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Cricket is the second most popular sport in the world. Although it became the national sport of England towards the end of the eighteenth century, it was played as early as the sixteenth century, which means that Shakespeare could have been a cricket player! When England expanded its empire, it took cricket and the English language to those countries which it ruled. Today's game is played by many countries around the world, all of whom speak English as a first or second language.
The game is played with a bat, ball and two teams of eleven players. Teams take turns in batting and bowling (throwing the ball) to each other. The batting team tries to score as many runs as possible by hitting the ball and running between two wickets (bases). If the ball is hit all the way to the boundary (the edge of the field) without bouncing, the batter scores six runs. If the ball hits the ground on the way to the boundary, they score four runs. The bowling team tries to get the batters out by either bowling the ball and hitting the wicket, or by a fielder catching the ball in the air when a batter has hit it. When six balls have been bowled, it is called an over and a new bowler bowls. When all the batters have been dismissed, the teams change roles.
Although England invented cricket, they are not the best team in the world. Recently, Australia has been the number one team, with India, South Africa and Pakistan ranking as the best of the rest. The biggest rivalry is between England and Australia. Every two years they play a series of matches called The Ashes. This competition dates back to 1882 when Australia first beat England at cricket.
A test match cricket game can last up to five days and still end in a draw where no one wins! The most popular type of cricket is called 20/20 where each team only has 20 overs (a few hours) to try and score as many runs as possible. This is more exciting than five-day test matches and is watched by millions of fans worldwide.
Shakespeare was a well-known cricket player.
Cricket is played by many Spanish-speaking countries.
A point in cricket is called a run.
Batters can score 6 runs with one hit.
Fielders try to catch the ball when it has been hit.
India is generally better at cricket than England.
Only England and Australia play one-day cricket.
Some games of cricket can last more than three days.
The Seven Wonders of the World
The Seven Wonders of the World were truly amazing. The best known of them is the Great Pyramid as it's still here. It's also the oldest. It was built in 2560 BC for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu. For 3,800 years it was the tallest building on Earth, standing at nearly 150 metres tall.
Why is the Great Pyramid the best known of the Seven Wonders of the World? (paragraph 1)
The Seven Wonders of the World
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built around 600 BC by King Nebuchadnezzar II for his sick wife, Amytis. The gardens had many plants from her homeland, Persia. The large gardens were remarkable because they were built on stone terraces which were watered by a series of complicated pumps.
Why were the Hanging Gardens of Babylon so famous? (paragraph 2)
The Seven Wonders of the World
Many of the Seven Wonders were destroyed by earthquakes. This includes the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, which has been one of the most popular tourist sights for 600 years after it was built in 430 BC. The Lighthouse of Alexandria goes one better and was destroyed by two earthquakes in the 1300s - one after the other. It was built on the island of Pharos, off the coast of Egypt. During the day, a mirror was used at the top of the 130-metre-tall tower to help sailors find their way, while at night, a fire was lit.
Why did more people see the Statue of Zeus than the Lighthouse of Alexandria? (paragraph 3)
A)
B)
C) .
D)
The Seven Wonders of the World
Some of the Seven Wonders had strange reasons for being built. The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of the Greek god of the sun, Helios. It was built to celebrate the island defeating an army of invaders and paid for by selling the equipment left behind by the defeated army. The Mausoleum of Mausolus was paid for by a Persian man named Mausolus. It was a tomb for him and his family, and Mausolus gave his name to the word 'mausoleum'.
How was the Colossus of Rhodes paid for? (paragraph 4)
The Seven Wonders of the World
The Temple of Artemis/Diana was built in 550 BC and dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of forests, hunting, the moon and many more things - luck not being one of them. It was burnt down by Herostratus, who wanted to be famous for burning down the famous temple, and then rebuilt by Alexander the Great, burnt down again, rebuilt and finally pulled down by the Christians.
Why did Herostratus burn down the Temple of Diana? (paragraph 5)
A)
B)
C)
D)
Happy birthday to you...
The best known song in English isn't by The Beatles or The Rolling Stones but is Happy Birthday to You. The song was originally written by the Hill sisters in 1893 but with different words - Good morning to all. During the early 20th century, people started singing 'Happy birthday to you...". In 1935 the song was copyrighted by authors Orem and Forem, who wanted to make money. The song still earns 5 million dollars a year from films and music, including the most famous version sung by Marilyn Monroe to president John F. Kennedy.
Who wrote the words "Happy birthday to you..." in the song?
What colour are you?
Colours have lots of meanings associated with them. English people often say they are feeling blue when they're sad. Blue is also associated with trust and power.The colour red makes people brave and gives them lots of energy, but it can also make them aggressive. Orange is a much friendlier colour and means freedom and creativity. Everyone knows that black is often shown in films as being bad and mysterious, while the opposite colour, white, means innocence and truth. It is also known that people who wear green will have good luck, money, beauty and peace.
What three colours should you wear when you want to be rich, good at painting and not feel tired?
Checkmate
People have been playing chess for hundreds of years. A game similar to chess was first played in Northern India in the 6th century. The popularity of the game spread to Persia and the Muslim world during the 10th century and by the 12th century the game had reached Southern Europe. Italian and Spanish players changed the pieces and rules during the 15th century to what they are today. It was another 400 years later, in 1886, that the world had its first chess champion - a man from Prague named Wilhelm Steinitz.
When did modern chess originate?
X3000 Big Screen
The new Screenshiba X3000 television was created by Italy's best designers. It's made from shiny black chrome and carbon. The giant plasma screen looks just fabulous in any room. It has the usual technical features of auto-tuner, USB connection and remote control. Special attention has been given to making this television so thin that it could be a super-model. On the wall or free standing, this is a stunning TV. The price reflects that this is a television for the rich and famous.
Which statement is true?
Monkey madness
A movie filmed by monkeys is to be shown on the BBC. The primates were given monkey- proof cameras. At the same time, they were also given a touchscreen monitor so they could select different types of videos to watch. It seems that they were more interested in making films than watching them. The monkey- made movies probably won't win any Oscars, but researchers hope it will show what sort of things monkeys like to look at.
What is the BBC going to show?
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