Read this article in 4 levels: Basic A1 (英検3級), Intermediate B1(英検2級), Advanced C1(英検1級), original version. Multiple choice content questions for each level. Free English reading practice. The more you read in English, the more your English will improve. Why are Adidas and Puma rivals?
A1 Beginner 英検3級
B1 Intermediate 英検2級
C1 Advanced 英検1級
Original article
Basic A1 (英検3級) Version:
Article:
Why are Adidas and Puma rivals? It started because two brothers, Adolf (Adi) and Rudolf Dassler, didn’t get along.
Adi and Rudolf were brothers who started a shoe company together. Adi wanted to make shoes for athletes because he noticed that different sports needed different kinds of shoes. He started making shoes after World War 1 using materials he found, like old helmets and parachutes. In 1923, Rudolf joined him, and they started the Dassler Brother’s Sports Shoe Factory. Their shoes became famous when athletes wore them in the 1936 Olympics, and even Jesse Owens won four gold medals wearing their shoes.
But the brothers didn’t get along. Adi liked to focus on making better shoes, while Rudolf cared more about making money. They argued a lot. During World War 2, things got worse. Adi was sent to the army but was quickly sent home to keep the company running. Rudolf was also sent to the army later, but he wasn’t allowed to leave and had to fight until the end of the war. Rudolf believed that Adi was the reason he had to fight and blamed him for his troubles.
After the war, Rudolf and Adi’s relationship became even worse. They couldn’t work together anymore. They decided to sell the company and start their own businesses. Adi started Adidas, and Rudolf started Puma. They became rivals, and their companies also competed against each other. The brothers never made up, and they even asked to be buried far away from each other.
Today, Adidas and Puma are still famous sports brands, but they are not owned by the Dassler family anymore.
Questions:
- Who started Adidas and Puma?
a) Two friends
b) Two brothers
c) Two teachers
d) Two athletes - What did Adi want to make?
a) Cars
b) Shoes for athletes
c) Clothes
d) Computers - Why did Rudolf and Adi argue?
a) They had different interests in the business
b) They liked different sports
c) They lived in different countries
d) They had different favorite colors - What happened during World War 2?
a) Both brothers stayed home
b) Adi was sent home, but Rudolf had to fight
c) Rudolf stayed home, but Adi had to fight
d) They both fought in the war together - What did Rudolf believe about Adi?
a) Adi was the reason he had to fight in the war
b) Adi was his best friend
c) Adi helped him in the war
d) Adi didn’t care about shoes - What did the brothers do after the war?
a) They made a new shoe together
b) They started their own companies
c) They moved to different countries
d) They went back to school - What did Adi name his company?
a) Puma
b) Nike
c) Adidas
d) Reebok - What did Rudolf name his company at first?
a) Puma
b) RuDe
c) Reebok
d) Nike - Where are the brothers buried?
a) Next to each other
b) Far away from each other
c) In different countries
d) In the same grave - Who owns Adidas and Puma now?
a) The Dassler family
b) Different companies
c) The government
d) The brothers’ children
Answers:
- b) Two brothers
- b) Shoes for athletes
- a) They had different interests in the business
- b) Adi was sent home, but Rudolf had to fight
- a) Adi was the reason he had to fight in the war
- b) They started their own companies
- c) Adidas
- b) RuDe
- b) Far away from each other
- b) Different companies
Intermediate B1 (英検2級) Version:
Article:
Why are Adidas and Puma rivals? The rivalry between these famous sports brands began because two brothers, Adolf (Adi) and Rudolf Dassler, had a serious disagreement.
Adi and Rudolf Dassler started their business together. Adi wanted to make specialized shoes for different sports. After World War 1, he began making shoes using materials like old helmets and parachutes. In 1923, Rudolf joined him, and they established the Dassler Brother’s Sports Shoe Factory. Their shoes became popular internationally, especially after athletes wearing them won medals in the 1936 Olympics, including Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals.
However, Adi and Rudolf had different ideas about the business. Adi focused on innovation and making better shoes, while Rudolf was more interested in profit and money. This led to many arguments between them. During World War 2, their relationship worsened. Adi was conscripted into the German army in 1940 but was released after six months to run the company. Rudolf was conscripted later and had to fight until the end of the war. Rudolf believed Adi was responsible for his conscription and blamed him for his hardships during the war.
