1 . Although its history can be somewhat traced back to ancient Korea, it is a true fact that Taekwondo as an organized art is relatively modern. In fact, the only recorded history begins in the mid 1900’s.
The actual beginnings of Taekwondo are not known to everyone, yet many historians believe it came from a Korean martial art from practiced over 1,300 years ago.
In the early 1900’s the art developed with the instruction of Chinese and Japanese techniques. Some Koreans were anxious because these influences did not prove the amazing kicking power of the art nor its traditional values or philosophy.
The actual name of Taekwondo wasn’t official until 1955. At that time Korean General Hong Hi Choi organized a movement to combine Korea’s various martial arts styles. He recommended the name “Taekwondo” to an organization specially founded to select a name for the new art. On April 11, 1955, Taekwondo was recognized as the name for the newly combined, officially recognized Korean martial art.
As an interesting side note, the word Taekwondo itself is made up of three Chinese/Korean words: Tae, meaning to kick or jump; Kwon, meaning fist or hand; and Do, which means “the way”. It can be thought of as “The Way of the Hand and Foot”.
In the 1960’s Taekwondo began to spread internationally and developed throughout the late 1900’s. It became a fighting sport, although self‒defense, fitness, and the philosophy of the practice are still main elements of Taekwondo.
Today, Taekwondo enjoys great popularity around the world. More than 20 million people practice Taekwondo in more than 120 countries. Taekwondo was also made an official sport in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea.
1. After Taekwondo was influenced by Chinese and Japanese techniques, some Koreans thought that .| A．Taekwondo could be improved a lot |
| B．the kicking power might be ignored |
| C．Taekwondo could be filled with violence |
| D．the spirit of Taekwondo would be respected |
| A．recommend it to be an Olympic event |
| B．introduce it into other countries worldwide |
| C．combine other Korean martial arts style |
| D．persuade more Koreans to practice it |
| A．To introduce the history of Taekwondo. |
| B．To show how to practice Taekwondo. |
| C．To explain the name of Taekwondo. |
| D．To compare Taekwondo with other arts. |
1. How did the man first hear about the football match?
| A．On the radio. | B．On TV. | C．From the woman. |
| A．On the 4th. | B．On the 21st. | C．On the 28th. |
| A．Buy him dinner. | B．Buy him a ticket. | C．Help him study. |
