Record-breaker

SPORTS AND GAMES

1. What sport society do you belong to?

2. The club has different sections.

3. A special council is elected to guide the activities of the club.

4. This stadium has a seating capacity of 1000,000.

5. There has been a record attendance at the stadium this year.

6. Where is the play (sports) ground)?

7. Now the winter sports season is in full swing.

8. The competition will be opened with the long-distance run.

9. Tournament

10. Gymnastic competition

11. International contest

12. Swimming contest

13. The World Students` Games

14. Match

15. Meeting (Am a meet)

16. An `A` league team

17. The all-Ukraine team

18. The national team

19. Contending teams

20. Visiting team

21. Home-team

22. Contestant

23. A tem-mate

24. To qualify for the finals

25. Semi-finals

26. The world high-jump record holder

27. The Russia record holder in …

28. Honourable Master of Sports

29. A medal winner

30. A medalist at the Olympic Games

31. A triple champion

32. The Ukraine, national, world, Olympic champion

33. Individual championship

34. To win the championship

35. To go in for the world championship in …

36. A title-holder

37. A contender to the title

38. To win (carry off, capture) a title

39. To lose a title

40. To defend a title

41. To retain the title

42. To compete for the first place

43. To establish (set) a new world record

44. To beat (cut, break, exceed) a record in…

45. To improve (raise, better) a record in…

46. To lower the record 0.1 of a second

47. To repeat the result

48. Close to the world record

49. An individual (team) victory

50. A third victory running

51. To press for a victory

52. To reap all the victories

53. A victory over…

54. An easy winner

55. To have a win to one`s credit

56. To win by the head

57. To mount the rostrum

58. To be garlanded with a laurel wreath

59. A surprise defeat

60. To defeat a team by 6 points to 4

61. To try to even up

62. To train

63. To be `in form`

64. To be `out of form`

65. A trainer (coach)

66. Who trains him?

67. He trains under…

68. Singlets and shorts (Am jersey and trunks)

69. Sports shoes

70. A keen sportsmen

71. An ardent sports fan

72. A favourite kind of sport

73. Basic sports©

74. To go wild over a game

75. To have (take) a keen interest in a team

76. To care for football

77. To go in for swimming

78. To be keen on cricket

79. To take a fancy for (to) archery

80. To be a soccer fan

81. To be good at tennis

82. To chuck up (drop) playing rugby

83. To join (take a hand, take part in, make one of the party)

84. To `root` for somebody (usually Am)

85. What team do you root for?

FOOTBALL

86. Football occupies an honourable place among other games.

87. The audience gave the England team a hearty welcome.

88. They showed a lack of concerted work.

89. Their attacks were weak.

90. They played a purely defensive game.

91. The forwards played far too much as individuals.

92. They were swift and aggressive.

93. They behaved very badly (they were rough).

94. The first half abounded in sharp dangerous attacks launched by the Spartaks.

95. Their goal never seemed to be out of trouble.

96. Their defence was vigilant and courageous.

97. The visitors have taken the initiative and are piling on pressure.

98. The N. Team started off in a fine style.

99. England continued to dominate the play.

100. Ten minutes from time the home defence once again took over the attacking role.

101. The N. Team had another narrow escape in the 45^th minute.

102. Those tactics are not new.

103. In whose favour is the goal?

104. All cheered the tying goal with great applause.

105. With six minutes to go N. Shot from a good scoring position and scored a goal.

106. He almost ripped the opponent`s net with an unstoppable shot from close range.

107. M. Tried a long shot, but the ball went high.

108. He is poor at headwork (headworking).

109. He is a master in the art of heading.

110. N. Is equally strong in attack and defence.

111. The skill of the players was practically equal.

112. What is the score?

113. With what score did the team win?

114. The match ended in a 3:3 draw (tie).

115. The game with the N. Team was a draw.

116. The score was 2:0 (two-nil).

117. The game was a goalless draw.

118. They won the game 3:1 (three to one).

119. They managed to stick to a 3:3 draw.

120. The score could have been heavier.

121. At full-time the scores were even; extra time had to be given.

122. N. Brought the score to 3:1 in favour of the Spartak.

123. To keep score

124. To bring the score to…

125. To open the score

126. To even the score

127. Close score

128. Shut out

VOLLEYBALL

To serve the ball

130. To receive the ball

131. To pass (feed) the ball

132. To block

133. To fail to return the ball

134. To lose a point

135. To lose the right to serve

136. Change

137. A stroke across the net

BASKETBALL

138. To shoot the ball at the basket

139. To land (sink) the ball in the basket

TRACK-AND-FIELD ATHLETICS

a) Runs

140. 100 metre race (run, dash, event)

