2B Guarika Singh reading comprehension

London-based Gaurika Singh making

waves for Nepal at Rio Olympics at
the tender age of 131
Gaurika Singhs Olympics lasted precisely one minute, 8.45 seconds.
She came 31stout of 34 competitors attempting to qualify for the 100metres backstroke. No sooner
than it began, it was over. But never mind. It is unlikely to be her last experience of elite competition.
After all, she is only 13 years old. If she retired in 2032 after competing in the next four Olympics, she
would still be just 29.

What an amazing experience, she said after her race had finished, as she faced up to a significant
media scrum at the side of the Olympic pool. I cant believe its happening.

Singh is easily the youngest athlete in these Games. She was born in 2002. To put her age in
perspective, Mary Hanna, the Australian equestrian and the oldest participant was born in 1954. One
fifth of Nepals entire cohort here in Rio, Singh is also the countrys third ever competitor in the
swimming pool.

Not that she learned her trade in Kathmandus municipal pool. When an Australian journalist asked
her what facilities were like for swimming in Nepal, she gave a little smile. There are like three fifty
metre pools there, I think. But I train in London. So I dont really know.

Indeed, her lovely British accent is a clue as to her background. Her father, Paras, is a consultant
urologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London who came to England to work when his daughter was
just two. She attends Haberdashers Askes, the renowned private girls school in Elstree. It is clearly
a school with a talented entry. When she was asked what her classmates made of her sporting
prowess, Singh smiled. My friends are really happy for me but they are also good at stuff. One of my
best friends plays Matilda in the West End and another one went to junior Wimbledon.

It must be some prize giving day in Elstree. But even in that elevated peer group, Singhs achievement
is astonishing. So young she is still wearing braces on her teeth, she gave an amazingly mature,
assured, nerveless performance here. And that was just in the press mixed zone.

Im leaving on the 13th so I want to watch loads, she said. Then Im going to Nepal, to have a
holiday finally. It will be an emotional return for her. The last time she was in Kathmandu was to
swim in the national swimming championships last April. While she was there, she and her mother
and brother were caught up in the earthquake that killed 9000 people and left hundreds of thousands
homeless. She escaped injury after her mother pushed her under a table. Shocked by the
devastation she witnessed, she has subsequently donated all her competitive winnings to the
earthquake relief fund.

It wasnt very much, she said with characteristic modesty. But I hope it helped.

And for Singh this time there will be some pressing personal issues to attend to. School starts on
September 6th, she said. And I havent done any homework all summer.

1
Pieces of this article taken from The Telegraph Newspaper. Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/olympics/2016/08/07/rio-olympics-
2016-nepals-gaurika-singh-making-waves-at-the-tende/
 2B Guarika Singh reading comprehension
Answer the following questions about the article:

Circle the correct answer T (true), F (false), or NM (not mentioned)

1. Gaurika Singh is the youngest Olympian to win a bronze medal. T F NM

2. Singh was one of five Olympians representing Nepal T F NM

3. In Nepal, Singh trains in one of the three 50 metre pools T F NM

4. Singh is one of the best students at the Haberdashers Askes school T F NM

Based on the context of the article, give a definition for the following words, then, look
up the correct definition.

5. According to the article, how would you define the word cohort?
My definition: _____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Actual definition: ___________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
6. According to the article, how would you define the word renowned?
My definition: _____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Actual definition: ___________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
7. According to the article, how would you define the word prowess?
My definition: ___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Actual definition: _________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
8. According to the article, how would you define the word devastation?
My definition: ___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Actual definition: _________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Discuss the following questions with a partner:
Do you think it is healthy for a child to be competing in the Olympics? Why or why not?
What factors of Singhs life do you think have contributed to her success?
Should Olympians be required to do charity work? Why or why not?