Reading Comprehension/ Biography CARL LEWIS

Transcription

1 CARL LEWIS Carl Lewis was one of track and field's greatest athletes. In 1984 he became the second African American athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympic competition. Jesse Owens was the first in In all, Lewis won nine gold medals in four straight Olympics. His career lasted from 1979 to He retired from sports in Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis was born July 1, 1961, in Birmingham, Alabama. His parents were former star athletes. His father ran track and played football. His mother was a hurdler. They coached young athletes in track and field. Lewis was not as good at sports as his brothers and sister. His parents told him to take music lessons instead! Carl did not give up. He practiced in his back yard. He wanted to get better. He did! When he graduated from high school in 1979, he was the top high school track athlete in the country. Lewis entered the University of Houston, in 1979, on an athletic scholarship. Lewis was on the 1980 Olympic team, but could not compete. The US boycotted the Games that year to protest the Soviet Union invading Afghanistan. By 1983 Lewis was a winner in four categories: long jump, 100-meter run, 200-meter run, and 400-meter relay. He won three gold medals at the track

2 and field world championships in Helsinki, Finland, in In 1984 he set an indoor world record in the long jump. Lewis wanted to get rich from track and field. When he started, track and field was mostly an amateur sport. Lewis worked to change that. His work is one reason top track and field athletes are well-paid now. Carl Lewis won four gold medals in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. He tied Jesse Owens record. He won his first Olympic gold medal in the 100-meter sprint. He won his second in the long jump. He won his third in the 200-meter race. His fourth came in the 400- meter relay. But Carl was disappointed. Americans thought he was too boastful. No companies wanted him to advertise for them. He was popular in Japan and Europe, though. In 1985, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson became Carl s big rival. He began to beat Lewis in the 100-meter sprint. There was a showdown between them at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. Johnson won the 100-meter sprint. He set a new record. But Johnson had used steroids to improve performance. His medal was taken away. Lewis was given the gold medal. Lewis won a second gold in the long jump. At the 1992 Olympic trials, Lewis was finally popular with Americans. They cheered when he qualified for the US Olympic team in the long jump. They cheered again at the games in Barcelona, Spain. He won his seventh gold medal in the long jump. He won his eighth in the 400-meter relay. Lewis competed in the long jump at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. He won his fourth straight gold in the event. He got endorsement contracts. He was finally rich. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named Lewis one of the century's greatest athletes. He was elected to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in December He has worked as an actor in a few movies. Lewis still has eight of his Olympic gold medals. The ninth (his first gold medal, for the 100-meter sprint) was buried with his father in Lewis said it was the medal his father had been most proud of. "Now he has it and he'll always have it," Lewis said.

3 ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ABOUT CARL LEWIS 1. When was Carl Lewis born? a b c d Besides Carl Lewis, what other African-American athlete won four gold medals at a single Olympic competition? a. Jesse Owens b. Ben Johnson c. Justin Gatlin d. Maurice Greene 3. When did Carl Lewis retire from competition? a b c d Do you think Carl Lewis would have become a track star without his parents help? Why or why not?

4 Write complete sentences to answer the questions below. 1. How do you think Carl Lewis felt as the second African-American man to win four gold medals at a single Olympics competition? 2. Tell how Carl Lewis practicing as a child until he excelled reminds you of an experience you or someone that you know about has had. 3. After reading the story what do you think is meant by boycott? 4. What did you learn about Carl Lewis that you did not know? How might you use that new learning in the future?

5 Answers to CARL LEWIS Multiple-choice: 1. b 2. a 3. d 4. Answers will vary, but must include an explanation of why or why not. Short-answer: 1. Answers may vary. Accept reasonable responses written as 2. Answers may vary. Accept reasonable responses written as 3. boycott - to abstain from using, buying, or dealing with something or someone in order to express protest. 4. Answers may vary. Accept reasonable responses written as