141. 4x100 metre relay

142. a long distance race

143. a cross-country race

144. marathon race

145. steeplechase

146. 400 m hurdle race

147. 10 000 metre walk

148. lap

149. heat

150. round

151. baton

152. route

153. fast finish

154. smart beginning

155. to race in the 100 metres

156. to finish ahead of N.

157. To clock 10.4 sec in the 100 metre race

158. To time

159. To break (breast) the tape

160. To cross the finishing line

161. To tale the lead

162. To keep the lead

163. To regain the lead

164. To make a good (bad) start

165. To be an easy winner of the marathon

166. To win the heat

167. To come out on top

168. To win by a couple of yards

169. To fail to win the heat

b) Jumps

170. a men`s (women`s) jump

171. high jump

172. long jump

173. pole vault (vaulting)

174. hop, step and jump

175. roll style

176. to clear 1 m 55 cm in the high jump

177. to clear 6 ft using the roll style

178. to master the scissors style

179. to outjump somebody

180. to fall back on one`s hands

181. to touch the bar

c) Throws

182. discus throw

183. hammer throw

184. javelin throw

185. shot put

GYMNASTICS

186. An outdoor gym (gymnasium)

187. An indoor gym

188. Free calisthenics

189. Side horse

190. Long horse

191. Parallel bars

192. (flying) rings

193. horisontal bar

194. balance beam

195. rope climb

196. a complicated exercise

197. to balance

BOXING

198. Were you at the boxing match?

199. Who is in the ring now?

200. He doesn`t even know the ABC of boxing.

201. He knocked out the well-known boxer N.

202. He captured the middle-weight title of the European champion.

203. He made a splendid showing in the All-Russia championship.

204. He is good in a close fight.

205. He has a powerful punch.

206. He defeated a much more experienced boxer.

207. He is a knock-out specialist.

208. He confidently won the country title.

209. He won by (on) points (by a knock-out).

210. It`s a ten round match, isn`t it?

211. How long does a round last?

212. It was a hard blow (punch).

213. He delivered a series of blows.

214. He dealt a crippling blow that sent his opponent to the floor.

215. He floored him in the second round.

216. He went into a knock-down.

217. The referee is counting.

218. The gong struck, and the battle was on.

219. It was not a fight; it was a slaughter, a massacre.

220. The first and second rounds were tame.

221. In the seventh round N., under a heavy blow, dropped.

222. The referee caught M.`s gloved hand and held in aloft.

223. Bout

224. Referee

225. Second

226. Clinch

227. Break!

228. Below the belt

229. Uppercut

230. Straight right (left)

231. To batter (hammer)

232. To parry

233. To attack

234. To avoid

235. To give the ropes

236. Boxing weights:

237. Flyweight

238. Bantamweight

239. Featherweight

240. Light weight

241. Light welter weight

242. Welter weight

243. Light middle weight

244. Middle weight

245. Light heavy weight

246. Heavy weight

WRESTLING

247. He floored (put him down) in five minutes.

248. He has got a good hold of him now.

249. How heavily they breathe.

250. The one in red is exhausted.

251. The other one is just like an eel.

252. He threw him down rather hard.

253. The referee is trying to break them.

254. It`s a clutch.

255. Who is the champion in free style wrestling?

256. He won by (on) points.

257. His technique is much higher than M`s.

258. Classical wrestling

259. Free-style wrestling

260. A hurl, a throw

261. A bridge

WEIGHT LIFTING

262. What`s his own weight?

263. He turns the scale at (to) 120 kgs.

264. What`s his total?

265. He lifted half a ton in three goes.

266. Did he take the weight?

267. What was his press (snatch, jerk)? (How much did he press?)

268. He couldn`t take 150 kgs in a press.

269. He is clever at two-hand press.

270. He was unable to complete the press.

WINTER SPORTS

a) Skating

271. skating-rink

272. speed skating

273. The speed skating national champion

274. Figure skating (cutting)

275. Figure-cutter (figure-skater)

276. A skating figure

277. The technique of figure cutting (of speed skating)

278. A pirouette

279. A dance on the ice

280. The track

281. To skate in pairs

282. To race the 5,000-metre distance in…

283. To cover the race for the 1000 metres in … min. …sec.

b) Skiing

284. a skiing race

