The Reading / Listening - Serena Williams - Level 5

One of sport's greatest legends played her final match. Serena Williams bowed out of the US Open on Friday after losing in the third round. The 40-year-old showed her customary grit in her gruelling three-hour match. The crowd erupted in thunderous applause at the moment of defeat. Tears streamed down Ms Williams' face as she showed her appreciation to the crowd and waved farewell. In her post-match interview, she said: "I just thank everyone that's here…on my side so many years, decades…literally decades. But, it all started with my parents."

Serena Williams is arguably the greatest tennis player ever. Her 23 Grand Slam titles, 319 weeks spent as world number one, and 27 years at the top are testament to that. Her achievements have spread far beyond tennis. She has inspired girls worldwide. A former tennis star said Serena's "greatest contributions may be yet to come". American player Coco Gauff, 18, said Williams was her hero. She said: "The impact you've had on me goes beyond any words that can be put together." Michelle Obama said: "I can't wait to see the lives you continue to transform with your talents."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Serena Williams - Level 4 or  Serena Williams - Level 6

Sources
  • https://sports.yahoo.com/us-open-2022-serena-williams-ends-career-with-third-round-loss-but-her-tennis-legacy-will-only-grow-022257347.html
  • https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/34459661/serena-williams-exits-us-open-one-greatest-ever-legacy-goes-far-titles-won
  • https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/62777226


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. One of sport's
  2. Williams bowed
  3. after losing in
  4. The 40-year-old showed her
  5. The crowd erupted in thunderous
  6. at the moment
  7. she showed her appreciation
  8. In her post-
  1. the third round
  2. to the crowd
  3. applause
  4. match interview
  5. greatest legends
  6. customary grit
  7. out of the US Open
  8. of defeat

Paragraph 2

  1. arguably the greatest
  2. 319 weeks spent as
  3. 27 years
  4. Her achievements have spread far
  5. She has inspired
  6. Serena's greatest contributions may
  7. The impact you've had on me goes
  8. the lives you continue
  1. at the top
  2. be yet to come
  3. beyond any words
  4. world number one
  5. to transform
  6. girls worldwide
  7. tennis player ever
  8. beyond tennis

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

One of sport's greatest legends played (1) ___________________. Serena Williams (2) ___________________ the US Open on Friday after losing in the third round. The 40-year-old showed her customary grit (3) ___________________ three-hour match. The crowd erupted in thunderous applause at the (4) ___________________. Tears streamed down Ms Williams' face as she showed her appreciation to the crowd (5) ___________________. In her post-match interview, she said: "I just thank everyone that's here...on my side so many years, (6) ___________________. But, it all started with my parents."

Serena Williams (7) ___________________ greatest tennis player ever. Her 23 Grand Slam titles, 319 weeks spent as world number one, and 27 years at the top (8) ___________________ that. Her achievements have (9) ___________________ tennis. She has inspired girls worldwide. A former tennis star said Serena's "greatest contributions may be (10) ___________________". American player Coco Gauff, 18, said Williams was her hero. She said: "(11) ___________________ had on me goes beyond any words that can be put together." Michelle Obama said: "I can't wait to see the lives you (12) ___________________ with your talents."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Oneofsport'sgreatestlegendsplayedherfinalmatch.SerenaWilliamsb
owedoutoftheUSOpenonFridayafterlosinginthethirdround.The40-y
ear-oldshowedhercustomarygritinhergruellingthree-hourmatch.T
hecrowderuptedinthunderousapplauseatthemomentofdefeat.Tears
streameddownMsWilliams'faceassheshowedherappreciationtothecr
owdandwavedfarewell.Inherpost-matchinterview,shesaid:"Ijustt
hankeveryonethat'shere...onmysidesomanyyears,decades...literall
ydecades.But,itallstartedwithmyparents."SerenaWilliamsisarguabl
ythegreatesttennisplayerever.Her23GrandSlamtitles,319weeksspe
ntasworldnumberone,and27yearsatthetoparetestamenttothat.Her
achievementshavespreadfarbeyondtennis.Shehasinspiredgirlsworl
dwide.AformertennisstarsaidSerena's"greatestcontributionsmaybe
yettocome".AmericanplayerCocoGauff,18,saidWilliamswasherhero
.Shesaid:"Theimpactyou'vehadonmegoesbeyondanywordsthatcan
beputtogether."MichelleObamasaid:"Ican'twaittoseethelivesyouco
ntinuetotransformwithyourtalents."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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