The Reading / Listening - Naomi Osaka - Level 6

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Tennis Open citing stress from having to address the world's media. Japan's world number two Osaka, 23, announced she did not want to do interviews after her matches to "protect her mental health". The Women's Tennis Association said this was in breach of her obligations as a professional player. It initially threatened to expel her from the tournament if she did not talk to the media. It has since backtracked and said it wants to "create meaningful improvements" in supporting players with mental health problems. It added: "We commend Naomi for sharing in her own words the pressures and anxieties she is feeling."

Naomi Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion and is the reigning champion at the US Open and the Australian Open. She has had problems coping with the stress of being in the spotlight as one of tennis' biggest stars. She said: "The truth is that I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018." Organisers of the four Opens have faced criticism for the way they have handled Ms Osaka's mental health concerns. However, it recently stated: "We empathise with the unique pressures tennis players may face." Many top players have said they are fully behind Ms Osaka. Serena Williams offered her support, saying: "I feel for Naomi....I wish I could give her a hug."

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Naomi Osaka - Level 4  or  Naomi Osaka - Level 5

Sources
  • https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210601/p2g/00m/0sp/002000c
  • https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/57311128
  • https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/31543237/naomi-osaka-withdraws-french-open-one-day-fine-threat-harsher-sanctions-skipping-media-obligations improvements."


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Warm-ups

1. TENNIS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about tennis. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
       superstar / stress / address / interview / mental health / obligations / pressure /words
       champion / coping / spotlight / truth / depression / criticism / unique / support / hug
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. MENTAL HEALTH HELP: Students A strongly believe sports stars should be given more help with mental health to cope with the pressures and anxieties; Students B strongly believe otherwise. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. PRESSURE: How much pressure are sports stars under? How can they deal with it? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often. Share what you wrote.

 

How Great Is the Pressure?

How to Deal with It

Winning

 

 

Training

 

 

Expectations from coaches

 

 

Press interviews

 

 

Fear of performing poorly

 

 

Finals

 

 
MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. SUPERSTAR: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "superstar". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. STRESSFUL SPORTS: Rank these with your partner. Put the most stressful jobs at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Tennis player
  • Goalkeeper
  • Ski jumper
  • Boxer
  • Archer
  • Rock climber
  • F1 driver
  • Snooker player

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. superstar a. Mentioning as an example.
      2. citing b. Reversed one's previous action or opinion.
      3. breach c. An act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound.
      4. obligation d. An act of breaking or failing to observe a law, agreement, or code of conduct.
      5. backtracked e. A high-profile and extremely successful performer or athlete.
      6. commend f. A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an upcoming event or something with an uncertain outcome.
      7. anxiety g. Praise formally or officially.

    Paragraph 2

      8. reigning h. Being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else.
      9. coping i. Currently holding a particular title in sports.
      10. bout j. Understand and share the feelings of another person.
      11. criticism k. Squeeze (someone) tightly in one's arms, typically to express affection.
      12. empathise l. An attack of illness or strong emotion of a specified kind.
      13. unique m. The expression of disapproval of someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes.
      14. hug n. Dealing effectively with something difficult.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. Naomi Osaka pulled out of a tennis tournament because of anxiety.     T / F
  2. Naomi Osaka is currently the world number one in the women's game.    T / F
  3. The Women's Tennis Association said it would expel Ms Osaka.     T / F
  4. The Women's Tennis Association praised Ms Osaka for speaking out.     T / F
  5. Ms Osaka is the current US Open and Australian Open champion.     T / F
  6. Ms Osaka said she has battled depression for over a decade.     T / F
  7. Very few tennis players have supported Naomi Osaka's actions.     T / F
  8. Serena Williams said she wanted to hug Ms Osaka.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. withdrawn
  2. address
  3. breach
  4. backtracked
  5. commend
  6. reigning
  7. coping
  8. bouts
  9. unique
  10. hug
  1. current
  2. changed one's mind
  3. periods
  4. dealing
  5. talk to
  6. cuddle
  7. pulled out
  8. specific
  9. violation
  10. praise

