SPORTS

TENNIS
IT IS A COMPETITIVE SPORT CAPTIVATING MILLIONS OF PLAYERS AND FANS ALL AROUND THE WORLD. IT STARTED IN FRANCE IN THE 16TH CENTURY AND IT BECAME THE SPORT OF KINGS AND NOBLEMEN AND WAS CALLED "JEU DE PAUMME" THE GAME OF THE PALM. IT IS PLAYED INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SO IT IS AN ALL SEASON SPORT. TO PLAY IT, YOU NEED A SMALL BALL, A NET AND TWO PLAYERS WHO KNOCK THE BALL OVER A NET WITH THE TENNIS RACKETS

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BASKETBALL

IS PLAYED IN WINTER AND IN SPRING. IT IS ESENTIALLY AN INDOOR GAME BUT IT CAN BE PLAYED OUTSIDE AS WELL. IT IS PLAYED BY TWO OPPOSING TEAMS OF 5 PLAYERS EACH WHO CAN BE SUBSTITUTED DURING THE MATCH. IT'S A FAST AND EXCITING GAME WHICH IS FAMOUS IN EUROPE TOO. ITS ORIGIN IS RATHER CURIOUS: PEOPLE WANTED TO PRACTISE SPORT IN WINTER TOO SO THEY NEEDED SOMETHING TO PLAY INDOOR. IN 1891 DR JAMES NAISMITH HAD A BRIGHT IDEA. HE PUT TWO BASKETS FACING EACH OTHER ON THE OPPOSITE WALLS OF A GYMNASIUM AND ORGANIZED TWO TEAMS OF NINE STUDENTS EACH. THE OBJECT OF THE GAME WAS TO SCORE POINTS BY THROWING A BALL INTO THE OPPOSITE TEAM'S BASKET. BASICALLY THE IDEA HAS REMAINED UNCHANCEDBUT THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS HAS BEEN REDUCED.

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BASEBALL

BASEBALL IS USUALLY PLAYED IN SPRING AND IN SUMMER. IT IS AN OUTDOOR GAME AND A VARIANT OF BASEBALL. THE ORIGIN OF THIS SPORT GOES BACK TO THE 18TH CENTURY. THE AMERICANS START PLAYING IT WHEN THEY ARE VERY YOUNG AND THEY CONSIDER IT A NATIONAL SPORT.  TO PLAY BASEBALL YOU NEED TWO TEAMS OF NINE PLAYERS EACH, A BAT AND A BALL GAME. THE PITCHER THROWS THE BALL, THE CATCHER TRIES TO CATCH IT AND THE BATTER , A PLAYER BELONGING TO THE OPPOSITE TEAM, TRIES TO HIT THE BALL WITH HIS BAT. THE TEAM WITH THE HIGHEST SCORE WINS

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AMERICAN FOOTBALL

DURING THE AUTUMN AND THE WINTER SEASONS, AMERICAN PEOPLE WATCH AMERICAN FOOTBALL EACH WEEKEND. IT IS A DANGEROUS AND VIOLENT GAME. THE PLAYERS RUN WITH THE BALL, TOUCH AND PUSH EACH OTHER. THAT'S WHY THEY WEAR SPECIAL CLOTHES: HELMETS ON THEIR HEADS FACE MASKS, CHEST AND SHOULDER PADDINGS. THIS SPORT WAS INVENTED OVER A CENTURY AGO. THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL MATCH WAS PLAYED IN 1859. AT PRESENT THERE ARE 40 PLAYERS IN EACH TEAM, BUT ONLY 11 PLAY ON THE FIELD.

