Born to Run The following is an extract from Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. The author describes an unusual game.
It was a frosty morning, and as we sat outside, warming our hands around the steaming bowls, a torrent of kids came swarming past us out of the schoolhouse. Rather than having the cold kids suffer in their seats, the teacher cut them loose to warm up Tarahumara- style – meaning I’d lucked into a chance to witness a rarajipari, the Tarahumara running game. Angel pulled himself to his feet and divided the kids into two teams, girls and boys together. He then produced two wooden balls, each about the size of a baseball, and flipped one to a player on each team. He held up six fingers; they’d be running six laps from the schoolhouse to the river, a total distance of about four miles. The two boys dropped the balls into the dust and arched one of their feet, so the ball was balanced on top of their toes. Slowly, they coiled themselves down into a crouch and . . . iVayan! Go! The balls whistled past us, flip-kicked off the boys’ feet like they’d been fired out of a bazooka, and the kids went stampeding after them down the trail. The teams looked pretty evenly matched, but my pesos were on the gang led by Marcelino, a twelve-year-old who looked like the Human Torch; his bright red shirt flowed behind him like flames and his white skirt whipped his legs like a trail of smoke. The Torch caught up with his team’s ball while it was still rolling. He wedged it expertly against the front of his toes and zinged it down the trail with barely a hitch in his stride. Marcelino’s running was so amazing, it was hard to take it all in at once. His feet were jitterbugging like crazy between the rocks, but everything above his legs was tranquil, almost immobile.
Once Marcellino reached the river, he wheeled around and drilled the ball to a little six-year-old who’d lost one sandal and was struggling with his belt. For a few glorious moments, Little One-Shoe was leading his team and loving it, hopping on one bare foot while grappling to keep his skirt from falling off. That’s when I began to glimpse the real genius of the rarajipari. Because of gnarly trails and back-and-forth laps, the game is endlessly and instantly self-handicapping; the ball ricocheted around as is it were coming off a pinball paddle, allowing the slower kids to catch up whenever Marcelino had to root it out of a crevice. The playing field levels the playing field, so everyone is challenged and no one is left out.
Source Extract taken from Born to Run by Christopher McDougall (Profile Books Ltd, 2010), p. 40 ISBN: 9781847652287 Reading
1. How long is each lap from the schoolhouse to the river? This is a deduction question. You can find the answer by reading and understanding the text.
a. 4 miles b. 1 mile c. 2/3 mile d. 2 miles
2. Which of the following explains why the writer refers to Marcelino as the Human Torch? This is a retrieval question. You can find the answer in the text.
a. He is dressed in red and white clothing. b. He has long red hair that look like flames. c. He moves so fast he seems to flicker like flame. d. He has a short temper and a fiery nature.
3. What type of text is this extract taken from? This question tests your ability to recognise and understand the type of text by analysing the language and content.
a. instruction manual b. guide book c. travel writing d. historical fiction
4. Identify two benefits of the game of rarajipari. This question tests deduction skills and your ability to retrieve information from the text.
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5. How has the author of this text created the impression of speed when describing Marcelino? Look at the language used and provide evidence to support your answer. This question tests your ability to retrieve information and analyse language in order to show your understanding of a text.
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6. What does the author mean by the phrase ‘the playing field levels the playing field’? This question tests your ability to analyse text and infer meaning from the language and context.
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Oracy
7. Research and present a speech to be made to a Year 7 group. Choose one of the following topics for your speech. Your speech should last 2-3 minutes. • The health benefits of exercise • The social benefits of team sports • An introduction to an unusual sport When presenting your speech, make sure you speak clearly and look at the audience.
8. Studies have shown that physical activity can help with concentration. Several local schools have shown an interest in introducing periods of exercise into their timetable and have formed a committee to explore the issue. However, most departments are unwilling to give up lesson time for this.
Your class has been asked to come up with some creative ways to introduce more exercise into your school day without taking time from lessons. In groups of four discuss possible solutions and create a list of suggestions that can be put forward to the committee.
Writing
9. The text provides a vivid description of the game which readers are unfamiliar with. Describe a sport or a game that you have played. Imagine that the reader has never seen the sport before. Make the description exciting and entertaining. Write 350-500 words.