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. stress from having to address
  2. this was in breach
  3. It initially threatened to expel her
  4. It has since
  5. the pressures
  6. a four-time Grand Slam
  7. the stress of being
  8. I have suffered long
  9. top players have said they are fully
  10. I wish I could give
  1. her a hug
  2. and anxieties
  3. singles champion
  4. behind Ms Osaka
  5. of her obligations
  6. bouts of depression
  7. the world's media
  8. in the spotlight
  9. from the tournament
  10. backtracked

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
breach
backtracked
citing
feeling
announced
commend
initially
supporting

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Tennis Open (1) _____________________ stress from having to address the world's media. Japan's world number two Osaka, 23, (2) _____________________ she did not want to do interviews after her matches to "protect her mental health". The Women's Tennis Association said this was in (3) _____________________ of her obligations as a professional player. It (4) _____________________ threatened to expel her from the tournament if she did not talk to the media. It has since (5) _____________________ and said it wants to "create meaningful improvements" in (6) _____________________ players with mental health problems. It added: "We (7) _____________________ Naomi for sharing in her own words the pressures and anxieties she is (8) _____________________."

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
unique
bouts
reigning
hug
coping
concerns
fully
faced

Naomi Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion and is the (9) _____________________ champion at the US Open and the Australian Open. She has had problems (10) _____________________ with the stress of being in the spotlight as one of tennis' biggest stars. She said: "The truth is that I have suffered long (11) _____________________ of depression since the US Open in 2018." Organisers of the four Opens have (12) _____________________ criticism for the way they have handled Ms Osaka's mental health (13) _____________________. However, it recently stated: "We empathise with the (14) _____________________ pressures tennis players may face." Many top players have said they are (15) _____________________ behind Ms Osaka. Serena Williams offered her support, saying: "I feel for Naomi....I wish I could give her a (16) _____________________."

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Tennis ______
     a.  Open cite in stress
     b.  Open sighting stress
     c.  Open site in stress
     d.  Open citing stress
2)  The Women's Tennis Association said this was in ______ obligations
     a.  bleach of her
     b.  breach of her
     c.  broach of her
     d.  breech of her
3)  as a professional player. It initially threatened ______
     a.  to extol her
     b.  to exhale her
     c.  to expire her
     d.  to expel her
4)  tournament if she did not talk to the media. It ______
     a.  has since backed track
     b.  has since back tract
     c.  has since backed tract
     d.  has since backtracked
5)  We commend Naomi for sharing in her own words the ______
     a.  pleasures and enquiries
     b.  pressures and anxieties
     c.  pleasures and organisers
     d.  pressures and enquiries

6)  Naomi Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion and is ______
     a.  the reigning champion
     b.  the raining champion
     c.  the lane in champion
     d.  the running champion
7)  She has had problems coping with the stress of being ______
     a.  in the spots light
     b.  in the spotty light
     c.  in the spotlight
     d.  in the sport light
8)  She said: "The truth is that I have suffered long ______"
     a.  bouts of deep ration
     b.  bouts of depression
     c.  bouts of deep recession
     d.  bouts of deep lesion
9) health concerns. However, it recently stated: "We empathise with ______
     a.  the uniquely pressures
     b.  the you niche pressures
     c.  the you nick pressures
     d.  the unique pressures
10)  Williams offered her support, saying: "I feel for Naomi....I wish I could give ______."
     a.  her a shrug
     b.  her a hug
     c.  her a huge
     d.  her a hag

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka (1) ____________________ the French Tennis Open citing stress from (2) ____________________ the world's media. Japan's world number two Osaka, 23, announced she did not want to do interviews after her (3) ____________________ her mental health". The Women's Tennis Association said this was in breach of her obligations as a professional player. It initially (4) ____________________ her from the tournament if she did not talk to the media. It has since backtracked and said it wants to "create meaningful improvements" (5) ____________________ with mental health problems. It added: "We commend Naomi for sharing in her own words the (6) ____________________ she is feeling."

