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Class - VII [Raintree Coursebook Theme - 4: Who Dares Wins!] Chapter - 7: A Race to Remember

 Story Analysis (Notebook Work)

Central Idea: The chapter "A Race to Remember" by Jesse Owens focuses on his experience during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he defied Adolf Hitler's ideals of Aryan supremacy by winning four gold medals in track and field events, particularly the 100-meter race.

Themes:

1. Overcoming Adversity: Jesse Owens faces racism and prejudice but triumphs through his athletic talent and determination.

2. Equality and Justice: The chapter highlights the struggle for racial equality and the power of sports to challenge societal norms.

3. Courage and Determination:
Owens shows immense courage in competing under the hostile conditions of Nazi Germany.

4. The Power of Sports as a Unifying Force:
Owens' victories transcend racial boundaries, showing the unifying power of sports.

Message: The chapter conveys the message that talent, determination, and hard work can overcome discrimination and prejudice. It also emphasizes the importance of using one's platform to challenge injustice.

A. Comprehension (Notebook Work)

1. Owens grew up in poverty. He had to practise in between classes and jobs. He paid fees, supported his family and trained hard to make his dreams come true. 

2. The Nazis thought that the Germans were superior to all other people in the world. They thought they belonged to the ‘Master Race’—a race that deserved to rule all others.

 3. The Jews and Blacks were treated cruelly and unfairly by the Nazis. This was because the Nazis considered them less than human.

 4. The rest of the world disapproved of the Nazis’ policies. They almost decided to boycott the Olympics because of the harsh Nazi treatment of Jews. 

5. Owens expected insults and rude behaviour from the Germans because he was Black. But he was surprised when they treated him like a hero. He was greeted cheerfully by fans. 

6. No one was going to forget the man who had made a mockery of the Nazi ‘Master Race.’

B. Read these lines from the text and answer the questions (Notebook Work)

1. a. ‘This’ refers to the unfair and cruel treatment of Blacks and Jews by the Germans.

 b. Owens had experienced it back home in the US, where Black people were still treated badly. 

c. This behaviour made Owens question whether he should attend the Berlin Olympics or not.

 2. a. ‘Him’ refers to the German athlete Lutz Long.

 b. The Nazis held Long in high regard because he was an example of the perfect human as per German standards. He was blonde and had an athletic body. 

c. Lutz Long was disgusted by the Nazis’ racist policies

C. Answer these questions in detail (Notebook Work)

1. Owens knew how it felt like to be treated unfairly just because you looked different. He wondered whether it was right to attend a competition hosted by a country that was treating certain groups very harshly. He finally decided to attend the Olympics because he wanted to show the world that what mattered in sports was hard work and how well you performed, not which race you belonged to. 

2. The Nazis thought they were superior to everyone else. They thought they were the ‘Master Race’ that deserved to rule the world. They wanted to host the Olympics and show the world that German athletes were than all the others. They were unable to achieve their goal because the Germans did not win the majority of the competition. Owens was the best in athletics. Owens was a Black American—a race that was considered inhuman and inferior by the Germans. By winning all the races he participated in, Owens proved to the world that German ideas of racial superiority were foolish.

(Notebook Work)

D. True friendship does not care how you look or how different you are from each other. True friendship does not depend upon religion, race or physical appearances—it is based on respect. People from different backgrounds can be great friends if they respect each other and like talking to each other. Lutz Long, a German athlete had been told that Black Americans were inferior and not fit to be friends with. But he did not share the Nazis’ racist beliefs. To him, it did not matter that Jesse Owens was Black. During the long jump event, Long saw someone who needed help and helped him despite the fact that the Nazis would disapprove of it. Long helped Owens win and graciously shook hands and took photographs with him. They continued to be friends long after the Olympics, proving that friendship can overcome silly differences. 

(Notebook Work)

E. 1. It is good to have different colours because everything in just one colour would be very dull. 

2. People are as different as different colours. It is important to have different kinds of people just like it is important to have different colours. 

3. We should talk to people who are different from us about their opinions, likes and dislikes. We should try and understand their experiences and their point of view. We should understand that everyone is allowed to have different opinions and that they should not be attacked for it.

Grammar (To be done in textbook Raintree – Page – 83 to 85)

A. 2. Could 3. will 4. should 5. can 6. might 

B. 2. have to 3. need not 4. didn’t have to 5. ought to

Vocabulary 

1. get along 2. get out of 3. get at 4. get down to 5. get across 6. get over

Listening Text:

Tournament: ICC World Cup 

India Vs Sri Lanka 

Over: 50  Bowler: Malinga 

Runs to Win: 12

ball batsman runs

1. Dhoni 4

2. Dhoni -

3. Dhoni 1

4. Yuvraj 1

5. Dhoni 6

6 .  Winner: India

Punctuation 

The fastest man alive today is Jamaica’s Usain Bolt. As a child, Bolt was both a runner and a cricketer. Bolt’s speed was noticed by his school coach and they decided he should focus on his running. At the age of 15, Bolt won the gold medal in the 200-metre dash and became the world’s youngest gold medallist. Throughout his career, Bolt suffered from injuries. He took part in the 2004 Athens Olympics and was eliminated in the first round. But Bolt did not give up. He overcame his difficulties to become a World Champion. “I’ve been injured over the years and I’ve worked hard through it and made it,” he said in an interview. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Bolt ran the 100-metre dash and broke the world record, winning in 9.69 seconds. This was his first Olympic gold. To date, he has won nine gold medals at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics.


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