Module 3 - Football

1.Which team has won the biggest number of titles in FIFA World Cup?

Brazil are the only team to have played in all 18 tournaments and have won the World Cup a record five times.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

2. When and where was Diego Maradona's first national game?

Diego Maradona's first national game was on 20^th October, 1976 at Argentinos Juniors’ Stadium.

Due to the fact that he was born in Villa Fiorito, Diego Armando Maradona could have been player of Independiente. Better say, he should have been. But it wasn’t that way. And it’s fine. Because Argentinos Juniors is more related to his own history, to the idea of fighting from the very bottom, of enhancing the humble, and that was proved throughout the years.

As he would do in other teams, in Argentinos he also started trying to save the team and ended up seeking the title. And the old field of Boyacá and García turned out to be the center of attention of the whole football world: as if going on a procession to worship a God, the supporters of every club headed the field to go see play number ten. Forever. Since his debut, the 20^th October, 1976, till the first days of 1981, when he left.

In Argentinos, there are reference points set by Maradona, including a tunnel, when he wasn’t even 16. His first two goals, immediately, a couple of days after his presentation. The anger shown in his three goals after the frustration of Argentina ’78. Scorer, scorer, scorer, scorer, scorer, five times scorer. In nine championships played using that same t-shirt. Many tours with him, as the main attraction. And a second place, of course, the only time he would celebrate after coming second.

Source: www.diegomaradona.com

3.Who was the first black international football player?

The first black internetional football player was Andrew Watson. Born in British Guiana, he was a proper celebrity in the Victorian era, winning three caps for Scotland in the 1880s. He also became the first non-white player to feature in the FA Cup.

Source: uktv.co.uk

4.Who wrote the first description of the football match and how was it described?

The first description of a football match in England was written by William FitzStephen in about 1170. He records that while visiting London he noticed that "after dinner all the youths of the city goes out into the fields for the very popular game of ball." He points out that every trade had their own football team. "The elders, the fathers, and the men of wealth come on horseback to view the contests of their juniors, and in their fashion sport with the young men; and there seems to be aroused in these elders a stirring of natural heat by viewing so much activity and by participation in the joys of unrestrained youth."

Source: www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk

5. Who was the first player to score 2000 points in a career?

George Blanda. George retired after 26 years, playing in both the old AFL and the NFL, scoring a total of 2002 points.

Source: www.funtrivia.com

6. Give the short overview of the football carreer of David Beckham. What is his real full name? What are his nicknames?

He signed for Manchester United as a trainee in July 1991 and he was instrumental in helping the club win the FA Youth Cup in May 1992, scoring in the second leg of the final against Crystal Palace.
On September 23, 1992, David made his first team debut as a substitute in the Rumbelows Cup tie at Brighton and Hove Albion.His Premier League debut eventually came at home to Leeds United on April 2, 1995. Partially as a result of injuries to key starters, David established himself in the first team during the 1995/96 season.
The springboard that launched Davids's famous career came during the 1996/97 season. David was compared to Pele when he scored his most famous goal - from the halfway line against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park.
During the 1998 World Cup Finals Beck scored a stunning freekick for England against Colombia and was hailed a national hero. He was later branded a villain, however, when he was sent off for a foul on Diego Simeone as England were knocked out in the second round by Argentina. That was the first red card of his career.
The World Cup Finals left David at the bottom of his career. He was a hated man in England and many predicted the end of his football areer. He mustered up the courage and resilience to bounce back and prove his critcs wrong. In the first League game of the 1998/99 season against Leicester City, he curled in one of his trademark freekicks in stoppage time to prevent defeat.The 2002/03 season was not a memorable one for Beckham as he found himself on the bench for some key matches. In a bizarre incident, he was struck on the forehead by a stray boot that was kicked in frustration by Sir Alex Ferguson in the dressing room. Rumors that he and the boss were not on speaking terms fueled the speculation that he would be sold at the end on the season.
After more than 3 years at the Bernabeu, Beckham moved to the USA. David Beckham agreed to a £128million ($250 million) five-year deal with the LA Galaxy.

His real full name is David Robert Joseph Beckham but he is also called Dave, Becks and DB7
Sources: www.beckhamwatch.com www.biggeststars.com www.imdb.com

7. Who is Edison Arantes do Nascimento and why is he famous in the football history? Give a short overview of his career with illustrations.

