Document A:

When I first met Muhammad Ali, he was performing magic tricks on Hollywood Boulevard. I was a freshman at UCLA
walking along the street with two of my school buddies when we saw him strolling with a small entourage, doing
sleight-of-hand illusions for fans who came up to him. This was 1966 and Ali, only five years older than me, had
already made his mark as the youngest ever heavyweight champion. The next year, he would be stripped of his title
after announcing he would not submit to being drafted into the Army because I aint got nothing against them Viet 5
Cong who never called me nigger. Half the world would chant his name in praise; the other half would sharpen
pitchforks and light torches.

Being a big fan, I shyly approached him to say hello. If he knew who I was, he didnt let on. He was friendly and polite
and charmingand then he was gone, moving down the street like a lazy breeze, a steady stream. A force of nature:
gentle but unstoppable. 10

The three of us walked away jabbering giddily about how cool it was to have met the champ. But to me that meeting
was much more than running into yet another celebrity in L.A. Id admired Muhammad since I was 13, when he and
Rafer Johnson won gold medals in the 1960 Olympics. Rafer dominated in the decathlon and Muhammad triumphed as
a light heavyweight boxer. To me, they were the epitome of the skill, power and grace of the black athlete, and they
inspired me to push myself harder. 15

Muhammads influence on me in those formative years, from when I was 13 to when I met him on Hollywood
Boulevard, wasnt just related to athletics. He bragged relentlessly and shamelesslyand in verse! He irritated some
white folk so much that they would pay anything to see this uppity young boy put back in his place.
(brag: speak highly of oneself)

That place, for blacks of the time, was wherever they were told. Sure, athletes and entertainers were invited to sit
at the adult table, but for everyone else, the struggle was still in its infancy. Once at the table, opportunities for 20
blacks opened up everywhere. So if you were smart and wanted to maintain a successful career, you kept your dark
head down, mouth shut, and occasionally confirmed how grateful and blessed you felt. Not Muhammad.

He was a fighter, whether in or out of the ring. [] He was stripped of his heavyweight title in 1967, when he
refused to submit to the draft during the Vietnam War. This caused him to be sentenced to prison for five years,
fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years, his license to box being revoked in all states. He didnt 25
fight for three years during his physical prime, when he could have earned millions of dollars, because he stood up for
a principle. While I admired the athlete of action, it was the man of principle who was truly my role model. []

Thats when I realized he wasnt just my big brother, but a big brother to all African Americans. He willingly stood up
for us whenever and wherever bigotry or injustice arose, without regard for the personal cost. He was like an
American version of the comic-book hero Black Panther. [] 30

Most young people today know Muhammad Ali only as the hunched old man whose body shook ceaselessly from
Parkinsons. But I, and millions of other Americans black and white, remember him as the man whose mind and body
once shook the world. We have been better off because of it.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA champion and league Most Valuable Player. He is a TIME contributor and the author
of the forthcoming book, Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White .

Time.com
Document B:

It was an act that scandalized the Olympics. Smith and Carlos were sent home in
disgrace and banned from the Olympics for life. But they were treated as
returning heroes by the black community for sacrificing their personal glory for
the cause. History, too, has been kind to them.
Yet few know that the man standing in front of both of them, the Australian
sprinter Peter Norman who shocked everyone by powering past Carlos and
winning the silver medal, played his own, 5 crucial role in sporting history.
On his left breast he wore a small badge that read: "Olympic Project for Human
Rights" -- an organization set up a year previously opposed to racism in sport.
But while Smith and Carlos are now feted as human rights pioneers, the badge
was enough to effectively end Norman's career. He returned home to Australia a
pariah, suffering unofficial sanction and ridicule as the Black Power 10 salute's
forgotten man. He never ran in the Olympics again.
"As soon as he got home he was hated," explains his nephew Matthew Norman,
who has directed a film -- "Salute!" -- about Peter's life before and after the 1968
Olympics.
"A lot of people in America didn't realize that Peter had a much bigger role to
play. He was fifth (fastest) in the world, and his run is still a Commonwealth
record today. And yet he didn't go to 15 Munich (1972 Olympics) because he
played up. He would have won a gold.
"He suffered to the day he died." []
He was never picked to run in the Olympics again.
"I would have dearly loved to go to Munich (but) I'd earned the frowning eyes of
the powers that be in track and field," he said in "Salute!"
20
"I'd qualified for the 200 meters 13 times and 100 meters five times (but) they'd
rather leave me home than have me over there (in Munich)."

Remembering Peter Norman

When "Salute!" was released in Australia in 2008 it caused a sensation, breaking
box office records. In a country known for its reverence of sporting legends,
many were hearing Norman's story for the first time. But he would never see the
film that would put his achievements back into the public 25 consciousness.
Peter Norman died of a heart attack on October 9, 2006.
At the funeral both Smith and Carlos gave the eulogy, where they announced
that the U.S. Track and Field association had declared the day of his death to be
"Peter Norman Day" -- the first time in the organization's history that such an
honor had been bestowed on a foreign athlete. 30
Both men helped carry his coffin before it was lowered into the ground. For
them, Norman was a hero -- "A lone soldier," according to Carlos -- for his small
but determined stand against racism.
The three had remained friends ever since their chance meeting on that podium
in Mexico City 44 years ago.
"He just happened to be a white guy, an Australian white guy, between two
black guys in the 35
victory stand believing in the same thing."
Document C:

San Jose State University The Tommie Smith John Carlos Statue

COMPREHENSION
DOCUMENT A:
1. a) When and where (city) did Abdul-Jabbar meet Ali for the first time?
b) What was Ali doing?
c) Was he famous at that time? Why or why not?

2. a) Find two adjectives to describe how Abdul-Jabbar feel after meeting Ali? Justify with two quotes from
the text.
b) Would you say that Ali was a shy person? Why or why not? Answer in your own words. (20 to 30 words)

3. True or false: Justify with a quote from the text.

a) Ali was enrolled in the army during the Vietnam War.
b) He was a controversial personality.
c) At Alis time, black people were not free to choose their place in society.
d) Abdul-Jabbar considers Ali as someone to imitate.
e) According to Adbul-Jabbar, Alis personality and career had a positive impact on black and white
Americans.

4. What did black athletes have to do at the time in order to maintain a successful career?

5. In your own words, explain why Abdul-Jabbar admires Muhammad Ali. (30 to 50 words)

DOCUMENT B:
6. a) Who does the text deal with? What did he do? When?
b) Who is Matthew Norman?

7. a) Quote the line which shows that Peter Normans 2nd place was unexpected.
b) Quote the line which shows that he was not admired by his fellow citizens when he went back to Australia.

8. Did Peter Normans behaviour on the podium have a positive impact on his career? Why or why not?
DOCUMENT C:
9. a) How does this statue illustrate what happened to Peter Norman?
b) Choose a quote from DOCUMENT B which could be used as a title for this statue.

DOCUMENT A, B, C:
10. To what extent do Muhammad Ali and Peter Norman share common features? How are they different? (50
WORDS or more) P.T.O

EXPRESSION
CHOOSE ONE OF THE TWO SUBJECTS:
1) Do you think that athletes should be considered as role models for young people? Why or why not?
(200 WORDS)
2) You are the coach of a sports team. You have to deliver a motivational speech to your players/athletes. Write
this speech.
(200 WORDS)