Leisure and Sports
Primary 6 · English
Leisure and Sports
Lesson 4 of 5
45 min
When the Tour du Rwanda cyclists climb the hills towards Kigali, crowds line the roads to cheer them. What makes a sportsperson worth cheering for? Speed, yes, and strength. But also courage, fair play and teamwork.
Today's story is about two runners who were both fast and generous. You will learn words to describe sportspeople, and word pairs such as both ... and and neither ... nor.
This story by Nina Orange and Ursula Nafula comes from the African Storybook. Follow the runners' journey around the continent. If you have an atlas, trace it with your finger.
Kadogo and Juma are friends who love running. They run together every day.
One day they were reading maps at school. Juma said, “Let's run across our continent. Let's race together with Africans from many countries!”
“Let's go! We can do it! African unity!” cheered Kadogo.
They decided to carry a unity torch on their journey. They lit the torch and began to run. The race started at the southern tip of our continent, in Cape Town, South Africa.
From South Africa they headed along the west coast. They ran through Namibia, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo and Cameroon. Runners from these countries quickly joined them. The growing group of people rested in Abuja, in Nigeria.
More runners from West Africa joined the friends as they passed through Nigeria. They continued together, following the River Niger.
A sandstorm in Mali made it difficult to run. Juma was the strongest of them all. He led the way safely, holding the unity torch high.
At Conakry, on the coast of Guinea, the dusty runners washed in the sea. Then they decided to race to Morocco through Senegal and Mauritania. All the way, more people joined them.
At Casablanca, the runners enjoyed playing on the beaches, and they made more friends. Next, they set off across North Africa. They ran through Algeria and Libya, and stopped in Egypt to visit the pyramids. Then they turned and headed east, following the River Nile to East Africa.
They ran through deserts and national parks. More young people joined them in Kampala, Uganda. The group ran into Kenya, and headed for the coast and the city of Mombasa. When they reached the sea, they sat on the beach and ate coconut rice with fish.
Juma said, “Let's take the unity torch to Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania.”
But by this time, Juma was very tired. Just as they left Kenya, he fell down. The runners stopped the race, and everyone came to help Juma.
Juma passed the torch to Kadogo. He said, “You can carry the torch to Mount Kilimanjaro. Let's light a flame for African unity.”
After lighting a unity flame high on Kilimanjaro, the group of runners headed into southern Africa. People cheered the runners, saying, “You are our heroes. We are together!”
They stopped to swim in Lake Malawi and to rest before going on to the next country. Kadogo said to Juma, “We've run from the farthest point in southern Africa to the farthest point in North Africa. Now we are in the south again. Our journey is ending.”
The unity runners finally carried the torch to Great Zimbabwe, the ancient city of that country. Crowds gathered at this important place, cheering to welcome the tired runners.
“We did it!” said Kadogo. “What a race!” smiled Juma.
Answer each question in your head or in your exercise book first. Then tap Show answer to check.
Why did Kadogo and Juma carry a torch?
It was a sign of African unity: all the countries and runners together.
How did Juma show that he was a good leader in Mali?
He was the strongest, and he led the way safely through the sandstorm, holding the torch high.
When Juma fell, what did the other runners do? What does this show?
They stopped the race and helped him. It shows that caring for a teammate matters more than finishing fast.
The runners passed through three of Rwanda's neighbours. Which ones?
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Tanzania.
fast · strong · fit · skilful · determined (never gives up) · brave · fair · humble (does not boast) · generous · a team player · a good loser · a good winner
To say who is the best in a group, use the superlative: Juma was the strongest of them all. Keza is the most determined player in our team.
Some joining words always come in pairs. They join two words or ideas of the same kind.
| Pair | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| both ... and | the one and the other | Both Kadogo and Juma love running. |
| either ... or | one choice out of two | We can either rest in Mombasa or run to Kilimanjaro. |
| neither ... nor | not the one and not the other | Neither the sandstorm nor the heat stopped them. |
| not only ... but also | this, and something more (often a surprise) | Juma was not only fast but also kind. |
Never mix the pairs: neither ... or and both ... or are mistakes.
Tip
These words are like football boots: they come in pairs. Both goes with and. Either goes with or. Neither goes with nor. Not only goes with but also.
Complete or correct each sentence, then check.
___ Kadogo and Juma loved running.
Answer: Both
You can either walk ___ take a moto to the stadium.
Answer: or
Neither the sandstorm ___ the heat stopped the runners.
Answer: nor
Join with not only ... but also: Juma was strong. Juma was kind.
Answer: Juma was not only strong but also kind.
Correct the mistake: Neither Mugisha or Gatete scored.
Answer: Neither Mugisha nor Gatete scored.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Quick check
___ Kadogo nor Juma gave up in the sandstorm.
