The village sports

The sports were held as usual on the recreation field. Officials outnumbered spectators, but there were more competitors than ever before.

Maggie was the star, as always. Apart from winning the women's sprints and tying for first place in the long jump, she was champion again in the 50 metres freestyle, retaining her title for the fifth time. She led from start to finish in the running - the others didn't stand a chance - and she was in a class of her own in the swimming; it was a walk-over, completely one-sided. She was across that pond and back before some had reached the other side.

Dad did well too. There was a field of fifteen for the 400 metres and Dad was an outsider before the race because he's unfit, but he excelled himself and came second. Was he proud of his runner 's- up medal? You should have seen him!

Our family were reigning champions in the Five-a-side football competition and hot favourites to win the cup again. We did, but only just. The final - against our old rivals, the Lavenders - finished in a draw, despite two own-goals by Uncle Mac, and we kept the trophy on goal difference from earlier rounds.

After that, things began to go wrong and we suffered a number of defeats. We were outclassed in the boxing. Uncle Bill was a beaten finalist at middleweight, but Uncle Mac was knocked out in the second round at heavyweight and at lightweight I was stopped in the first round.

Because of my disappointing performance in that event, I was relegated to the substitutes' bench for the tug-of-war and Aunt Flossie was promoted to our first team. I felt so ashamed. Our opponents in the first heat were the butcher's family and they slaughtered us.

Then things went from bad to worse. Granny was well beaten in the over 70s' 200-metres handicap. She failed to finish the course. Then Auntie Jane had all kinds of problems in the sack-race and was just an also-ran. She did get a consolation prize for finishing - two minutes after the others - but we had been hoping for a victory in that event. And then, worst of all, Grandad was disqualified in the egg-and-spoon race for having stuck the egg to the spoon. What's more, he's been banned from entering the competition for five years.

I've noticed over the past few years how the village sports have been getting more and more serious. It's a pity really. I blame television … for everything.

Exercise 3.1. Give Russian or Ukrainian equivalents to the words and phrases in bold print. Use them in sentences of your own.

Exercise 3.2. Make up ten questions to provoke answers with the words in bold print.

Exercise 3.3. Fill the gaps with suitable words.

1. Were many records __________________________ at the Olympics?

2. We've been _________________________ so many times we deserve be bottom of the league.

3. Congratulations! How many points did you __________________ by?

4. You should ______________________ jogging. That would help you lose weight.

5. Who _________________________ the world record for the 1000 metres? Is it a Ukrainian?

6. I only ever once ___________________________ a goal, and that was sheer luck.

7. The footballer scored four ____________________, so his team won the match.

8. The spectators at the football match became violent when their team _____________________.

9. The _______________________ said it was a foul and gave us a penalty kick.

10. Manchester United are playing __________________ Birmingham this Sunday.

11. The match resulted in a _______________________.

12. She didn't manage to _____________________ the title of the champion.

Exercise 4. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words.

blood bones exercises faces fat fitness

foot heart health improve levels muscles

numerous outdated series stress

Aerobics is programs of physical (1)______ that help people improve their level of (2)_______ by temporarily raising their (3)______ rate and breathing rate. The term aerobics — the original name for the activity — is now somewhat (4)______, and most enthusiasts use the name group fitness or group exercise. They enjoy group fitness classes for the (5)_______ benefits they provide and as a way to meet other people. Classes take place in community centres and health clubs all over the world.

The health benefits of aerobic exercise are (6)_______. People who regularly attend classes can (7)______ their cardiovascular health, reduce their body (8)_______, increase their flexibility, and strengthen their (9)______. Other benefits include increased energy (10)________ throughout the day, decreased (11)_______ pressure and cholesterol levels, strengthening of (12)________, improved posture, and a lower level of (13)_______.

There are many types of group fitness programs. Most are held in classes of 10 to 30 people, usually in an indoor, mirrored room at a fitness facility. An instructor organizes and leads each class. The instructor ( 14 ) ______ the class or the mirror and leads a routine, which is a specific ( 15 )_______ of exercise movements synchronized to music. Most classes last one hour and consist of four components.

Exercise 5. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words.

administered athletes competition compete created establishment events negotiation

occurred proposed revived same

sight site sports

The Olympic Games, the international sports (1)______, are held every four years at a different site, in which athletes from different nations (2)_______ against each other in a variety of sports. There are two types of Olympics, the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics. Through 1992 they were held in the (3)_________ year, but beginning in 1994 they were rescheduled so that they are held in alternate even-numbered years. For example, the Winter Olympics were held in 1994 and the Summer Olympics in 1996. The Winter Olympics were next held in 1998, and the Summer Olympics next ( 4 )_______ in 2000.

The modern Olympic Games began in Athens, Greece, in 1896, two years after French educator and thinker Pierre de Coubertin (5)_____ that the Olympic Games of ancient Greece be (6)________ to promote a more peaceful world. The program for the 1896 Games, including only summer (7)_______ (the Winter Olympics were not established until 1924), included about 300 (8) ________ from fewer than 15 countries competing in 43 events in nine different (9)________.

The Olympic Games are ( 10 )_________ by the International Olympic Committee. The IOC was ( 11 ) ___________ in Paris in 1894 as an independent committee selecting its own members. The IOC oversees such functions as determining the ( 12 )_________ of the Olympic Games, the ( 13 )_______ of worldwide Olympic policies, and the ( 14 ) _________ of Olympic television broadcast rights.

