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Lucas is new in town and wants to make some new friends.

The Beautiful Game

The Beautiful Game

This story is about Lucas and his friends. Lucas lives in a city in Brazil in an area called Morro Verde (Green Hill). He has just moved there and doesn't have any friends yet. In this story, Lucas wants to put a football team together, but Rafael wants to stop him.
 
The story starts in the middle of the afternoon. Lucas is 15 years old and is new to the area. He is in the community centre. He is alone, looking at a poster on the wall. The centre is holding a five-a-side football tournament. He wants to join in but he doesn’t know anyone at the centre.   A youth worker and coach called Orlando sees him and encourages him to ask people. He says that lots of people want to join in with the competition, but they are shy to ask. Lucas and the coach look around and the coach suggests people he could ask - the coach describes 4 or five people, including Bruno (though Orlando doesn’t think Bruno is very good at football, but would be a good team player).
 

Vocabulary

Match the words from the comic with the descriptions.
Vocabulary match up
Rafael is 17 years old and is very confident. He wears a football shirt and looks quite sporty. He has a friend called Davi who agrees with everything he says.  Lucas asks Rafael if he wants to join the team. Rafael laughs and is rude to Lucas. He tells Lucas that he already has a team and that his team is going to win the competition (Davi agrees). He tells Lucas that he is looking forward to meeting Lucas in the competition so he can beat him.  Lucas is determined to put together a team that can beat Rafael’s team.
 
Filipe is 16 years old. He is tall and thin. He is a bit shy but looks like he could be a good player. He is talking to Bruno. Bruno is short and quite sickly looking (the coach did not think he would be a good player).  Lucas asks Filipe if he is playing in the tournament. Filipe says he’s not but thinks it would be fun. Lucas asks him if he wants to join a team. Filipe agrees. Bruno asks if he could join in. Lucas says he is sorry, but he really wants to beat another team and he needs people who are good at football.  Bruno is sad.
 

Grammar

In this activity, put the words and phrases in the gaps to complete sentences with 'going to'.
Use 'going to' to talk about the future.

We use the phrase '(be) + going to' to talk about future plans.

For example: John: 'What are you going to do this weekend?'

                      Sally: 'I'm going to watch the match on TV'.

Can you think of 5 things that you plan to do this weekend?

I'm going to...........

 
Julia and Clara are keen footballers. They live in the local community and come into the centre for the football coaching sessions.  Juilia and Clara are playing with a football. Rafael sees them and tells them that football is not for girls - girls are rubbish at sports and shouldn’t play. The girls laugh and tell Rafael that they have seen him play at the coaching sessions and that they are better than him. They both laugh. Lucas overhears this and asks them if they want to join him and Filipe to play in the competition.  Rafael is angry and tells them that they are going to lose - Davi agrees. The four teammates laugh.
 
Rafael tells the new team that they need 5 players and that they only have four - they shouldn’t be so confident.  The coach makes an announcement. The team sheets for the 5-a-side tournament need to be submitted before the end of the day.
 

Can or Can't?

In this activity, look at the different actions and decide if you can or can't do these things on the football pitch?
What can you do on a football pitch?

We use the modal verb can to talk about a person's ability. The modal verb is followed by the infinitive form of a verb. The negative form is can't

For example: Sally: 'Can you play the piano?'

                      John: 'No, I can't, but I can play the guitar.'

                      Can you play a musical instrument?

Rafael goes around the centre threatening people not to join Lucas’s team. Everyone seems a little frightened of Rafael and agrees not to join Lucas.  Lucas approaches lots of people and they all say no.  Lucas starts getting upset and despairing of finding a fifth player.  Rafael taunts Lucas saying: “How are you going to win if you can’t even play?”
 
Julia and Clara try to reassure Lucas. They talk about why they like football - why they play. Why they are fans.  Winning isn’t important - the most important thing is how it brings people together. They say that even if they don’t enter the competition, they can train together.  Filipe suggests asking Bruno.  Lucas is frustrated: ‘But we need to have people that are good at football!’  Julia replied: ‘No, we need a team!’
 
Rafael confronts Lucas: ‘Have you got a team yet?’  Lucas ignores him and approaches Bruno. Lucas apologises and asks if he will join the team. Bruno asks if he can help plan the team tactics. Lucas agrees and looks intrigued by the newest team member. Rafael is furious and Davi looks confused. In contrast to the opening image, Lucas now has a team; he has friends.
 
 

Quiz

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Comment

What do you think?

