Overcoming Obstacles: The Power of Parkour and Oprah’s Resilience
Overcoming Obstacles
Parkour: The Art of Movement
Origins and Philosophy
Parkour, also known as freerunning, originated as a training method for French soldiers. It involves navigating various terrains using only one’s physical and mental abilities. This discipline emphasizes agility, determination, confidence, and responsibility.
Benefits of Parkour
Parkour offers several physical and mental benefits. Physically, it enhances strength, fitness, balance, and coordination. Mentally, it fosters confidence, determination, humility, cooperation, respect, and responsibility.
Overcoming Obstacles in Life
Parkour teaches practitioners to view any environment as a challenge to be overcome. It promotes the belief that there’s a solution to every obstacle in life, even though the approach may vary from person to person.
Oprah Winfrey’s Journey to Success
A Difficult Childhood
Oprah Winfrey’s path to success was marked by a challenging childhood. She faced abuse, loneliness, and the loss of a child as a teenager. Despite these hardships, she persevered and achieved remarkable success as a media mogul, producer, and philanthropist.
The Power of Positive Thinking
Oprah credits her difficult upbringing as a catalyst for her success. She emphasizes the importance of positive thinking and the ability to change one’s future through a shift in attitude. Her grandmother and father played a positive role in her life, nurturing her education and talents.
The Influence of Family
Children are significantly influenced by their family members, especially grandparents, parents, and siblings. These individuals shape a child’s development through daily interactions, setting examples that can be either positive or negative. Positive influences can lead to a lifelong appreciation for nature, academic pursuits, or hobbies. Negative influences can result in isolation, addiction, or harmful behavior towards others. Siblings and cousins also play a role in shaping a child’s communication skills and ability to share and cooperate.
Convocatoria de Setembro: Suggested Answers – Opción A
Exercise 1: Parkour
Parkour, or freerunning, originated as military training in France. It involves running, jumping, and climbing through various environments using only physical and mental skills. This activity promotes agility, determination, confidence, and responsibility.
Exercise 2: Vocabulary
- a) warrior
- b) terrain
- c) principally
- d) environment
Exercise 3: Comprehension
- a) David Belle initiated the global parkour movement.
- b) Parkour helps individuals identify and overcome their limitations.
- c) Parkour encourages the belief that any obstacle can be overcome.
- d) While solutions may differ, there’s always a “way through” for everyone.
Exercise 4: Further Comprehension
- a) Parkour’s link to military training lies in its development of similar skills like discipline and cooperation, along with enhanced physical abilities.
- b) Parkour offers physical benefits such as strength, fitness, balance, and coordination. Mentally, it promotes confidence, determination, humility, cooperation, respect, and responsibility.
Exercise 5: Opinion
Engaging in sports promotes health, attractiveness, and physical strength. It improves body control and coordination, which are beneficial in everyday life. Team sports foster cooperation and respect. However, excessive focus on sports can lead to negative consequences like depression after losses and aggression towards opponents. A balanced approach to sports is crucial.
Convocatoria de Setembro: Suggested Answers – Opción B
Exercise 1: Oprah Winfrey’s Success
Oprah Winfrey’s journey to success involved overcoming a difficult childhood marked by abuse and loneliness. She attributes her resilience to these early challenges and her ability to transform her life through positive thinking.
Exercise 2: Vocabulary
- a) single
- b) media star
- c) priority
- d) topic
Exercise 3: Comprehension
- a) Oprah learned to read from her grandmother despite challenging circumstances.
- b) Oprah moved in with her mother at the age of six.
- c) Oprah was often cared for by her 19-year-old cousin, who later abused her.
- d) Oprah’s greatest realization was the potential for personal transformation.
Exercise 4: Further Comprehension
- a) Oprah’s father prioritized her education, while her grandmother taught her to read. Her mother and her mother’s boyfriend, along with her abusive cousin, were the most negative influences.
- b) Oprah’s challenging childhood, combined with her positive outlook and the support of her father and grandmother, contributed to her success.
Exercise 5: Influence of Family
Children are deeply influenced by their family members. Grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles shape their development through daily interactions, setting examples that can be positive or negative. Positive influences can foster a love for nature, academic pursuits, or hobbies. Negative influences can lead to isolation, addiction, or harmful behavior. Siblings and cousins contribute to communication skills and the ability to share and cooperate, potentially forming lifelong bonds.
Listening Test Answers
1. a; 2. c; 3. c; 4. b; 5. b; 6. c; 7. b; 8. a; 9. c; 10. a