Listen&Learn: Serena Williams
Posted by: Jaksyn PeacockPre-listening vocabulary
- train: to teach someone how to do something
- professional: done as a career
- tournament: an event where athletes compete against each other
- doubles: a category of tennis that is played with two teams of two
- victor: the winner of something
- rank: to organize people by their accomplishments
Listening activity
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Gapfill exercise
Comprehension questions
- Williams was trained by
a. her sister
b. her brother
c. her father - In 2000, Serena and Venus
a. began playing professionally
b. played against each other in the finals of a tournament
c. won their first Olympic gold medals - After winning against her sister in 2002, Williams
a. took a break from tournaments
b. became the highest ranking women’s tennis player
c. decided to focus on doubles instead of singles
See answers below
Discussion/essay questions
- Do you enjoy watching sports? Why or why not?
- The main purpose of many sports is competition. Why is competition important? Are there downsides to being competitive?
Transcript
Serena Williams is an American tennis player. She was born in 1981 in Saginaw, Michigan. Serena’s father, Richard Williams, trained both her and her sister Venus to play, beginning their lessons when they were only 3 years old. At age 14, Serena Williams began to play tennis professionally. She won the U.S. Open tournament four years later. In 2000, Williams teamed up with her sister for the Olympic Games, and the two won their first gold medals in the doubles category. They later played against each other in the finals of three major tournaments in 2002. Serena came out the victor in all three. That year, she became the highest ranking women’s tennis player in the world. Throughout her career, Williams has won 23 major singles titles and 16 major doubles titles.
Answers to comprehension questions
1c 2c 3b
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6 comments
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Chavanke vidya says:
Good
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English Club Indonesia says:
I love watching sports, especially football. My favorite player is Lionel Messi. There are many competitions in football, and these competitions aim to find the best team in each season. Players who can’t keep up with their team usually get sold to another team, and their contracts will not be extended
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