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VOLLEYBALL

MY FAVOURITE SPORT IS VOLLEYBALL.IT IS VERY POPULAR IN ITALY. IT IS PLAYED OUTDOOR AND INDOOR SO TI IS AN ALL SEASON SPORT. TO PLAY IT YOU NEED A BALL, A NET AND TWO TEAMS OF SIX PLAYERS WHO KNOCK THE BALL OVER A NET WITH THEIR HANDS. A TEAM MUST STOP THE BALL AND TRY TO LAND THE BALL TO THEIR OPPONENTS SIDE. THE SAME PLAYER CANNOT KICK THE BALL UP TO THREE TIMES IN KNOCKING IT BACK TO THEIR OPPONENTS HALF. A TEAM IS MADE UP OF SIX PLAYERS AND SIX SUBSTITUTIONS MAY BE MADE. THE REFEREE JUDGES THE MATCH. THE SERVICE CAN BE TAKEN BEHIND THE LINE. A BALL THAT TOUCHES THE NET IS CONSIDERED A GOOD BALL IF IT GOES OVER. A MATCH IS OVER AFTER FIVE SETS.

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SOCCER/FOOTBALL

IS THE MOST POPULAR SPORT IN ITALY. THERE ARE A LOT OF NATIONAL TEAMS, EACH WITH DIFFERENT COLOURED SHIRTS. FOOTBALL IS AN ALL YEAR SPORT AND PEOPLE WATCH IT ON TV TOO.  YOU CAN PLAY IT OUTDOOR AND INDOOR. TO PLAY IT WITH FRIENDS YOU JUST NEED A BALL AND TWO TEAMS OF AT LEAST 3 PLAYERS, BUT IN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL THE TEAMS ARE TWO OF 11 PLAYERS EACH. THEY USE A ROUND BALL THAT IS KICKED AND NOT HANDLED. THEY CAN ALSO BE SUBSTITUTED DURING THE GAME. THE REFEREE JUDGES THE MATCH. THE AIM OF THE GAME IS TO BEAT THE OPPONENT TEAM BY SCORING MORE GOALS.

 

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RUGBY

RUGBY IS A CONTACT TEAM SPORT THAT EVOLVED FROM FOOTBALL. LIKE FOOTBALL , IT IS BASED ON RUNNING ON THE FIELD WITH A BALL IN THE HANDS. THE RULES WERE WRITTEN IN 1846. IN 1823 WILLIAM WEBB ELLLIS, A BOY PICKED UP THE BALL AND RAN WITH IT TO THE GOAL. IT IS AN INDOOR GAME. THERE ARE 15 PLAYERS IN EACH TEAM. TWO TEAMS GAIN THE MOST POINTS IN 80 MINUTES BY SCORING POINTS IN THE OTHER TEAM'S HALF. THE BALL CAN NEVER BE PASSED FORWARD ONLY BACKWARDS OR PERPENDICULAR. A TEAM CAN ONLY ADVANCE BY PASSING OR KICKING THE BALL. ALL PLAYERS REQUIRE A RUGBY BALL, CLEATS (TACCHETTI) AND A UNIFORM WHICH INCLUDES SHORTS, JERSEY AND SOCKS. SOME PLAYEERS USE HEADGEAR (CASCO), SHOULDER PADS (GINOCCHIERE), MOUTHGUARDS (PARADENTI).

 

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LACROSSE

IS THE OLDEST SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. ROOTED IN NATIVE AMERICAN'S RELIGION. IT WAS OFTEN PLAYED TO SOLVE CONFLICTS. IN 1636 LACROSSE WAS PLAYED BY 48  NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES LIVING IN CANADA AND NORTH AMERICA. THE GAME WAS STANDARDIZED IN 1867 BY CANDADIAN GEORGE BEERS. IT IS A COMBINATION OF BASKETBALL, SOCCER AND HOCKEY. IT IS PLAYED BY 10 PLAYERS WHO USE A LONG STICK. PLAYERS RUN, CARRY, SHOOT, PASS THE BALL WITH THE NET OF THE STICK. PLAYERS WEAR PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT : PADS, A HELMET MOUTH GUARD AND GLOVES.  THEY PLAY IN A FIELD DIVIDED INTO A DEFENSIVE AREA AN ATTACK AREA AND A WING AREA IN THE MIDDLE. THE AIM OF THE GAME IS TO SHOOT THE BALL INTO THE OPPONENT'S GOAL. THERE ARE TWO TEAMS FO 10 PLAYERS EACH. THE PLAYING TIME IS 60 MINUTES. MEN AND WOMEN PLAY IT WITH DIFFERENT RULES. MEN AND WOMEN 'S LACROSSE DON'T ALLOW VIOLENCE . THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS THAT WOMEN'S PROHIBIT BODY CONTACT WHILE MEN ALLOW IT.