285. a skiing relay

286. a cross-country skiing race

287. downhill skiing

288. ski jumping

289. slalom

290. a ski-jumping board

291. accurate (inaccurate) landing

292. to land in a fall

293. to lose a point because of a fall

294. skiing gear

295. bindings

c) Ice-hockey

296. To roll in the ball

297. To throw in the chuck

298. To throw a ball up

299. To hock the chuck

300. To block up

301. To score a chuck

302. To let a chuck through the goal

AQUATICS

a) Swimming

303. Men`s 4x200 metres free-style relay

304. Strokes:

305. Breast stroke

306. Back stroke

307. Crawl stroke

308. Butterfly stroke

309. Free style stroke

310. A swimming-pool

311. A breast-stroke champion

312. The world free-style record

313. To hold the world record in the 400 metres

314. To win the butterfly event

315. To win the heat in 3 min. dead

316. To finish half a length behind the winner

317. To finish one tenth of a second behind (ahead) of N.

318. To finish second to N.

319. To finish first in the 100 metre event

320. To burst over the last 10 metres

321. A bathing suit

322. A diving cap

b) Diving

323. springboard diving event

324. high board dive

325. springboard dive

326. 10-metre board dive

327. a somersault

328. to stand 6 points ahead of N.

329. To total… points in the diving event

c) Yachting

330. Do you indulge in (go in for) yachting?

331. No, sailboats don`t appeal to me.

332. Can you sail a yacht?

333. Do you like yacht-racing?

334. What class is this yacht?

335. When will the regatta begin?

336. How does one get into a yacht-club?

337. One has to pass a test in sailing simple crafts.

338. I took a course of training at the yacht-club.

339. One has to learn to handle a simple craft.

340. Speed boating is becoming a very popular sport, indeed.

341. What kind of speed boat do you like?

342. An outboard boat

343. An inboard boat

344. The six-meter class yacht

345. A racer

346. A yachtsman

347. To go for a sail

348. To sail

349. To make sail

350. To fist

351. To take in sails

352. To go under full sail

d) Boating

353. Let`s go for a ride in a boat.

354. How do you like my row-boat?

355. No, I shall sit in the stern.

356. She is a steady boat, indeed.

357. The oar has snapped.

358. But won`t the boat capsize?

359. The boat is a little bit hard to pull.

360. This is the steering oar.

361. No, I can`t steer well.

362. I can row very well.

363. How many people can she hold?

364. Does the boat leak?

365. Teach me to back the oars (to back-water), will you?

366. This boat rows (pulls) six oars.

367. A life-boat

368. A skiff

369. A kayak

370. A canoe

371. A pair oar boat

372. A six oar boat

373. A steersman

374. A coxswain

SHOOTING

375. Is there a shooting-gallery here?

376. Can you shoot from a high-power rifle?

377. This is a small-bore.

378. I should like to learn to shoot with a pistol.

379. How far does this rifle carry?

380. The target seems rather far, doesn`t it?

381. Have you cocked the gun?

382. Pull the trigger.

383. The trigger is hard to pull.

384. Teach me how to aim.

385. You aim at the bull`s eye.

386. Have I hit the mark?

387. He scored 39 points out of 40.

388. Where is the moving target shooting taking place?

389. Which way is the shooting-range (shooting-ground)?

390. A shooting tournament

391. Target shooting

392. Trap shooting a marksman

393. A free rifle (pistol)

394. Three positions:

395. Prone, kneeling, standing

396. To fire at random

397. To fire a pistol

398. To charge (load) a rifle

I. Translate the vocabulary into Russian or Ukrainian.

II. Discussion point.

Step A. Work in pairs and write down:

a) five games where you can hit the ball (with various kinds of equipment)

b) four games where you can pass the ball

c) three games where you can catch the ball

d) two games where you can kick the ball

e) one game where you can head the ball

Step B. Put the words from the table in the correct column: Sport, Place or Equipment. Sometimes you can put a word in more than one column.

swimming gloves crash helmet course football racket track ring boots pool motor racing clubs tennis net court golf pitch track trunks boxing goals costume shorts whistle vest badminton bat squash

Step C. Decide whether the sentences are true or false. If false, write the correct variant.

