Jesse owens

Jesse Owens was born in Alabama in 1913 to a poor, black family. Even when Jesse was a boy, it was clear that he had special athletic ability. He could run ex­tremely fast. In high school he was a long-jump champion.

Jesse's family didn't have enough mon­ey to send him to college. However, because he was an excellent athlete he was able to get a scholarship to Ohio State University. Owens was the star of the Ohio State track team. In one college track event in 1935, he broke three world records in less than an hour! Owens was chosen for the 1936 U.S. Olympic team.

The 1936 Summer Olympics were held in Berlin, Germany. Adolf Hitler had come to power two years before. Hitler believed that the people of Germany and other northern European countries were better than all other people in the world. Hitler wanted to show the world the Germans were the best so he ordered the German team to train hard.

At the Olympics, Jesse Owens won both the 100-meter race and the 200-meter race. His time in the 200-meter race set a new Olympic record. Owens was also on the U.S. 400-meter relay team. The U.S. relay team won. Then came the long jump. A German athlete broke the Olym­pic record. Hitler said that he personally would congratulate the winner. But Owens still had one more jump. He jumped several inches further than the German athlete. Hitler left the stadium in anger. Jesse Owens, a black Ameri­can, had won his fourth gold medal at the Olympics. Jesse Owens was a hero.

Vocabulary

Complete the sentences. Circle the letter of the correct answer.

1. Jesse Owens got a ________ to Ohio State University.

1. record

2. scholarship

3. champion

2. Jesse was the star of the Ohio State ________ team.

1. country

2. meter

3. track

3. The 1936 Olympics were ________ in Berlin.

1. left

2. held

3. chosen

4. Hitler ordered the German team to ________ hard.

1. train

2. relay

3. win

5. Jesse Owens jumped several inches ________ than the German athlete.

1. faster

2. further

3. lower

6. The U.S. ________ team won.

1. jump

2. gold

3. relay

7. In the 200-meter race, Owens ________ a new Olympic record.

1. chose

2. set

3. won

8. Hitler left the ________ in anger.

1. American

2. team

3. stadium

Comprehension

A. Looking for Main Ideas

Write complete answers to these questions.

1. What special ability did Jesse Owens have?

2. What did Hitler want to show the world?

3. How many gold medals did Owens win at the 1936 Olympics?

B. Looking for Details

Number the sentences 1 through 8 to show the correct order.

___ He went to Ohio State University.

___ He went to Berlin in 1936.

___ Jesse Owens was born in Alabama in 1913.

___ He was a long-jump champion in high school.

___ He set an Olympic record for the 200-meter race.

___ Jesse Owens won the 100- and 200-meter races.

___ He was chosen for the U.S. Olym­pic team.

___ He then won the long jump by several inches.

Подписано в печать 02.08.2007. Формат 60х84¹/_16.

Бумага кн.-журн. Печать офсетная. Усл.п.л.

Тираж 600 экз. Заказ №.

Воронежский государственный аграрный университет

им. К.Д. Глинки. Типография ВГАУ.