Cathy Freeman - Australian's Track Queen Reading Answers

Jan 23, 2023

Cathy Freeman - Australian's Track Queen Reading Answers is an IELTS academic reading topic. It talks about Cathy Freeman and her life as an athlete. The given IELTS topic has originated from the book named “Cambridge IELTS 10 Student's Book with Answers”. The topic named Cathy Freeman - Australian's Track Queen Reading Answers comes with 14 questions in total. The question types are to choose the heading and no more than two words..

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Section 1

Read the passage to answer the following questions

Cathy Freeman - Australian's Track Queen Reading Answers

Runner Cathy Freeman is the first Aborigine, the name given to indigenous Australians, ever to compete in the Olympics, and the first to wave the Aboriginal flag at a sporting event. Freeman lit the Olympic flame at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, and won a gold medal in the 400 meters at those Games.

Freeman’s grandmother was part of the “stolen generation” of Aboriginal people in Australia—from the early 20th century until the 1970s; many Aboriginal children were taken from their parents to be raised in state-run institutions. This practice was intended to remove the children from the poverty, disease, and addiction that plagued many aboriginal people, but it also resulted in tragically broken family ties and loss of ancient cultural traditions. Although Freeman was not taken from her family, she had a difficult childhood. Both her younger sister and her father died when she was young.

When Freeman was still a girl; her talent in running was obvious. Her mother, Cecilia, encouraged her to pursue her interest in athletics, and when she was ten, her stepfather told her she could win a gold medal at the Olympics if she trained properly. However, although she had the talent, she was also a member of a minority group that historically had not had access to the same resources that other athletes had. Freeman was one of only a few Aborigines who won a scholarship to a boarding school where she could learn and train.

At the age of 15, she competed at the National School Championships, and did well enough to be encouraged to try out for the 1990 Commonwealth Games team. She made the team as a sprinter, and was a member of the 4 X 100-meter relay team, which won gold at the Commonwealth Games. In 1990, she competed in the Australian National Championships, winning the 200 meters, and then ran in the 100, 200, and 4 X 100-meter races at the World Junior Games. During this time, she met Nick Bideau, an Australian track official who would later become her coach, manager, and boyfriend.

In 1992, she competed in the 400-meter relay at the Barcelona Olympics, making it to the second qualifying round. She was also a member of the 4 X 100 meter team, which ran in the final but did not win a medal. At the World Junior Championships in 1992, she won a silver medal in the 200 meters. In 1993, she made it to the semifinals in the 200 meters in the World Championships.

In 1994, Freeman won the 200 meters and the 400 meters at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. After winning the 400 meters, Freeman ran her victory lap, carrying not the Australian national flag, but the red, black, and yellow Aboriginal flag. She was criticised in the press, and Australian team leader Arthur Tunstall told her she should not display the flag again. Freeman used the publicity she got to publicly discuss what the flag meant to Aboriginal people, explaining its symbolism: red for earth, yellow for sun, and black for skin. Defying Tunstall’s orders, she ran with the flag again after winning the 200 meters.

At the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, Freeman won a silver medal in the 400 meters. After those Games, she broke off her romantic relationship with Bideau, although he continued as her manager. Freeman won the World Championships in the 400 meters in 1997 and 1998, even though she suffered a heel injury in 1998.

In 1999, Freeman met Alexander Bodecker, an American executive for the Nike shoe company, and the two fell in love. As a result, her relationship with Bideau became strained, and she eventually fired him. Freeman and Bodecker were married on September 19, 1999, in San Francisco. Bideau subsequently claimed that she owed him over $2 million in assets from deals he negotiated while he represented her, leading to a long court battle.

Freeman was, of course, Australia’s favourite to win a gold medal in the 400 meters at the 2000 Olympics, held in Sydney. Like any athlete, Freeman wanted to win in order to meet her own goals, but she also knew that she was viewed as a representative of the Aboriginal people, and she wanted to win for them. “I could feel the crowd all over me,” she told Mark Shimabukuro in the Sporting News. “I felt the emotion being absorbed into every part of my body.” When she won, with a time of 49.11 seconds, she was so relieved that she dropped to her knees on the track after completing the race.

Freeman’s shoes were yellow, black, and red, traditional Aboriginal colours, but after she won, she took them off and ran her victory lap, in traditional Aboriginal style, carrying both the Australian and Aboriginal flags around the track as the crowd cheered. This time, instead of being criticised for carrying the Aboriginal flag around the track; she was widely celebrated by the Australian media and public.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-9

The text has ten paragraphs labelled A–J.
Choose the correct heading for sections B–J from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number, i–xii, in boxes 1-9 on your answer sheet.

Paragraph Headings

An Australian sporting icon
A new love
Early competition
Winning isn’t everything
Family support for running
Her first Olympics
Adored by her nation
Aboriginal identity on the track
Winning the top medal at home
Second on the big stage
A difficult childhood
Losing in Sydney

Paragraph 2

Answer: xi. A difficult childhood
Supporting Sentence: Although Freeman was not taken from her family, she had a difficult childhood.
Keyword : difficult, childhood, died
Keyword Location: Paragraph B, 2nd last sentence
Explanation: The author in the second paragraph states that childhood was difficult. The passage also states that both her sister and father died when she was young. This shows how hard childhood has been. Hence, a difficult childhood is the correct answer.

Paragraph 3

Answer: v. Family support for running
Supporting Sentence: Her mother, Cecilia, encouraged her to pursue her interest in athletics, and when she was ten, her stepfather told her she could win a gold medal at the Olympics if she trained properly.
Keyword : encouraged, win, gold medal
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, 2nd sentence
Explanation: The passage shows that mer mother encouraged her to continue interest in athletics which was running. The passage also states that when she was ten, her stepfather inspired her. He said that she could win a gold medal at the olympics. This proves that the family supports her for running.

