Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. in a row
    • ex. It’s been raining for three days in a row.
  2. expect (someone) to (do something)
    • ex. Everyone expected Kyle to be late, but he arrived early.
  3. dominate
    • ex. My company has dominated the market for over 20 years.
  4. accomplish
    • ex. I never accomplish the goals that I set every January.
  5. be at the top of (one’s) game
    • ex. My dad isn’t at the top of his game anymore, but he’s still quite good at golf.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Australian superstar Ashleigh Barty shocked the tennis world by suddenly retiring at the age of 25. At the time of her surprise announcement, she had been ranked World No. 1 for 114 weeks in a row, and many people were expecting her to dominate women’s tennis for a long time. Earlier this year, Barty became the first Australian winner of the Australian Open in 44 years.

Barty said that she had been thinking about retiring for a long time. Last year, she accomplished her life’s dream of winning Wimbledon, which changed how she felt about tennis. Barty explained that it takes a lot of physical and mental work to be at the top of her game. After years of hard work, “I have nothing more to give,” she said.

Barty is actually the second woman to retire from tennis while ranked World No. 1. The first was 25-year-old Belgian player Justine Henin in 2008. Henin returned to professional tennis 20 months later and retired for a second time in 2011 while ranked 13th in the world.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Ashleigh Barty

  • Do you agree with Barty's decision to retire while ranked World No. 1? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Henin returned to tennis only 20 months after retiring. Do you think that Barty will also return to tennis in the future? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Barty accomplished her life's dream of winning Wimbledon at the age of 25. In your opinion, is it good to accomplish your life's dream at such a young age? Why or why not? Discuss.

Top Athletes

  • Barty explained that it takes both physical and mental work to be at the top of her game. Which do you think is more difficult? Why? Discuss.
  • Do you think it's possible for athletes to stay at the top of their game forever? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Many children play sports. In your opinion, should parents push their children to be at the top of their game? Why or why not? Discuss.