Famous writer gets a coin - 31st January 2022

Maya Angelou has become the first Black woman on a US quarter dollar. The famous American writer died in 2014 at the age of 89. She had produced over 30 successful books, which focused on her experience of life and racism.

Angelou's first success was in 1969. The book was about her childhood in the racist American South. She read one of her poems when Bill Clinton was made US president in 1993. Many universities have given her honorary degrees. President Obama gave her the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest US non-military award.

On the new 25 cent coin, Angelou stands with her arms stretching out. The background includes themes from her writing: a flying bird and the rising sun.

More quarters are planned for important American women – Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller and Anna May Wong. Ride was the first US woman astronaut. Mankiller was the first Cherokee woman leader. May was Hollywood's first Chinese American film star.

There aren't many women on US currency. But this is changing. Janet Yellen's the first woman US Treasury Secretary. She says coins give us "the chance to say something about our country – what we value".

There are also plans to have women on banknotes. Anti-slavery campaigner Harriet Tubman will be on the 20 dollar bill.

Interactive Games

tried

What's the word you hear?

Complete the sentences. Listen and write the missing word. There are up to 10 questions.

Listening
play game
tried

Sentence muddle

Read the sentences. Put them in the same order as the news report. There are 4 sentences.

Reading
play game
tried

Prepositions

Complete the sentences. Select the correct preposition. There are up to 4 questions.

Vocabulary and Grammar
play game
tried

Construct sentences

Make sentences. Select each word in the correct order. There are up to 3 questions.

Writing
play game
tried

What's the phrase you hear?

Complete the sentences. Listen and write the missing phrase. There are up to 5 questions.

Listening
play game
tried

Verbs

Complete the sentences. Select the correct verb. There are 5 questions.

Vocabulary and Grammar
play game
tried

No spaces in text

Read the sentences. Find the spaces between the words. There are up to 5 questions.

Reading
play game
tried

No capital letters

Read the sentences. Find the missing capital letters. There are 5 sentences.

Vocabulary and Grammar
play game
tried

Put the sentence back together

Put the sentence parts in the correct order. Each sentence is in 4 pieces. There are up to 5 questions.

Reading
play game
tried

Comprehension

Answer questions about the news report. Select the correct answer from 4 options. There are 5 questions.

Reading
play game
tried

Spelling jumble

The letters of one word are in the wrong order. Read the sentence. Spell the word correctly. There are up to 10 questions.

Vocabulary and Grammar
play game
tried

Missing vowels

Complete the sentences. Select the correct vowel for each space. There are up to 5 sentences.

Vocabulary and Grammar
play game
tried

Missing words

Complete the sentences. Select the correct word. There are up to 5 questions.

Writing
play game

Study Tools