In his native Brazil, Pelé is hailed as a national hero. He is known for his accomplishments and contributions to the game of football in addition to being officially declared football ambassador of the world by FIFA and a national treasure by the Brazilian government. He is also acknowledged for his vocal support of policies to improve the social conditions of the poor (when he scored his 1,000th goal he dedicated it to the poor children of Brazil).


Spotted by football star Waldemar de Brito, Pelé began playing for Santos at 15 and his national team at 16, and won his first World Cup at 17. Despite numerous offers from European clubs, the economic conditions and Brazilian football regulations at the time benefited Santos, thus enabling them to keep Pelé for almost two decades until 1974. Pelé played as an inside forward, striker, and what later became known as the playmaker position.

In 1962 he was on the Brazilian squad at the start of the World Cup but because of an injury suffered in the second match, he wasn't able to play the remainder of the tournament. In November 2007 FIFA announced that he would be awarded the 1962 medal retroactively, making him the only player in the world to have three World Cup winning medals.

Since his retirement in 1977, Pelé has been a worldwide ambassador for football and has undertaken various acting roles and commercial ventures.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

8. What is 'gridiron or tackle football' and where is it played? What are the most famous teams?

'Gridiron' or 'tackle football' is more commonly known as American football. It is played in the United States where the major forms are high school football, college football and professional football, which are essentially similar but feature slightly different rules. American football is closely related to Canadian football, but with significant differences.

The most famous team is The Dallas Cowboys

Source: en.wikipedia.org

9.When and where was football originally first invented?

Documented evidence of an activity resembling football can be found in the Chinese military manual Zhan Guo Ce compiled between the 3rd century and 1st century BC.
The first documented club to bear the title "football club" is one in Edinburgh, Scotland, during the period 1824-41.
The history of American football can be traced to early versions of rugby football and association football. Both games have their origins in varieties of football played in the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century, in which a ball is kicked at a goal and/or run over a line.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

10.How is Estonia ranked on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking 2009?

Estonian raking in FIFA is 102 (2009)

Source: www.fifa.com

Module 2 - New Zealand

1. What is the 'Treaty of Waitangi', when was it signed and how did it get its name?

New Zealand's founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, was prepared over just a few days in February 1840. About 40 chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi on 6 February 1840. By the end of the year, about 500 other Maori, including 13 women, had put their names or moko to the document; all but 39 signed the Maori text.

An artist's rendition of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Source: www.nzhistory.net

2. What is "weta" in New Zealand?

The weta is a rather larg insect, native to New Zealand. While harmless to humans, its bite can be painful. It is a protected species, and, despite its repellent aspect, may not be harmed.





Source: www.nz.com

3.What is the name of the film, which was entirely shot in New Zealand and is highly acclaimed around the world?

The highly acclaimed "Lord of the Rings" was filmed entirely in New Zealand. The Lord of the Rings film trilogy consists of three live action fantasy epic films: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003). In the movie starred great actors like Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, Sean Bean as Boromir, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Orlando Bloom as Legolas and many others.

Sources: hubpages.com en.wikipedia.org

4. Describe the governmental system of New Zealand. Who is the head of the state in New Zealand? What are the official languages of the country?

The Governmental systerm of New Zealand is Monarchy. The Head of state is Queen Elizabeth II. Official Languages of the country are English (98%), Māori (4.2%) and NZ Sign Language (0.6%).

Sources: en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

5.Describe the present national flag of New Zealand.When was it made official? How many stars are there on New Zealand's flag and how are they positioned?

The flag of New Zealand is a defaced Blue Ensign with the Union Flag in the canton, and four red stars with white borders to the right. The stars represent the constellation of Crux, the Southern Cross, as seen from New Zealand. The current flag was designed and adopted for restricted use in 1869 and became the national flag in 1902.
The New Zealand Flag may be flown on any day of the year. It is particularly appropriate to fly it on days of national commemoration, such as Anzac Day, and on other important occasions.


Sources: en.wikipedia.org mch.govt.nz

6.How many people use the Internet in New Zealand (2008)?
Internet Users: 3,047 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 58

Source: www.cia.gov

7. How many national parks are in New Zealand?

There are 14 national parks in New Zealand

Te Urewera National Park - The Te Urewera National Park protects the largest area of native forest remaining in the North Island. The high, misty ridges are covered with silver and mountain beech. At lower levels, the forest is dominated by red beech, rimu, rata, tawa and kamahi. Nearly all of New Zealand's native birds live in the forest, including rare species.

Abel Tasman National Park - Visitors love the way the Abel Tasman National Park mixes physical exertion with beach life. Bursts of hiking or kayaking are punctuated by sun bathing, swimming and sedate snorkelling around the characteristic granite outcrops.

