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On Saturday night, R’Bonney Gabriel from the United States of America won the 71st Miss Universe contest.
Last year, Gabriel became the first Filipino-American to win the Miss USA contest. At the Miss Universe contest this past weekend, she finished in 1st place ahead of Amanda Dudamel from Venezuela and Andreína Martínez from the Dominican Republic.
This year’s Miss Universe pageant was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. 84 women from around the world entered the pageant to try to win the crown.
Saturday night was the last day of the contest. The contestants were eliminated one by one until only one was left.
When there were only 5 women left in the pageant, they were all asked questions. Gabriel’s question was about the change that Miss Universe made this year to allow mothers and married women in the contest. She was asked what other changes she would like to see and why.
Gabriel said that she wants the contest to increase the age limit for contestants. She’s now 28 years old which is the maximum age to enter the contest.
Gabriele is a model, fashion designer and sewing instructor. Early in the pageant, she wore clothes that she’d made herself.
In the last part of the contest, the top 3 were asked how they will make Miss Universe a better organization if they win. Gabriel said she will be a leader who makes changes and will work to reduce pollution in the fashion industry by using recycled materials.
Vocabulary
- Contest – competition; game to find the best or a winner; tournament
- Filipino-American – a person born in the USA with parents originally from the Philippines
- Ahead of – in front of; before; better than; higher than
- Pageant – a beauty contest in which people are judged on their physical appearance, talent, and personality
- Crown – a decorative headpiece/hat, typically made of gold or jewels for kings, queens and contest winners
- Eliminate – to remove or get rid of something or someone
- One by one – one after another; in succession
- Left – remaining; still present;
- Allow – permit; let; to give permission; OK
- Limit – a boundary or restriction; the maximum allowed;
- Sewing – the activity of making or fixing clothes or other things using a needle and thread
- Organization – a group of people with one purpose; an agency; a society; company
- Reduce – to make less; make smaller; decrease; bring down; shrink
- Pollution – damage caused to water, air, etc. by harmful substances like chemicals or waste
- Industry – business field; area of work or business; type of business
- Recycled – material that is being used again, material that was changed; reused
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- What changes would R’Bonney Gabriel like to see in the Miss Universe contest and why?
- Do you think the recent changes that the Miss Universe contest made and Gabriel’s proposed changes are good ideas? Explain.
- In your opinion, why do some people enter beauty pageants? Have you ever entered one?
Original Story
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