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HOT DOG EATING CHAMPION RETAINS TITLE AFTER TIEBREAKER

Joey ChestnutFor the second year in a row, American competitive eater Joey Chestnut defeated his Japanese rival Takeru Kobayashi at the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York City, after a tie forced a five-hot-dog eat-off to be held.
After ten minutes of hot dog eating, two shorter than in previous years, Chestnut and Kobayashi were tied at 59 frankfurters. But after the rare tiebreaker, 24-year-old Chestnut emerged as the winner, claiming a $10,000 prize and a mustard-yellow belt. "It was crazy," he said. "I'm just a normal guy eating hot dogs on the Fourth. You can't overcomplicate it."
Kobayashi, whose loss last year shattered a six-year winning streak, said that a sore jaw and a tooth problem may have altered his performance. "If I put one more mouthful in, I could have won", the 30-year-old Nagano native said through a translator. "I lost because I wasn't quick enough in the rematch."

This year, the 22 competitors were under a 10-minute time limit, unlike the 12 minutes used for previous contests. The reason for this, according to Nathan's, was the discovery of a document from 1916, which revealed that the original competition was 10 minutes long.
Thousands gathered at Coney Island to watch the annual event, which has become one of the more colorful traditions of America's Independence Day.

Who won the contest two years ago and in the five years before that?

Which of the two sentences below is the better or more likely?

BY THE WATER

I live in a house by the water. I sit by the water ach day. I take my bag with me. In it, I pack a book and a blanket. I also carry a chair and a basket of food. I walk down my back steps and sit in the same spot along the sand.
When I go out to the water in the morning, I am alone. I hear the water. I see the boats. I feel calm. It is the part of the day I like best.
Later, some children come to play by the water. It is afternoon. I hear them laughing. I see them play ball.
"Nestor, Nestor!" the children yell when they see me on the beach. I wave and smile. "Play ball with us, Nestor!" the children shout.
"No, thanks," I say. "I am too old to play ball. I walk with a cane and my hands are no longer good at catching." I try to read my book, but it is hard with all the noise.
I watch mothers and fathers fish along the shore. I am happy. I hear the water. I see the boats. I eat my lunch.
Later, the sky gets dark. I gather all of my things and go back to the house. I get in bed. I hear the water through my open window. The sound puts me to sleep.

Where does the narrator live?

LEARNING ENGLISH
Today, millions of people want to learn or improve their English but it is difficult to find the best method. Is it better to study in Britain or America or to study in your own country?
The advantages of going to Britain seem obvious. Firstly, you will be able to listen to the language all the time you are in the country. You will be surrounded completely by the language wherever you go. Another advantage is that you have to speak the language if you are with other people. In Italy, it is always possible, in the class, to speak Italian if you want to and the learning is slower.
On the other hand, there are also advantages to staying at home to study. You don't have to make big changes to your life. As well as this, it is also a lot cheaper than going to Britain but it is never possible to achieve the results of living in the UK. If you have a good teacher in Italy, I think you can learn in a more concentrated way than being in Britain without going to a school.
So, in conclusion, I think that if you have enough time and enough money, the best choice is to spend some time in the UK. This is simply not possible for most people, so being here in Italy is the only viable option. The most important thing to do in this situation is to maximise your opportunities: to speak only English in class and to try to use English whenever possible outside the class.

What is the article about?

LEARNING ENGLISH
Today, millions of people want to learn or improve their English but it is difficult to find the best method. Is it better to study in Britain or America or to study in your own country?
The advantages of going to Britain seem obvious. Firstly, you will be able to listen to the language all the time you are in the country. You will be surrounded completely by the language wherever you go. Another advantage is that you have to speak the language if you are with other people. In Italy, it is always possible, in the class, to speak Italian if you want to and the learning is slower.
On the other hand, there are also advantages to staying at home to study. You don't have to make big changes to your life. As well as this, it is also a lot cheaper than going to Britain but it is never possible to achieve the results of living in the UK. If you have a good teacher in Italy, I think you can learn in a more concentrated way than being in Britain without going to a school.
So, in conclusion, I think that if you have enough time and enough money, the best choice is to spend some time in the UK. This is simply not possible for most people, so being here in Italy is the only viable option. The most important thing to do in this situation is to maximise your opportunities: to speak only English in class and to try to use English whenever possible outside the class.

