Try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Yelena Isinbayeva. Click on the links above or see the activities below this article:
READ
Yelena Isinbayeva is the greatest female pole vaulter ever. She won the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Gold Medal and has twice been the IAAF’s Female Athlete of the Year. In 2005, she became the first woman to clear five metres and is the current world record holder. Isinbayeva is also an avid reader of Russian history and a collector of dolphins – both model and real.
Isinbayeva was born in Volgograd, Russia in 1982. From the age of five, she trained as a gymnast. However, she quit the sport when she was 15 because at 1.74 metres she was too tall. She loved competition and switched to pole vaulting. Her first big competition was the 1998 World Junior Championships, where she finished ten centimeters outside the medals.
Isinbayeva showed her true potential in 1999 at the World Youth Games in Poland. She cleared 4.10m to take her very first gold medal. She would improve by nearly one metre over the next decade. In 2000, she won gold again at the Youth Games and the European Junior Championships
In 2003, Yelena burst onto the world stage when she broke the world record, clearing 4.82m at a meeting in England. She built up an intense rivalry with her compatriot Svetlana Feofanova. Going into the 2004 Olympics, Feofanova was world record holder. Isinbayeva won gold and reclaimed the world record. She plans to compete until the World Championships in Moscow in 2013.
238 words
Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.
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SYNONYM MATCH
Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?
Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.
ever
a.
keen
2
current
b.
tournament
3.
avid
c.
in history
4.
quit
d.
changed
5.
switched
e.
present
6.
competition
f.
gave up
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.
potential
g.
get better
8.
placings
h.
competition
9.
improve
i.
standings
10.
burst
j.
intends
11
rivalry
k
capability
12
plans
l
exploded
PHRASE MATCH
Match the following phrases from the article:
1.
the greatest female
a.
very first gold medal
2
the first woman to clear
b.
was too tall
3.
an avid
c.
potential in 1999
4.
at 1.74 metres she
d.
five metres
5.
she finished ten centimeters
e.
with her compatriot
6.
Isinbayeva showed her true
f.
outside the medals
7.
She cleared 4.10m to take her
g.
compete
8.
She would improve
h.
pole vaulter ever
9.
She built up an intense rivalry
i.
reader of Russian history
10.
She plans to
j.
by nearly one metre
LISTENING GAP FILL
Yelena Isinbayeva _______________ female pole vaulter ever. She won the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Gold Medal and _______________ the IAAF’s Female Athlete of the Year. In 2005, she became the first woman _______________ metres and is the current world record holder. Isinbayeva is also an avid reader of Russian history and a collector of dolphins – _________________.
Isinbayeva was born in Volgograd, Russia in 1982. _______________ five, she _______________ gymnast. However, she quit the sport when she was 15 because at 1.74 metres _______________ tall. She loved competition and switched to pole vaulting. Her first big competition was the 1998 World Junior Championships, where she finished ten centimeters _________________.
Isinbayeva showed ________________ in 1999 at the World Youth Games in Poland. She cleared 4.10m to take her very first gold medal. She would _________________ one metre over the next decade. In 2000, she ________________ the Youth Games and the European Junior Championships
In 2003, Yelena __________________ stage when she broke the world record, clearing 4.82m at a meeting in England. She built _______________ rivalry with her compatriot Svetlana Feofanova. _________________ 2004 Olympics, Feofanova was world record holder. Isinbayeva won gold and reclaimed the world record. She _______________ compete until the World Championships in Moscow in 2013.
CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD
Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs of italics:
Yelena Isinbayeva is the greatest female pole / poll vaulter ever. She won the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Gold Medal and has twice had / been the IAAF’s Female Athlete of the Year. In 2005, she became the first woman to clean / clear five metres and is the current / currant world record holder. Isinbayeva is also an avid reader of Russian history and a collector of dolphins – both model and real.
Isinbayeva was born in Volgograd, Russia in 1982. From the age of five, she trained / training as a gymnast. However, she quite / quit the sport when she was 15 because at 1.74 metres she was too tall. She loved competition and switched to pole vaulter / vaulting. Her first big competition was the 1998 World Junior Championships, where she finished ten centimeters outside / out the medals.
Isinbayeva showed her true / truly potential in 1999 at the World Youth Games in Poland. She cleared 4.10m to take / taken her very first gold medal. She would improve / improvement by nearly one metre over the next decade. In 2000, she won gold again at / on the Youth Games and the European Junior Championships
In 2003, Yelena burst / bursting onto the world stage when she broke the world record, clearing 4.82m at a meets / meeting in England. She built up an intense rivalry / rival with her compatriot Svetlana Feofanova. Going into the 2004 Olympics, Feofanova was world record holder. Isinbayeva won gold and reclaimed the world record. She plans to compete by / until the World Championships in Moscow in 2013.