After the war, the tension between the brothers grew even stronger. They could no longer work together. Their wives also did not get along, which made things worse. Eventually, they decided to split the company, sell it, and start their own businesses. Adi created Adidas, combining his nickname Adi with the first part of his last name Dassler. Rudolf initially named his company RuDe, but later changed it to Puma. The two companies became fierce competitors, and the rivalry continued throughout their lives.
The rivalry was so intense that even the town where they lived, Herzongenaurach, was divided, with residents supporting either Adidas or Puma. The brothers avoided each other completely and even asked to be buried at opposite ends of the local cemetery.
Today, Adidas and Puma are still well-known sports brands, but neither company is owned by the Dassler family anymore. Both companies have been sold, and Nike, a later entrant into the market, has now surpassed them in global dominance. Perhaps if the Dassler brothers had worked together, the sports industry might look very different today.
Questions:
- What was the main reason for the rivalry between Adidas and Puma?
a) Different business ideas and personal disagreements between the brothers
b) They liked different sports
c) They lived in different countries
d) They had different favorite colors - What did Adi focus on in the business?
a) Making more money
b) Innovating and creating better shoes
c) Expanding the company
d) Advertising - What did Rudolf focus on in the business?
a) Shoe development
b) Making money and profits
c) Marketing
d) Hiring more employees - Why did Rudolf blame Adi during World War 2?
a) He believed Adi was responsible for his conscription and hardships
b) Adi didn’t help him during the war
c) Adi took over the company
d) Adi moved to another country - What did the brothers do after they split the company?
a) They worked together again
b) They started their own businesses
c) They retired from the shoe business
d) They moved to different countries - What was the original name of Rudolf’s company before it became Puma?
a) Adidas
b) Nike
c) RuDe
d) Reebok - How did the rivalry between the brothers affect their town?
a) The town was divided, with people supporting either Adidas or Puma
b) The town became very wealthy
c) The town was destroyed
d) The town’s name was changed - Where are the brothers buried?
a) Next to each other
b) In different countries
c) At opposite ends of the local cemetery
d) In the same grave - Who owns Adidas and Puma today?
a) The Dassler family
b) Different companies
c) The government
d) Their children - Which company has now surpassed Adidas and Puma in global dominance?
a) Reebok
b) Nike
c) Asics
d) New Balance
Answers:
- a) Different business ideas and personal disagreements between the brothers
- b) Innovating and creating better shoes
- b) Making money and profits
- a) He believed Adi was responsible for his conscription and hardships
- b) They started their own businesses
- c) RuDe
- a) The town was divided, with people supporting either Adidas or Puma
- c) At opposite ends of the local cemetery
- b) Different companies
- b) Nike
Advanced C1 (英検1級) Version:
Article:
Why are Adidas and Puma rivals? The intense rivalry between these iconic sports brands stems from a personal and professional feud between two brothers, Adolf (Adi) and Rudolf Dassler.
The Dassler brothers initially worked together harmoniously, founding the Dassler Brother’s Sports Shoe Factory in 1923. Adi was driven by a passion for creating innovative athletic footwear, recognizing the need for different types of shoes for different sports. He began his shoe
-making journey after World War 1, using materials like old helmets, parachutes, and gun holsters due to the scarcity of resources in post-war Germany. Rudolf joined Adi in the business, and their collaboration initially flourished, especially after athletes wearing their shoes, including the legendary Jesse Owens, won medals at the 1936 Olympics.
However, the brothers had contrasting visions for their company. Adi was focused on product development and innovation, while Rudolf was more concerned with profitability and the business’s financial success. Their differing priorities led to frequent arguments. The situation worsened during World War 2. In 1940, Adi was conscripted into the German army but was discharged after six months to continue running the company. Rudolf, conscripted in 1943, was not as fortunate; he had to serve until the war’s end. Rudolf believed Adi had used his influence to have him conscripted and blamed him for the hardships he endured during the war, including a year-long imprisonment by the Allies.
After the war, the tension between the brothers escalated, exacerbated by their wives’ mutual animosity. The brothers could no longer work together, and in 1948, they decided to split the company, each starting their own venture. Adi founded Adidas, a name derived from his nickname Adi and the first part of his last name Dassler. Rudolf initially named his company RuDe (from Rudolf Dassler) but later rebranded it as Puma. The rivalry between Adidas and Puma quickly became one of the most intense in the sports industry.
The brothers’ rivalry was reflected in their personal lives as well. They lived on opposite sides of the River Aurach in their hometown of Herzongenaurach, and the town itself was divided, with residents aligning themselves with either Adidas or Puma. The brothers went to great lengths to avoid each other, and their feud persisted until their deaths. They were even buried at opposite ends of the town’s cemetery to ensure they remained far apart in death as they had been in life.
