Muhammad Ali: Someone Stole His Bike… Then He Became the Greatest
When he was twelve, someone stole Cassius Clay's new red bike. A police officer told him to learn to fight first — and he became Muhammad Ali, world champion. Learn five A2 words with the true story of Muhammad Ali.
Transcript
Tap a time to jump to that moment. Highlighted words have a meaning: tap them. Words in bold show today's grammar.
A twelve-year-old boy was very angry.
Someone his new red .
A told him: first, learn to fight.
This is the story of Muhammad Ali.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
. A has two wheels.
You ride it.
He had a new red .
. When you , you take something that is not yours.
The past is .
Someone his .
. is a sport.
Two people fight with big .
He started at twelve.
. A is the winner of a big competition.
At twenty-two, he was the world .
. A is the bright fire of a candle or a .
In 1996, he lit the Olympic .
Now, one pattern: always, often and never.
They tell us how many times.
He trained hard every day.
He always trained hard.
Ready? Let's begin.
Muhammad Ali was born in America in 1942.
His name then was Cassius Clay.
When he was twelve, someone his .
A , Joe Martin, taught in a gym.
He said: "First, learn to fight."
So he started at twelve.
A few weeks later, he won his first fight.
He always trained hard.
He often got up very early to run.
Sometimes he raced the school bus!
He never smoked.
In 1960, he went to the Olympics in Rome.
He was afraid of flying, so he wore a parachute on the plane!
He won the gold medal.
In 1964, he fought the world , Sonny Liston.
Liston was big and strong.
Many people thought the young boxer would lose.
But he danced around the ring.
At twenty-two, he was the world !
He shouted: "I am the greatest!"
That year, he changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
Later, he became ill, and his hands often shook.
In 1996, the Olympics were in Atlanta.
Muhammad Ali took the and lit the Olympic . Everyone cheered.
Let's review. He had a new red .
Someone his .
He started at twelve.
At twenty-two, he was the world .
In 1996, he lit the Olympic .
And remember: he always trained hard.
Muhammad Ali's story teaches us: when life takes something from you, fight back with hard work.
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Step 3
Words from the story
Say the word, guess its meaning, then flip the card. Keep the ones you know, and practise the rest again.
Great work, you know every word in this story. Now try the quiz below.
bike noun
it has two wheels; you ride it (also: bicycle)
“He had a new red bike.”
steal verb (stole, stolen)
to take something that is not yours
“Someone stole his bike.”
boxing noun
a sport where two people fight with big gloves
“He started boxing at twelve.”
champion noun
the winner of a big competition
“At twenty-two, he was the world champion.”
flame noun
the bright fire of a candle or a torch
“In 1996, he lit the Olympic flame.”
glove noun
you wear it on your hand; boxers wear big ones
“He put on his boxing gloves.”
police officer noun
a person who works for the police
“A police officer taught him boxing.”
torch noun
a long stick with fire at one end
“He walked out with the Olympic torch.”
Grammar in the story
always / often / sometimes / never + verb
We use it for: to say how many times something happens
- He always trained hard.
- He often got up very early.
- He never smoked.
From the story
- He always trained hard.
- He never smoked.
Find it in the story 8 times
Your turn
He trained hard — every day.
He smoked — not one time.
He got up very early to run.
Step 4
Story Challenge
9 quick rounds: choose, fill the gap, build the sentence and match the words. Answer in a row to build a streak and earn bonus points.
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Take it further
Before you watch: Do you like sports? Has anyone ever taken something of yours? How did you feel?
After you watch: Write three sentences about your week with always, often and never. For example: I always drink coffee in the morning. I often walk to work. I never eat fast food.
Think about it: Muhammad Ali was very angry when someone stole his bike. He turned his anger into hard work. What can we do with our anger to make something good?
