Sports in France

Let us go to the baseball game this afternoon. You are not in New York. Then if you don't believe me read this advertisement in the French newspaper. Well, I certainly was mistaken. Think of it ! Our national game in Paris. I didn't imagine that the French were fond of that kind of sport. I should like to know when baseball found favor among 5 them. And so this game is going to take place in one of the parks. Let us

1 Supply le.

2 See Grammar Review, Section 69, b, note 2.

3 davantage. 4 que non. B auprès de.

8o ENGLISH EXERCISES

take Louis along with us. He will be able to tell us what we wish to know.

American soldiers played baseball so much in the military camps that the French got accustomed to it. Before the World War the French public was fond of English sports, such as l golf,2 tennis,2 cricket,2 and English football.2 Since that epoch a change has become effective and everybody is wild over American baseball.

Clubs have been formed3 in nearly all the larger cities, but up to the present we have no league like yours. However, there are so many enthusiastic players here that they will soon organize themselves into 4 clubs. When that takes place these clubs will make a tour of the United States. Who knows? It may be that they will be 5 victorious.

During the World War the American soldiers forgot their homesickness when they were playing baseball or 6 football. In 7 the evening they read books, wrote letters, or boxed in the soldier huts, but in 7 the afternoon they usually went to 8 the athletic field. Naturally the French interested themselves in these forms of sport. Now they have their own baseball clubs. Furthermore, a former French soldier has just contended against the American boxing champion for the championship of the world.

The French also took part in the Olympic Games. They didn't expect to win many prizes the first year, for their best athletes had been killed in the war. However, they showed a keen interest. Their adversaries defeated them because the French had not yet accustomed themselves to these games. Their apprenticeship will last several years, but they will finally win victories. I am convinced that sport has thrown deep roots in the soil of France.

1 tel que. 2 Use definite article. 3 Use on.

4 en. 6 Present subjunctive. 6 Repeat à.

7 Omit. 8 se rendre sur.