Naomi Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion and (7) ____________________ champion at the US Open and the Australian Open. She has had (8) ____________________ the stress of being in the spotlight as one of tennis' biggest stars. She said: "The truth is that I have suffered long (9) ____________________ since the US Open in 2018." Organisers of the four Opens have (10) ____________________ the way they have handled Ms Osaka's mental health concerns. However, it recently stated: "We empathise (11) ____________________ pressures tennis players may face." Many top players have said they are fully behind Ms Osaka. Serena Williams (12) ____________________, saying: "I feel for Naomi....I wish I could give her a hug."

Comprehension questions

  1. Who did Naomi Osaka not want to address?
  2. Where is Naomi Osaka on the world tennis rankings?
  3. What did the Women's Tennis Association say Ms Osaka breached?
  4. What did the Women's Tennis Association threaten to do to Ms Osaka?
  5. What was Naomi Osaka commended for?
  6. How many Grand Slams has Naomi Osaka won?
  7. What has Ms Osaka suffered long bouts of?
  8. What faced criticism for the way it handled Ms Osaka's concerns?
  9. Who is fully behind Ms Osaka?
  10. Who wants to give Naomi Osaka a hug?

Multiple choice quiz

1)  Who did Naomi Osaka not want to address?
a) her sponsors
b) the world's media
c) fans
d) the Women's Tennis Association
2) Where is Naomi Osaka on the world tennis rankings?
a) seven
b) one
c) three
d) two
3) What did the Women's Tennis Association say Ms Osaka breached?
a) rules
b) etiquette
c) her obligations
d) a contract
4) What did the Women's Tennis Association threaten to do to Ms Osaka?
a) expel her
b) ban her for a year
c) fine her $1 million
d) ban her from Opens
5) What was Naomi Osaka commended for?
a) her work ethic
b) sharing her feelings
c) her shots
d) the example she is setting

6) How many Grand Slams has Naomi Osaka won?
a) four
b) three
c) five
d) two
7) What has Ms Osaka suffered long bouts of?
a) insomnia
b) flu
c) depression
d) dizziness
8) What faced criticism for the way it handled Ms Osaka's concerns?
a) organisers of the four Opens
b) the world's media
c) a fan club
d) TV companies
9) Who is fully behind Ms Osaka?
a) the Open organisers
b) all sports stars
c) doctors
d) many top players
10) Who wants to give Naomi Osaka a hug?
a) Roger Federer
b) an umpire
c) Serena Williams
d) the Women's Tennis Association

Role play

Role  A – Tennis Player
You think a tennis player has the most stressful life. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their sports aren't as stressful. Also, tell the others which is the least stressful of these (and why): ski jumper, archer or F1 driver.

Role  B – Ski Jumper
You think a ski jumper has the most stressful life. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their sports aren't as stressful. Also, tell the others which is the least stressful of these (and why): tennis player, archer or F1 driver.

Role  C – Archer
You think an archer has the most stressful life. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their sports aren't as stressful. Also, tell the others which is the least stressful of these (and why): ski jumper, tennis player or F1 driver.

Role  D – F1 Driver
You think an F1 driver has the most stressful life. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them why their sports aren't as stressful. Also, tell the others which is the least stressful of these (and why): ski jumper, archer or tennis player.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'tennis'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'player'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

    4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

    5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • superstar
    • two
    • breach
    • expel
    • since
    • sharing
    • reigning
    • biggest
    • truth
    • handled
    • face
    • fully

    Student survey

    Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

    (Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

    Discussion - Naomi Osaka

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'tennis'?
    3. What do you know about Naomi Osaka?
    4. What do you think of Naomi withdrawing from the French Open?
    5. Should the organisers have shown more support for Naomi?
    6. What is more important, watching a tennis player play or talk?
    7. How stressful do you think being in the media spotlight is?
    8. Will Naomi's actions create a better understanding of mental health?
    9. What should sports bodies do about the mental health of its stars?
    10. What advice do you have for Naomi Osaka?

