Critical Reading Tasks. Topic “Sport”. 7th Grade. Text “Surfing Superstar”

Critical Reading Tasks. Topic “Sport”. 7^th Grade.

Text “Surfing Superstar”

 

1.                   Make a list of some sports. Which sports do you think are dangerous / safe? Why?

 

 

 

 

Sport

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.                   Look at the title of the article and the photos. What do you think the article is about?

1.                 how to achieve success in sport
2.                  different kinds of dangerous sport
3.                  how dangerous sport can be and how it can change the life of a sportsman.

3.                   Look at the pictures and read the sentences. Underline what you think is true.

1.                   Bethany set off to go surfing / sailing with some friends.
2.                   It was a perfect / hot day for surfing on big waves near the shores of Kauai island.
3.                   While waiting for big waves, Bethany was attacked by a five-meter tiger shark / a big whale.
4.                   Bethany was good / bad at surfing.
5.                   Bethany was an outstanding teenage surfer / a world champion in surfing.
6.                   Bethany was planning to become a good surf trainer / professional.
7.                   Her friends saw / didn’t see the attack.
8.                   When friends saw what has happened, they rushed to help / screamed.
9.                   Ten weeks after the shark attack Bethany was competing again / gave up surfing.
10.               After the accident Bethany never went surfing / became a world champion.

 

Surfing superstar!

 

1  On the morning of 31 October 2003 Bethany Hamilton set off to go surfing with some friends in Hawaii. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the sun was shining and it was a perfect day for surfing on big waves near the shores of Kauai island.

2  The 13-year-old surfing star was lying on her surf board about 300 meters from the beach. She was waiting for the next big wave, and her arms were hanging in the clear, blue water. Suddenly a five-metre tiger shark sank its sharp teeth into her left arm. Bethany gripped her board with her other hand and battled for her life.  The attack happened so fast that Bethany didn’t even have time to scream.

3  At that time Bethany was an outstanding teenage surfer, and was planning to become professional. As soon as she was attacked, she started worrying about her future career and thought: ‘Will I lose my sponsors?’  Fortunately, her survival instinct took control and she slowly headed for the beach. Her friends didn’t see the attack, and as Bethany started swimming towards them, using only one arm, they thought at first that she was playing a joke on them. Then they saw her and rushed to help.

4  Ten weeks after the shark attack Bethany was competing again and less than a year after the accident she won the first place in a surfing competition in Hawaii. Before the accident professional surfers thought that Bethany was destined to be a women’s world champion. Very few of them changed their opinion.

 

4.                   Match the paragraphs with the headings. One heading is extra.

1.                 The Moment of the Attack
2.                  Ready to Surf
3.                  Bethany’s Suffering  after Accident
4.                 One Sunny Day
5.                  Bethany’s  Future

5.                   Using details from the story, complete the sentences below

1.                   When Bethany was going to surf

1.                    there were dangerous waves
2.                     the weather was cloudy
3.                     there were good conditions to surf

2.                   When the shark attacked

1.                    Bethany was standing on her board
2.                     Bethany was swimming
3.                     Bethany was going to surf soon

3.                   At that time Bethany was

1.                    a professional
2.                     a famous surfer
3.                     a teenagers’ world champion

4.                   After the attack, Bethany

1.                    started to think about her family
2.                     swam to the beach
3.                     became a professional surfer

5.                   After the accident

1.                    Bethany was thought to become a world champion
2.                     it took Bethany a lot of time to believe in herself
3.                     Bethany decided to stop surfing

 

6.                   Consult a dictionary. What do the underlined words mean?

1.                   Suddenly a five-metre tiger shark sank its sharp teeth into her left arm

1.                    to go under the surface of a soft object
2.                     to fall to a lower level
3.                     to cause something to fail

2.                   Fortunately, her survival instinct took control and she slowly headed for the beach.

A) to be in charge of a group

B) to move in the direction of a place

C) to be at the top of something

3. Bethany gripped her board with her other hand and battled for her life. 

A) to try hard to achieve something in a difficult situation

B) to fight

C) to argue

4. Before the accident professional surfers thought that Bethany was destined to be a women’s world champion.

A) certain to happen

B) controlled by fate

C) being sent to a particular place

 

7.  Skim the text to get a general idea then re-read using the questions below.

My text title:______________________________________

 

What does the title tell me about the text?

What is the writer’s main argument (what does the writer want me to believe)?

What does the language, tone and approach of the text tell me about the writer?

What words and ideas are valued in the text or represented by the author in a positive way? What are the opposites of these words and ideas?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keys

Surfing superstar!

 

Task 2

C

 

Task 3

1 surfing

2 perfect

3 tiger shark

4 good

5 an outstanding teenage surfer

6 professional

7 didn’t see

8 rushed to help

9 competing again

10 became a world champion.

 

Task 4

1 D

2 B

3 A

4

E 

 

Task 5

1 C

2 C

3 B

4 B

5 A

 

Task 6

1A

2 B

3 B

4 A