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

Summary: A Race to Remember

Jesse Owens is an African American athlete on his way to compete at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Owens had a difficult time training to be an athlete. In school and college, he had athletics

training in addition to jobs he had to work to support his family and pay the fees. The Berlin

Olympics was the result of his hard work.

Germany, at the time, was ruled by the violent Nazi party. They believed that they were the

‘master race’—people superior to all others. They believed that the Jews and Blacks were no

better than animals and treated them badly. They wanted to prove that they were the ‘Master

race’ at the 1936 Olympics.

As an African American, Jesse Owens had been treated unequally all his life. He wondered

whether it was right to participate in a tournament conducted by a country where millions were

being mistreated. Many other countries wondered the same thing and considered boycotting

the Olympics. In the end, Nazis decided to allow Jews from other countries to participate in the

Olympics. It was then that 52 nations agreed to participate. Owens hoped the Olympics would

prove that race, colour and religion did not matter and it was how well a person performed that

was important.

To his surprise, Owens received a hero’s welcome in Germany. He performed well and received

gold medals for the 100-metre, 200-metre and 400-metre relay. But he had trouble during the

long jump event. Lutz Long, a competitor from Germany, helped Owens out during this event.

Long was the best example of the Nazi idea of a perfect human. Long, however, did not believe

in the Nazis’ racist policies and generously helped Owens. Owens went on to win the gold

medal for this event and Long won the silver. 

Long was the first to congratulate Owens and shook hands and took photographs with him in

front of Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi party. Long was a brave man. Owens and Long

continued being good friends for many years, proving that friendship is more important than

race or religion.

Hitler was angry with how the Games had turned out. He had hoped to prove that Germans

were the ‘Master race’. Instead, Jesse Owens—an African American—had disproved that notion

entirely by winning. Owens continued to be popular in Germany. After his death in 1980, a road

in Berlin was named after him.

A Race to Remember is a biographical account of Jesse Owens’ record-breaking, history-making

performance in the 1936 Olympics. This event was important not only because of Owens’

incredible achievements, but also because of the lesson of equality that it taught the world. The

Nazis’ evil and racist policies divided people and treated some as better than others. But Jesse

Owens’ performance showed that hard work and dedication mattered more than the colour of

one’s skin. This is an important text that highlights the importance of diversity, equality and

tolerance.


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.

A RACE TO REMEMBER

A. Answer in brief.

1. Why was participating in Berlin Olympics a challenge for Jesse?

 Ans: Berlin Olympics happened at a time when Germany was under the control of the violent,

racist and cruel Nazi party. For them, no one was superior to the Germans and they considered

black people less than human. Jesse, a black American athlete, wondered if he would be able to

participate in the Olympics with so much hostility around.

2. What prompted the Nazis to control their racist attitude during the German Olympics?

 Ans: The unabated atrocities of the Nazis terrified the world around. Many countries were

apprehensive about the safety of their players. Most of them wanted to boycott the Olympics.

Nazis had to give in to this pressure and allow Jews and Blacks from other countries to participate.

B. Answer in detail.

1. Though belonging to the‘Master Race’, according to the Nazis, Long did not behave like one. Justify.

 Ans: Lutz Long was a competitor from Germany with whom Jesse Owens competed in the

long-jump event. Long fitted the description of the ideal human belonging to the ‘Master Race’

perfectly. The Nazis greatly regarded him, but Long was disgusted by their racist attitude. Jesse

Owens, a Black, received immense respect from Long. Although he was a fellow competitor, he

guided Owens on the rules for the long jump in Germany. Long’s valuable advice helped Owens

win a gold medal. Long won the silver and he was the first to congratulate Owens on his victory.

He bravely posed for photographs with Owens in front of the Nazis and proved that he was

different and did not care much about being part of the ‘Master Race’.

2. How did Jesse Owens dispel Hitler’s dream of Germans reigning supreme in all the competitions

at the Olympics?

 Ans: Hitler was disappointed at how the games turned out at the Olympics. Jesse Owens won

gold medals in the 100 metres, 200 metres race and the 1 400 metres relay. Even in the long

jump event, Owens, with guidance from a fellow German, won the gold. He was the first runner in

Olympic history to win four gold medals. Hitler was shocked and was quite angry and frustrated

at this as his dream of seeing the ‘Master Race’ winning all competitions was shattered.


C. Read the lines and answer the questions.

He had expected hatred and insults from the crowd. (A Race to Remember)

a. Who is ‘he’?

b. Why did he expect hatred?

c. How was he received?

Ans: a. ‘He’ refers to Jesse Owens.

 b. It was the time when Nazis were most cruel to people of other races especially Jews and the

Blacks. Owens being black thought he would be insulted on arrival at Berlin.

 c. He was greeted cheerfully and he had great number of fans in Germany who had heard of

his great feats.

D. Answer in brief. (Think and answer)

1. Why is it important to keep out disparities based on religion, race or colour, in sports?

 Free response Suggested Ans: We all need to be involved in some kind of sports as it helps in

building both our physical and mental strength. The purpose of team sports is to learn tolerance,

understanding and leadership. If race, colour or religion interferes with these objectives, then the

value of sports will be lost forever.

2. What qualities do you look for in a friend? Give a brief sketch of a true friend of yours, keeping the

relationship between Long and Jesse Owens in mind.

 Free response

E. Answer in detail. (Think and answer)

How did Jesse and Long prove to the world that true friendship is beyond all differences?

 Ans: The friendship that Jesse and Long shared was proof that genuine friendship surpasses all

barriers. Jesse was a Black American and Long, a German considered as a true example of the ‘Master

Race’ by the Nazis. They became the best of friends after the Berlin Olympics. Along with the gold

medals, Jesse won the friendship of Long, which he cherished the most. They came from different

backgrounds and had different beliefs but what brought them together was the respect and concern

they had for each other. The bond was so strong that Long was ready to face any challenge to keep

his friendship with Owens. True friendship is not afraid of persecution. That courage could be seen in

the friendship of Owens and Long.


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