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'mental health'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. What do you think of tennis?
    5. How big a loss is Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the tournament?
    6. How can sports stars better cope with depression?
    7. How easy is it for people to speak about mental health in your country?
    8. What pressures do sports stars face?
    9. Are the pressures for players greater today than ever before?
    10. What questions would you like to ask Naomi Osaka?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Tennis Open (1) ____ stress from having to address the world's media. Japan's world number two Osaka, 23, announced she did not want to (2) ____ interviews after her matches to "protect her mental health". The Women's Tennis Association said this was in (3) ____ of her obligations as a professional player. It initially threatened to (4) ____ her from the tournament if she did not talk to the media. It has (5) ____ backtracked and said it wants to "create meaningful improvements" in supporting players with mental health problems. It added: "We (6) ____ Naomi for sharing in her own words the pressures and anxieties she is feeling."

    Naomi Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion and is the (7) ____ champion at the US Open and the Australian Open. She has had problems coping (8) ____ the stress of being in the spotlight as one of tennis' biggest stars. She said: "The truth is that I have suffered long (9) ____ of depression since the US Open in 2018." Organisers of the four Opens have faced criticism (10) ____ the way they have handled Ms Osaka's mental health concerns. However, it recently stated: "We (11) ____ with the unique pressures tennis players may face." Many top players have said they are (12) ____ behind Ms Osaka. Serena Williams offered her support, saying: "I feel for Naomi....I wish I could give her a hug."

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     slighting     (b)     citing     (c)     sighting     (d)     sating    
    2. (a)     talk     (b)     do     (c)     speak     (d)     be    
    3. (a)     batch     (b)     broche     (c)     broach     (d)     breach    
    4. (a)     extol     (b)     expel     (c)     exhale     (d)     exile    
    5. (a)     thus     (b)     about     (c)     far     (d)     since    
    6. (a)     command     (b)     commence     (c)     commend     (d)     commerce    
    7. (a)     reigning     (b)     sovereign     (c)     regal     (d)     imperial    
    8. (a)     of     (b)     at     (c)     with     (d)     to    
    9. (a)     fights     (b)     scraps     (c)     episode     (d)     bouts    
    10. (a)     for     (b)     as     (c)     on     (d)     in     
    11. (a)     empathise     (b)     empathy     (c)     empathetic     (d)     empathies    
    12. (a)     fully     (b)     full     (c)     fuller     (d)     filling

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. withdrawn from the French Tennis Open igncti stress
    2. this was in breach of her songilboita
    3. It laylnitii threatened to expel her
    4. It has since akktrebcadc
    5. We cendmmo Naomi for sharing
    6. the pressures and atniexesi

    Paragraph 2

    1. the nnierggi champion
    2. She has had problems ogcnpi
    3. I have suffered long otubs of depression
    4. faced rciicimst
    5. We eisphemta
    6. unqeui pressures tennis players may face

    Put the text back together

    (...)  address the world's media. Japan's world number two Osaka, 23, announced she did not want to do
    (...)  tournament if she did not talk to the media. It has since backtracked and said it wants
    (...)  champion at the US Open and the Australian Open. She has had problems coping with the stress of being in the
    (...)  criticism for the way they have handled Ms Osaka's mental health concerns. However, it recently
    (...)  to "create meaningful improvements" in supporting players with mental health problems. It added:
    (...)  breach of her obligations as a professional player. It initially threatened to expel her from the
    (...)  spotlight as one of tennis' biggest stars. She said: "The truth is that I have suffered long bouts
    (...)  interviews after her matches to "protect her mental health". The Women's Tennis Association said this was in
    (...)  of depression since the US Open in 2018." Organisers of the four Opens have faced
    (...)  "We commend Naomi for sharing in her own words the pressures and anxieties she is feeling."
    (...)  behind Ms Osaka. Serena Williams offered her support, saying: "I feel for Naomi....I wish I could give her a hug."
    (...)  stated: "We empathise with the unique pressures tennis players may face." Many top players have said they are fully
    (  1  ) Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the French Tennis Open citing stress from having to
    (...)  Naomi Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion and is the reigning