Exercise 6. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words.

annual game global handling hands

kicking leagues legs mostly

rugby soccer spread tournament

Evidence from many ancient societies — Chinese, Greek, Maya, and Egyptian — reveals that (1)________ games were played in those cultures. The modern (2)_______ of soccer began in the 19th century in England, when a variety of football games developed, all of which involved both (3)________ and kicking the ball. At a meeting of the London Football Association (FA) in 1863, the game of football was split into (4)________ football (the parent sport of American football), which permitted handling and carrying the ball, and association football, or (5)________, which banned the use of the (6)__________.

At first soccer was played (7)________ in private schools and universities, but before long, people of the working classes picked up the (8)________. The FA Cup, a (9)________ first organized in 1871, sparked the rapid (10)__________ of soccer in England. The tournament, which is still played, climaxes with the (11)________ Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London.

Soccer's (12)__________ spread began in the late 1800s, when British traders, sailors, and workers carried the sport all over the world. FIFA was formed in 1904. By 1930 professional (13)________ were operating in many countries, and that year FIFA organized the first World Cup.

Exercise 6.1. Complete the following sentences with the words or phrases from the list below.

captain coach draw fair

pitch footballer fouls penalty kick

goal soccer league opponents

referee score

1. What Europeans call "football", Americans call _____________________. The instructor of the team is the _______________________.

2. When you play in a football team you are a ________________________.

3. The games take place on a __________________________.

4. The leader of the team is the ____________________________.

5. The man in the ________________________ is the goal-keeper.

6. During the match each team tries to __________________________ as many goals as possible.

7. When the teams have scored the same number of goals we say it's a ______________________.

8. The players of the other team are the ______________________________.

9. The man who enforces the rules during the game is the _______________.

10. Playing correctly is called _______________________ play.

11. Unfair moves are called __________________________.

12. When a player breaks the rules the other team may get a _____________________________________.

13. A federation of football clubs is called a football ____________________.

Exercise 7. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words.

Basketball fans have come to expect the impossible from the fast, powerful giants who (1)______ the game today. The phenomenal feats of Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson would have (2)______ Dr. James Naismith who invented the game more than 100 years ago when he (3)______ a peach basket on a gym wall. In devising the game of basketball, Naismith took (4)______ a unique task. Very few sports have actually been invented. Hockey (5)_______ from lacrosse, baseball from British rounders, football from rugby. Now would one create a brand new game?

Naismith ( 6 )_________ Gill University and Presbyterian Theological College. Naismith was a Canadian, but lived in the United States. In 1891, he (7)______ teaching Psychology, Bible Study and physical Education at the International Young Men's Christian Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. Fervently believing the old proverb that "a healthy body and a healthy mind go together", Naismith saw no (8)_______ between his theology and his love of sports. His beliefs, however, were put to the test by the most bored and rebellious gym class in the school. When winter came, and the usual outdoor sports were over, the teacher needed something (9)_______ lazy pupils physically occupied. After some unsuccessful attempts to modify soccer, football and lacrosse for the confines of the gymnasium, Naismith decided to analyze the qualities he wanted in an indoor sport. He needed a ball large enough to be caught and thrown ( 10 ) _______. Since he did not want tackling on the hard floor, he declared that players could not run with the ball. An elevated goal added a challenge that ( 11 ) ______ skill rather than physical ( 12 )_____.

One by one, Naismith thought out the elements of his new game. On December 21, 1891 Naismith posted 13 rules to the game on the school's bulletin board and nailed two peach baskets on the gym balconies. The first game ended with ( 13 )______ _ 1 — 0. But as classes played it, the game became more and more popular. Soon other schools and colleges were playing the game. But what were they going to call it?

With his characteristic modesty, the inventor ( 14)_______ the name of "Naismith Ball", preferring the simple title of Basketball. Naismith succeeded in his aim of creating a sport for ( 15 ) _______, a game that stresses skill over strength, speed over power. His invention has become one of the most Popular games in the world.

Basketball is a very fast game. Players must run up and down the basketball (16)_______ or gym floor the whole game. At the same time they must control the ball. Today, most players are tall. Many of them are over seven feet tall and weigh more than 200 pounds. But one of basketball's great (17)_______ was Barney Sedran. He played from 1912 to 1926 and is in the Basketball Hall ol Fame. He was only 5 feet 4 inches tall and 118 pounds!

Today, basketball is an (18)_________ sport. In America, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has some of the best players in the world. Basketball is also an Olympic sport today. In the Olympics, the best teams from many countries play to show they are the best.

Exercise 7.1. Choose the best variant.

1. A hall with ropes and bars for gymnastics and sports is a ______.

a. gym b. school c. basketball

2. A group of people who play together is a ________.

a. game b. team c. ladder

3. Another word for inside a building is __________.

a. winter b. Olympics c. indoors

4. A sport that people play inevery country in the world is _________.

a. Canadian b. international c. fast

5. The name of a fruit which is round and juicy is a _________.

a. peach b. ball c. basket

6. Basketball players run up and down the _________.

a. basket b. court c.ball

7. You can have a __________ of basketball, soccer, football, and tennis.

a. pound b. game c. play

8. To get something high, you climb a _________.

a. ball b. peach basket c. ladder

Exercise 7.2. Choose the best variant.

1. James Naismith _______.

a. invented a gym

b. invented basketball

c. liked peaches

2. The first game of basketball __________.

a. had peach baskets

b. was like soccer

c. was in Canada

3. Today, basketball is ____________.

a. not an Olympic sport

b. only played in the United States

c. an international sport

Exercise 7.3. Say whether the sentences are true or false.

1. There were ten men on each team.

2. They used a gym ball.

3. Naismith was American.

4. They put peach balls on the gym wall.

5. Barney Sedran was one of basketball's first players.

6. Players must climb up and down the court the whole game.

Exercise 8. Prepare a presentation of your favourite kind of sport. The text below may serve as an example.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-30