Today, Adidas and Puma are still major players in the global sportswear market, but neither company is owned by the Dassler family. Both have been sold to other corporations. Interestingly, Nike, which entered the market much later, has now overtaken both Adidas and Puma in terms of global dominance. One can only speculate how the sports industry might have evolved if the Dassler brothers had continued to work together.
Questions:
- What was the main cause of the rivalry between Adidas and Puma?
a) A disagreement over company profits
b) A personal and professional feud between the Dassler brothers
c) A competition to create better shoes
d) A conflict between their employees - What was Adi Dassler’s primary focus in the business?
a) Marketing
b) Financial management
c) Product innovation and development
d) Expanding the company - What was Rudolf Dassler’s main concern in the business?
a) Innovating new products
b) Profitability and financial success
c) Customer service
d) Marketing and advertising - How did World War 2 contribute to the feud between the brothers?
a) Adi was blamed for Rudolf’s conscription and hardships during the war
b) They both fought in the war and had different experiences
c) Adi wanted to close the company during the war
d) Rudolf took over the company while Adi was away - What did the brothers do after they split the company?
a) They retired from the shoe business
b) They started their own competing companies
c) They moved to different countries
d) They sold the company to a third party - What was the original name of Rudolf’s company before it became Puma?
a) Adidas
b) RuDe
c) Nike
d) Reebok - How did the rivalry between the brothers affect their hometown?
a) The town was divided, with residents supporting either Adidas or Puma
b) The town became a tourist attraction
c) The town’s economy collapsed
d) The town’s population decreased - Where are the brothers buried?
a) Next to each other
b) In different countries
c) At opposite ends of the town’s cemetery
d) In the same grave - Who currently owns Adidas and Puma?
a) The Dassler family
b) Different corporations
c) The government
d) Their children - Which company has now surpassed Adidas and Puma in global dominance?
a) Reebok
b) Nike
c) Asics
d) New Balance
Answers:
- b) A personal and professional feud between the Dassler brothers
- c) Product innovation and development
- b) Profitability and financial success
- a) Adi was blamed for Rudolf’s conscription and hardships during the war
- b) They started their own competing companies
- b) RuDe
- a) The town was divided, with residents supporting either Adidas or Puma
- c) At opposite ends of the town’s cemetery
- b) Different corporations
- b) Nike
Original Version:
Article:
Why are Adidas and Puma rivals? Either because the brothers’ wives didn’t like each other or because one brother thought the other brother was the reason he was conscripted into the German army.
When you think of famous sports brands, you probably think of Nike, Adidas, Puma, Asics, and maybe Reebok. I’m sure you can come up with more, but those are my top five. There are a lot of people that aren’t aware Adidas and Puma were actually started by two brothers: Adolf Dassler and Rudolf Dassler. Rudolf was the older brother, born in 1898, and Adolf was the younger, born in 1900. Adolf was more commonly known as Adi.
They started out as friends, rather than rivals. Adi wanted to be an athlete, but the First World War got in the way of that ambition. After the war ended, he decided to focus on making shoes for athletes. There wasn’t really any choice in shoes for athletes and they basically wore the same kind, no matter the sport. Adi realized that different sports needed different kinds of shoes, and he set out to make some. The war had left Germany in a very bad state, and there were no materials available for him to begin his shoe business. He started by making shoes from any materials that he could find, such as helmets, parachutes, and gun holsters. He even had to attach his bicycle to the sewing machines because there was not enough power. Rudolf joined his brother in 1923, and they set up the Dassler Brother’s Sports Shoe Factory. The business rapidly took off because Adi’s ideas about shoes captured international attention. There were not many people making shoes for individual sports. Also, the Nazis came to power and stressed the benefits of exercise, which increased the number of shoes they were selling. Both brothers joined the Nazi party to keep in favor. All the German athletes in the 1936 Olympics wore the Dassler brother’s shoes, and so did Jesse Owens, who went on to win four gold medals. It seemed like the company and the brothers’ fortunes would keep going up. The brothers were already not happy with each other. Adi was interested in shoe development and innovation, while Rudolf was interested in cash flow and profitability. They argued a lot. And then World War 2 started.
