Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. eventually
    • ex. I thought the baby was going to cry all night, but eventually, she stopped.
  2. get used to (something)
    • ex. It may be difficult in the beginning, but you’ll get used to speaking English at work.
  3. a departure
    • ex. Everyone was surprised by Martin’s departure from the band.
  4. defeat
    • ex. Pittsburgh defeated New York in the first game.
  5. a standing ovation
    • ex. The actress received a standing ovation for her performance.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Famous soccer player Lionel Messi has left Spanish soccer club FC Barcelona because of financial problems. Under new rules set by Spanish soccer league La Liga, Spanish soccer clubs have to limit the money they spend, including the amount spent on players’ salaries. To stay with FC Barcelona, Messi even agreed to a 50% salary cut, but he was still too expensive.

Messi said that leaving FC Barcelona was the most difficult moment of his career. He had been part of the soccer club since 2000 and played in almost 800 games for them. While the star player is sad about leaving, he believes that the club will survive without him and that people will eventually get used to his departure. Messi said he still hopes to return to FC Barcelona in the future.

Currently, Messi is playing for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), a French soccer club. His first game with the team was in August. PSG defeated Reims, another French soccer club, with a final score of 2-0. Messi received a standing ovation from the crowd when he ran onto the field.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Athletes' Salaries

  • Do you think it's okay for athletes to be paid millions of dollars a year? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Messi agreed to cut his salary by 50%, but it was still too expensive for FC Barcelona. Imagine that you're Messi. What will you do next (ex. offer to cut your salary by 75%, change teams)? Why? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, should all players on a team get the same salary? Why or why not? Discuss.

Messi’s Departure

  • Do you think Messi's departure from FC Barcelona will have a big impact on the team? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Messi believes that people will eventually get used to his departure. Do you think it's easy for fans to accept the departures of star athletes? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Messi said he still hopes to return to FC Barcelona in the future. Do you think he will? Why or why not? Discuss.