1. BEST SPORT IN EARTH
HOCKEY, also called ice hockey, is a fast, exciting sportplayed by two teams on
a sheet of iced called a rink. The player skateup and down the rink, slamming a
puck along the ice with long stick. They try to scorepoints by hitting the puck into
a goal cage, or net. In many places, the term hockey refers to field hockey.
Hockey has swifter action than almost any other sport. As the player streak
cross the ice, their hard shots and passes often send the puck traveling faster than
100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour. Goalkeeper mustoften make lightening slides
across the front of the net on their knees, stomach, or backs to block shots of the
puck. A puck that enters the goal cage or crosses thegoalline scores a goal (points)
for the other side.
To keep the action fast, hockeyhas an unusualrule. It is the only big sport
that allows to be substituted while play is in progress. The game sometimes
includes fights among players, though fighting is against the rules.
Hockeybegan in Canada in the mid-1800’s. By theearly 1900’s, ithad
become Canada’s national sport. Since then, hockeyhas become popular in many
other countries, especially Russia, Sweden, and the UnitedStates. In Canadaand
the UnitedStates, thousandsof amateur players takes part in community, high
schools, and college contests.
MARIA LUISA R. ABIAN
