The angry fan

this happened in australia, during a water-polo game that was one of the main sports events of the season. there was nothing ex­citing at the beginning of the game; but suddenly one of the players jumped out of the water and ran to the referee. he said that one of the forwards of the other team had bitten him in the leg while he was swimming under the water.

at first the referee thought that it was some kind of a joke, but when the player pointed to blood on his leg, he had to believe that it was serious. he called the forward and asked him why he had done such a strange thing; and though the forward insisted that he had not bitten anybody, the referee made him leave the game.

they began again, but a few minutes later, two players, one from each team, climbed out of the water, shouting that somebody had bitten them. there was blood on both players’ legs. the game was stopped, and they began to let the water out of the pool. when almost all the water was let out, everybody saw a young crocodile at the bottom of the pool. somebody had put the crocodile into the pool, but why? the truth became known when the players returned to their dressing room after the game and found a letter there.

“i have been a water-polo fan for many years”, the author of the letter wrote, “and i am not satisfied with the way the players seem to act. they have allowed the game to become slow and uninteresting, and i have decided that i must do something to make them move faster. i don’t think i can do this well myself, and i have decided that my crocodile will do it better”.





put “+” next to the true sentences and “-” next to the false ones.
water-polo is very popular in australia.
the players were very excited at the beginning of the game.
one of the players was bitten in the leg.
d) it was a joke.
e) there was a crocodile at the bottom.
f) the crocodile was put in the pool in order to kill the best
player of the opposite team.



choose the correct answer.
how many water-polo players were bitten by the crocodile?
one
two
three


how was the crocodile found?
the water was let out of the pool
the players put the net into the pool
the water was let into the pool


who put the crocodile into the swimming pool?
the referee
the player
the water polo fan


what did he do it for?
to play a joke
to make them move faster
to frighten them


when did they know the truth?
in the afternoon
when they returned to their dressing room
when they returned to the living room


who could make them move faster?
a coach
a shark
a crocodile


iii. fill in the suitable words

at fast the thought that it was some kind of a joke? but when the player pointed to on his leg? he had to that it was serious. he called the and asked him why he had done such a strange thing; and though the forward insisted that he had not anybody, the referee made him the game.



leave d) referee
forward e) believe
bitten f) blood