What is the most popular sport in the world? Most people would probably say soccer, because of the many millions who play it and the even larger number who watch it on television. There are some, however, who say the correct answer is basketball – not because of its TV audience, which is certainly smaller than that for soccer, but because the number of people who regularly play the game might be higher (at least 300 million, according to most estimates).
Early basketball looked different from the game today: for example, the basket didn’t have a hole in the bottom, so every time a player threw the ball in, someone had to go up to get it out again! Another difference is dribbling, which is when a player in modern basketball bounces the ball off the floor while moving across the court: it didn’t exist in early basketball because the balls didn’t bounce well enough. One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the height of the baskets: James Naismith put the first one 10 feet (3.05 meters) off the floor, and that’s where they’ve stayed.
The biggest international TV audiences in modern basketball are for games in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in North America, a league of 30 teams (29 from the United States and one from Canada), including famous names such as the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. Most of the players in the NBA are American, but there are also some foreign stars such as Yao Ming from China and Dirk Nowitzki from Germany.
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Why is basketball considered to be the most popular sport?
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Why did the early basketball differ in earlier times?
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What is dribbling?
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Where is the NBA?
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One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the height of the baskets.
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The smallest international TV audiences in modern basketball are for games in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in North America
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Famous NBA teams are the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers.
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There are no foreign stars in the American basketball teams.
Here are some simple definitions for words that appear in the text. Find the words they refer to.
A _____________(noun) is an area marked with lines where some sports (e.g., basketball or tennis) are played.
__________(verb): to hit the surface of something and then move away (e.g., a ball moving through the air, hitting the ground, then moving through the air again).
Here are some simple definitions for words that appear in the text. Find the words they refer to.
__________(noun): a group of people who play a sport or a game against another group.
Here are some simple definitions for words that appear in the text. Find the words they refer to.
An ___________- (noun) is a group of people who watch or listen to something (e.g., a movie or a sports game).
Cambridge University at a Glance
a scholar - науковець, вчений
to settle down - оселитися
rare - рідкісний
a rival - суперник
In 1209, several hundred students and scholars moved some 60 miles from Oxford. Due to some troubles with life and studies, they had to get away from Oxford and settle down in a small place where they established a new university.
There were no colleges at those days and student life was absolutely different from what it is now. Students were of all ages and came from everywhere. They made a community, but not all was quiet and peaceful in their lives. Gradually the idea of the College developed and in 1284 Peterhouse, the oldest college in Cambridge, was founded.
Life in College was strict; students were forbidden to play games, to sing merry songs, to hunt or fish, and to dance. Books were rare and all the lessons were in Latin which students were supposed to speak even among themselves. In 1440, King Henry VI founded King's College, and then other colleges followed.
Many great personalities studied at Cambridge, among them Erasmus, Bacon, Milton, Cromwell, Newton, Wordsworth, Byron and Tennyson. With the course of time, Cambridge and its colleges gained worldwide popularity and became Oxford's rival in terms of education, research, development and sports.
Both Oxford and Cambridge became a standard for any educational establishment that has been created since then throughout the world.
The text is about the history of Oxford university.
Cambridge is 60 kilometres from Oxford.
The history of Cambridge university started in 1209.
The founders of Cambridge university had to escape from Oxford.
The students entered the university at the same age - at 18.
The oldest college in Cambridge university is ...
The students could dance, sing songs, hunt and fish.
Every student had own books.
The lessons were taught in English.
King′s College was founded by Queen Elizabeth.
Many outstanding persons studied at Cambridge.
Cambridge and Oxford universities are rivals in education, sports, development and researches.
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