Reading

Amazing… or Crazy?

1. Write the verbs in parenthesis in their simple past form.

Fauja Singh wasn’t a young man when he did the Toronto Marathon in October 2011. He was a
100 years old – the first centenarian ever to run in a marathon. He ran 42 kilometers in 8
hours, 25 minutes and 16 seconds. He didn’t come last, he came 3,850th!. People sometimes
call Singh the “Turbaned Tornado”! He was born in India on April 1, 1911. After his wife died in
1992, he moved to the UK to live with his son. He was in his eighties, but he didn’t want to sit
at home all day. He wanted to do something – so he took up jogging. He became famous in
2000 whe he finished the London Marathon in 6 hours and 54 minutes. He was 89!, The
sportswear company, Adidas, used Fauja for their “ Impossible is nothing ” publicity campaign.
David Beckham and Lionel Messi were also part of the same campaign. When he runs
marathons, Singh raises money for a lot of children’s charities. “It’s the oldest running for the
youngest!” he says.

2. Write a summary about Fauja Singh’s story (50 words) either from the reading or from
the blog.

Young Fauja was scrawny and sick as a child, often bullied by other children who called
him “danda”, Punjabi for “as thin as a stick.” Fauja did not develop the ability to walk
until he was five years old. His legs were thin and weak, and he could hardly walk long
distances. He never went to school.

3. Talk about one photo in the blog and answer the questions. (include the picture in this
exercise)

1. What’s unusual about this photo?

___ Fauja wears a cap on his head. ____
2. What’s the man doing?
____ He is jogging with his coach. ____
3. What’s he wearing?
___ He wears yellow shirt and black
sweatpants. ____
4. How old do you think he is?
____He is 89 years old. _____

4. Read the article provided in this file. Then match the words in bold in the article with
the correct meaning.
 1. start doing something regularly – take up 4. go to live in a new place - move
2. a person age 100 - centenarian 5. a strong fast wind that goes round in
3. collects (money for a particular purpose) - raises a circle - tornado

5. Correct the sentences.

1. Fauja Singh was born on april 2nd.

__ Fauja Singh was born on april 1st. _____
2. He moved to the US.
___ He moved to the UK. ____
3. He lived with his daughter in the UK.
___He lived with his son in the UK. _____
4. He took up.
___ He took up jogging _____
5. He became famous in 2011.
__ He became famous in 2000___
6. He was part of a publicity campaign for Nike.
__ He was part of a publicity campaign for Adidas. ___

6. Circle the correct words. Then answer three of the questions.

1. Where was / did Fauja Singh from originally?

___ Fauja Singh, Indian born, British citizen___________
2. Why was / did he take up jogging in the first place?
____ This woke Fauja up from his slumber. __________
3. Which marathon does / did he do in under seven hours? How old is / was he then?
___ the London marathon again in 2001, ___________
4. Was / Did his time in Toronto faster or slower? Why?
___ he clocked an astonishing 5 hours 40 minutes in the 42.195 km race a stunning
record for a 92-year-old runner. ____
5. What does / do “Impossible is nothing” mean to you?
___ This means that nothing is impossible, because if you set your mind to it, you can
achieve it, since in life there will always be obstacles. ____
6. Why does / do you think Adidas chose Fauja Singh for their campaign?
___ I think it's because Fauja represents that age is not the reason why a person can
stop running. _____
 Reading
He was swimming when …

Vocabulary – TRANSPORTATION

1. Do you know these words? Circle the ones you expect to read about.

camper van car ferry cruise ship hot air balloon mountain bike
rescue helicopter roller blades school bus
2. Use these headings to make a list of items you remember.

Terms of Countries Cities Oceans Health

transportation problems
3. Answer these questions

1. How old was Jason when he got back to the UK?

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2. Which direction did he travel in: east to west or west to east?
_______________________________________________________________________
3. Which two countries didn’t he cross?
_______________________________________________________________________
4. How do you think he got malaria?
_______________________________________________________________________

4. Write a summary about Jason Lewis’s story. (50 words)

_______________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________
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