EnglishClub

Pre-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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:17 — 1.2MB)

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Gapfill exercise

Serena Williams is an American 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 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 up with her sister for the Olympic Games, and the two won their first gold medals in the doubles category. However, they later played against each other in the 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 , Williams has won 23 major singles titles and 16 major doubles titles.

Comprehension questions

1. Williams was trained by
   a. her sister
   b. her brother
   c. her father
   
2. 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
   
3. 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

1. Do you enjoy watching sports? Why or why not?
2. 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

Pre-listening vocabulary

• athletic: relating to sports
• honour: to show respect for someone or something
• ban: to declare that something is not allowed
• modern: new; in the present
• host: to provide the location for an event

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:20 — 1.2MB)

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Gapfill exercise

The Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece in 776 B.C. Every four years, the city of Olympia would hold athletic to honour Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. These competitions were to any men who wanted to participate. The ancient Greeks held the competitions until 393 A.D., when they were banned by a Roman emperor named Theodosius I. Over 1500 years later, a man named Pierre de Coubertin decided to a modern version of the Olympic Games. The first took place in Athens, Greece in 1896. After that, around the world began to take turns hosting the Olympics. Today, athletes from over 200 countries participate in the Olympics every two years.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20485″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Do you like to watch the Olympic Games? What are your favourite sports to watch?
2. Why do you think so many people around the world are interested in watching the Olympics?

Transcript

The Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece in 776 B.C. Every four years, the city of Olympia would hold athletic competitions to honour Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. These competitions were open to any men who wanted to participate. The ancient Greeks held the competitions until 393 A.D., when they were banned by a Roman emperor named Theodosius I. Over 1500 years later, a man named Pierre de Coubertin decided to organize a modern version of the Olympic Games. The first event took place in Athens, Greece in 1896. After that, cities around the world began to take turns hosting the Olympics. Today, athletes from over 200 countries participate in the Olympics every two years.