Paragraph 4

Answer: iii. Early competition
Supporting Sentence: At the age of 15, she competed at the National School Championships, and did well enough to be encouraged to try out for the 1990 Commonwealth Games team.
Keyword : age of 15, try out
Keyword Location: Paragraph D, 1st sentence
Explanation: As per the author, she competed at the National School Championships at the age of 15. This is an early age. The author also talks about many other competitions that she took part in. Hence, Early competition is the competition.

Paragraph 5

Answer: vi. Her first Olympics
Supporting Sentence: At the World Junior Championships in 1992, she won a silver medal in the 200 meters.
Keyword : Junior, world, championship, 1992
Keyword Location: Paragraph E, 2nd last sentence
Explanation: The author talks about her first olympics in 1992. The whole passage talks about the olympics she participated in. She also won a silver medal. Hence, the first olympics is the correct answer.

Paragraph 6

Answer: viii. Aboriginal identity on the track
Supporting Sentence: Defying Tunstall’s orders, she ran with the flag again after winning the 200 meters.
Keyword : ran, flag, winning, Aboriginal
Keyword Location: Paragraph F, last sentence
Explanation: Freeman was asked to stop using the flag on track. She used the publicity she got to publicly discuss what the flag meant to Aboriginal people, explaining its symbolism: red for earth, yellow for sun, and black for skin. Then she again ran with the flag after winning 200 meters. Hence, Aboriginal identity on the track is the correct answer.

Paragraph 7

Answer: x. Second on the big stage
Supporting Sentence: At the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, Freeman won a silver medal in the 400 meters.
Keyword : silver medal
Keyword Location: Paragraph, G, 1st sentence
Explanation: Silver medals are given to those who come second. Freeman’s life changed after she came 2nd. She broke off her romantic relationship. Since it was a big stage, she was disappointed. Hence, second on the big stage is the correct answer.

Paragraph 8

Answer: ii. A new love
Supporting Sentence: In 1999, Freeman met Alexander Bodecker, an American executive for the Nike shoe company, and the two fell in love.
Keyword : fell in love,
Keyword Location: Paragraph H, 1st sentence
Explanation: As per the author, Freeman and an American executive for Nike fell in love. Hence, this was a new love as mentioned by the author.

Paragraph 9

Answer: ix. Winning the top medal at home
Supporting Sentence: When she won, with a time of 49.11 seconds, she was so relieved that she dropped to her knees on the track after completing the race.
Keyword : Sydney
Keyword Location: Paragraph I, last sentence
Explanation: The author talks about the contest held in Sydney. It was her home crowd. She won in front of the home crowd and dropped to her knees on the track after completing the race.

Paragraph 10

Answer: vii. Adored by her nation
Supporting Sentence: This time, instead of being criticized for carrying the Aboriginal flag around the track; she was widely celebrated by the Australian media and public.
Keyword : widely, celebrated
Keyword Location: last paragraph, last sentence
Explanation: Freeman took off her shoes and ran the victory lap in Aboriginal style. She carried Australian and Aboriginal flags around the track as the crowd cheered. This was widely celebrated by the media and adored by the nation.

Questions 10–14

Complete the notes below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 10-14 on your answer sheet.

How Cathy Freeman became a sports star

Although she had a hard upbringing she got support from her mother and ………………..

Answer: stepfather
Supporting Sentence: Her mother, Cecilia, encouraged her to pursue her interest in athletics, and when she was ten, her stepfather told her she could win a gold medal at the Olympics if she trained properly.
Keyword : stepfather, encouraged
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, 2nd sentence
Explanation: As per the author Freeman’s mother encouraged her to run. Her stepfather was also not far behind. He encouraged her that she could win a gold medal.

She won a ……………… at a young age to train and study which helped her develop as an athlete.

Answer: scholarship
Supporting Sentence: Freeman was one of only a few Aborigines who won a scholarship to a boarding school where she could learn and train.
Keyword : Freeman, boarding school
Keyword Location: Paragraph C, last sentence
Explanation: As per the author, Freeman won a scholarship to a boarding school. There she could learn and train and develop as an athlete. Hence, scholarship is the correct answer.

Her first international success was in 1990 at the ……………….. as part of the Australian sprint team.

Answer: commonwealth games
Supporting Sentence: She made the team as a sprinter, and was a member of the 4 X 100-meter relay team, which won gold at the Commonwealth Games.
Keyword : team, sprinter, member, gold, commonwealth games
Keyword Location: Paragraph D, 2nd sentence
Explanation: The author states that she joined the Australian team as a member in 1990. They won gold at the commonwealth games. Hence, her first success was in 1990 at the commonwealth games.

At her second Olympics in 1996 she won a silver medal for coming second in the …………………….

Answer: 400 meters
Supporting Sentence: At the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, Freeman won a silver medal in the 400 meters.
Keyword : silver medal
Keyword Location: Paragraph, G, 1st sentence
Explanation: Silver medal means second place. So in 1996, she came second and won a silver medal. This was in the 400 meters race.

In 2000, she finally won a ………………….. at the Sydney Olympics making her one of the most loved sports stars in Australia.

Answer: gold medal
Supporting Sentence: When she won, with a time of 49.11 seconds, she was so relieved that she dropped to her knees on the track after completing the race.
Keyword : gold, sydney, won
Keyword Location: Paragraph I, last sentence
Explanation: In paragraph I, the author states that she was expected to win the gold medal in 2000 in Sydney. It was her home crowd and she won also. This made the crowd love her and the sport was much appreciated.