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BADMINTON

IS A RACQUET SPORT PLAYED USING RACQUETS TO HIT A SHUTTLECOCK ACROSS A NET. IT CAN BE PLAYED WITH LARGE TEAMS BUT THE MOST COMMON FORMS OF THE GAME ARE SINGLES (ONLY ONE PLAYER PER SIDE) AND DOUBLES (TWO PLAYERS PER SIDE) IT IS A CASUAL OUTDOOR GAME IN A YARD OR ON A BEACH, BUT FORMAL GAMES ARE PLAYED ON A RECTANGULAR INDOOR COURT. POINTS ARE SCORED BY STRIKING THE SHUTTLECOCK WITH THE RACQUET AND LANDING IT WHITHIN THE OPPOSING SIDE'S HALF OF THE COURT.

PLAY ENDS ONCE THE SHUTTLECOCK STRUCKS THE FLOOR.  THE SHUTTLECOCK IS A FEATHERED OR PLASTIC PROJECTILE WHICH FLIES DIFFERENTLY FROM THE BALL USED IN OTHER SPORTS. THE GAME DEVELOPED IN INDIA BUT NOW IT IS VERY FAMOUS IN CHINA. IN 1992 IT DEBUTED AS A SUMMER OLYMPIG SPORT.

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CRICKET

Teams are made up of 11 players each. They play with a ball slightly smaller than a baseball and a bat shaped like a paddle. Two batters stand in front of wickets, set about 20 metres apart. Each wicket consists of three wooden rods (stumps) pushed into the ground, with two small pieces of wood (bails) balanced on top. A member of the opposing team (the bowler) throws the ball towards one of the batters, who must hit the ball so that it does not knock a bail off the wicket. If the ball travels far enough, the two batters run back and forth between the wickets while the fielders on the opposing team try to catch the ball. The game is scored according to the number of runs, which is the number of times the batters exchange places

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KARATE

IS A MARTIAL ART WHICH WAS DEVELOPED IN JAPAN, BUT IT BECAME FAMOUS INTERNATIONALLY THANKS TO MARTIAL ART MOVIES. KARATE COMPETITORS MAY ENTER COMPETITIONS EITHER AS INDIVIDUALS OR AS PART OF A TEAM. SPARRING MATCHES ARE TYPICALLY DIVIDED BY WEIGHT AGE GENDER AND EXPERIENCE. KARATE HAS A DAN SYSTEM BASED ON BELT COLOURS RISING TO THE HIGHEST WHICH IS A BLACK BELT THE FIST FIVE TO SIX DANS ARE GIVEN FOR STANCE BALANCE AND COORDINATION WITH SPEED AND POWER ADDED AT THE HIGHER GRADES

Source: performer b2 zanichelli

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SKIING

SKIING IS A TASKING ACTIVITY WHICH REQUIRES ENDURANCE, BALANCE AND STRENGTH. IT IS A SPORT PRACTISED IN WINTER BUT YOU CAN DO IT EVEN IN SUMMER BUT ONLY IN CERTAIN AREAS WHERE THERE IS THE SNOW. YOU SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY ON THE SLOPES BETWEEN SHORT MEAL BREAKS. TO ACTIVATE YOUR MUSCLES AND BLOOD CIRCULATION IT CAN BE USEFUL  WARM-UP EXERCISES BEFORE HITTING THE SLOPES. THIS ENHANCES PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY, MAKING SKIING FUN. TO DO IT YOU NEED A HELMET, SKI BOOTS, SKIS, SKI RACKETS AND A WARM SKI SUIT AND IF IT IS REALLY COLD HEAVY TIGHTS.

THE FIRST EXAMPLES OF SKIS WERE FOUND IN A REGION IN RUSSIA. THE MODERN SPORT EVOLVED IN SCANDINAVIA STARTING IN THE MID- 1800s. IT BECAME A POPULAR RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SPORT PRACTICED IN SNOW – COVERED REGIONS WORLDWIDE AND PROVIDING A MARKET FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SKI RESORTS

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