Thousands of years in the making, the Olympics began as part of a religious festival honoring the Greek god Zeus in the rural Greek town of Olympia. But how did it become the greatest show of sporting excellence on earth? Educator Armand D’Angour explains the evolution of the Olympics
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Watch:
Glossary
- increment – an increase or addition, especially one of a series on a fixed scale
- to foster – to encourage the development of
- to entice – to persuade someone to do something by offering them something pleasant
- to gouge – to make a hole in sth
- loincloth – a cloth worn about the loins (the reproductive organs) often as the sole article of clothing in warm climates
- unimpeded – unconstrained; unhindered
- to bid farewell – to say goodbye
Answer the questions:
- What’s the inception date of the Olympic games?
- What is Olympiad?
- What other contests were held apart from sporting events?
- What were the first sporting events?
- Why will we never forget Orsippus of Megara?
- What did the Christian Roman Emperor Theodosius do in 391 AD?
- When and where did the modern Olympic Games kick off?
Practice Makes Perfect
Read the article The Olympics without Fans Is Harming Athletes’ Performance on: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-olympics-without-fans-is-harming-athletes-performance1/ and decide if the sentences below are
True or False?
1. It’s out of the ordinary for a country not to be allowed to take part in the Olympic Games.
2. Japan’s prime minister encouraged spectators to participate in the games.
3. The pressure some athletes may feel in these strange circumstances has been foreseen.
4. The decision to bar spectators from the Olympics was unexpected.
5. Shapes of fans that have been cut out from cardboard will be used in the Olympics.
6. The disappointment of seeing empty stands isn’t obvious.
7. If there’s a lack of an audience, athletes who are lower in rank perform better.
ANSWERS: 1F; 2F; 3F; 4T; 5F; 6F; 7T
Discuss:
- What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘Olympics’?
- Do you have your favourite event at the Olympics?
- How does a country benefit from hosting the Olympics?
- Do your country’s sportsmen/women do well in the Olympics?
- Do you think the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be successful?
Explore it more to create your own teaching-learning experience!
Michael McIntyre’s funny Olympics impressions..
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