English for Toady

Reading Really Helps

নবম-দশম শ্রেণি (মাধ্যমিক) - English for Toady - Unit Two: Pastimes | NCTB BOOK

A. Read the conversation and tell what Anusha is going to read.
Anusha : Tiya, hope you enjoyed the article on yoga.
Tiya : Yes, it's great. By the way, Anusha, how did you enjoy London Olympics as a sports lover?
Anusha : People rightly say that it is the greatest show on earth. I'm still thrilled to remember what Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt have shown. Amazing!
Tiya : Right you are. They are incredible. However, I've got an interesting article on the Internet on Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt. You might like it and take part in the debate on who  is better between these two greats. Please read it.

Anusha : Ahh... Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt! Thank you Tiya! I would love to read it.

 

B. Read the text published in a newspaper in 2012, and answer the questions that follow.

Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt are great, but who's better?
With the curtains closing on the 2012 London Olympics, it's impossible not to look back and reflect on the greatest performances by Olympic athletes. The Olympics have many memorable moments and athletes we'll remember by name alone. The list is quite big. Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt are the latest addition to this list of the bests. They made London Olympics stand apart. If there is any question like this: "What is the standout performance of London 2012?", perhaps the answer is "The London Games gave us Michael Phelps vs. Usain Bolt." The first one is an already decorated Olympian, who put the finishing touches on his great athletic careers. And another came up with a new definition of fast. Two of the most popular Olympic sports, sprinting and swimming, saw their two biggest stars captivating audiences. They'd also domi- nated the 2008 Beijing Games, but Phelps and Bolt cemented their legacies in London. Phelps, the American swimmer, passed gymnast Larissa Latynia for the most Olympic medals ever. Bolt was the third man to repeat as a 100-meter gold medalist and the first as a 200-meter gold medalist, and he broke his own Olym- pic record by running the 100 meter in 9.63 seconds. Once Phelps and Bolt were back in their pool and track, the story lines changed.

Phelps is the most-decorated Olympian ever, with 22 overall medals: 18 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze. Bolt is the most accomplished Olympic sprinter, with the unprecedented double, making clear that he's the fastest man in the world.

But there's a debate: Who had the better Olympics? It'd be tough to top Phelps' eight gold medals in Beijing, but what if we're only talking London?
London was Phelps' grand finale. He won four golds and two silvers in seven events, and he says he'll never race again.
London was Bolt's chance to prove he's still the greatest. Bolt won six gold medals in six Olympic finals. He is the first man ever in the history of the modern Games to sweep the 100 and 200 in back-to-back Olympics. Not to mention the addition of back-to-back relay golds.

And Bolt became a legend, in his own words. Phelps already was. Bolt is just 25 years old, so there is no telling how long he can be on top of the sprinting world. What if he decides to "retire" from sprinting to focus on the 400 meters, just to break another world record or two? It would be amazing and entirely possible for him to accomplish.
Who had the better 2012 Games? You tell us, let the debate begin.

 

Questions:
1 What makes London Olympic 2012 exceptionally sensational?
2 How are Phelps and Bolt brilliantly similar and different?
3 Between these two Olympians who has bagged the highest honour within the same time frame?
4 What is special in Bolt so far? 5 How does Bolt evaluate himself?

C. Make two flow charts on Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt. The first two are done for you..........(চার্ট আছে......)

 

D. Read the following text and complete the blank spaces with the appropriate words from the box below.

answer         sprinter       Olympians       speed      Olympics       swimmer       debate legends         retired         prove           histories          biggest

 

These are the stories of two most successful Olympians of history. While one is famous as the fastest........... the other is celebrated as the fastest ................of the world. However, both are unparalleled for their ........... in their own field. They made history in the Beijing.............. They have made newer.................. in the London Olympics too. They are the living....................now.  Though Phelps has ........... from his race, Bolt has prospects to ...... ....... himself in the next Olympic as well. After the............... show on earth is over in London, this................... will go on — who is better. Only time will .........  this question.

 

E. Work in pairs. Decide who is better between these two champions. Give reasons in favour of your decisions.

 

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