II. While Reading Tasks
• Vocabulary-Word Inference
1. The public address announcer blared…
blared |ble(ə)r|-verb-make or cause to make a loud, harsh sound: [ no obj. ] : the ambulance arrived outside, siren blaring | [ with obj. ] : the radio was blaring out organ music.
2. She started laughing uncontrollably before the announcer could even say her name.
uncontrollable |ˌənkənˈtrōləbəl|-adjective-not controllable: her brother had an uncontrollable temper.
3. “I thought I was gonna have a seizure,” Shields said later.
seizure |ˈsēZHər|-noun- a sudden attack of illness, esp. a stroke or an epileptic fit: the patient had a seizure.
4. Just a teenager — 165 pounds packed with personality, strength and charm…
personality |ˌpərsəˈnalitē|-noun-the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character: she had a sunny personality that was very engaging.
5. At age 11, she wandered into a gym and met Jason Crutchfield, a journeyman fighter …
journeyman |ˈjərnēmən|-noun ( pl. journeymen )-a trained worker who is employed by someone else.
6. In Flint, hope is a precious commodity.
commodity |kəˈmäditē|-noun ( pl. commodities )-a useful or valuable thing, such as water or time.
7. Shields cruised the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds…
cruise |kro͞oz|-verb [ no obj. ]-achieve an objective with ease, esp. in sports: he cruised to an easy victory in Tuesday’s event.
8. At the arena Thursday, she didn’t even notice one of the loudest, most raucous crowds at these Olympics…
raucous |ˈrôkəs|-adjective-making or constituting a disturbingly harsh and loud noise: raucous youths
9. Shields remained the aggressor and added to her lead.
aggressor |əˈgresər|-noun-a person or country that attacks another first.
10. Shields closed out the victory with a decisive final round…
decisive |diˈsīsiv|-adjective-(of a person) having or showing the ability to make decisions quickly and effectively.
Source: New Oxford American Dictionary
• Questions for Reading Comprehension: True / False
- T- Shields, a middleweight, was the only American boxer at these Olympics — and the first U.S. woman — to win boxing gold.
- F- Claressa laughed throughout the medal ceremony.
- T- Claressa said that her new prize is something she’ll wear every single day because it represents so much.
- F- She’s from Flint, Mich., a hard-luck town where every victory is a big one.
- T- Her father served time in prison for breaking and entering.
- F- Working daily with Crutchfield, Shields became the youngest boxer to make the U.S. team.
- F- Before the fight, Shields listened to music and waited for the bell.
- T-The U.S. men’s boxers had disappointing performances.
- T- Claressa stated, “I might have 10,000 followers when I get back on Twitter,”.
- F-Shields will begin her senior year of high school soon and says she doesn’t know whether she’ll try to defend her Olympic title in 2016.
• Grammar Focus: Identifying Parts of Speech
Verbs:
earned, is, worked, explain, went, deal with [cope with] Working, became, make, come, did, helped,