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park - The Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is alpine in the purest sense - with skyscraping peaks, glaciers and permanent snow fields. Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's tallest mountain, helped Sir Edmund Hillary to develop his climbing skills in preparation for the conquest of Everest.

Arthur's Pass National Park - The eastern side of Arthur's Pass National Park is characterised by wide, shingle-filled riverbeds and vast beech forests. The western side of the park, where wet weather is more common than dry, has deeply gorged rivers flowing through dense rainforest. Down the middle of 'the great divide' is an alpine dreamland of snow-covered peaks, glaciers and scree slopes.

Egmont National Park - Reaching 2518 metres above sea level, Mt Taranaki is New Zealand's most perfectly formed volcano. It is around 120,000 years old, and last erupted in 1775. Volcanologists agree that the mountain is 'dormant' rather than extinct.

Fiordland National Park - The seaward edge of Fiordland National Park is a series of fourteen massive knife cuts, carved by the glaciers during successive ice ages. Towering, snow-capped peaks reflect in the midnight blue fingers of ocean that reach into the park's thickly forested interior, where you can find trees that are more than 800 years old.

Kahurangi National Park - In the Maori language, Kahurangi means 'treasured possession' - a clue to the attractions of this large, wild park. Within its boundaries are some of the oldest rocks, strangest plants and rarest birds in New Zealand.

Mount Aspiring National Park - In straddling the 'great divide' of the Southern Alps, the Mount Aspiring National Park presents a breathtaking range of landscapes.
Nelson Lakes National Park - A compact area of mountain ranges separated by forested valleys, the Nelson Lakes National Park promises all levels of challenge for keen hikers and mountaineers.

Paparoa National Park - The Paparoa National Park was created in 1987, to protect a unique limestone karst environment from mining and forestry. In the interests of science, the boundaries of the park were carefully established to encompass a complete range of landscapes and ecosystems - from the granite and gneiss summits of the Paparoa Range down to the layered rock formations of Punakaiki.

Rakiura National Park - The most recent addition to New Zealand's national park portfolio, Rakiura is an enchanted world of unmodified ecosystems and habitats. From dense coastal rainforests and freshwater wetlands to vast sand dunes and granite mountain ranges, the park provides an exceptional opportunity to see native wildlife and primeval landscapes.

Tongariro National Park - The Tongariro National Park encircles the volcanoes of Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu. It was gifted to the nation by Maori chief Te Heuheu Tukino IV in 1887. Just over a hundred years later, the park was awarded World Heritage Site status.

Westland/Tai Poutini National Park - There are more than 60 glaciers in the Westland/Tai Poutini National Park. Two of them - the Fox and the Franz Josef - are the only glaciers in the world to flow down to temperate rainforest.

Whanganui National Park - This park encloses the wild upper and middle reaches of the Whanganui River, which is New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Beginning beneath the shadow of the central plateau's giant volcanoes, the 329 kilometre river winds its way to the Tasman Sea through an endless procession of forested valleys and hills.

Source: www.newzealand.com

8.What are 'tuatara' and 'kiwi' in New Zealand?

The tuatara is native to New Zealand. It is the sole survivor of the beak-heads which is a group of very ancient reptiles. The tuatara is the most ancient of all living reptiles. It is even older than the dinosaurs. It has survived for almost 200 million years. Tuatara can live up to 100 years The male is much bigger than the female. Young tuatara have a third eye. It is on top of the brain between it's other eyes. It becomes covered over when the tuatara is an adult


Kiwi: an endangered flightless bird native to New Zealand
Kiwi: New Zealander
Kiwifruit: kiwi (formerly known as Chinese gooseberry)



Sources: www.nz.com www.nz.com

9. What are the most popular fields of sports in New Zealand?

Sport in New Zealand largely reflects its British colonial heritage. Some of the most popular sports in New Zealand, namely rugby, cricket and netball, are primarily played in Commonwealth of Nations countries.
New Zealand's most popular sport is rugby union, the national sport. Other popular sports include cricket, which is considered the national summer sport, rugby league, soccer and netball (the top ranking female sport by participation); golf, tennis, rowing and a variety of water sports, particularly sailing. Snow sports such as skiing and snowboarding are also popular.

