ENGLISH FOR THE GAMES Wheelchair Basketball When athletes come together from around the world to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, they are fulfilling their dreams and competing at the highest level. Billions of people across the globe join in; watching, listening to and reading about the greatest global celebration of sport. To celebrate the London 2012 Games, the British Council is making a wide range of classroom resources available for learners of English worldwide. Rebound Wheelchair Basketball was developed by American World War II veterans. It is now played in more than 80 countries. The rules of Wheelchair Basketball are fairly similar to Basketball. The court is the same size, the basket is at the same height, and the scoring is identical. Have you ever played Basketball? Shoot Defence Ball Hoop Net To find out more visit www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish British Council 2012 Brand and Design/B122
1. Vocabulary a. Write the correct words in the spaces provided. a. rebound b. shoot c. ball d. defence e. hoop f. net 2 1 3 5 4 6
2. The rules of Wheelchair Basketball What is it? Wheelchair Basketball was developed after World War II as part of rehabilitation programmes for returning soldiers. The rules are similar to those in Olympic Basketball. Who can participate in Wheelchair Basketball at the Paralympics? Wheelchair Basketball is open to athletes using wheelchairs. In general, any athlete can play if they are unable to participate in regular basketball because of a disability. Classifications Athletes receive a points rating between 1 and 4.5. Athletes with disabilities that severely restrict their playing ability receive a lower points rating such as 1 or 1.5. Athletes whose disabilities do not severely affect their performance receive a higher points rating such as 3 or 4. The total points rating of all five players in a team may not exceed a total of 14 points. How is it played? Wheelchair Basketball is played on a court with a basket at each end. The aim is to throw the ball through the basket of the other team and stop the other team from doing the same to you. When a player throws the ball toward the basket, it is called a shot. A shot can score between one and three points. Each team has five players on the court. Players cannot carry the ball across the court. Instead, they have to pass or bounce ( dribble ) it after every two pushes of their wheels. If a player stops dribbling the ball and continues moving, he/she commits a violation called travelling. If a player is too aggressive, the referee may call a foul. The opposite team gets a free throw. In Wheelchair Basketball a physical advantage foul is called if a player: o lifts his legs or puts his foot on the floor to gain an advantage o raises his body out of his wheelchair o uses his legs to steer the chair. If a player falls out of his chair a referee may stop play if in his opinion the player is at risk of being injured. The game ends when time is up. The winner is the team with the most points. In the event of a draw, teams play extra time to decide the winner.
a. Match the words in the table with their definitions below. a. draw b. dribble c. foul d. free throw e. physical advantage foul f. referee g. shot h. travelling 1. A violation that occurs when a player puts his foot on the floor or does other illegal things to gain an advantage 2. A violation that occurs when a player takes more than two pushes of the wheelchair without bouncing or passing the ball 3. A shot, worth one point, awarded to a player who has been fouled 4. Any violation of the rules 5. An attempt to throw the ball into the basket 6. Control the basketball by bouncing it against the floor with your hand 7. The person who is in charge of a sports game and who makes certain that the rules are followed 8. When two teams finish a game with the same number of points
3. Reading Wheelchair basketball is the REAL deal This is a REAL story. REAL is a Japanese comic or cartoon which tells the story of three teenagers who love basketball: Nomiya Tomomi, Togawa Kiyoharu, and Takahashi Hisanobu. Togawa and Takahashi are disabled and use wheelchairs. Nomiya isn t disabled but feels very guilty because of an accident he caused to another who will have to use a wheelchair for the rest of her life. The three characters are united by their wish to play basketball. If the subject matter is unusual, perhaps you aren t familiar with the style either. REAL is a manga. Manga is the Japanese word for "comic/cartoon", but in the West the word is used to describe a comic drawn in a specific style that was developed in Japan in the late 19th century. REAL is written by Takehiko Inoue. Inoue had already created a manga about basketball called Slam Dunk. In fact it is one of the most popular mangas of all time. REAL is popular too. 11 volumes of REAL have been published in Japan, and the first 7 volumes have sold over 9 million copies. REAL deals with serious issues, such as the real life of people with physical impairments and the fact that people who are disabled are sometimes treated by others as if they are not important. Basketball is an important part of REAL but character development is even more important. Inoue explores the characters past, and also their attempts to be successful in their lives. REAL has won many awards. The critics have been very positive. The manga has been praised for its "realism" - it describes people with impairments in a different way from normal. It gets away from the stereotype of showing disabled people as weak or slightly innocent people. Who says that comics can t be real and true?
a. Decide if the statements are true or false, according to the text. 1. REAL was developed in Japan in the late 19th century. a. True 2. REAL is one of the most popular mangas of all time. a. True 3. The three teenagers in the story all want to play basketball. a. True 4. Basketball is the most important part of REAL. a. True 5. REAL describes the disabled in a different way from normal. a. True b. Use the words in the table to complete the gaps in the sentences. a. can be marginalized b. has been praised c. have been published d. is used e. is written f. was developed In the West the word (...1...) to describe a comic drawn in a specific style that (...2...) in Japan in the late 19th century. REAL (...3...) by Takehiko Inoue. 11 volumes of REAL (...4...). People who are disabled (...5...) by other people. The manga (...6...) for its "realism".
4. Solution Exercise 1a 1. b; 2. d; 3. a; 4. c; 5. e; 6. f Exercise 2a 1. e; 2. h; 3. d; 4. c; 5. g; 6. b; 7. f; 8. a Exercise 3a 1. False; 2.True; 3. True; 4. False; 5. True Exercise 3b 1. d; 2. f; 3. e; 4. c; 5. a; 6. b