At the beginning of the comic, Lucas was the new boy at the youth centre. Now, he's a member of Morro Verde FC.
How do you think Lucas feels now?
Bruno was rejected at first. How do you think he felt? How do you think he feels now?
Tell us your answers in the comments section below.

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Comments

AleksandarR
11/12/2015
ME
518
points

Well, he felt sad, but now he is happy that they are friends


AleksandarR
11/12/2015 22:04
Montenegro
Manchester United
518

Well, he felt sad, but now he is happy that they are friends

AleksandarR
11/12/2015
ME
518
points

He must be very happy.


AleksandarR
11/12/2015 22:03
Montenegro
Manchester United
518

He must be very happy.

MUGEMANYI's picture
MUGEMANYI
15/11/2015
RW
2320
points

Lucas feels happy


MUGEMANYI's picture
MUGEMANYI
15/11/2015 20:28
Rwanda
Arsenal
2320

Lucas feels happy

Natka
08/11/2015
RU
279
points

I have agree with comments below and I personally think that new team is smarter and wiser than its opponents. They know that the secret of the game is to can play but not to win. The team spirit is the most important of cause!!!


Natka
08/11/2015 09:17
Russia
Chelsea
279

I have agree with comments below and I personally think that new team is smarter and wiser than its opponents. They know that the secret of the game is to can play but not to win. The team spirit is the most important of cause!!!

Polupoker
09/10/2015
BY
20
points

It's nice story and good example for many people that team spirit is most important than individual skills.


Polupoker
09/10/2015 07:34
Belarus
Liverpool
20

It's nice story and good example for many people that team spirit is most important than individual skills.

Salloum's picture
Salloum
01/10/2015
SY
1308
points

Lucas feels better now cause he has a good team and I thunk he is going to beat Rafa's team


Salloum's picture
Salloum
01/10/2015 00:36
Syria
Manchester United
1308

Lucas feels better now cause he has a good team and I thunk he is going to beat Rafa's team

Lambert
01/09/2015
CN
0
points

Lucas feel very happy and he is very proud of his team now.
Bruno must feel surprised. But he must have a bit sad because of being rejected at first.


Lambert
01/09/2015 23:48
China
Arsenal
0

Lucas feel very happy and he is very proud of his team now.
Bruno must feel surprised. But he must have a bit sad because of being rejected at first.

aalsaleh90
01/09/2015
SA
0
points

I think lucas is very happy
I think Bruno felt sad and no one want's him


aalsaleh90
01/09/2015 21:22
Saudi Arabia
Arsenal
0

I think lucas is very happy
I think Bruno felt sad and no one want's him

cynthia
01/09/2015
CN
0
points

In my opinion, I think the Lucas feels great , and he has confident to win the game. Because he has the new friends and enough team player.
I think he felt upset at the first. But he feels happy at now.


cynthia
01/09/2015 20:25
China
Chelsea
0

In my opinion, I think the Lucas feels great , and he has confident to win the game. Because he has the new friends and enough team player.
I think he felt upset at the first. But he feels happy at now.

ahmed4archi
07/08/2015
DZ
0
points

Now Lucas feels so happy
at first bruno felt sad.but now he feels so happy


ahmed4archi
07/08/2015 19:36
Algeria
Chelsea
0

Now Lucas feels so happy
at first bruno felt sad.but now he feels so happy

Rema's picture
Rema
31/07/2015
RS
538
points

You're welcome Jack. Thank you for giving me extra points.


Rema's picture
Rema
31/07/2015 10:03
Serbia
West Ham United
538

You're welcome Jack. Thank you for giving me extra points.

Rema's picture
Rema
27/07/2015
RS
538
points

I can't find that's name of Lukas team's is Morro Verde FC in the text above .


Rema's picture
Rema
27/07/2015 18:43
Serbia
West Ham United
538

I can't find that's name of Lukas team's is Morro Verde FC in the text above .

admin's picture
admin
28/07/2015
GB
560
points

Hi Rema - I think you're right. It's not clear from the text what the name of the club is. I'll change the questions and give you 25 bonus points for finding the mistake! Thanks


admin's picture
admin
28/07/2015 09:56
United Kingdom
Arsenal
560

Hi Rema - I think you're right. It's not clear from the text what the name of the club is. I'll change the questions and give you 25 bonus points for finding the mistake! Thanks

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Goals

Reading: Read about Lucas and his friends

Vocabulary: Adjectives to describe people

Grammar: Practise using 'can' and 'can't' for ability

Grammar: Practise using 'going to' for future plans