Muhammad Ali, originally known as Cassius Clay, was an American boxer who became the first rapper and one of the most famous athletes of all time. As a young boxer, he won an Olympic gold medal and became heavyweight champion despite an unconventional boxing style. He later converted to Islam and refused to fight in the Vietnam War, which led to him being banned from boxing for three years. Ali made a triumphant return with a famous fight called the Rumble in the Jungle.
Muhammad Ali, originally known as Cassius Clay, was an American boxer who became the first rapper and one of the most famous athletes of all time. As a young boxer, he won an Olympic gold medal and became heavyweight champion despite an unconventional boxing style. He later converted to Islam and refused to fight in the Vietnam War, which led to him being banned from boxing for three years. Ali made a triumphant return with a famous fight called the Rumble in the Jungle.
Muhammad Ali, originally known as Cassius Clay, was an American boxer who became the first rapper and one of the most famous athletes of all time. As a young boxer, he won an Olympic gold medal and became heavyweight champion despite an unconventional boxing style. He later converted to Islam and refused to fight in the Vietnam War, which led to him being banned from boxing for three years. Ali made a triumphant return with a famous fight called the Rumble in the Jungle.
Muhammad Ali, originally known as Cassius Clay, was an American boxer who became the first rapper and one of the most famous athletes of all time. As a young boxer, he won an Olympic gold medal and became heavyweight champion despite an unconventional boxing style. He later converted to Islam and refused to fight in the Vietnam War, which led to him being banned from boxing for three years. Ali made a triumphant return with a famous fight called the Rumble in the Jungle.
2A Introduction In the 1960s, a young boxer named Cassius Clay came out of Kentucky, winning lots of fights. He even won the gold medal at the Olympics in Rome when he was only 18 years old. Still, most sports experts didnt think much of Cassius Clay. First, he had the nerve to call himself the greatest. Second, he had a very strange boxing style, in which he dodged more than he blocked. Third, he would rhyme before a fight clever freestyles that would later lead people to call him the first rapper ever. He went on to live up to his self-proclaimed greatest title. After switching his name to Muhammad Ali and converting to Islam, the boxer was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. He refused, arguing that the war was immoral. This got him banned from boxing in the United States for three years, until the Supreme Court decided that Ali should have the right to box. Ali came back in grand style, at an enormous fight, called the Rumble in the Jungle. 2B Song Lyrics Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, Your hands cant touch what your eyes cant see. Now everybodys going to say his name: Ali, But he was born Cassius Clay. From day one, he struggled and grappled with the fact that his grades were bad, hes in the back of the class. But it was inherited, he had a heritage, To keep his head up and never quit, This boxer spit more rhymes than Chaucer, Kept it hotter than water when youre cooking lobster. Wooh! You said it, he had The appearance or mien of a man with a dream. They say to catch the worm, the birdies got to get up early, Well, Ali was faster than the Kentucky Derby. Oh, he was quick and agile, Fast on his feet, the kid had style, He won Olympic gold, and came home to eat, The restaurant said, Sorry, son, whites only. Oh, He felt so cold and unsettled That he went to the river and threw in his gold medal. This was the time and era of the Vietnam War, And Ali got drafted to fight and serve. But his stance on the war? He thought it was wrong, I aint got no quarrel with them Vietcong. A man who speaks what he thinks? You said it, Meditate and muse on that for a minute, while I Hook 12
It was pivotal in his life, so important. It went down in Zaire; it was called and dubbed The Rumble in the Jungle. Foreman was stronger, but Ali was audacious, Fearless and bold, preparing to go round for round. He had to muster and gather the strength To absorb Foremans blows. Nobody knows how Ali had the strength and the stamina To withstand the pain, grab your camera. Cause one punch was exceptional, it stood out, And that punch knocked George Foreman down. The fight was legendary, and the story was told Among the black, the white, and the young and the old. You could say Ali was on a mission and crusade To prove to the world, I am the Greatest! Hook 2C Words Defined Below youll find each vocabulary word that was used in the song. Each word is followed by the part of speech, a simple definition and a meaningful sentence. Some words will also have synonyms, antonyms and other forms of the word listed. 1. agile
able to move quickly and easily; flexible
(adj)
Cheerleaders are very agile as evidenced by their fancy stunts and dance moves. Synonyms: nimble, spry Other forms: Chimpanzees have a lot of agility (noun) since they are able to swing freely and easily from limb to limb without ever falling to the ground. 2. audacious
(adj)
bold, daring or uninhibited
The audacious young baseball player was eager to work his way up from the minor leagues. Synonyms: courageous, nervy Antonyms: timid, cowardly 3. crusade
(noun)
a military expedition; a campaign for a cause
The king led the crusade across the country to take over more land and people. Other forms: Crusade can also be a verb meaning to fight for a cause, as in: The sixth graders crusade all year long to be able to attend the seventh and eighth grade dances. A crusader is one who crusades. 4. dub
(verb)
to choose; to name
The English teacher announced that she was going to dub Lawrence the best speller in the entire class. Synonyms: designate, label 13
The Word Up Project: Level Blue
5. era
a period of time marked by distinct events
(noun)
The invention of the Ford Model T marked a new era in travel.
