阅读理解

　　In Western countries, Christmas is usually a time for families to get together, have a big dinner and exchange(交换)presents．In Kirkwall, the capital town of the Orkney Islands in the north of Scotland, Christmas Day is also when about 200 men have a fight over a small ball．They call it a game!

　　The ball is called the "Ba"．It is made of leather and cork．There are two teams, the "Uppies" and the "Doonies"．The Uppies try to get the Ba to touch a wall up the town．The Doonies try to get the Ba down to the sea．This game has been played for more than 150 years and is getting more popular．Whether you are an Uppie or Doonie generally depends on family traditions(传统)．Male(Men)tourists can choose any team．The two teams start in the middle of the town．A guest is asked to throw up the Ba at one o’clock in the afternoon．

　　The Ba moves either by one team pushing the other or by someone putting it under their jersey(sweater)and running with it．You can kick or throw it but it's too heavy to go far．There is no time limit．The shortest ever game was only a few minutes．However, the longest ever was more than six hours．

　　There are no rules and the Ba can go anywhere．The Ba and all its players sometimes pass through somebody's house．Because of this, many shops and homes are protected by barricades．Surprisingly, few people get hurt．There are mostly tourists who get caught in the game when it suddenly moves quickly．There is no referee but the players control each other．If someone is too rough(粗暴), they are told to leave．

　　After the game, the winning team chooses a person to keep the Ba．This can often result in arguments and even fights within the same team．When the winner has been decided, many people go to his house for a big celebration afterwards．