Whistle in Hand

C1 Advanced · Open Cloze · Cambridge Ready original exercise

For questions 1–8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning.

Every weekend, thousands of people give up their free time to referee amateur matches. Without them, grassroots sport would grind to a halt, yet they are rarely thanked (0) ___ their efforts. (1) ___ the contrary, they are routinely shouted at, and sometimes even threatened, by players, coaches and spectators alike. It is hardly surprising, then, that many leagues are struggling to recruit enough officials. Asked why they quit, many former referees say that the abuse was (2) ___ drove them away, rather than the long hours or the modest fees. Some leagues have responded (3) ___ making team captains take responsibility (4) ___ the behaviour of their players, and by banning spectators who repeatedly step (5) ___ of line. But rules can only do so (6) ___ . Real change will come only when players and fans accept that referees, (7) ___ everyone else, are bound to make the occasional mistake, and that without them, no match could take (8) ___ at all.

Whistle in Hand

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