The

8  Super swimmers! (information gap) BIG

Picture
A Eric the Eel was born in Ellie Simmonds was born
(0)
Equatorial Guinea (Africa) on November 11, 1994,
on (1)_______________. in Walsall in England. She
His real name is Eric started swimming when
Moussambani, but “Eric she was only five years
the Eel” became famous old. In 2005, when she was
after the Sydney Olympics eleven, her family moved
in 2000. He was very slow, to Swansea in Wales, so
but he won his first race because he was (2)_______________! she could practice more
He started swimming only (3)_______________ before the often with her coach. Ellie, only 4 feet tall, first competed in the
Olympics. In his country, there were no 50-meter pools, so he Paralympics in China in 2008. She won two gold medals for the
practiced swimming in (4)_______________. In his Olympic British team, but she was only thirteen years old! In 2012 she
final he was last, but the winner set a new world record! competed in London and won two more gold medals. She also
In (5)_______________, he became coach of the national set a new world record time. In August 2012, her school named
swimming team of his country. their swimming pool after her.

Questions
(0)
Eric the Eel / born / where / was / ? (3)
start swimming / did / when / he / ?
Where was Eric the Eel born? ___________________________________________________
(1)
born / Eric / when / was / ? (4)
practise / swimming / where / he / did / ?
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
(2)
did / Eric / win / why / the first race / in 2000 / ? (5)
when / become / he / did / coach of his national swimming team / ?
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
✂
B Ellie Simmonds was born on Eric the Eel was born
(0)
November 11, 1994, in in Equatorial Guinea
Walsall in England. She started (Africa) on May 31st,1978.
swimming when she was His real name is Eric
only (1)_______________. Moussambani, but “Eric
In 2005, when she was the Eel” became famous
eleven, her family moved to after the Sydney Olympics
(2)
_______________, so in 2000. He was very slow,
she could practice more often with her coach. Ellie, only 4 feet but he won his first race because he was the only person in the
tall, first competed in (3)_______________ in 2008. She won swimming pool!
(4)
_______________ gold medals for the British team, but she He started swimming only eight months before the Olympics
was only thirteen years old! In 2012 she competed in London and and in his country there were no 50-meter pools so he practiced
won two more gold medals. She also set a new world record time. swimming in a lake. In his Olympic final he was last, but the
In (5)_______________, her school named their swimming pool winner set a new world record! In March 2012, he became
after her. coach of the national swimming team of his country.

Questions
(0)
Ellie Simmonds / born / when / was / ? (3)
in 2008 / compete / did / where / Ellie / ?
When was Ellie Simmonds born? ___________________________________________________
(1)
start swimming / she / when / did / ? (4)
win / gold medals / how many / she / did / ?
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
(2)
did / her family / in 2005 / where / move to / ? (5)
when / change the name of their pool / her school / did / ?
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
8 The Big Picture Beginner  ©Richmond, 2013