The Reading / Listening - Figure Skating - Level 0

Japan has won its first Olympic gold medal for pairs figure skating. Skaters Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara also set a world record. After the first round, the pair did not look like getting a medal. They knew they would need some magic. Their performance was golden. It was full of speed and technique.

The couple were shocked after winning. Mr Kihara told reporters: "We were determined to nail it." He added: "I never thought we could win gold." Ms Miura said: "We have grown a lot, so I think that is the reason why we managed to win the gold medal." Their coach said: "I think today they were able to create magic."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Figure Skating - Level 1 Figure Skating - Level 2   or  Figure Skating - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.japantimes.co.jp/olympics/2026/02/17/miura-kihara-gold-pairs/
  • https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolineprice/2026/02/16/olympic-pairs-figure-skating-results-miura-and-kihara-break-world-record-for-historic-gold/
  • https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/how-riku-miura-and-ryuichi-kihara-pulled-tear-filled-comeback-win-olympic-gold


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. Japan has won its first Olympic
  2. pairs figure
  3. set a world
  4. after the first
  5. the pair did not look like
  6. They knew they would need
  7. Their performance was
  8. It was full of speed
  1. some magic
  2. record
  3. getting a medal
  4. and technique
  5. gold medal
  6. golden
  7. round
  8. skating

Paragraph 2

  1. The couple were shocked
  2. We were determined to
  3. I never thought we
  4. We have grown
  5. I think that is
  6. we managed to win
  7. Their coach said I think today
  8. they were able
  1. the reason
  2. could win gold
  3. after winning
  4. they were
  5. nail it
  6. to create magic
  7. a lot
  8. the gold medal

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Japan has (1) _________________________________________________ Olympic gold (2) _________________________________________________ figure skating. Skaters Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara also (3) _________________________________________________ record. After (4) _________________________________________________, the pair did not look like getting a medal. They knew they would (5) _________________________________________________. Their performance was golden. It was (6) _________________________________________________ and technique.

The (7) _________________________________________________ after winning. Mr Kihara told reporters: "We were determined (8) _________________________________________________." He added: "I (9) _________________________________________________ could win gold." Ms Miura said: "We have (10) _________________________________________________, so I think that is the reason why we (11) _________________________________________________ the gold medal." Their coach said: "I think today they were able (12) _________________________________________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

JapanhaswonitsfirstOlympicgoldmedalforpairsfigureskating.Skater
sRikuMiuraandRyuichiKiharaalsosetaworldrecord.Afterthefirstroun
d,thepairdidnotlooklikegettingamedal.Theyknewtheywouldneedso
memagic.Theirperformancewasgolden.Itwasfullofspeedandtechniq
ue.Thecouplewereshockedafterwinning.MrKiharatoldreporters:"We
weredeterminedtonailit."Headded:"Ineverthoughtwecouldwingold.
"MsMiurasaid:"Wehavegrownalot,soIthinkthatisthereasonwhywem
anagedtowinthegoldmedal."Theircoachsaid:"Ithinktodaytheywerea
bletocreatemagic."

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You