A true Olympic triumph - Unit 5

C2 Proficiency · Multiple Choice Cloze · Close-up C2 Workbook, National Geographic Learning

For questions 1–8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

roughest

bleakest

crudest

harshest

erased

written

deleted

marked

sit

set

go

get

prevalence

aptitude

fulfilment

determination

to

on

in

at

pieces

bits

fragments

parts

ineptness

anguish

criticism

failure

dampen

moisten

wet

drench

Yusra Mardini is an Olympian like no other. A champion swimmer native to Damascus, she felt she had the (1) ___ of futures after war broke out in her home country of Syria. It essentially meant her plans for one day competing in the Olympic Games had been all but (2) ___ off. Fearing for her safety, she felt she had no choice but to (3) ___ out for the relative safety of Europe. She made her way across Turkey, eventually arriving at the shores of the Aegean and, like so many refugees, she undertook with dogged (4) ___ the journey over the perilous waters that lie between Turkey and the Greek island of Lesbos. Her boat, meant for six but carrying 20, couldn't make it the whole way; knowing their lives were (5) ___ stake, Mardini and two other strong swimmers got into the water and pushed the boat for three hours, eventually reaching land. Some months later she would arrive in Germany, where she was able to pick up the (6) ___ of her life and get back on track. After training morning and evening for hours every day, she, along with ten other refugees, competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics. In the end, the (7) ___ she suffered during her flight from war did little to (8) ___ her spirits, and she remembers well that it was her swimming that saved her life and the lives of others.

A true Olympic triumph

Available as a free printable PDF worksheet with an optional answer key.

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