A1. Guess Select the correct alternatives from the boxes: (2)
(1) The Olympic Games were originally held in honour of:
Ans. The Olympic Games were originally held in honour of Zeus.
(2) The Olympics were held after every:
Ans. The Olympics were held after every four years.
(3) All came to know of Olympia from the:
Ans. All came to know of Olympia from the Olympics.
(4) Altis was the name of a:
Ans. Altis was the name of an enclosure.
Olympia, the original site of Olympic Games in ancient Greece is situated in a quiet, beautiful valley. The old ruins are shaded by evergreen oaks, pines and poplars, as well as olive trees. Olympia was never a city but a sacred ground occupied by temples and dwellings for the priests. At the centre was the enclosure known as Altis, dedicated to Zeus, the god of gods. It was in honour of Zeus that the quadrennial festival and the games were held.
The fame of Olympia rests largely upon Olympic Games. They were a great national festival of the entire Greek race. During the week of the festival the Athenians, the Spartans, the Syracusans and other groups, all forgot their narrow identities. They regarded an Olympic victory as the highest honour. The simple reward of a twig of wild olive immortalized the victor and his family.
The Olympic Games were held regularly in peace and in war at an interval of four years for over a thousand years from 776 B.C. till 393 A.D.
Originally, men who spoke Greek as their mother tongue were allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. No married women were allowed to be present. The athletic programme was varied by the presence of historians, orators and writers. After each event a herald announced the victor’s name and handed him a palm. On the last day the successful competitors were each given a garland of wild olive.
A2. Select
Select one word each from the circle which mean the following: (2)
(1) Occurring at the interval of four years
(2) Wreckage
(3) Take part in a game
(4) One who wins.
Ans. (1) Occurring at the interval of four years - quadrennial
(2) Wreckage - ruins
(3) Take part in a game - compete
(4) One who wins. - victor
A3. Complete:
Complete the table and frame your sentence with any one word: (2)
Noun
|
Adjective
|
Verb
|
beautiful
|
Ans.
Noun
|
Adjective
|
Verb
|
beauty
|
beautiful
|
beautify
|
Sentences: (i) beauty : Inner beauty is always desirable as compared to external beauty.
(ii) beautiful: My cousin was presented with two beautiful sarees.
(iii) beautify: It is our duty to beautify our surroundings.
A4. (i) The old ruins are shaded by evergreen oaks, pines and poplars as well as olive trees. (Insert not only _______ but also and rewrite). (1)
Ans. Not only are the old ruins shaded by evergreen oaks, pines and poplars but also by olive trees.
(ii) No married women were allowed to be present. (Remove ‘No’ and rewrite the sentence without changing its meaning) (1)
Ans. Only unmarried women were allowed to be present.
A5. Personal Response (2)
How are the winners in Olympics rewarded today?
Ans. According to their positions of victory the winners of the Olympics are rewarded with gold, silver or bronze medals today. Thereafter, each country's Government felicitates and honours their winners in cash and kind.
