Reading Explorer Pg.

18

A. 1. What is this reading mainly about? - a. how to qualify for the Olympics
2. Having a lot of slow-twitch muscle fibers is
particularly important for - a. long-distance cyclists
3. When lactate builds up in their muscles,
people feel - c. pain
4. What is the main idea of paragraph F? - d. Success in sports comes from a lot of practice.
5. What statement would diver Greg Louganis probably agree with? - c. A professional athlete
should think carefully about each movement

B. According to the passage, are the following especially important for marathon
runners, gymnasts, or both? Add each one (a–f) to the Venn diagram.

Marathon runners Gymnasts

a. training a. training

b. slow-twitch muscles e. psychological health

d. small body size f. ability to control fatigue and keep moving for a long time

e. psychological health c. practicing repeated motions

pg.19

A. 1. the height of most male champion swimmers - For some Olympic competitors, size is
important. Most male champion swimmers are 180 cm or taller, allowing them to reach longer
and swim faster.
2. three countries with high altitudes - Some athletes’ abilities are naturally enhanced
by their environment. Those raised at high altitudes in countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, and
Morocco have blood that is rich in hemoglobin.
3. the chemical element that hemoglobin carries in our blood - Large amounts of hemoglobin
carry oxygen around the body faster, enabling these athletes to run better.
4. the person who won four Olympic medals in diving - Greg Louganis.
5. the place where sports psychologist Sean McCann works – Olympic Training Center in the
United States.

B. 1. T

2. T

3. T

4. F
Pg.20

A. In 2013, an elite swimmer named Diana Nyad became the first person

to swim from Cuba to Florida without using a shark cage. Nyad had unsuccessfully

attempted the 177-kilometer swim several times before, but at age 64, she finally

completed it. The swim required Nyad to be in the water for nearly 53 hours. A

35-person team came with her, and (unlike her previous attempts) she wore a special

suit and mask to keep jellyfish off her skin. Some suggested this equipment

adjusted her performance, though Nyad claimed it actually slowed her down.

What differentiates this successful attempt from Nyad’s four previous attempts?

Importantly, the enhance she made to her equipment helped—she was

previously stung many times by jellyfish. But experts believe the main difference was

Nyad’s mental determination, since her struggle was just as much psychological as

physical. Her determination was so strong that even though she felt sick for much of

the journey, she never gave up.

B. 1. the winner of a competition – champion

2. to produce or cause something to begin – adjust

3. relating to your DNA -genetic

4. to move or change something slightly – enhance

5. automatic