    Put the words in the right order

    1. address   from   having   Stress   to   world's   media   .   the
    2. do   interviews   to   want   She   after   didn't   matches   .
    3. In   of   player   .   obligations   professional   breach   as   a
    4. the   expel   tournament   .   her   It   threatened   to   from
    5. health  problems  .  supporting  with  players  mental  in  Improvements
    6. the   had   stress   .   problems   has   She   coping   with
    7. depression   .   I   suffered   of   long   have   bouts
    8. the   with   pressures   Empathise   players   unique   tennis   face   .
    9. Ms Osaka   .   said   have   Players   they   behind   fully   are
    10. wish   her   give   could   I   I   a   hug   .

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has withdrew / withdrawn from the French Tennis Open citing stress / stressed from having to address / mail the world's media. Japan's world number two Osaka, 23, announced she did not want to do interview / interviews after her matches to "protect her mental health". The Women's Tennis Association said this was in broach / breach of her obligations as a professional player. It initially / initial threatened to expel her from the tournament if she did not talk to the media. It has stance / since backtracked and said it wants to "create meaningful improvements" on / in supporting players with mental health problems. It added: "We commend / command Naomi for sharing in her own words the pressures / pressurise and anxieties she is feeling."

    Naomi Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam single / singles champion and is the reigning champion at / to the US Open and the Australian Open. She has had problems coping / cooping with the stress of being in the lamp / spotlight as one of tennis' biggest stars. She said: "The true / truth is that I have suffered long bots / bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018." Organisers of the four Opens have faced criticism / critical for the way they have handled Ms Osaka's mental health concerns. However, it recent / recently stated: "We empathise with the unique pressures tennis players may face." Many top players have said they are fully / full behind Ms Osaka. Serena Williams offered her support, saying: "I feel for Naomi....I wish I could give her a huge / hug."

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    T_nn_s  s_p_rst_r  N__m_  _s_k_  h_s  w_thdr_wn  fr_m  th_  Fr_nch  T_nn_s  _p_n  c_t_ng  str_ss  fr_m  h_v_ng  t_  _ddr_ss  th_  w_rld's  m_d__.  J_p_n's  w_rld  n_mb_r  tw_  _s_k_,  23,  _nn__nc_d  sh_  d_d  n_t  w_nt  t_  d_  _nt_rv__ws  _ft_r  h_r  m_tch_s  t_  "pr_t_ct  h_r  m_nt_l  h__lth".  Th_  W_m _ ns  T_nn_s  _ss_c__t__n  s__d  th_s  w_s  _n  br__ch  _f  h_r  _bl_g_t__ns  _s  _  pr_f_ss__n_l  pl_y_r.  _t  _n_t__lly  thr__t_n_d  t_  _xp_l  h_r  fr_m  th_  t__rn_m_nt  _f  sh_  d_d  n_t  t_lk  t_  th_  m_d__.  _t  h_s  s_nc_  b_cktr_ck_d  _nd  s__d  _t  w_nts  t_  "cr__t_  m__n_ngf_l  _mpr_v_m_nts"  _n  s_pp_rt_ng  pl_y_rs  w_th  m_nt_l  h__lth  pr_bl_ms.  _t  _dd_d:  "W_  c_mm_nd  N__m_  f_r  sh_r_ng  _n  h_r  _wn  w_rds  th_  pr_ss_r_s  _nd  _nx__t__s  sh_  _s  f__l_ng."

