Racket Sports

Reading ?
Comprehension Did you know that racket
comes from the old French
word requette? Which means
Pre-reading Questions:
‘palm of the hand’. Today,
there are over 30 racket sports
11. Do you play sports? What sports are you
good at? practised around the world.
22. What comes to mind when you hear the
word “racket”?

From the fast-paced action of tennis to the more leisurely pace of badminton, there is a racket sport to suit
every taste and skill level. Here are some fun and exciting facts about some of the most popular
racket sports:

Tennis
Tennis is one of the most widely-known netted racket sports and is enjoyed by people
of all ages and skill levels. The game originated in 12th-century France, where it was
played with the palm of the hand. The modern game of tennis was developed in
England in the 19th century. The rules of the game are quite simple: two players hit a
ball back and forth over a net until one player fails to return the ball inside the lines on
the court.

An Interesting fact about tennis is that the ball used in professional matches is
changed every nine games to ensure fairness.

Squash
Squash is a fast-paced game played with a long netted racket, on an indoor
court with four walls. The game originated in England in the 19th century and
has since spread to become popular worldwide. Squash is played with two
players who take turns hitting a small rubber ball against the court's walls. The
aim of the game is to hit the ball so that your opponent can’t return it. The ball
used in competitions is made of two rubber halves that are glued together, giving
it a unique bounce.

Padel
Padel is a popular racket sport that originated in Mexico in the 1960s. It is similar
to tennis but is played with a solid rubber paddle-like racket on a smaller court
with walls similar to those used in squash. Padel is usually played in doubles and
involves hitting a ball back and forth over the net until one team is unable to return
the ball. Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, with millions of players
in countries like Spain, Argentina, and Mexico.

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 Racket Sports Reading Comprehension

Pickleball
Pickleball is somewhat of a new racket sport that was invented in the United States in
the 1960s. It is practised with a paddle that is smaller than a tennis racket but bigger
than a table tennis paddle, on a smaller court than tennis and uses a ball similar to
a wiffle ball. Pickleball is typically played in doubles, and the game involves hitting
the ball over the net until one team is unable to return it. A fun fact about pickleball
is that it was created by two dads that wanted to entertain their bored families one
summer.

Reading Questions

1. How many racket sports are played worldwide?

2. When and where did tennis become the game that is played today?

3. How are professional tennis matches kept fair?

4. Which sport is usually played indoors?

5. What is the fastest-growing racket sport in the world?

6. What does ‘in doubles’ mean?

7. Why was ‘pickleball’ invented?

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 Racket Sports Reading Comprehension

Writing Questions

1. Which racket sport is popular in your country?

2. Would you like to try to play a racket sport? Which one? Why or why not?

3. Do you think playing a racket sport is an expensive hobby? Why?

4. Which racket sport do you think is the most difficult? Why?

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may not fully represent the linguistic backgrounds of all students, it is the most widely recognised term for English language teaching globally. Therefore, we use the term ‘ESL’ in the names of our resources
to make them easy to find but they are suitable for any student learning to speak English.

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 Racket Sports Reading Comprehension

Answers
Reading Questions

1. There are over 30 racket sports practised around the world.

2. The modern game of tennis was developed in England in the 19th century.

3. The ball used in professional matches is changed every nine games.

4. Squash.

5. Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.

6. A team with two people on each side of the court.

7. Two dads wanted to entertain their bored families one summer.

Writing Questions

Student’s own answers.

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