New Zealand's national rugby team, the All Blacks, has the best winning record of any national team in the world, and is currently ranked first in the world.
New Zealand's most famous cricketer is the fast bowler Richard Hadlee who was the first bowler to take 400 wickets in test cricket.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

10. Give at least 5 most interesting facts about New Zealand with illustrations.

New Zealand claims the longest place name (85 letters) in the world - Taumata whakatangi hangakoauau o tamatea turi pukakapiki maunga horo nuku pokai whenua kitanatahu - which means: 'The hilltop ,where Tamatea with big knees, conqueror of mountains, eater of land, traveller over land and sea, played his koauau to his beloved'.

Bungee jumping which is now a popular and daredevil sport originated in New Zealand.

New Zealand is the first country to see the sunrise

New Zealand had no predatory animals prior to European arrival, making it a paradise for birds - many of them flightless.

New Zealand means, "Land of the long white cloud"

Sources: nz.srichinmoycentre.org
hubpages.com

Module 1 - Olympic Games

1. What are the two most well-known myths about how the ancient Olympic Games were started?

There are several Greek myths about how the games were started. The most common myth was the story of the hero Pelops, after whom the Peloponnese is named ("Pelops’ isle"). The story of Pelops was displayed prominently on the east pedimental sculptures of the Temple of Zeus. Pelops was a prince from Lydia in Asia Minor who sought the hand of Hippodamia, the daughter of King Oinomaos of Pisa. Oinomaos challenged his daughter's suitors to a chariot race under the guarantee that any young man who won the chariot race could have Hippodamia as a wife. Any young man who lost the race would be beheaded, and the heads would be used as decoration for the palace of Oinomaos. With the help of his charioteer Myrtilos, Pelops devised a plan to beat Oinomaos in the chariot race. Pelops and Myrtilos secretly replaced the bronze linchpins of the King's chariot with linchpins made of wax. When Oinomaos was about to pass Pelops in the chariot race, the wax melted and Oinomaos was thrown to his death. Pelops married Hippodamia and instituted the Olympic games to celebrate his victory.

Another myth about the origin of the Olympic Games comes from the Tenth Olympian Ode of the poet Pindar. He tells the story of how Herakles, on his fifth labor, had to clean the stables of King Augeas of Elis. Herakles approached Augeas and promised to clean the stables for the price of one-tenth of the king's cattle. Augeas agreed, and Herakles rerouted the Kladeos and Alpheos rivers to flow through the stables. Augeas did not fulfill his promise, however, and after Herakles had finished his labors he returned to Elis and waged war on Augeas. Herakles sacked the city of Elis and instituted the Olympic Games in honor of his father, Zeus. It is said that Herakles taught men how to wrestle and measured out the stadium, or the length of the footrace.

Source: www.nostos.com

2.What is the Olympic symbol? What is the Olympics motto? What is the Olympic flag and what do the symbols on it mean?

The Olympic symbol, better known as the Olympic rings, consists of five intertwined rings and represents the unity of the five inhabited continents (considering North and South America as a single continent).
The Olympic motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius, a Latin expression meaning "Faster, Higher, Stronger".Coubertin's ideals are further expressed in the Olympic creed:

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.

The colored version of the rings—blue, yellow, black, green, and red—over a white field forms the Olympic flag. These colors were chosen because every nation had at least one of them on its national flag.

The Olympic flag ... has a white background, with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red ... This design is symbolic ; it represents the five inhabited continents of the world, united by Olympism, while the six colors are those that appear on all the national flags of the world at the present time.

—Pierre De Coubertin (1931)

Sources: en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

3. When did women first take part in the modern Olympic Games?

Olympic events for women made their first appearance in 1912. Women’s swimming and women’s diving all made their Olympic debuts.

Sources: www.solarnavigator.net
www.olympic.org

4. Why aren’t the Winter Olympic Games held in leap years now?

The first international multi-sport event specifically for winter sports were the Nordic Games, held in 1901 in Sweden. The first Olympics after the World War I, the 1920 Games in Antwerp featured figure skating with the addition of ice hockey. In 1925 the IOC decided to create a separate Olympic Winter Games, and the 1924 Games in Chamonix were retroactively designated as the first Winter Olympics. The next Winter Olympics was the first to be hosted outside of Europe. Fewer athletes participated than in 1928, as the journey to Lake Placid, United Sates, was a long and expensive one for most competitors, and there was little money for sports in the midst of the Great Depression. Alpine skiing made its Olympic debut in Germany, but skiing teachers were barred from entering because they were considered to be professionals. This decision caused the Swiss and Austrian skiers to refuse to compete in the Olympics. After not being able to host the Games in 1944 due to the World War II, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, was selected to organize the 1956 Winter Olympics. At the opening ceremonies the final torch bearer, Guido Caroli, entered the Olympic Stadium on ice skates. As he skated around the stadium rink his skate caught on a cable and he fell, nearly extinguishing the flame. He was able to recover and lit the cauldron. Held in the French town of Grenoble, the 1968 Winter Olympics was the first Olympic Games to be broadcast in color. The 1998 Winter Olympics was the first Games to host more than 2,000 athletes.

