a. should make the most of their one chance to gain fame and fortune.

b. will cope well because youths mature earlier nowadays.

c. will not be able to cope with the pressure of having to succeed so early in life.

d. have an excellent opportunity to become the breadwinners of their families.

2 Joao Ricardo Cozac, the president of a Brazilian sports psychology association, says for the youngsters to perform as well as they did when they signed the deals, they need to ...

a. be prepared emotionally.

b. keep up their physical training.

c. remain focused on winning.

d. make sure they have enough protein in their diets.

3 How many Brazilian players who left to play abroad returned to Brazil last year?

a. 100

b. 200

c. 500

d. 700

4 Experts say the youngsters have a better chance of succeeding if they ...

a. ensure that their training schedule does not get interrupted while they are abroad.

b. stay in Brazil as long as possible, near their families, friends and culture.

c. fully assimilate into the culture of the place they travel abroad to.

d. ensure they obtain as many sponsorship deals as possible.

Think about

1 What kind of emotional and psychological challenges do you think young football prodigies face when they pursue multimillion dollar deals overseas?

2 Do you think these young players should stay in Brazil until they turn 18?

3 What similarities and differences are there between the experiences of young footballers and young stars in the entertainment industry?

Vocabulary

1 Some Hollywood child stars have ended up _______ for their fame after becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol.

2 Excellent dancers and sports stars are known for their _______.

3 Child _____ can be extremely talented in fields such as art, maths, music and sport.

4 The many years of hard work and training _____ when the athlete won a medal at the last Olympic Games.

Answers:

Reading comprehension: 1. c, 2. a, 3. d, 4. b

Vocabulary: 1. paying a high price, 2. brilliant footwork, 3 prodigies, 4. paid off