Question

To the ancient Greeks, religious ceremonies were incomplete without the staging of

athletic events. There were four national festivals-called the Isthmian, Nemean, Olympic

and Pythian Games. The Olympic Games became the most important, because the

festival honoured Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. They were held at Olympia, a site

located in southern Greece. The first Olympics were held in 776 B.C.

2. During the Olympics, a sacred truce was called, which banned any fighting between the

frequently-warring city-states, for the duration of the Games. Every contestant had to

train for ten months. The athletes competed naked and barefoot. Non-Greeks (later an

exception was made for the Romans), slaves and women were not allowed to take part.

3. The Olympics were held every four years and the period between two Olympics was

called an Olympiad. After the Roman conquest, interest in the Games declined. The

quality of the contests plummeted as bribery and corruption became rampant among the

judges and athletes. When the Roman emperor converted to Christianity, the Games

came to be condemned as a pagan festival. In 393 A.D., the roman emperor Theodosius

I, brought the Olympic Games to an end. His son, Theodosius I1, had the site itself

destroyed. The dust of ages setled upon Olympia till it was excavated in 1875, setting

fire to the imagination of a Frenchman called Pierre Fredy, Baron de Coubertin.

If the world gasps in wonder at the magnificent spectacle of the Olympics today, it is all

due to the vision and determination of one man- Frenchman Pierre Fredy, Baron de

Coubertin. Born in 1863 into a rich and influential family, he had but one passion in life

sport. He was adept at gymnastics, rowing, riding and running. He felt that the French

school system neglected sport. He was a great admirer of Thomas Arnold and his

Rugby School in England. "Sport must be practiced with fervor, even with violence," he

wrote.

5. When ancient Olympia was unearthed, he had a brilliant idea: why not revive the Olympic

Games? The rest is history. On the basis of your reading of the above passage, answer the following questions as

briefly as possible against the correct blank number in your answer sheet.

a) The chief reason behind the greater importance of the Olympics was

b) For the ancient Greeks, athletic events like the Olympics were

c) Complete the following list of do's and don't for the ancient Olympics.

ii)

ii) Non Greeks, slaves and women not allowed taking part.

d) The games suffered a setback because of the following:

i)

ii) Banned as a pagan festival.

ii)

6

e)"It is all due to the vision and determination of one man". What does 'it' refer to here? ​

Answer 1

Explanation:

c and d to bhaut door and window shortcut w the love t shirts for a great time in the love kar rhi hai to bhi banaloo to

Answer 2

1. The festival honored Zeus,the king of the Greek

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god.

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