Sports for grades 3–4: questions with answers
The Sports questions for grades 3–4 from the game, with the correct answers and an explanation for each.
How many Grand Slam tournaments are played in tennis each year?
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Correct answer: 4 — The Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open; winning all four in one year is a calendar Grand Slam.
How many holes does a standard golf course have?
- 9
- 18
- 27
- 36
Correct answer: 18 — The number was fixed in 1764 at St Andrews in Scotland, when the Old Course was reduced from 22 holes to 18.
How many players from one team are on a volleyball court at once?
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Correct answer: 6 — Six per side, rotating clockwise one position every time the team wins back the serve.
What do the five Olympic rings represent?
- five continents
- five founding nations
- five ancient sports
- five Olympic virtues
Correct answer: five continents — The rings stand for the five inhabited continents joined by the Games; Coubertin chose the colours because, at the time, every national flag contained at least one of them.
What colour jersey does the leader of the Tour de France wear?
- yellow
- green
- white
- polka dot
Correct answer: yellow — The yellow jersey dates from 1919; green goes to the best sprinter, polka dot to the best climber and white to the best young rider.
How many squares are on a chessboard?
- 36
- 49
- 64
- 81
Correct answer: 64 — Eight rows of eight squares, alternating light and dark; each player starts with sixteen pieces on the first two rows.
Which city hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics?
- Beijing
- London
- Tokyo
- Rio de Janeiro
Correct answer: Rio de Janeiro — Rio 2016 was the first Olympic Games held in South America; golf and rugby sevens returned to the programme there.
Which country hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
- Russia
- Brazil
- South Africa
- Qatar
Correct answer: Qatar — Qatar 2022 was the first World Cup in the Arab world and the first played in November and December because of the summer heat.
In tennis, what does the word 'love' mean?
- zero points
- one point
- a tied score
- match point
Correct answer: zero points — Points go love, 15, 30, 40, game; one popular theory traces 'love' to the French l'oeuf, an egg shaped like a zero.
How many points does a basketball shot from behind the arc score?
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Correct answer: 3 — The three-point line was adopted by the NBA in 1979 and by international basketball in 1984.
What nationality was Pelé?
- Argentinian
- Brazilian
- Portuguese
- Italian
Correct answer: Brazilian — Pelé scored over 1,000 career goals and played most of his career for Santos before finishing with the New York Cosmos.
In football, what is it called when one player scores three goals in a match?
- a treble
- a triple
- a hat-trick
- a three-peat
Correct answer: a hat-trick — The term comes from cricket, where a 19th-century bowler who took three wickets with three balls was rewarded with a hat.
What does NBA stand for?
- National Basketball Association
- North American Basketball Alliance
- National Basketball Alliance
- New Basketball Association
Correct answer: National Basketball Association — The league was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America and took its current name after a merger in 1949.
In which winter sport is the slalom raced?
- bobsleigh
- alpine skiing
- curling
- figure skating
Correct answer: alpine skiing — Slalom skiers weave between closely set gates; the giant slalom, super-G and downhill are the other alpine events.
In boxing, what is it called when a fighter cannot get up before the count of ten?
- a walkover
- a no contest
- a technical decision
- a knockout
Correct answer: a knockout — A referee counts to ten over a floored boxer; a fight stopped because a boxer cannot safely continue is a technical knockout.
Which three sports make up a triathlon?
- rowing, cycling and running
- swimming, running and shooting
- cycling, skiing and running
- swimming, cycling and running
Correct answer: swimming, cycling and running — Triathlon joined the Olympics at Sydney 2000; the events are done back to back with the clock running through the changeovers.
In which country did judo originate?
- China
- Korea
- Japan
- Thailand
Correct answer: Japan — Judo was created by Jigoro Kano in 1882 and became an Olympic sport at the Tokyo Games in 1964.
Which sport is played in the Super Bowl?
- baseball
- basketball
- ice hockey
- American football
Correct answer: American football — The Super Bowl is the championship game of the NFL, played each year since 1967, and is the most-watched TV broadcast in the United States.
How long is one lap of a standard outdoor athletics track?
- 200 m
- 400 m
- 500 m
- 800 m
Correct answer: 400 m — The 400 m track has eight lanes; the marathon and walking events are the only track-and-field events run mostly outside it.
Which country does Lionel Messi play for?
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Spain
- Uruguay
Correct answer: Argentina — Messi captained Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times.