SUMMARIES

LONDON TRANSPORT

Visitors to London usually travel around on the underground train system. The “ tube ”, as it is often known, was the world’s first urban underground railway. Today there are fourteen lines (each one marked by a different colour) and more than 270 stations.

Before getting on board the train you must buy the ticket, the cost of which depends on the length of your journey.

If you prefer you can travel by bus.

London buses have two types of stop: at the compulsory stop  buses automatically stop unless they are full;  at the request stop they only stop if you put out your arm in good time.

On double – deckers the fares depend on the length of your journey; on single – deckers the fare is always the same.

SPORTS IN BRITAIN

The British are encouraged to do a lot of sport activities at school.

The most popular sports in Britain are soccer, rugby, tennis, cricket, hockey and golf.

Football

It is probably very old. The Romans already played a similar game. Modern football began in the 19th century when the dimension of the pitch, the number of the players and all the rules were decided.

Football (called soccer in the USA) is played by two teams of 11 players who cannot use their hands to pass the ball (only the goalkeeper can).  The most famous football teams in England are…

Rugby is played by two teams of 15 players who can use their hands to pass the ball, which is oval. The name comes from the famous private school of Rugby in England, where the rules were devised.

Cricket

It is a typical English sport. It is played by two teams of 11 players; some of them use a bat and a ball (usually red) and some wear pads to protect their legs. All the players wear white clothes.

SPORTS IN THE U.S.A.

Sport is an important part of the American way of life. The most popular sports are baseball, football and basketball.

Baseball, America’s national game, was invented by a retired army general in about 1870. It is played by two teams of 9 players. They have to strike the ball and then run to the first base, then second base, third base and “home”.

The baseball season runs from April to October. Traditionally the President of the USA begins the new season by throwing the first ball.

American football is based on rugby. It is played by two teams of 11 players  with an oval ball on a field a hundred yards long.

The game is very rough so players wear uniforms with heavy padding, hard helmets and masks.

There is usually a team mascot and there are cheerleaders to support the team.

Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith, an American teacher looking for a good indoor team game. It is played by two teams of 5 players.

American soldiers brought it to Europe during World War I.

THE OLYMPIC GAMES

The Olympic Games are held every four years in a different city of the world.

They began in ancient Greece nearly 2,800 years ago. They were part of a religious festival dedicated to the God Zeus.

After a period of decline, they were revived in 1896 thanks to a Frenchman called  Pierre de Coubertin.

In the opening ceremony all the athletes march in the main stadium in national groups, dressed in their colourful  uniforms. The King (Queen) or President of the host country declares the Games officially open.

In the closing ceremony the athletes march into the stadium mingled together without regard to nationality. An Olympic official of the IOC (International Olympic Committee) declares the games closed.

The Olympic Flame is an important symbol: it is carried by relays of runners from Olympia (in Greece) , lit during the opening ceremony and extinguished only at the end of the games.

The Olympic symbol consists of five rings or circles, linked together. They symbolize the five continents and are in different colours: blue, yellow, black, red and green (at least one of the colours appears in every flag all over the world).

The Olympic Creed is: “The most important thing is not to win but to take part.” It was composed by Pierre de Coubertin.

“  I  HAVE A DREAM ”

Martin Luther King was born in the USA on 15th January 1929.

At that time in America society was racist. Black people couldn’t eat in the same restaurants as white people. Black and white people sat in different places on buses. There were different schools for black and white children. So in America there were protest campaigns to get equality for black and white people.

Martin Luther King was a civil rights leader. He was arrested a lot of times, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and was assassinated in 1968.

Martin Luther King’s most famous speech began with the words “ I have a dream”. His dream was to live in a non-racist society.

THE ENVIRONMENT

Today pollution is destroying our environments: the land, air and water around us.

Industrial countries also cause the “greenhouse effect”. Industries, power stations and cars produce carbon dioxide - CO2. This gas works like the glass walls of a greenhouse. It lets in the sun, but it doesn’t let out the heat. So the Earth gets hotter and hotter.

What will happen if global warming continues?

Sea levels will rise. This will be a problem for areas near the coast. The weather will change and there will be more storms. Some regions will have more problems with water. Tropical forests will die and some animals will become extinct.

To help to stop global warming we must learn to save energy: turn off lights, TVs, computers and mobile phones, use public services when it is possible, buy recycled or recyclable things.