Hi Guys! let me share with you this text and some reading comprehension activities! 
Hope they are useful to you! :)

TOM DALEY 
Diving Champion

Tom Daley was born on May 21st, 1994. Tom played soccer with the other kids when he was a young boy, but he didn't enjoy it very much. Then, when he was seven, he went to his local swimming pool where there was a diving platform, and tried diving for the first time. He loved it!

As his ability and fitness improved, he wanted to dive from the higher diving board, but he was scared of the height. However. Andy Banks, the coach who trained Tom, saw that Tom had talent, and so continued to encourage him. The training worked. As he practiced diving from the 10-meter platform, Tom developed more self-confidence. And as his self-confidence grew, his ambition grew, too. He decided to try out for the Olympic team. He qualified, and in 2008, when he was just fourteen, he competed in the Beijing Olympics. He didn't win any medals, but his enthusiasm increased. Since then, he has won several gold medals in international diving competitions, including two at the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Tom has to have a lot of commitment and discipline to be a champion diver, and to do his schoolwork at the same time. From Monday to Thursday, after his school day ends, his coach lets him relax or do his homework until 5:30 in the evening. That's when his training begins. It finishes at 8:30 or 9 p.m. Fridays are a little different. He trains after school — from 3:15 to 6:45 — and then he's allowed to have a break in the evening. He trains again on Saturday morning, but he has Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday to relax.

The training gives him the strength and stamina he needs to compete at an Olympic level, and in the past three years Tom has taken only two two-week breaks from training. His lifestyle may be a little different from most teenagers', but Tom is committed to his sport and believes that hard work will bring success. 



Reading

1) Scan the article quickly. Find these figures.

1 Tom Daley's birth date

2 Tom's age when he discovered diving

3 The year Tom competed in the Beijing Olympics

4 The number of gold medals Tom won in 2010

5 The time he usually starts training in the evening

2) Look at the Reading skills box.

3) Underline these words in the article. Then label them N (for noun) or V (for verb). If you don't know the meaning, use a dictionary.

1 diving platform
2 height
3 try out
4 qualified
5 medals
6 relax

4) Read again. Answer the questions.

1 Which sport did Tom play before he tried diving?
2 Where did Tom first learn to dive? 
3 What height platform did Tom want to dive from?
4 Who recognized Tom's talent at diving?  
5 How long does Tom train for on Monday to Thursday evenings?  
6 Since he was thirteen, how many weeks in total has Tom had away from training?  

5) Think about these questions. Discuss them with a partner. Write your answers.

Would you like to compete in the Olympic Games? 
Which sport would you choose?
Would you have the stamina to train for as many hours as Tom Daley?

Extra:

LEARNING TO DIVE WITH TOM DALEY





Tom Daley: Draw My Life