Interesting facts. England’s national sport is cricket although to many people football (soccer) is seen as English national sport.
In the 19th century, students at Oxford and Cambridge were huge fans of rowing. In 1829, the two schools agreed to hold a race against each other on the Thames River. The Oxford boat won and a tradition was born. Today, the University Boat Race is held every spring in either late March or early April.
Table tennis was invented in England in 1880. It began with Cambridge University students using cigar boxes and champagne corks.
I. True or False? Write True if you agree, or False if you don’t.
1. British schools and universities tend to give a high priority to sport, as it helps to develop the “complete” person
2. The British sense of “fair play” was developed in the Victorian era
3. For modern British sportsmen winning isn’t everything
4. For a very large number of the British sport is the main form of entertainment
5. Every local authority in Britain has a duty to provide and maintain playing fields and other sport facilities
II. Find the right answer. Write a, b or c.
1. The Cup Final and the Derby are .
a) the most famous annual sporting occasions
b) British sporting associations
c) sporting TV channels
2. Wimbledon is .
a) a cricket match
b) a tennis tournament
c) a motor race
3. In a cricket team there are .
a) 8 players
b) 10 players
c) 11 players
4. The full official name of football is .
a) soccer
b) British football
c) association football
5. The favourite sports of the British upper-class are .
a) tennis and football
b) rugby and cricket
c) hunting, shooting and fishing
6. Dressing in 18th century riding clothes is associated with .
a) horse-riding
b) foxhunting
c) hare-coursing
7. “Angling” is a competitive .
a) fishing
b) shooting
c) horse-racing
8. is supposed to be the perfect example of the concept of “fair play”.
a) Cricket
b) Rugby
c) Soccer
9. The British have a preference for .
a) individual sports
b) team games
c) the upper-class sports
10. Rounders is a popular sport which is similar to .
a) American baseball
b) rugby
c) soccer