1. The people who watch a football match are the audience.

2. The official who gives the score in tennis is the umpire.

3. Athletes wear shorts.

4. You need a stick to play hockey.

5. Boxers wear gloves.

6. Tennis is played on a pitch.

7. The referee in football has a whistle.

8. Women wear trunks for swimming.

Step D. Answer the questions.

1. What are the games and sports that you watch but don`t play? Where do you usually watch them?

2. What are the games and sports that you play yourself? Do you regularly go in for sport?

3. Are there any games and sports that you hate? Why?

4. What are the games and sports that the Ukrainians don`t play much?

5. What is the most popular sport in our country?

6. What is the most dangerous sport in your opinion? Why?

7. What game or sport requires the most strength?

8. What sport has the biggest crowds?

©

III. Read the text and answer the questions after it.

SPORT AND GAMES

People all over the world are fond of sports and games. That is one of the things in which people of every nationality and class are united. All kinds of physical exercises are very useful to make our bodies strong enough to keep ourselves fit and healthy. The most popular outdoor winter sports are shooting, hunting, hockey, in the countries where the weather is frosty and there is much snow – skating, skiing and tobogganing. Some people greatly enjoy figure-skating and ski-jumping. It`s so nice to go to the skating-rink or to the forest on a frosty sunny day!

Summer affords excellent opportunities for swimming, boating, yachting, cycling, gliding and many other sports. Among outdoor games football takes the first place in public interest; this game is played in all countries of the world. The other games that have firmly established themselves in favour in different countries are golf, lawn-tennis, cricket, volleyball, basketball, and so on. Badminton is also very popular.

All the year round many people indulge in boxing, wrestling, athletics, gymnastics and track and field events. Scores of young girls and women go in for callisthenics. Over the last few years aerobics has become popular with young girls. It helps them to be slim, healthy and strong. The founder of this kind of sport was a well-known American actress Jane Fonda. Being a great enthusiast of aerobics she has been trying to initiate many young women from all over the world into this sport.

Among indoor games the most popular are billiards, table-tennis, draughts and some others, but the great international game is chess, of course. The results of chess tournaments are studied and discussed by thousands of enthusiasts in different countries.

So we may say that sport is one of the things that makes people kin. To cut the long story short, I should admit that everyone must do all he can to be healthy. Physically inactive people get old earlier than those who have plenty of exercises. If you do daily exercises you feel refreshed, have a good posture, and that makes you feel good. I can add that good health is better than the best medicine. You have `A sound mind in a sound body`, as the old Latin saying goes. The English proverb `Sickness in the body brings sickness to the mind` expresses a similar idea, but from a different point of view.

1. Why does the author say that sports and games is the thing in which people are united?

2. What winter and summer sports activities are mentioned in the text?

3. What is the most popular game in all countries of the world?

4. Why do many girls and young women go in for callisthenics?

5. What do you think the author means saying that `good health is better than the best medicine`?

6. Do the back-translation of the text.

IV. Fill the gaps in the texts with the suitable words or phrases.

a) In the World Cup Final of 1994, Brazil ______________ Italy 3-2 in a ___________ shoot-out. After ninety minutes the _____________ was 0-0; and it remained the same after thirty minutes of ____________, but then Italy __________ 3-2 in the penalty shoot-out after Baresi and Baggio both missed. This was the fourth time that Brazil had ________ the World Cup.

b) Ivanisevic ___________ to Sampras in the second round. He ________ the first ___________ 6-4, but then ______________ the second ______________ on a ____________. _________ was 4-6, 7-6, 6-1, 6-2.

V. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Стадион вмещает 100 000 человек.

2. Сейчас в полном разгаре зимний сезон.

3. Соревнования будут открыты забегом на длинную дистанцию.

4. Победитель взошел на пьедестал и был увенчан лавровым венком.

5. За какую команду Вы болеете?

6. Футбол занимает лидирующее место среди других видов спорта.

7. Зрители всегда тепло встречают футбольную команду Англии.

8. Их игра носила исключительно оборонительный характер, нападающие играли несогласованно.

9. Ворота команды соперников все время находились под угрозой.