6. exceptional
(adj)
unusual, extraordinary
Brittney was such an exceptional speller that even our English teacher asked her how to spell words. Synonyms: atypical, phenomenal, peculiar 7. grapple
(verb)
to struggle with physically or mentally
Steven grappled with the idea of losing both his mom and his brother in the car accident. 8. heritage
(noun)
legacy or tradition
The family had been located in the town for over one hundred years and were very proud of their heritage. 9. legendary
(adj)
well-known or famous
Wild Bill, the outlaw, was legendary for his bank robbery hold-ups and gun fights. Antonyms: obscure, unknown Other forms: A legend (noun) is a story passed down through generations or a person who becomes legendary. 10. mien
(noun)
manner or appearance
The king was a man of honorable mien, so the townspeople did not fear him. 11. muse
(verb)
to think about or ponder something
My dad told me that my problem wasnt that I mused too much and that an idle mind was the devils playground. 12. muster
to gather or to summon
(verb)
Like many teenage students, Gloria has to muster a lot of courage to stand in front of her peers and deliver a speech. Antonyms: disperse, scatter 13. pivotal
(adj)
important, vital
A pivotal moment in the football game occurred when the opposing teams quarterback fell and broke his arm. Antonyms: insignificant, minor, incidental Other forms: A pivotal event is like a pivot (noun), a pin in the ground around which other things turn. 14. stamina
(noun)
endurance
Most marathon runners have a lot of stamina to run long distances.
1. an intellectual or emotional attitude toward something 2. the position of ones feet.
1. Gavins mom took a negative stance on taking drugs because her father had died from a drug addiction. 2. The baseball players stance was awkward, yet he consistently hit home runs when he was at bat. 2D Fix the Mistake Each of the sentences below has a mistake. The wrong vocabulary words have been used, so the sentences dont make sense. Rewrite each sentence using the correct vocabulary word from this unit. 1.
The ballerina was so audacious on the stage that she could start and stop her movements on a dime. _________________________________________________________________________________________
2.
It just so happened that during the exceptional moment of the play, I had to use the restroom, so I missed most of the plot.
A strong stamina against bullying was taken by the school administration during the school day. _________________________________________________________________________________________
2E Pick the Winner
Circle the word that best fits into the sentence. Then write a sentence below that uses the word you didnt pick in a meaningful way.
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1.
Some of our family members were embarrassed by our mob-connected (stamina OR heritage).
In each grouping of eight words below, draw straight lines between the synonyms (words that mean similar things), and draw wiggly lines between any antonyms (words that mean nearly opposite things). Every word should have at least one line connected to it. Some may have more. audacious
crusade
agile
name timid
battle nimble
dub
legacy
grapple
era
heritage
typical
harmonize exceptional
period of time
mien
muse
legendary
appearance
contemplate
gather unknown
muster
stamina
stance
ones personal attitude
flexible endurance
pivotal
minor
agile
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The Word Up Project: Level Blue
2G Understanding What You Read
Read the passage below. Then answer the questions.
Despite his audacious claims that he would win the fight, no one gave Muhammad Ali much of a chance to win the big 1974 fight, the Rumble in the Jungle. His opponent, George Foreman, was the current world champion and had beaten two other legendary fighters, both of whom had defeated Ali previously. Foreman was years younger than Ali, and one of the hardest hitters in boxing. Some people were scared that Foreman might accidentally kill Ali in the ring.
Prior to the fight, Ali had boasted about how agile his fighting style was, and that this style would help him defeat Foreman. He had declared that he would run circles around Foreman until he was exhausted and defeated. He had even written a little rap about it: Now you see me, now you dont. George thinks he will, but I know he wont! It was with rhymes like that one, not to mention his shining personality, that Ali got many of the fans on his side.
The fight started and seemed to be what everyone predicted: an easy win for Foreman. But Ali, after taking a few punches, didnt give up. Instead he began to employ an exceptional strategy. He took Foreman on early, connecting with several strong right-handed blows, using all the strength and power that he could muster.
For the rest of the fight, Ali simply outlasted Foreman. He would take a stance against the ropes, allowing him to absorb Foremans punches. It was a strategy that commentators called the rope-a-dope. In the pivotal eighth round of the fight, Foremans stamina was gone. Ali was able to knock him out with a quick punch, winning the match.
While the Rumble in the Jungle had become one of the most important sporting events of its era, Ali had become one of the most important sports figures of all time. 1. Before the fight, Ali told the press that he would beat Foreman because he was more (A) powerful (B) creative (C) intelligent (D) nimble 2. According to the passage, George Foreman (A) had never actually won a major match before (B) was the most famous boxer alive (C) had defeated Ali twice before (D) was the world champion of boxing 3. According to the text, how was Ali able to gain fans? (A) punching (B) rhyming (C) dancing (D) matching 4. After getting hit a few times, Ali uses a strategy that is described as (A) special (B) a long shot (C) a sure thing (D) bizarre
(A) He was a stronger puncher. (B) He hit Foreman in the head many times. (C) He let Foreman tire himself out. (D) He threatened to kill Foreman by accident. 2H Thinking Creatively Answer each question below. Dont be afraid to think creatively. 1.
If you could be legendary for something, what would it be?
Word Breakdown In Greek mythology, the Muses were goddesses/sprites that inspired people to create art. The nine major Muses were the daughters of Zeus, and each one embodied and inspired a different art form. They were: Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (lyric poetry), Euterpe (music), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia (religious music), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy), and Urania (astronomy). There is no official Muse of rap music. Yet. The Muses were often called upon to help a struggling song writer or author in a time of need. Thus Dante writes, O Muses! O high genius! Aid me now! Nowadays, we call anything that is a source of inspiration a muse. It could be your mom, loneliness, love, or an image in your mind. My Muse when I wrote this song was Muhammad Ali himself.
Smith, Larry Earl - Beyond Glory - Medal of Honor Heroes in Their Own Words - Extraordinary Stories of Courage From World War II To Vietnam-W. W. Norton & Company (2013 - 2003)
Smith, Larry Earl - Beyond Glory - Medal of Honor Heroes in Their Own Words - Extraordinary Stories of Courage From World War II To Vietnam-W. W. Norton & Company (2013 - 2003)
