Read and mark the statements True, False or Not stated. 
The Skier
Afel was only a very small boy when he first saw snow. But it wasn’t real snow that he saw. No, there was no real snow where he lived. He saw the snow in a picture book. His mother tried to explain to him what snow was, but Afel didn’t really understand. It didn’t matter. Even when he was only a very small boy, Afel was already in love with snow.
He dreamed about snow all the time. He thought of big white fields. He thought about feeling cold. He dreamed of being able to fly across the white fields of snow.
Then, when Afel was twelve years old, another thing happened. One day he was watching TV at his uncle’s house. Afel was watching one of the satellite channels, and the programme was full of snow. There were people flying across the snow. They had hats which covered all their heads and big goggles over their eyes. They wore brightly-coloured clothes. And on their feet, they had things that looked like strange shoes.
Lots of questions came into Afel’s head. His uncle explained to him that the people were skiers and the programme was “The Winter Olympics''. That was like the normal Olympics, but for sports where you need snow – skiing, ice -skating, bobsleigh. Afel also learnt that The Winter Olympics took place every four years.
“Perfect,” he thought. “Enough time for me to become a brilliant skier. Then I’ll go to the Winter Olympics, and win the gold medal for skiing.”
People told him that there was no snow there. Afel didn’t care. He made himself a pair of skis from two pieces of wood. He tied them to his feet and practised skiing holding two sticks in his hand. At first he couldn’t move, but he practised a lot until he could move quickly across the sand or the earth.
Why don’t you do up athletics instead?” people asked him. “You don’t need lots of expensive equipment to practise. Our country is very good at athletics. We have lots of runners. And every time we win lots of medals at the Olympics”. Afel didn’t care. He was sure that their country could have a skier.
So every night, out in the middle of the desert, Afel now practises skiing down sand dunes.

• Группы
  • True
  • False
  • Not stated
• Варианты
  • Afel didn’t really understand what snow was.
  • Afel’s mum was really worried about her son.
  • To practise athletics you don’t need a lot of expensive equipment.
  • Afel was three years old when he first saw snow.
  • Afel saw “The Winter Olympics programme” at his grandparents' house.
  • Afel wanted to become a skier and win a gold medal.
  • The boy went to the shop and bought a pair of skis.