Photo by © AFP via
The Straits Times
Vocabulary:
- establish /ih-STAB-lish/
[verb] to create or set something in a particular way
You need to use different kinds of material to establish a new building.
- paralympic /PAR-uh-LIM-pik/
[adjective] an international sports competition for people with disabilities
I would have felt better if I had joined Paralympic games.
- classified /KLAS-uh-fahyd/
[adjective] officially secret information
Alan’s voluminous penmanship is classified as good.
- durability /du-ra-bil-i-ty/
[noun] the fact of something continuing to be used without getting damaged
The durability of this product is essential.
- accomplish /UH-kom-plish/
[verb] to finish something successfully
You have to work hard to accomplish all your goals.
Ox Engineering, a company located in Chiba, Japan, established a high-tech wheelchair dubbed as “The Porsche of wheelchairs”.These high-tech wheelchairs will be used by the Paralympic professionals for 2020 games. Paralympic athletes who used wheelchairs made by OX Engineering have achieved 122 medals in total since 1996. This made the company a gold medal champion among Japan’s major manufacturers. Since Tokyo will be hosting the Olympics this year, the company has received lots of orders of wheelchairs for Paralympians from other countries. According to the company’s President, Katsuyuki Ishii, “We have the technology to make a wheelchair fit perfectly for each athlete and to help them perform at their best.”
The procedure for designing and producing wheelchairs at OX Engineering is highly classified. However, one of their best features is raising the durability of the vehicle that improves athlete’s performance. Shiniego Kunieda, a Paralympian, who has accomplished 26 Grand Slam Tennis titles, said that a wheelchair must “feel like a part of the athlete’s body.”
True or False:
- Toshiba manufactures Porsche of wheelchairs.
- OX Engineering is based in Tokyo.
- 2020 Olympics will be held in Rio de Janeiro.
- There are few orders of wheelchairs from other countries.
- Katsuyuki Ishii was the founder of OX Engineering.
Discussion Questions:
- Do you think it is important for the Paralympian athletes to have good wheelchairs? Why or why not?
- What can you say about those Japanese Paralympians who will join the 2020 Paralympic games? Elaborate your answer.
- Have you watched a Paralympic game? If yes, please share your experience. If no, do you want to watch one? Why or why not?
- Do you think Paralympic athletes can also excel in Olympic games? Why or Why not?
- Do you think disabilities can hinder a person’s way to success? Please explain your answer.
Express Your Opinion:
- “Champions keep playing until they keep it right.” – Billie Jean King
- “You can’t win unless you learn how to lose.” – Kareem Abdul Jabaar
- “Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.” – William Arthur Ward
[verb] to create or set something in a particular way
You need to use different kinds of material to establish a new building.
[adjective] an international sports competition for people with disabilities
I would have felt better if I had joined Paralympic games.
[adjective] officially secret information
Alan’s voluminous penmanship is classified as good.
[noun] the fact of something continuing to be used without getting damaged
The durability of this product is essential.
[verb] to finish something successfully
You have to work hard to accomplish all your goals.
The procedure for designing and producing wheelchairs at OX Engineering is highly classified. However, one of their best features is raising the durability of the vehicle that improves athlete’s performance. Shiniego Kunieda, a Paralympian, who has accomplished 26 Grand Slam Tennis titles, said that a wheelchair must “feel like a part of the athlete’s body.”