SPELLING
The underlined, jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly.
Paragraph 1
1.
the getretsa female pole vaulter ever
2.
the first woman to alcer five metres
3.
the trunrec world record holder
4.
a octoclrle of dolphins
Paragraph 2
5.
she adnriet as a gymnast
6.
she tqui the sport
7.
She loved competition and iedwthsc to pole vaulting
8.
she finished ten centimeters iueotsd the medals
Paragraph 3
9.
Isinbayeva showed her true naleiptto
10.
vrpeiom by nearly one metre
11.
over the next adedce
12.
the European noJriu Championships
Paragraph 4
13.
Yelena burst onto the world asget
14.
She built up an intense rirvyal
15.
demleacri the world record
16.
She plans to cpoteem
PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER
Number these lines in the correct order.
( )
Isinbayeva showed her true potential in 1999 at the World Youth Games in Poland. She cleared 4.10m to take
( )
rivalry with her compatriot Svetlana Feofanova. Going into the 2004 Olympics, Feofanova was world record
( )
Isinbayeva was born in Volgograd, Russia in 1982. From the age of five, she trained as a
( )
gymnast. However, she quit the sport when she was 15 because at 1.74 metres she was too tall. She loved competition
( )
compete until the World Championships in Moscow in 2013.
( )
In 2003, Yelena burst onto the world stage when she broke
( )
and switched to pole vaulting. Her first big competition was the 1998 World Junior Championships,
( )
her very first gold medal. She would improve by nearly one metre over the next decade and win
( )
the world record, clearing 4.82m at a meeting in England. She built up an intense
( )
many more gold medals. In 2000, she won gold again at the Youth Games and the European Junior Championships.
( )
where she finished ten centimeters outside the medals.
( 1 )
Yelena Isinbayeva is the greatest female pole vaulter ever. She won the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Gold Medal and has twice
( )
been the IAAF’s Female Athlete of the Year. In 2005, she became the first woman to clear five metres and is the current
( )
world record holder. Isinbayeva is also an avid reader of Russian history and a collector of dolphins – both model and real.
( )
holder. Isinbayeva won gold and reclaimed the world record. She plans to
SCRAMBLED SENTENCES
With your partner, put the words back into the correct order.
1.
pole female greatest the is Isinbayeva ever vaulter
2.
five first metres woman she to became clear the
3.
she 15 was she when sport the quit
4.
pole to switched and competition loved She vaulting
5.
the she ten outside medals finished centimeters
6.
showed true in Isinbayeva her potential 1999
7.
metre would by one She improve nearly
8.
again won gold at the Youth Games In 2000 , she
9.
her an compatriot intense She rivalry built with up
10.
won Isinbayeva record world the reclaimed and gold
YELENA ISINBAYEVA DISCUSSION (Write your questions)
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.
What do you know about Yelena Isinbayeva?
2.
Would you like to meet Yelena Isinbayeva?
3.
What would you like to know about Yelena Isinbayeva and why?
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Yelena Isinbayeva. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. YELENA ISINBAYEVA POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of Yelena Isinbayeva. Show your poster to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?
4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Yelena Isinbayeva. Include an imaginary interview with her. Write about what she does every day and what she thinks about.
Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
5. LETTER: Write a letter to Yelena Isinbayeva. Ask her three questions about her life. Give her three suggestions on what she should do in her future. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your “Yelena Isinbayeva expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.
ANSWERS
SYNONYM MATCH:
Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.
ever
a.
in history
2
current
b.
present
3.
avid
c.
keen
4.
quit
d.
gave up
5.
switched
e.
changed
6.
competition
f.
tournament
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.
potential
g.
capability
8.
placings
h.
standings
9.
improve
i.
get better
10.
burst
j.
exploded
11
rivalry
k
competition
12
plans
l
intends
PHRASE MATCH:
1.
the greatest female
a.
pole vaulter ever
2
the first woman to clear
b.
five metres
3.
an avid
c.
reader of Russian history
4.
at 1.74 metres she
d.
was too tall
5.
she finished ten centimeters
e.
outside the medals
6.
Isinbayeva showed her true
f.
potential in 1999
7.
She cleared 4.10m to take her
g.
very first gold medal
8.
She would improve
h.
by nearly one metre
9.
She built up an intense rivalry
i.
with her compatriot
10.
She plans to keep
j.
competing
ALL OTHER EXERCISES:
Check your answers in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.
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