Coming second: pleasure or pain?

Are you ready?

• Yes!

• Sure!

• I am!

Coming second: pleasure or pain?

Every ambitious athlete hopes to ... their dream of winning a gold medal at the Olympics.

• complete

• finish

• fulful

• succeed

Answer explanation

to fill - plnit

to fulfil a dream - splnit si sen

However, not everyone can win, and often talanted athletes must accept second place.

A teams of psychologists recently ... some research on the emotional responses of those finishing second.

• controlled

• conducted

• directed

• guided

Answer explanation

to conduct research - provést výzkum

For certain individual, a silver medal may ... their expectations and so naturally they will be delighted.

• exceed

• overtake

• pass

• overcome

Answer explanation

to exceed expectations - překonat očekávání

They may also enjoy surprising experts and journalists who believed they had absolutely no ... of achieving anything.

• outlook

• view

• estimate

• prospect

Answer explanation

a prospect - vyhlídka, šance

In ..., the athlete who everyone assumed would win with ease, but then suffers a narrow defeat, may not celebrate their silver medal.

• opposition

• contrast

• opposition

• distinction

Answer explanation

in contrast - na rozdíl od toho

This reaction differs sharply from the athlete who comes second but finished a long way behind the winner.

There is a ... in the research that shows such a person will feel significantly happier.

• habit

• trend

• custom

• tendency

To a certain ..., these findings are not surprising.

• extent

• amount

• range

• level

Answer explanation

to a certain extent - do jisté míry

Silver medalists who were close to victory will almost certainly ... on what might have happened if they had trained harder, or done things differently.

• review

• wonder

• consider

• reflect

Answer explanation

to reflect on something - přemítat o něčem

What do you think?

Is coming second good or bad?

• I like to be FIRST,

  not second.

• It depends.

• It's OK to be second sometimes.