What is one of the advantages of staying in your country to learn English?

LEARNING ENGLISH
Today, millions of people want to learn or improve their English but it is difficult to find the best method. Is it better to study in Britain or America or to study in your own country?
The advantages of going to Britain seem obvious. Firstly, you will be able to listen to the language all the time you are in the country. You will be surrounded completely by the language wherever you go. Another advantage is that you have to speak the language if you are with other people. In Italy, it is always possible, in the class, to speak Italian if you want to and the learning is slower.
On the other hand, there are also advantages to staying at home to study. You don't have to make big changes to your life. As well as this, it is also a lot cheaper than going to Britain but it is never possible to achieve the results of living in the UK. If you have a good teacher in Italy, I think you can learn in a more concentrated way than being in Britain without going to a school.
So, in conclusion, I think that if you have enough time and enough money, the best choice is to spend some time in the UK. This is simply not possible for most people, so being here in Italy is the only viable option. The most important thing to do in this situation is to maximise your opportunities: to speak only English in class and to try to use English whenever possible outside the class.

What is one of the advantages of going to the UK to learn English?

HOT DOG EATING CHAMPION RETAINS TITLE AFTER TIEBREAKER

Joey ChestnutFor the second year in a row, American competitive eater Joey Chestnut defeated his Japanese rival Takeru Kobayashi at the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York City, after a tie forced a five-hot-dog eat-off to be held.
After ten minutes of hot dog eating, two shorter than in previous years, Chestnut and Kobayashi were tied at 59 frankfurters. But after the rare tiebreaker, 24-year-old Chestnut emerged as the winner, claiming a $10,000 prize and a mustard-yellow belt. "It was crazy," he said. "I'm just a normal guy eating hot dogs on the Fourth. You can't overcomplicate it."
Kobayashi, whose loss last year shattered a six-year winning streak, said that a sore jaw and a tooth problem may have altered his performance. "If I put one more mouthful in, I could have won", the 30-year-old Nagano native said through a translator. "I lost because I wasn't quick enough in the rematch."

This year, the 22 competitors were under a 10-minute time limit, unlike the 12 minutes used for previous contests. The reason for this, according to Nathan's, was the discovery of a document from 1916, which revealed that the original competition was 10 minutes long.
Thousands gathered at Coney Island to watch the annual event, which has become one of the more colorful traditions of America's Independence Day.

Who won the contest last year?

BY THE WATER

I live in a house by the water. I sit by the water ach day. I take my bag with me. In it, I pack a book and a blanket. I also carry a chair and a basket of food. I walk down my back steps and sit in the same spot along the sand.
When I go out to the water in the morning, I am alone. I hear the water. I see the boats. I feel calm. It is the part of the day I like best.
Later, some children come to play by the water. It is afternoon. I hear them laughing. I see them play ball.
"Nestor, Nestor!" the children yell when they see me on the beach. I wave and smile. "Play ball with us, Nestor!" the children shout.
"No, thanks," I say. "I am too old to play ball. I walk with a cane and my hands are no longer good at catching." I try to read my book, but it is hard with all the noise.
I watch mothers and fathers fish along the shore. I am happy. I hear the water. I see the boats. I eat my lunch.
Later, the sky gets dark. I gather all of my things and go back to the house. I get in bed. I hear the water through my open window. The sound puts me to sleep.

Which of the following things does the narrator bring with him to the water?

I. food
II. a blanket
III. a fishing pole

PAST PERFECT

I was sure that I ___________ her before.

GRAMMAR

PRESENT PERFECT

Have you ever .......... to New York?