Spark Study Buddy (Explorer): Thrilling oxen races in India draw large crowds
The annual event, known as Nagarni Spardha, tests both man and beast in a thrilling spectacle
A farmer attempts to rein in his speeding oxen as they break through a fence during a traditional oxen plow race known as Nangarni Spardha in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Photo: AP[1] Hundreds of people yell in excitement as lively music plays from loudspeakers. The commentator is shouting over the noise as he tries to describe a racing team of two oxen paired together and a man who looks like he is being dragged through the mud behind the speeding animals.
[2] The event is taking place in Dervan, a small farming village in Ratnagiri, a part of western India famous for its mangoes. And the horseshoe-shaped track where the action happens only has a fragile fence separating the action from the crowd.
[3] Covered from head to toe in grey mud, the driver looks like a ghost. His skills are tested as he leads the animals around a U-bend. He must hold onto the reins attached to the oxen while controlling their speed by pulling and twisting their tails. But this is no easy task because he cannot see clearly, and the mud keeps hitting his face. He has no choice but to hold on tight. If he drops the reins, his team will be disqualified.
[4] The teams take turns, one at a time, to race around the track to win one of the 10 top spots. The fastest team this year, out of more than 100, finished the 200-metre track in 21.44 seconds. Skilled drivers often race multiple times a day with different oxen.
[5] A village committee holds the annual event, known as Nagarni Spardha, a centuries-old tradition, at the peak of the rainy season. The soft, muddy ground prevents serious injury to the drivers, who compete in bare feet and without protective gear.
[6] Many arrive in vehicles after bumpy rides over unpaved roads from nearby villages. Some oxen need to be encouraged before the competition by people who pull them with ropes and poke them with sticks. Other oxen get too excited and need to be calmed down.
[7] The oxen, which have names like Bullet, Sundar (meaning “beautiful”) and Raja (meaning “king”), are no longer used in the fields but are kept strictly for the competition. Their horns are brightly painted, and their bodies are sprinkled with coloured powder before the race.
Source: Associated Press, August 27
Reflect: Do you think this tradition shows cruelty towards animals?
Questions
1. What do the speeding animals in paragraph 1 refer to?
___________________________________________________
2. In paragraph 3, it is hard for the driver to steer the oxen because …
A. he cannot see well.
B. it is raining heavily.
C. the animals are too fast.
D. the reins are too short.
3. How many teams participated this year according to paragraph 4?
___________________________________________________
4. In paragraph 7, how are the oxen decorated before the race?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Circle the correct pronoun for each sentence below. (3 marks)
(i) The villagers enjoyed themselves / himself at the annual event.
(ii) The driver reminded itself / himself to stay focused during the race.
(iii) The commentator shouted loudly to make himself / themselves heard over the loud noise.
6. Arrange the words below to form a grammatically correct sentence. Begin the sentence with a capital letter and end with a full stop.
safety / the / any / barefoot / drivers / race / for / without / shoes
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Answers
1. two oxen
2. A
3. more than 100
4. Their horns are brightly painted and their bodies sprinkled with coloured powder before the race.
5. (i) themselves; (ii) himself; (iii) himself
6. The drivers race barefoot without any shoes for safety.