The company was allowed to keep producing shoes for a while, but it was also converted to make munitions for the war effort pretty quickly. And here is where the first possible cause of the brothers’ feud starts. Adi was conscripted into the German army in 1940. He trained for about six months and was then discharged on the grounds that the company couldn’t run without him. Rudolf was conscripted in 1943 and wasn’t discharged. He had to fight until the end of the war. Rudolf thought Adi would run the company into the ground, and he wanted to be kept informed of every decision. He tried to get his wife installed in his place, but Adi refused.
Their feud worsened, and the two families were living together. Their wives didn’t like each other and often fought. There is a story that when Rudolf was home on leave one month, there was an air raid, and they had to hide in the basement. Adi said, “the pig dogs (schweinhunde) are back,” meaning the enemy planes, but Rudolf and his wife were entering the shelter at the moment he said it, and Rudolf thought Adi was talking about them.
At the end of the war, Rudolf was imprisoned by the Allies and spent a year in prison. During this time, Adi was desperately trying to keep the company going. Rudolf blamed Adi for the fact that he had been conscripted and the fact that he was imprisoned. He believed that his brother had used his influence with the Nazi party to have him conscripted, while Adi kept himself out of the war. He never forgave his brother for this perceived slight.
After Rudolf was released, their animosity only worsened, and there was no way the two of them could work together. Their wives despised each other, and the brothers couldn’t stand each other. Rudolf still bore his grudge (which was probably not true) about being conscripted. The brothers decided the only option was to sell the company, split the profits, and start their own companies, which they did. Adi started Adidas, which is his name. Rudolf started RuDe, which was
from Rudolf Dassler, but he changed it to Puma. And the rivalry continued.
Each brother was based on opposite sides of the River Aurach in Herzongenaurach, and the town’s loyalties were split as well. The brothers went out of their way to avoid each other, and their companies fought for lucrative deals as well. Each thing they won or lost only increased their hatred of each other. Their feud reached such a level that they demanded to be buried as far away from each other as possible. They are both in the graveyard at Herzongenaurach, but at opposite ends.
Interestingly, neither company is owned by the respective families anymore, both having been sold. And they have both been eclipsed by Nike, which was a later comer to the game. Perhaps, if the Dassler brothers had been able to work together, Nike wouldn’t be where it is today. Who knows.
Questions:
- What was the initial cause of the rivalry between Adidas and Puma?
a) A disagreement between their wives
b) A feud between the Dassler brothers
c) Different business strategies
d) Competition with Nike - Why did Adi Dassler start making shoes for athletes?
a) He was a professional athlete
b) He noticed that different sports needed different types of shoes
c) He wanted to create a luxury brand
d) He wanted to sell shoes internationally - How did World War 1 affect Adi Dassler’s career plans?
a) It helped him start his business
b) It delayed his ambition to become an athlete
c) It led him to join the army
d) It had no effect on his career - What role did the Nazi party play in the success of the Dassler brothers’ business?
a) They funded the business
b) They promoted exercise, increasing demand for athletic shoes
c) They banned the company
d) They provided materials for the shoes - Why did Rudolf Dassler blame Adi during World War 2?
a) He believed Adi was responsible for his conscription and imprisonment
b) Adi took over the company
c) Adi refused to help him during the war
d) Adi moved to another country - What decision did the brothers make after their feud worsened?
a) They sold the company and started their own businesses
b) They reconciled and continued working together
c) They moved to different countries
d) They retired from the shoe business - What was the original name of Rudolf’s company before he changed it to Puma?
a) RuDe
b) Nike
c) Adidas
d) Reebok - How did the rivalry between Adidas and Puma affect their hometown of Herzongenaurach?
a) The town was divided, with residents supporting either Adidas or Puma
b) The town became a tourist destination
c) The town’s economy collapsed
d) The town’s population decreased - What happened to the ownership of Adidas and Puma in later years?
a) Both companies remained in the Dassler family
b) Both companies were sold to different corporations
c) Both companies merged into one
d) Both companies were bought by Nike - What impact might the Dassler brothers’ continued collaboration have had on the sports industry?
a) Nike might not have become as dominant
b) Puma might not have been created
c) Adidas might have been more successful alone
d) The sports industry would have remained the same
Answers:
- b) A feud between the Dassler brothers
- b) He noticed that different sports needed different types of shoes
- b) It delayed his ambition to become an athlete
- b) They promoted exercise, increasing demand for athletic shoes
- a) He believed Adi was responsible for his conscription and imprisonment
- a) They sold the company and started their own businesses
- a) RuDe
- a) The town was divided, with residents supporting either Adidas or Puma
- b) Both companies were sold to different corporations
- a) Nike might not have become as dominant
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