Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

Toys date back to ancient times. Scientists

often find toys when they dig up

old ruins. These include ancient balls,

Teddy bears

have been

popular toys

for more than

100 years.

They are

named after

Theodore

“Teddy”

Roosevelt, who

was U.S.

president from

1901 to 1909.

Toussaint-Louverture

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Toy 83

 

dolls, tops, and toy wagons and boats.

They have also dug up game pieces.

People have played games similar to

chess, checkers, and backgammon for

thousands of years.

Many toys, from both ancient and modern

times, look like objects from the

adult world. As children grow they often

imitate adults in their play. They enjoy

toys modeled after things that adults use

in everyday life. A child in ancient Egypt

might have played with a small wooden

camel. A child in today’s world might

have a toy car or a toy telephone.

The modern toy industry is a very big

business. Simple toys are still common.

But many companies produce toys that

run on batteries. Other toys use the latest

electronic and computer technology.

The toy business is challenging, however,

because fads quickly come and go.

A toy loved by children today may soon

lose popularity. Safety is another concern

for toy makers. Most toy packaging

includes safety warnings. These messages

warn about such things as small objects

that a very young child could swallow.

#More to explore

Electronic Games

Track and Field

Contests of running, jumping, and

throwing are called track-and-field events

in the United States. In other countries

this group of sporting events is called

athletics.Track and field is the oldest

form of organized sport. It is a major part

of the SummerOlympic Games.

Track Meets and Events

Track-and-field events take place during

a competition called a meet, or track

meet. Track meets can be held either

indoors or outdoors. Most meets take

place in outdoor stadiums. These stadiums

have a grass infield surrounded by

an oval running track.

The contests in a meet are divided into

track events and field events. In the

track events athletes race against each

other. The track used for outdoor running

events measures 400 meters

around. (One meter is equal to 3.3 feet.)

The track is divided into running lanes.

All the other events in a meet—the

jumps and the throws—are field events.

Field events are normally held in the

grass infield.

Running Events

Short-distance races are called sprints.

They cover distances of 100 meters, 200

Simple wooden blocks decorated with numbers

and letters are a popular toy.

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meters, and 400 meters. Sprinters need

to get a quick start. Then they run at

top speed for the whole race.

Middle-distance races cover 800 to

2,000 meters. Like sprinters, middledistance

runners need speed. But unlike

sprinters, they do not always run at top

speed. They need to adjust their speed to

make sure that they have enough

strength to run a longer distance. This

strategy is called pacing.

Athletes compete in a variety of throwing, jumping, and running events at a track meet.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Track and Field 85

 

Long-distance races cover 3,000 meters

or more. Speed is not as important in

long-distance races as it is in shorter

races. Above all, long-distance runners

need good physical conditioning. They

have to be able to run for a long time.

The marathon is a long-distance race

that covers 26 miles 385 yards (42.2

kilometers). Marathons are run on

roads. Cross-country races are longdistance

events run on natural land.

There are several other types of running

events. Relay races involve four runners

per team. Each team member runs one

fourth of the race’s total distance. Hurdling

combines sprinting with jumping

over barriers called hurdles. The steeplechase

is a long-distance race in which

runners jump over hurdles and water

barriers.

Jumping Events

There are four jumping events at a track

meet: the high jump, the pole vault, the

long jump, and the triple jump. The

high jump and the pole vault are called

vertical jumps. The athlete who jumps

the highest is the winner. High jumpers

try to leap over a thin bar balanced

between two supports. Pole vaulters also

try to jump over a bar, but the bar is set

higher. They use a long, flexible pole to

gain height. The pole bends to launch

the vaulter over the bar.

The long jump and the triple jump are

called horizontal jumps. The athlete who

jumps the farthest wins these events. In

both events the athlete begins with a

high-speed run. At the end of the run a

long jumper takes a single leap forward.

A triple jumper must perform a series of

three actions: a hop, a step, and a jump.

Throwing Events

A track meet includes four throwing

events: the shot put, the hammer throw,

the discus throw, and the javelin throw.

In each event athletes try to throw an

In the type of race called hurdling, runners

jump over a series of barriers called hurdles.

Pole vaulters use a long, flexible pole to

launch themselves over a high bar.

86 Track and Field BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

object as far as possible. The shot is a

heavy metal ball. The hammer is a metal