Speed Reading — Level 6 — 500 wpm 

Now do this put-the-text-back-together activity.

This is the text (if you need help).

The sportswear maker Nike has announced it will use American football player Colin Kaepernick in its advertising campaign to celebrate its "Just Do It" 30th anniversary. Mr Kaepernick ignited controversy in 2016 while playing as quarterback for his team the San Francisco 49ers. He refused to stand for the national anthem as a protest against racial injustice and social issues. Instead he knelt down on one knee. This started a trend of other players "taking the knee" in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Kaepernick's actions caused heated debate. In September 2017, President Donald Trump tweeted that NFL players should be either fired or suspended if they failed to stand up for the national anthem.

Nike will use a close-up image of Kaepernick's face with the caption: "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything." Nike supplies the uniforms for all the NFL's 32 teams and is a corporate sponsor of the NFL. The company knows it will receive a backlash for using Mr Kaepernick in its ads. However, it said: "We believe Colin is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward." Yahoo Sports said: "It's an interesting decision for Nike. No other athlete produces the same emotional response as Kaepernick." Many on social media applauded Nike for its decision. One person tweeted: "Time to throw away all my Nike crap."

Comprehension questions
  1. What "Just Do It" anniversary will Nike be celebrating?
  2. When did Colin Kaepernick first become controversial?
  3. What movement did Colin Kaepernick kneel to support?
  4. When did Donald Trump tweet about athletes taking the knee?
  5. What did Mr Trump say NFL teams should do to those who kneel?
  6. What does a Nike caption believe people should believe in?
  7. What does the company know it will receive?
  8. What did Nike say Mr Kaepernick helped to move forward?
  9. How did many people on social media react to Nike?
  10. What will a person throw away, according to a tweet they made?

Back to the national anthem lesson.

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