The Reading / Listening - Serena Williams - Level 4

A sporting legend has played her final match. Serena Williams bowed out of the US Open on Friday. The 40-year-old showed her usual grit in her gruelling three-hour match. The crowd clapped thunderously at the moment of defeat. Tears ran down Ms Williams' face as she thanked the crowd and waved farewell. In her post-match interview, she said: "I just thank everyone that's here…on my side so many…decades. But, it all started with my parents."

Serena Williams is arguably the greatest ever. She won 23 Grand Slams and spent 319 weeks as world number one in her 27-year career. Her achievements include inspiring girls worldwide. A former tennis star said Serena's "greatest contributions may be yet to come". American player Coco Gauff, 18, said Serena's impact on her life is "beyond any words". 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 5 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. Williams bowed
  2. in her gruelling
  3. The crowd clapped
  4. Tears ran
  5. she thanked the crowd and
  6. In her post-
  7. I just thank
  8. it all started
  1. thunderously
  2. everyone that's here
  3. out of the US Open
  4. match interview
  5. with my parents
  6. three-hour match
  7. waved farewell
  8. down Ms Williams' face

Paragraph 2

  1. Serena Williams is arguably
  2. 319 weeks as
  3. inspiring girls
  4. Serena's greatest
  5. may be yet
  6. Serena's impact
  7. beyond any
  8. the lives you continue
  1. contributions
  2. words
  3. to transform
  4. to come
  5. world number one
  6. the greatest ever
  7. worldwide
  8. on her life

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A sporting (1) ___________________ her final match. Serena Williams (2) ___________________ the US Open on Friday. The 40-year-old showed her (3) ___________________ her gruelling three-hour match. The crowd clapped thunderously at the (4) ___________________. Tears ran down Ms Williams' face as she thanked the crowd (5) ___________________. In her post-match interview, she said: "I just thank everyone that's here...on my side so many...decades. But, it all (6) ___________________ parents."

Serena Williams is (7) ___________________ ever. She won 23 Grand Slams and spent 319 (8) ___________________ number one in her 27-year career. Her achievements include (9) ___________________. A former tennis star said Serena's "greatest contributions (10) ___________________ to come". American player Coco Gauff, 18, said Serena's (11) ___________________ life is "beyond any words". Michelle Obama said: "I can't wait to see the lives you (12) ___________________ with your talents."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Asportinglegendhasplayedherfinalmatch.SerenaWilliamsbowedout
oftheUSOpenonFriday.The40-year-oldshowedherusualgritinhergru
ellingthree-hourmatch.Thecrowdclappedthunderouslyatthemom
entofdefeat.TearsrandownMsWilliams'faceasshethankedthecrowda
ndwavedfarewell.Inherpost-matchinterview,shesaid:"Ijustthanke
veryonethat'shere...onmysidesomany...decades.But,itallstartedwit
hmyparents."SerenaWilliamsisarguablythegreatestever.Shewon23
GrandSlamsandspent319weeksasworldnumberoneinher27-yearca
reer.Herachievementsincludeinspiringgirlsworldwide.Aformertenni
sstarsaidSerena's"greatestcontributionsmaybeyettocome".Americ
anplayerCocoGauff,18,saidSerena'simpactonherlifeis"beyondanyw
ords".MichelleObamasaid:"Ican'twaittoseethelivesyoucontinuetotr
ansformwithyourtalents."

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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