Lesson 9 - Sports/Hobbies
Navigation: Home → Advanced Level → Lesson 9 → Reading
Pages in this lesson: Vocabulary - Grammar - Listening - Dialogue - Reading - Expressions - Dictation - Game
This page: Read an article about the history of the Olympic Games.

"History of the Olympic Games"
Reading Lesson

Key Words

Below you will find a list of key vocabulary you need to know to understand the lesson. Click on each word to hear it and practice its pronunciation.

 

Exercise - Key Words

Read the definition and select the word that was defined.

1. a competition to see who is the fastest   plain chariot race nude naked saddle
     

2. not wearing any clothes   plain chariot race nude revive saddle
     

3. an old two-wheeled vehicle pulled by horses   plain chariot race nude naked saddle
     

4. a large, flat area of land   plain chariot race nude naked saddle
     

5. without clothes on   plain chariot race revive naked saddle
     

6. a seat put on a horse so a person can ride it   plain chariot race nude naked saddle
     

7. a woman or girl   branch male female shrine physical fitness revive
     

8. a special place used for religious worship   branch male female shrine physical fitness revive
     

9. being healthy and strong because of exercise   branch male female shrine physical fitness revive
     

10. a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk   branch male female shrine physical fitness revive
     

11. to bring something back after it has stopped   branch male female shrine physical fitness revive
     

12. a man or boy   branch male female shrine physical fitness revive
     

13. fire or a burning light   delegate wane runner up flame gather revive
     

14. to become smaller, weaker, or less important   delegate wane runner up flame gather revive
     

15. a person chosen to represent a group or country   delegate wane runner up flame gather revive
     

16. the person who finishes in second place   delegate wane runner up flame gather revive
     

17. to come together in one place   delegate wane runner up flame gather revive
     

 

Reading

History of the Olympic Games

The Ancient Olympics

The first Olympic Games were held in Ancient Greece in 776 B.C. in the plain of Olympia. They began as a religious festival to honor the gods. The Greeks measured time in terms of four-year periods called Olympiads. The Olympic games were part of the celebration of the beginning of each Olympiad.

In the first Olympic Games the only competition was a foot race. Later wrestling, the pentathlon, and boxing were added. In 680 B.C. chariot racing became a part of the games. Athletes usually competed nude as clothing could slow them in the race. In the horse racing competition riders rode naked and bareback (no saddle) around the track. As you can imagine, it was very difficult to control the horses this way. The winner would receive a simple olive branch, not a gold medal.

People descended on Olympia by the thousands to see the games. The stadium was built to seat between 45,000 and 50,000 people. Since the Olympic games were designed to honor Zeus, a male god, women were not allowed to see the games. The penalty for women who viewed the games was death.

The ancient games continued until 400 AD when the sacred shrine at Olympia was destroyed.

The Modern Olympics

Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a Frenchman, revived the games in 1896. He felt that the games would promote physical fitness and good relations between people of different countries. Beginning in 1894 delegates from 12 countries met to lay out plans for the modern games to be held in Athens, Greece.

The next Olympics were held in Paris and then in St. Louis, but interest waned. The Olympics gained popularity again with a very well-organized Olympics in 1908 in London. They began giving out medals not only to the winner but also to the first and second runner up (gold, silver, and bronze medals). In 1912 in Stockholm electrical timing equipment was used for the first time. In the 1928 Games in Amsterdam the tradition of burning the Olympic flame throughout the games began.

The Olympic Games have grown significantly since the days of the single foot race. Now the events are divided into winter and summer games alternately every two years. Athletes from all over the world continue to gather for the Olympic Games to enjoy friendly international competition just as Baron Pierre de Coubertin dreamed.

► Listen to the reading

 

Questions

Write your answers in the spaces provided for the following questions.

1. What god were the Olympic games were designed to honor?

 

2. What was the only competition in the first Olympics?

 

3. What did the winner of the ancient games receive as a prize?

 

4. Who began the modern Olympic Games?

 

5. In what year did the tradition of burning an Olympic flame throughout the games begin?

 

 

Writing

Describe your favorite Olympic sport. How is it played? Why do you like it? Who is your favorite athlete in that sport?

Write in the comments section below. Passport to English is a community of people who want to learn English for free. Please be supportive of each other. If you see a mistake in someone's writing, please respond with the correction. Remember that comments other than those written by Janet Castrejon (the author of this website) do not represent Passport to English. If someone posts inappropriate comments on this page, please send a message to mail@passporttoenglish.com and include the page where you saw the comment.

 

 

Expressions

 

Advanced English - Lesson 9 - Sports/Hobbies
Vocabulary - Grammar - Listening - Dialogue - Reading - Expressions - Dictation - Game

 

Important Links

Beginning - Intermediate - Advanced - Teachers

Pronouns - Pronunciation Rules - Verbs - Irregular Verbs

Vocabulary - Grammar - Pronunciation - Spelling

Common Words - Study Abroad

Dialogues - Reading