25 a2+ Sport game or hobby

CHAPTER 1 When Is a Sport Not a Sport? WHAT EXACTLY IS A SPORT? PEOPLE OFTEN BELIEVE THEY KNOW— UNTIL YOU ASK THEM TO EXPLAIN. When we hear the word "sport," we usually think of football, basketball, the Olympic Games, and things like that. But isn't a sport more than that? Different people have different answers. Some people think that an activity must have a winner to be a sport. But does that mean that running and swimming are only sports when you are in a race or competition? What about when you try to improve your own running or swimming? Aren't you trying to win against yourself? Is that a sport?

Many people think that a sport must be hard for your body. But what about if you only need to think? Look at chess. There are chess competitions and chess stars. So is chess a sport? And do you need to be strong and fit to take part in a sport? What about Olympic shooting? You don't have to be strong to do that. One thing all sports need is skill. A skill is something special you can do better than others. It's often a thing you learn, but some people have natural skills. Most people can learn to play football. But to be a really good football player, you need to be naturally quick and move well.

Then there are hobbies. Hobbies are special activities that we like to spend our time doing when we aren't working. So a sport can be a hobby, but not all hobbies are sports. Painting and cooking are hobbies. But no one calls those things sports. If your hobby is looking after your garden, people don't call it a sport. But if you climb mountains if you're a mountaineer— many people will say you're taking part in a sport. Maybe that's because compete— in other words, they try to do better than other climbers.

But gardeners compete, too! Maybe you have flower shows in your town with prizes for the best flowers. So why don't we call that a sport? Finally, what are games? Football is a game— but chess, video games, and hide and seek are games, too, each with its own rules. Is a game something we do just for fun? That's also true for hobbies. And some games are clearly sports, but people don't agree about others. This book looks at different activities. Some are watched by crowds. For some, you have to be fit and strong; for others, you have to be smart or quick. But are they sports, games, or hobbies? You decide.

CHAPTER 2 Machine Sports SOME PEOPLE SAY IT CAN'T BE A SPORT IF YOU USE A MACHINE. BUT NOT EVERYONE AGREES. Some sports use hi-tech machines. They can be as important as the people who use them— or even more important. How about car racing? Fans know that a driver can be the greatest in the world one year and do badly the next. Why? Maybe because another driver has a better car that year. So is car racing a sport, or is it more a competition for car makers? Probably both. Racing drivers must be strong, fit athletes. Car racing is very tiring. Formula 1 drivers lose as much as three kilograms of water from their body in just one race!

Racing drivers need to understand their car and the track or road they race on. They must think and do things very fast. And crowds watch. So we can say that car racing is a sport, but one for people and machines working together. What about flying? Today, it's more like a job or a hobby. But a century ago, people like Louis Blériot and Amelia Earhart were stars. They were the first to fly across seas and oceans at a time when it was very dangerous. Some of them died! So why did they do it? To be first. To be better than everyone else. Isn't that what sports is all about?