Pre-reading activity This presentation contains the fair use of copyrighted materials WORLD’S FASTEST HUMAN

UNDERSTANDING IDIOMS AND ALLUSIONS IN TEXT Sometimes we use a word or phrase that says one thing but it means something different Idioms are phrases that refer to something but can’t be taken literally. Here are a few common idioms: raining cats and dogs (what does this actually mean?) pushing up daisies (what does this actually mean?) the apple of my eye (what does this actually mean?) hit the sack (what does this actually mean?) the Icing on the cake (what does this actually mean?) An allusion is a reference to something or someone, usually these are famous or important events, people, or places. Everything he touches turns to gold (allusion to King Midas in Greek mythology) Annie was no Scrooge, but she was careful with her money. (reference to Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol) In Harry Potter, Fluffy, the three-headed dog, is an allusion to Cerberus, the three-headed dog in Greek mythology.

WHAT IS AN ECLIPSE? Eclipse means more than just a shadow covering the sun or moon. It could also refer to other things. Look at this sentence: He had eclipsed his own world record. What does eclipse mean in this sentence? Why would the writer say it this way?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SHAVE? So how would you shave fractions of a second off? Why would we say it this way?

Click here to see the Top 10 Fastest Land Animals THE WORLD’S FASTEST HUMAN by Alex Altman Time magazine August 31, 2009

Raise your hand if you are on the track team. Raise your hand if you run the 100 meter dash. What is your best time? How many meters per second is that? (Divide 100 by your time) How many miles per hour is that? Click here to Convert Meters per Second to Miles per Hour How fast can a human run?

Click here to see the Mens 100 Metre World Record Progressions

THE WORLD’S FASTEST 100 METRE MEN…

Donald Lippincott 100 meters in 10.6 sec mph Charley Paddock 100 meters in 10.4 sec mph Jesse Owens 100 meters in 10.3 sec mph

Bob Hayes 100 meters in sec mph Carl Lewis 100 meters in 9.86 sec mph Usain Bolt 100 meters in 9.58 sec mph

GETTING TO THE GOAL When you have a goal how do you get yourself closer to that goal? (examples of some goals: running faster, reading twenty books in one year, getting an A in a class, earning money to buy a new bicycle, etc.) What do you do to push yourself to reach your goal that seems impossible or really difficult to reach? Take a minute and write down a personal goal you have. How are you going to push yourself to reach that goal? What are you going to do if you fail the first few times? How will you push yourself to keep going?

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