Pre-reading questions
- Do you exercise?
- What do you do to stay healthy?
Vocabulary
- relay /REE-ley/
- playful /PLEY-fuhl/
- tug of war /tuhg uhv wawr/
- fitness /FIT-nis/
- take care of (someone/something) /teyk kair ov/
[noun] – a running or swimming race between two or more teams usually of four members, each of whom goes a part of the distance
Which country won gold in the sprint relay?
[adjective] – done as a form of play rather than intended seriously, or wanting to have a good time and not feeling serious
My mother had a playful mood that day.
[noun] – a competition in which two teams pull at opposite ends of a rope, each trying to pull the other team over a line between them
Their team won the tug of war.
[noun] – activities relating to keeping healthy and strong, especially through exercise
Physical fitness can be maintained with regular exercise.
[phrasal verb] – to protect someone or something and provide the things that that person or thing needs
Alex has to take care of his sick mother.
Article reading
On National Health and Sports Day, Japanese kindergartens, schools, businesses, and local associations around the country host activities like track meets. In addition to relays and races, there are also more playful games like scavenger hunts, tug of war, and toss-ball. The entire family is welcome to participate in other sporting events, such as marathons and physical fitness competitions. There are sporting events held in every town, too. These include marathons, bowling, and Frisbee games for both adults and kids. In some places, adults can also receive health check-ups to help them identify their personal inactivity.
As the World Health Organization (WHO) says, “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Make sure to take care of your health throughout the entire year, not just today!
True or False:
- Every first Monday of October is celebrated in Japan as National Health and Sports Day.
- On Health and Sports Day, Japanese schools, businesses, and neighborhood associations hold events like track meets.
- Families are welcome to participate in other sporting events.
- Sporting events are also held in every town.
- Adults are not allowed to receive health check-ups on Health and Sports Day.
Fill in the blanks
| relay | playful | tug of war | fitness | take care of |
- Remember to always _______ your health.
- You’re free to join in any games like _______ or toss ball.
- Our class will participate in the _______ race.
- My best friend gave me a _______ slap on the shoulder.
- There has been an increase in interest in health and _______.