Winter Olympic games are no longer held on leap years because in 1986, the IOC voted to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same year since the latter's inception in 1924, and arrange them in alternating even-numbered years. So the winter olympics in Lillehammer were arranged two years early.


Sources: en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

5. What are the principles of the modern Olympic movement?

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) actively pursues the goals of protecting the interests of the athletes and sport in general, and contributing to the search for peaceful and diplomatic solutions to the conflicts around the world.


The IOC's other principles are:

• Sport belongs to everyone
• Promoting women's participation
• Environment: Preserving precious resources
• Development through sport: Putting human beings first
• Education through sport: Developing body, will and mind

Source: www.olympic.org

6. When have the modern Olympic Games been cancelled and why?

Summer olympics have been cancelled in 1916 because of World War I, in 1940 and in 1944 because of World War II.
Winter olympics have been cancelled in 1940 and 1944, also because of World War II

Source: kiat.net

7. How many types of Olympic Games are there nowadays? When and where were the first Special Olympic Games officially held?

Nowadays there are 5 different games. The Summer Olympics, the Winter Olympics, the Paralympic Games, the Special Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games.

The first International Special Olympics Games were held in Chicago in 1968. Anne McGlone Burke, a physical education teacher with the Chicago Park District, began with the idea for a one-time Olympic-style athletic competition for people with special needs.


Sources: en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

8. Where will the next winter Olympic Games take place?

In 2003 the IOC awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics to Vancouver, thus allowing Canada to host its second Winter Olympics. With a population of more than 2.5 million people, Vancouver will be the largest metropolitan area to ever host a Winter Olympic Games. Vancouver is a low-altitude, seaport city with a relatively mild oceanic climate. Most of the venues will be located in the Vancouver metropolitan area.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

9. Why are the Olympic Games of 1936 and 1972 specific?

1936

The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games had been handed to Berlin before the Nazis came to power but now it was the perfect opportunity for Hitler to demonstrate to the world, how efficient the Nazi Germany was. The Berlin Olympic Games gave the Nazis an opportunity to show off to the world as 49 countries were competing bringing with them their assorted media. The vast Olympic stadium was completed on time and held 100,000 spectators. 150 other new Olympic buildings were completed on time for the event. Signs that stated "Jews not welcome here" were not longer visible - anything was done to ensure that the Games went smoothly and caused no upset. In fact, the upset was caused in the stadium itself. The 'racially inferior' Owens won four gold medals; in the 100m, 200m, long jump and 4 x 100m relay. During the Games he broke 11 Olympic records and defeated Lutz Lang in a very close long jump final. Hitler refused to place the gold medal around Owen's neck.

1972

The 1972 Summer Olympics were the second Summer Olympics to be held in Germany, after the 1936 Games in Berlin. The Munich Olympics were intended to present a new, democratic and optimistic Germany to the world, as shown by its official motto, "the Happy Games." The Games also saw the introduction of the now-universal sports pictograms designed by Otl Aicher. Soon, however, the killings of 11 Israeli athletes by Palestinian terrorists in an event known as the Munich massacre took center stage.


Sources: www.historylearningsite.co.uk
en.wikipedia.org

10.What is the historical background of the marathon of the ancient and modern Olympic Games? Who hold the world records of the modern Olympic Games among men and women?

When the idea of a modern Olympics became a reality at the end of the 19th century, the initiators and organizers were looking for a great popularizing event, recalling the ancient glory of Greece. The idea of organizing a marathon race came from Michel Bréal, who wanted the event to feature in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. The women's marathon was introduced at the 1984 Summer Olympics (Los Angeles, USA) and was won by Joan Benoit of the United States with a time of 2 hours 24 minutes and 52 seconds.

The Olympic men's record is 2:06:32, set at the 2008 Summer Olympics by Samuel Kamau Wanjiru of Kenya.
The Olympic women's record is 2:23:14, set at the 2000 Summer Olympics by Naoko Takahashi of Japan.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

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The three of us have been friends for a long time. We are all interested in computers, blogs and such.