    N__m_  _s_k_  _s  _  f__r-t_m_  Gr_nd  Sl_m  s_ngl_s  ch_mp__n  _nd  _s  th_  r__gn_ng  ch_mp__n  _t  th_  _S  _p_n  _nd  th_  __str_l__n  _p_n.  Sh_  h_s  h_d  pr_bl_ms  c_p_ng  w_th  th_  str_ss  _f  b__ng  _n  th_  sp_tl_ght  _s  _n_  _f  t_nn_s'  b_gg_st  st_rs.  Sh_  s__d:  "Th_  tr_th  _s  th_t  _  h_v_  s_ff_r_d  l_ng  b__ts  _f  d_pr_ss__n  s_nc_  th_  _S  _p_n  _n  2018."  _rg_n_s_rs  _f  th_  f__r  _p_ns  h_v_  f_c_d  cr_t_c_sm  f_r  th_  w_y  th_y  h_v_  h_ndl_d  Ms  _s_k_'s  m_nt_l  h__lth  c_nc_rns.  H_w_v_r,  _t  r_c_ntly  st_t_d:  "W_  _mp_th_s_  w_th  th_  _n_q__  pr_ss_r_s  t_nn_s  pl_y_rs  m_y  f_c_."  M_ny  t_p  pl_y_rs  h_v_  s__d  th_y  _r_  f_lly  b_h_nd  Ms  _s_k_.  S_r_n_  W_ll__ms  _ff_r_d  h_r  s_pp_rt,  s_y_ng:  "_  f__l  f_r  N__m_...._  w_sh  _  c__ld  g_v_  h_r  _  h_g."

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    tennis superstar naomi osaka has withdrawn from the french tennis open citing stress from having to address the worlds media japans world number two osaka 23 announced she did not want to do interviews after her matches to protect her mental health the womens tennis association said this was in breach of her obligations as a professional player it initially threatened to expel her from the tournament if she did not talk to the media it has since backtracked and said it wants to create meaningful improvements in supporting players with mental health problems it added we commend naomi for sharing in her own words the pressures and anxieties she is feeling

    naomi osaka is a fourtime grand slam singles champion and is the reigning champion at the us open and the australian open she has had problems coping with the stress of being in the spotlight as one of tennis biggest stars she said the truth is that i have suffered long bouts of depression since the us open in 2018 organisers of the four opens have faced criticism for the way they have handled ms osakas mental health concerns however it recently stated we empathise with the unique pressures tennis players may face many top players have said they are fully behind ms osaka serena williams offered her support saying i feel for naomii wish i could give her a hug

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    TennissuperstarNaomiOsakahaswithdrawnfromtheFrenchTennisOp
    encitingstressfromhavingtoaddresstheworld'smedia.Japan'sworldn
    umbertwoOsaka,23,announcedshedidnotwanttodointerviewsafterh
    ermatchesto"protecthermentalhealth".TheWomen'sTennisAssociat
    ionsaidthiswasinbreachofherobligationsasaprofessionalplayer.Itinit
    iallythreatenedtoexpelherfromthetournamentifshedidnottalktothe
    media.Ithassincebacktrackedandsaiditwantsto"createmeaningfuli
    mprovements"insupportingplayerswithmentalhealthproblems.Itad
    ded:"WecommendNaomiforsharinginherownwordsthepressuresan
    danxietiessheisfeeling."NaomiOsakaisafourtimeGrandSlamsinglesc
    hampionandisthereigningchampionattheUSOpenandtheAustralian
    Open.Shehashadproblemscopingwiththestressofbeinginthespotligh
    tasoneoftennis'biggeststars.Shesaid:"ThetruthisthatIhavesufferedl
    ongboutsofdepressionsincetheUSOpenin2018."Organisersofthefou
    rOpenshavefacedcriticismforthewaytheyhavehandledMsOsaka'sme
    ntalhealthconcerns.However,itrecentlystated:"Weempathisewithth
    euniquepressurestennisplayersmayface."Manytopplayershavesaidt
    heyarefullybehindMsOsaka.SerenaWilliamsofferedhersupport,sayi
    ng:"IfeelforNaomi....IwishIcouldgiveherahug."

    Free writing

    Write about Naomi Osaka for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    There is no need for sports stars to talk to the world's media. Discuss.

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    Homework

    1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
    2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. TENNIS: Make a poster about tennis. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. MEDIA INTERVIEWS: Write a magazine article about giving sports stars the choice of whether or not to talk to the media. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on mental health in sport. Ask him/her three questions about it. Give him/her three of your ideas on how to help sports stars cope with the stresses of their sport. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

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    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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