Table of Contents
Tunde Onakoya and Shawn Martinez played chess in New York City for 60 hours. They wanted to set a new Guinness World Record. They also wanted to raise $1 million for kids in Africa.
They started playing chess on April 17 and finished on April 20. They played for 60 hours. This is longer than the old record of 56 hours.
The Guinness World Record organization has not confirmed the new record yet.
Onakoya started an organization called Chess in Slums Africa in 2018. He wants to help kids who live in poor areas. He wants to help 1 million kids.
Many people cheered for Onakoya while he played chess. When he had short breaks, he danced and talked to people cheering for him.
In the first 20 hours, they raised $22,000. Onakoya said he was happy with the support from people in the U.S., celebrities, and people walking by.
Famous people in Nigeria, like former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, supported Onakoya.
Vocabulary
- Chess – A strategy board game for two players where you move pieces on a board and try to trap your opponent’s king; ♟️
- Set a record – to achieve/do something better or more significant than anyone has done before; the most or least ever measured
- Record – the most or least ever; the highest level ever; achieved/done for the first time.
- Raise – To collect money that you can use to do a particular job or help people;
- Million – 1,000,000 = one-million
- Organization – a group of people with one purpose; an agency; a society; company
- Confirm – to prove true or accurate; to report that something is true or fact
- Poor – having little money and few or no possessions
- Area – A place or part of a place; piece of land, or country; a particular part of a place; somewhere
- Cheer – to make loud, happy noises to show support or excitement
- Break – A short rest period from work or an activity;
- Support – to agree with a person or idea; to approve of an idea; promote; to help
- Celebrity – a famous person
- Former – previous; past; ex-; before; in the past
- Vice president – a person who is under the president; the second most important person
Sign up the for the newsletter!
Discussion Questions
- Do you think it’s good to use events like this to raise money to help people?
- Why do you think Tunde Onakoya chose chess to raise money for education?
- Can it be good for kids to play games like chess? How or why?
- Do you think it’s OK for people to take breaks when trying to set a new world record?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
Original Story
Fill-in-the-Blank Listening Practice
Tunde Onakoya and Shawn Martinez _____ chess in New York City for 60 hours. They wanted to _____ a new Guinness World Record. They also _____ to raise $1 million for kids in Africa.
They _____ playing chess on April 17 and finished on April _____. They played for 60 hours. This is longer than the old record of _____ hours.
The Guinness World Record _____ has not confirmed the new record yet.
Onakoya started an organization _____ Chess in Slums Africa in 2018. He wants to help kids who live in poor _____. He wants to help 1 million kids.
Many people _____ for Onakoya while he played chess. When he had short breaks, he danced and _____ to people cheering for him.
In the first 20 hours, they raised $_____. Onakoya said he was happy with the support from people in the U.S., _____, and people walking by.
Famous people in Nigeria, like _____ Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, supported Onakoya.
