Lella Lombardi

Lella Lombardi

Lella Lombardi (1941-1992)

Original text from Goodnight stories for rebel girls - Italian and English -

Once there was a girl who liked to help her father deliver meats in their van. Every time they had a delivery she would jump into the driver's seat and her father would time her. Her name was Maria Grazia, but everybody called her Lella.

Multiple Choice

Once ________ was a girl who liked to help her father deliver meats in their van.

• there

• they're

• their

Multiple Choice

How do you say girl in italiano?

• ragazza

• ragazzo

• donna

Multiple Choice

Lella was young.

How do you say young in italiano?

• giovane

• vecchia

• bella

Multiple Choice

Lella was young.

How do you say young in italiano?

• giovane

• vecchia

• bella

Lella was so good at driving that she set a new record with each delivery. Everyone in town got used to seeing the Lombardis' van driving at full speed down the hills, with salami bouncing around in the back.

Guidare

To drive in italiano is guidare.

Lella guida l'automobile.

Multiple Choice

Guess how to say good, in to be good at, in italiano.

• Bravo/brava

• Cattivo/cattiva

• Incapace

When she turned 18, Lella used all her savings to buy a used racing car and started racing professionally. When her parents read in the newspaper that she had won the Formula 850 Championship, they weren't really surprised.

Automobile

In italiano, car is automobile, but to make it short we normally say auto, like in automatic.

Multiple Choice

Is automobile a word in English?

• Yes

• No

Lella didn't care that she was always the only woman in the race. She just drove as fast as she could to become a Formula One racing driver.

Open Ended

Do you know what Formula One is? Can you explain it?

Formula Uno

In italiano we say Formula Uno

Multiple Choice

What do you think uno means?

• The number 1

• Car

• Drive

Her first attempt was a flop: she didn't even qualify!

But the next year she found a good manager, a sponsor, and a fantastic car: white, with the Italian flag on the nose.

Multiple Choice

Would you recognize the Italian flag, la bandiera italiana?

During the Spanish Grand Prix, Lella finished sixth, becoming the first-ever female driver to score points in a Formula One race.

Despite her success, her team decided to hire another driver - a man- and Lella realised that Formula One still wasn't ready to accept women drivers.

Multiple Choice

Why did Lella's team hire another driver?

• Because she wasn't as good as the other driver.

• Because they wanted to hire a man.

• Because they were friends.

Donna

In italiano, donna significa woman

Uomo

In italiano, uomo significa man

She continued to race all her life. No other female driver has yet beaten her Formula One record.