What’s the best advice your father ever gave you? – B2 English Reading Test

Which person’s father …

1   always had faith in his son’s abilities?

2   encouraged his son not to give up in the face of disappointment?

3   gave his son advice in a light-hearted way?

4   made his son realise the need to try harder?

5   may not have succeeded in passing on certain ideas to his son?

6   never blamed his son for mistakes that he made?

7   put no pressure on his son to follow in his footsteps?

8   reassured his son when equipment let him down?

9   showed his son how to perform practical tasks?

10   was willing to listen to his son’s suggestions?

What’s the best advice your father ever gave you?

We asked four successful young men.

A   Tony: Racing driver

‘Drive it like you stole it and keep it on the black stuff!’ I was quite nervous when I first started racing, but those were my dad’s jokey words of wisdom and they made me feel better at the time. In the beginning, I had quite a few spins on the circuits – the very first one was particularly scary because the car left the track, but he never said it was my fault. I used to drive a Porsche 924 and pretty much every single race something would break, but Dad would just say: ‘Don’t worry about the car, we can always fix it.’ I didn’t like people behind me when I went round corners, but Dad was always telling me not to take any notice, to focus on what I was doing. I’ve got a long way to go, but Dad’s really good – he’s hardly the most polite person to have around if things don’t go well, but he’s my role model.

B   David: Record producer

Because Dad and I have always been close, there was no one moment when he imparted some big philosophical piece of advice. I think his greatest gift has been his general unwavering belief in me. Since I was about fourteen, he’s given me the opportunity to input ideas and have my say about the bands we work with or the equipment we use, which is amazing. When you’re part of a family business, it can sometimes feel as if you have to be there, but my brother and I have done other things, and we’re back with Dad again because we want to be. He left the decision to us. Dad’s also been good at giving career advice because he’s done it and he’s got the experience. He’s given me that drive and ambition to succeed.

C   Andy: Buyer for a department store

I was probably Dad’s most unruly son. He tried to teach me a lot of things – how much I’ve taken on board is another matter. But I don’t think I’m such a disappointment to him! He’s a very cool dad, but he’s quite traditional in some ways. He’s always said that if you want to succeed, then get on with it. If you’re going to do something, do it right away or at least write it down so you don’t forget! I’m proud of my dad and how hard he worked for us to have a lovely childhood and good lifestyle. Dad also taught me valuable skills like how to change the oil in my car, how to play tennis and ski – although the last time he saw me doing that he said he feared for his life!

D   Simon: Rugby player

He had this catchphrase: ‘Under-prepare, and you prepare to fail.’ I heard it time and again. A typical teenager when things went wrong, I was always trying to blame everything and everyone but myself. He used his catchphrase and explained that if you don’t put sufficient effort in, you’ll never get anything out of whatever it is you’re doing. That’s stayed with me ever since, even now when I’m playing professionally. He’s always given a fair amount of advice. He made me realise that if you just stick at something, no matter how hard things get, then your time will come. It’s the hardest thing to hear when things aren’t going well. At the beginning of the season, I wasn’t getting picked for many matches. Then when the chance came to play, I really took it.