1: Literal meanings Fill in the following words in the definitions below: lap medal pace record straight hurdles baton 1. If you run round an athletic track once, you have completed one 2. Every athlete wants to win a gold 3. The 100 metres world is just over nine seconds. 4. In relay races, four runners compete. The first runner has to pass a to the second runner, who passes it to the third, and so on. 5. The final eighty metres of a race is called the home 6. If you run at the same speed all the time - not too fast and not too slow - you run at a steady 7. Some races have obstacles which you have to jump over, called
2: A major hurdle Complete the dialogues with the following words and expressions: a. working at a steady pace e. a major hurdle b. handed the baton f. marathon c. the home straight g. on the last lap d. deserve a medal h. on the starting blocks 1. Right, what's next? > Well, we need to get the Board of Directors to agree to the changes we want to make. That could be 2. This project is taking ages. We've already been on it for six weeks. > Yes, it's become quite a hasn't it? 3. We finished our department's annual report in only four days. > Four days! That's incredible. You for that. 4. Have you started the shareholders' report? > No. I'm afraid we're still 5. I think one more week and we should be finished, don't you? > Yes, I'd say we're now. 6. We'll never finish this project in time. > Yes, you will if you keep 7. If Ron's still ill, who's going to be in charge of organising the conference? > He's over to Jeff until he's well enough to return to work. 8. Is there much more to do on this database? I've had enough of it. > Don't worry. Only two hundred more addresses. We're on now. 28