can have influence on the home ground advantage in several ways. They may encourage performers to invest extra effort to reward the audience for their support. In sports like football, home audiences collectively raise their noise levels to interrupt the on-field communications of the visiting team. The emotional strength of home audiences also seems to influence decisions made by referees.

Writing

News story

Argentina beat Brazil to win Copa America

by Reuters

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 10

Argentina beat Brazil in Saturday’s Copa America final to secure the national team’s first title in 28 years at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Argentina’s win was a victory for Lionel Messi, who picked up his first medal in a blue and white shirt. Angel Di Maria’s goal gave them a 1-0 win over the bitter rival and a record-equaling 15th Copa America.

Brazil piled on the pressure and were more aggressive in the second half, but could not get an equalizer. Even with five strikers on the field they couldn’t break down an Argentine defence.

When the final whistle was blown, the Argentine players surrounded their captain.

Grammar

Determiners and Quantifiers

B. Much, Many, Few or Little

a. He is an introvert. He has got very few friends.

b. I am busy in preparing my examinations. I have very little time to give to you.

c. The entire winter season was dry this year. We had little rain.

d. Our town has almost been modernized. There are few old buildings left.

e. You can come today. I haven’t got much to do.

f. The party was crowded. There were too many people.

g. How many photographs did you take while you were in Switzerland?

h. There was littletraffic so I came in time.

i. Can I borrow few books from you?

j. Mohan can’t be a good teacher. He has little patience.

C. Each or Every

a. The party split into three factions, each faction headed by a former prime minister.

b. Leap years occur every four years.

c. Every parent worries about their children.

d. We had a great time in Singapore. We enjoyed every minute of our time.

e. I could catch the main idea of his speech but I didn’t understand each of his words.

f. In Nepal, every motorcycle rider should wear a helmet.

g. You must read each of these books for the exam.

D. all of, most of, none of, both of or some of

a. Your garden is superb. All of the flowers are beautiful.

b. Do you know Bharat and Kamal? Of course, I do both of them are my friends.

c. I bought a box of apples thinking it would be cheaper but I was mistaken. Most of them were rotten.

d. When I was in the town, I asked some people for direction but none of them were able to help me. I had to call my friend.

e. We all were soaked in the rain because none of us had carried an umbrella.

f. My father is healthy in his seventies but he feels isolated because all of his friends are dead now.

g. All of the tourists are not Chinese. Some of them are Korean too.

E. Choose the best word from the brackets to complete the sentences.

a. Give me the money I owe you. (which/the/a/an)

b. I want a boat which would take me to the island. (the/an/those/a)

c. Could you pour me some water, please? (many/few/these/some)

d. Only a few employees know how important the project was. (a few/a little/little/few)

e. He was looking for an umbrella. (an/a/those/these)

f. A large amount of water was evaporated due to excessive heat. (A large number of/ A lot of/ A large amount of/Many)