The Blog post contains the following IELTS Reading Questions:
- IELTS Reading Matching Headings
- IELTS Reading Matching sentence endings
- IELTS Reading True/False/Not given
Stay informed and prepared for success – Explore our comprehensive Reading Test Info page to get valuable insights, exam format details, and expert tips for mastering the IELTS Reading section.
IELTS reading passage – The Beginning of Football
The Beginning of Football
A – Although the game itself is much older football as we know it now was originated in Britain in the nineteenth century. In fact, the term “football” has historically referred to games performed on foot, as opposed to those played on horseback, therefore kicking a ball was not always a component. It has generally been played by men, although at the end of the 17th century, married and unmarried women in a Scottish town played the game. The married women consistently win.
B – Tsu’chu, which was played in China was the earliest form of football which have evidence that may date back 3,000 years. It was performed in front of the Emperor during their birthday celebrations. It entailed kicking a leather ball through a 30–40 cm aperture into a small net attached to long bamboo canes, a feat that required exceptional ability and precision.
C – The Japanese ‘kemari’, which dates back to roughly the fifth century and is still played today, is a variant of the game that also originated in the Far East. This is a form of circula/r football, a more dignified and ceremonial event requiring specific skills, but not competitive in the same way that the Chinese game was, nor is there any hint of fight for possession of the ball. The players had to transfer the ball to one another in a somewhat confined area without allowing it to hit the ground.
D – The Romans had a far more exciting game called ‘harpastum’ Each team member had a distinct tactical assignment and exhibited a loud interest in the game’s progress and score. The involvement of the feet was so tiny as to be negligible. The game remained popular for 700 or 800 years, but despite its introduction to England, it is unlikely to be considered a precursor to modern football.
E – The game that flourished in Britain between the 8th and 19th centuries was significantly different from all previously known versions; it was more disorganised, aggressive, spontaneous, and typically played by an undetermined number of players. Frequently, the games consisted of a fierce competition between entire communities. Kicking opponents was permitted, as was virtually anything else.
F – Even though the authorities intervened often to limit football as a public nuisance, there was a great deal of passion for the sport. During the 14th and 15th centuries, football was ruled illegal in England, Scotland, and France due to the unrest that sometimes accompanied it or because it prohibited subjects from practising more useful military disciplines. None of these initiatives had an appreciable effect.
G – The popularity of the somewhat more organised Italian game ‘Calcio’ had a significant impact on the development of football in England throughout the sixteenth century. Richard Mulcaster, the school’s headmaster, was a notable fan of English football, which remained as harsh as ever. He emphasised that it had educational value and fostered health and vitality. Mulcaster stated that all that was required was a little refinement, a cap on the number of players per team, and most crucially, a referee to monitor the game.
H – Until the early 19th century, when a number of influential English schools created their own modifications, the game existed in a disorganised state. In some schools, particularly Rugby schools, the ball may be carried or touched with the hands, and opponents might be tripped and booted. In educational circles, it was acknowledged that football, as a team sport, helped to foster values such as loyalty, altruism, cooperation, subordination, and respect for team spirit. In schools, a ‘games cult’ arose, and football became a required part of the curriculum.
I – In 1863, the culmination of events was reached. At Cambridge University, there was a movement to develop consistent standards and rules that would be accepted by everybody, but there were essentially two camps: Rugby School and others intended to continue with their own version of the game, which included permitting players to carry the ball. Eleven London clubs and schools dispatched delegations in October of the same year to draught a set of fundamental regulations to regulate their matches. This gathering signified the establishment of the Football Association.
J – The issue over kicking and tripping opponents and carrying the ball was exhaustively examined at this and following sessions until, on December 8, the most ardent proponents of the Rugby style departed, resulting in a definitive split between rugby and football. Within eight years, the Football Association had 50 member clubs and launched the FA Cup, the first football competition in the globe.
Unlock your full potential in the IELTS Reading section – Visit our IELTS Reading Practice Question Answer page now!
Recommended Questions:
Renewable Energy IELTS Reading Question with Answer
The Beginning of Football reading questions
Questions 1-5
Reading Passage 1 has ten paragraphs A-J
Choose the correct headings for paragraphs D-H from the list of headings below. Write the correct number i-x for the questions 1-5 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i Limited success in suppressing the game
ii Opposition to the role of football in schools
iii A way of developing moral values
iv Football matches between countries
v A game that has survived
vi Separation into two sports
vii Proposals for minor improvements
viii Attempts to standardize the game
ix Probably not an early version of football
x A chaotic activity with virtually no rules
Example Paragraph C Answer v
- Paragraph D
- Paragraph E
- Paragraph F
- Paragraph G
- Paragraph H
Ready to conquer Matching Headings questions? Click here to learn essential tips and techniques for matching headings accurately to paragraphs or sections in the IELTS Reading section.
Questions 6-11
Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-I. Write the correct letter A-I for the questions 6-11 on your answer sheet.
- was seen as something to be encouraged in the young.
- involved individual players having different responsibilities.
- was influenced by a game from another country.
- was a cooperative effort by all the players.
- distracted people from more important activities.
- was played by teams of a fixed size.
- was less popular than it later became.
- was often played by one community against another.
- formed part of a celebration.
6.Tsu’chu
7.Kemari
8.Harpastum
9.From the 8th century, football in the British Isles
10.In the past, the authorities legitimately despised football and acted on the belief that football.
11.When it was accepted in academic settings, football.
Ready to sharpen your skills in Matching Sentence Endings? Click here to discover expert strategies and techniques for accurately matching sentence endings with the corresponding information in the IELTS Reading section.
Questions 12-13
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
Write your answers for the questions 12-13 on your answer sheet.
12.Football has been played by men though in the 18th century both men and women started to play that game though kids regularly won in that game.
13.The earliest form of football involved kicking a leather ball through a 20-45 cm opening into huge net fixed onto bamboo canes.
Enhance your skills in identifying information as True, False, or Not Given. Click here to discover expert strategies and techniques for mastering this question type in the IELTS Reading section.
Unlock your full potential in the IELTS Reading section – Visit our IELTS Reading Practice Question Answer page now!
Recommended Questions:
Renewable Energy IELTS Reading Question with Answer
The Beginning of Football reading answers
1. IX
2. X
3. i
4. Vii
5. iii
6. I
7. D
8. B
9. H
10. E
11. A
12. Not given
13. False
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest. If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
