UNIT 7: SPORTS
My name‿ is Nick,│ and‿ I have watched‿ every Olympic Games│ since‿ I was‿ a child. The opening ceremony is my favourite part,│ because four thousand‿ athletes from two hundred countries take part,│ an(d) for two hours nobody is‿ an‿ enemy.
The stories‿ are usually betterbe-der than the times. Two years‿ ago,│ a swimmer from my country won‿ a gol(d) medal‿ at the age‿ of seventeen‿ an(d) broke‿ a worl(d) record‿ in the same race. She had qualified with the eighth fastes(t) time. Four years│ before,│ she was training‿ in‿ a small town with one coach│ an(d) no swimming pool‿ of her‿ own.
Not‿ everything‿ is beautiful. Hos(t) cities spen(d) billions,│ an(d) some‿ of the buildings‿ are‿ empty afterwards. There‿ are‿ also doping cases‿ in‿ every Games,│ an(d) they damage the trust‿ of the spectators. However,│ I still watch. When‿ an‿ athlete from‿ a country with three medals beats‿ an‿ athlete from‿ a country with three hundred,│ sport‿ is the only thing‿ in the worl(d) that works like that.