Unit 3 On the move中国传统体育有着丰富的内容、悠久的历史，是人类体育文化的杰出代表之一。现 在让我们一起了解足球的鼻祖“蹴鞠”。 Cuju (Ball－kicking)“Cu” means to kick, and “Ju” is a kind of ball in ancient China, made of leather and filled with hair.It is said this game was found in Huangdi times of four thousand years ago. The purpose of Cuju then was totrain soldiers and select qualified① people in the army. Ball － kicking activity that is actually recorded in history emerged② in the Warring States Period. When it came to the Han Dynasty, Cuju activity had been more and more thriving③. Either the emperor or the ordinary people, they loved it very much. During the period of Eastern and Western Han Dynasties, Cuju was popular not only in the palace, in the army, but also among the crowd. People were encouraged to kick ball in the back streets and lanes. It is obvious that at that time Cuju had rooted in the hearts of the people.The development of Cuju went into an important stage in the Tang Dynasty. A variety of skills were invented then on the basis of the former games. A goal, for instance, was set in the middle of the court, the players of the two teams just kicked the ball into the goal, and the one which scored more goals was the winner.Cuju entered its golden age in the Song Dynasty. First, it was much more standardized and enjoyable. Second, Qiyun Association was founded which is similar to the FIFA now. Third, the imperial court attached great importance to④ it. It is recorded in history that quite a few emperors in the Song Dynasty such as Song Taizu, Song Taizong, etc. loved Cuju.【注】 ① qualified adj. 合格的 ② emerge v. 出现 ③ thrive v. 茁壮成长；繁荣兴旺 ④...
