1. A blog.

Read the blog. What is it about?

By Andy Arnesen

Another year comes to an end – another year that will be remembered more for its villains than for its heroes. Once again, drugs scandals made some of the year's biggest sporting headlines. We're used to seeing athletes, cyclists and swimmers disqualified and disgraced, undoubtedly due to the greater number of tests carried out in their sports, but a never-ending list of other sports also came under suspicion this year.

You might say, "Does it really matter? Since everyone's taking some form of banned substance, the best man or woman still wins." I think it does. Taking performance-enhancing drugs results in serious health problems and leads to a greatly-reduced life expectancy. And the side effects are worse for young people, whose bodies are still growing. Because of the drugs problem in some sports, I'd persuade my child to take up another hobby if he showed promise as a cyclist, for example. The only solution is to create a DNA database for all sports, and to make athletes take drugs tests all year round. That way, the cheats would have no hiding place.

2. Check you understand.

Decide if the following statements are true or false, according to the blog.

3. Guessing words from context.

Read parts of the blog again. Click on the underlined words and choose the best definition for them.

Another year comes to an end – another year that will be remembered more for its villains than for its heroes. Once again, drugs scandals made some of the year's biggest sporting headlines. We're used to seeing athletes, cyclists and swimmers disqualified and disgraced, undoubtedly due to the greater number of tests carried out in their sports, but a never-ending list of other sports also came under suspicion this year.

You might say, "Does it really matter? Since everyone's taking some form of banned substance, the best man or woman still wins." I think it does. Taking performance-enhancing drugs results in serious health problems and leads to a greatly-reduced life expectancy.

The only solution is to create a DNA database for all sports, and to make athletes take drugs tests all year round. That way, the cheats would have no hiding place.

4. Other opinions.

Andy Arnesen's blog is very critical of sportspeople who use drugs. Make a note of any arguments you know that are used to defend sportspeople.

blog

Now read three comments on Andy Arnesen's blog and compare your notes with the opinions they express.

sportsnut

Isn't this crusade against drugs in sports a little hypocritical? It's obvious they should just be legalised. Smoking and drinking cause long-term health problems, too, but there would be an outcry if they were made illegal. Nobody forces athletes to take drugs. They know the risks and we should let them make their own decisions!

jordinho

Improving your performance with drugs is unfair, but it's not the only unfair advantage. Let's face it – athletes from wealthy countries win more because they have access to better facilities, better technology and better coaching than athletes from poorer countries. Why aren't these advantages banned, too?

sam235

Are the so-called cheats really villains, or are they victims? Surely the problem of doping is caused by the pressure on athletes to win. Today, only winning is important. Is it any surprise, then, that athletes will do whatever it takes to win? We won't get athletes to change their behaviour till we change ours!

5. Check you understand.

Look again at the blog comments from exercise 4. Who expresses these opinions?

6. Guessing words from context.

Read the comments again. Click on the underlined words and choose the best definition for them.

sportsnut

Isn't this crusade against drugs in sports a little hypocritical? It's obvious they should just be legalised. Smoking and drinking cause long-term health problems, too, but there would be an outcry if they were made illegal. Nobody forces athletes to take drugs. They know the risks and we should let them make their own decisions!

jordinho

Improving your performance with drugs is unfair, but it's not the only unfair advantage. Let's face it – athletes from wealthy countries win more because they have access to better facilities, better technology and better coaching than athletes from poorer countries. Why aren't these advantages banned, too?

sam235

Are the so-called cheats really villains, or are they victims? Surely the problem of doping is caused by the pressure on athletes to win. Today, only winning is important. Is it any surprise, then, that athletes will do whatever it takes to win? We won't get athletes to change their behaviour till we change ours!