Ayrton Senna: 1960-1994 - Race car driver
Brazilian race car driver Ayrton Senna was a famous professional race car driver and sportsman at the time of his death in a racing crash in 1994. After an outstanding career on the kart racing circuit. Senna was a three-time champion of the elite Formula One (F1) series. In his brief but spectacular career, Senna proved he was arguably "the most remarkable racing driver of all time," according to Alan Henry in Grand Prix Champions.
Born Ayrton Senna da Silva on March 21,1960, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Senna was an awkward child who was later diagnosed with a motor-coordination problem. Senna's father, Milton da Silva, was a successful businessman and landowner, but also was a motor racing fan, and encouraged his son's fascination with cars.
When Senna was four, his father gave him a one- horsepower go-kart. When Senna got behind the wheel, his awkwardness disappeared - he was a natural. The entire family supported Senna's interest in motoring and spent weekends together at local parks where the young man could drive his kart. His parents used driving privileges as leverage to get Senna, a lackluster student, to pay better attention to his studies. Fortunately for Senna, his family was wealthy and could afford to finance his racing.
At eight years old, Senna was driving the family car. European racing stars Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart were his heroes, as well as Emerson Fittipaldi, a Brazilian driver who was fast emerging as an extraordinary talent. Senna received a 100cc kart for his tenth birthday but had to practice on his own at the local kart track until he turned 13, the minimum age for racing karts in Brazil. Interest in European motor racing grew in Brazil when Fittipaldi won the Formula One World Championship in 1972, and the nation hosted its first Grand Prix at Interlagos the following year.
SANCHEZ, Brenna. Contemporary Hispanic Biography, 2003.
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1. Answer the questions.
a) Who was Ayrton Senna?
b) Where was he from?
c) Where was Ayrton Senna born?
d) Why was he famous?
e) What was his occupation?
f) Who were Senna's heroes?
g) Was he a brilliant student?
h) Did he have the support of his family in motoring?
2. Mark the quote by Ayrton Senna that is connected to the main idea of the text.
a) "Money is a strange business. People who haven't got it aim for it strongly. People who have are full of troubles."
b) "Racing, competing, it's in my blood. It's part of me, it's part of my life; I have been doing it all my life and it stands out above everything else."
3. What do the following numbers refer to? Match the columns.
a) Ayrton Senna was born in...
b) Ayrton Senna died in...
c) Ayrton Senna drove the family car when he was...
d) Ayrton Senna drove his first go-kart when he was...
e) Fittipaldi won the F1 World Championship in...
f) The minimum age for racing karts in Brazil is...
( ) 4.
( ) 13.
( ) 8.
( ) 1960.
( ) 1972.
( ) 1994.
4. Write T (true) or F (false). Then, correct the false statements.
a) Senna came from a poor family.
b) Ayrton Senna died in a racing car crash.
c) Senna's father encouraged him to be a race car driver.
d) Senna received a kart when he turned 13.
e) Senna won the elite Formula One series twice.
ANSWERS
1. Answer the questions.
a) Who was Ayrton Senna? He was a famous car driver.
b) Where was he from? He was from Brazil.
c) Where was Ayrton Senna born? In Sao Paulo, Brazil.
d) Why was he famous? Because he was a world champion. or Because he was a famous race car driver
e) What was his occupation? A professional race car driver.
f) Who were Senna's heroes? Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, and Emerson Fittipaldi.
g) Was he a brilliant student? No, he wasn't.
h) Did he have the support of his family in motoring? Yes, he did.
2. Mark the quote by Ayrton Senna that is connected to the main idea of the text.
a) "Money is a strange business. People who haven't got it aim for it strongly. People who have are full of troubles."
b) "Racing, competing, it's in my blood. It's part of me, it's part of my life; I have been doing it all my life and it stands out above everything else."
3. What do the following numbers refer to? Match the columns.
a) Ayrton Senna was born in...
b) Ayrton Senna died in...
c) Ayrton Senna drove the family car when he was...
d) Ayrton Senna drove his first go-kart when he was...
e) Fittipaldi won the F1 World Championship in...
f) The minimum age for racing karts in Brazil is..
(d) 4.
(f) 13.
(c) 8.
(a) 1960.
(e) 1972.
(b) 1994.
4. Write T (true) or F (false). Then, correct the false statements.
a) Senna came from a poor family. False
Senna came from a wealthy family.
b) Ayrton Senna died in a racing car crash. True
c) Senna's father encouraged him to be a race car driver. True
d) Senna received a kart when he turned 13. False
Senna received a 100cc kart for his tenth birthday. / Senna received a kart when he turned 10. / Senna received a go-karting when he was 4.
e) Senna won the elite Formula One series twice. False
Senna won the elite Formula One series three times.
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