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Canoeing is a sport that is fast becoming very popular
in the world. There are two types of craft used in this
competitive sport. One is the Canadian canoe which is
paddled by competitors in a kneeling position. The
paddling is done with a single-bladed paddle. It is
open-decked for flat-water racing and closed for slalom,
a race where the contestants move along a zigzag course
marked out by poles with flags. The other is the kayak
which has a closed deck, a pointed bow and stern. This
craft is propelled by competitors in a sitting position
with a long, double-bladed paddle. A kayak also has a
rudder for flat-water races. In flat-water racing, the
lanes are marked by buoys or floats. The water must be
still and be at least two meters deep. The objective of
the contestant is to be the first to cross the finishing
line. Umpires are stationed at the start, finish and on
the course to ensure that the race is fairly run.
In slalom, there are twenty five gates on the course.
These are marked by poles. A contestant must negotiate
each of these gates in his canoe. This means crossing
the line between the two poles with the body and head
and all, or part of the boat. He gets five penalty
points if he touches a pole and fifty if he fails to go
through a gate. The winner is the paddler or the team
who completes the race in the fastest time with few or
no penalty points.
Canoeing as a sport started in Britain in 1866 when
the Royal Canoe Club was formed. Members of the club
raced on the River Thames in their clinker-built canoes.
Four years later, the American Canoe Association was
also established. Lighter and better canoes were
invented. A lightweight, folding canoe, designed by
Klepper, a German, made canoeing a popular sport in
Europe. |
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1. |
What are the two types of craft used in canoeing ? |
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2. |
What is the difference in their paddles ? |
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3. |
What is slalom ? |
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4. |
How do competitors row the kayak ? |
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5. |
In flat-water racing, what must a
competitor do to win the race ? |
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6. |
What is the work of the umpires ? |
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7. |
What are used to represent a gate in slalom
? |
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8. |
How is the winner picked for the event ? |
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9. |
What contribution did Klepper make to
canoeing ? |
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10. |
In the last paragraph, which word tells us
that canoeing is enjoyed by many people ? |
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| Answers |
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1. |
They are the Canadian canoe and the kayak. |
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2. |
The paddle of the Canadian canoe is
single-bladed while that of the kayak is double-bladed. |
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3. |
Slalom is a race run along a zigzag course. |
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4. |
They row it in a sitting position with long
paddles. |
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5. |
He must be the first to cross the finishing
line. |
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6. |
They ensure that the race is fairly run. |
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7. |
Poles are used to represent a gate. |
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8. |
The winner is the one who completes the race
first with the least number of penalty points. |
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9. |
He designed a lightweight folding canoe. |
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10. |
The word is 'popular'. |