10. Гол, сравнявший счет, был встрече шквалом аплодисментов.

11. С каким счетом выиграла эта команда? – Ты что, шутишь? Они продули всухую!

12. Так как к концу матча счет по-прежнему оставался равным, судье пришлось дать дополнительное время.

VI. Choose the correct answer.

1. This year our team are the _________ favourites to win the cup.

a)firm b)full c)grand d)hard

2. The team`s coach insisted on a programme of ________ training before the big match.

a)harsh b)rigorous c)severe d)searching

3. The team has practised hard so that it could __________ the trophy.

a)regain b)replace c)restore d)return

4. The team`s recent wins have __________ them for the semi-finals.

a)fitted b)matched c)promoted d)qualified

5. John is always ________ about how well he plays football.

a)boasting b)flaunting c)parading d)puffing

6. His poor standard of play fully justifies his _________ from the team for the next match.

a)ban b)exception c)exclusion d)rejection

7. The footballer was _______ the field for kicking the referee.

a)brought off b)put off c)sent off d)taken off

8. The footballer scored four ________, so his team won the match.

a)aims b)games c)goals d)scores

9. The fan shouted at the ________ of his voice.

a)head b)height c)limit d)top

10. The ________ at the football match became violent when their team lost.

a)customers b)groups c)observers d)spectators

VII. Reading comprehension (1).

Read the text and do the tasks after it.

THE FOOTBALL MATCH

England won the toss and the Austrians kicked off into the sun. Two free kicks were given against England in the first two minutes, and the English defence cleared them well.

After 15 minutes play the Austrian centre-forward, Buzek, broke away on the left and McDonald, the goalkeeper, did well to tip a fierce drive over the bar. A minute later the Austrians opened the scoring with a magnificent goal, which McDonald had no chance of saving. Left-half Koller, getting possession about 25 yards out, put in a dynamic drive which sped like a bullet into the top right-hand corner of the goal.

The English forwards pressed continuously, but to no avail. In the 28th minute Douglas shot weakly from close in, while at the other end Buzek lost a great chance of making it two for Austria by shooting inches wide of the uprights from close range. Three minutes later Haynes had a wonderful chance to equalize, but he was hesitant and was robbed. After 35 minutes play the English attack had five or six chances of equalizing, but their shooting was wild.

England continued to do well in midfield, but the forwards were completely inept. Two minutes from the interval Robson was dispossessed by the goalkeeper only feet away from the goalmouth. There was a concluding thrill when goalscorer. Koller again put in a blinding shot from well out but this time he was inches wide of the upright. England were all over Austria on the resumption, but they just could not get in a good scoring shot. Twelve minutes after the interval, however, England equalized with a rather lucky goal. It was J.Haynes, who from two yards out put the ball in the back of the net. England continued to dominate the play, but by wild and weak shooting in front of the goal they failed to press home their advantage.

In the 10-th minute the Austrians went ahead with another goal from well out. Alfred Koerner, the inside-left, put in a stinging drive from nearly 25 yards out which hit the upright and glanced off into the net to put Austria ahead 2=1. Almost from the restart England netted again, Robson scoring from just inside the penalty area. From the Press stand it looked a perfectly good goal, but the referee ruled it no goal presumably for hands.

Four minutes later Kevan equalized, rushing the ball through from close in from a pass by Haynes. Both sides fought hard for the winning goal, but neither goal-keeper was seriously troubled in the closing stages and the game ended in a stalemate.

Explain in English what is meant by:

a) to kick off into the sun

b) from close in

c) inches wide of the upright

d) their shooting was wild

e) from well out

f) England equalized with a rather lucky goal

g) to press home their advantage

h) Press stand

i) to rule it no goal

j) winning goal

Give synonyms to following words and phrases:

a) a magnificent goal

b) a great chance

c) to equalize

d) to be hesitant

e) to be inept

f) a concluding thrill

g) resumption

h) to dominate

i) closing stages

Imagine you are a sports commentator. Write your own sporting comment on any football event.

VIII. Complete the sentences with the suitable words or expressions.

1. What Europeans call `football`, Americans call ____________.

2. The instructor of the team is the _____________.

3. When you play in a football team you are a _________________.

4. The games take place on a ____________.

5. The leader of the team is the ____________.

6. The man in the _________ is the goal-keeper.

7. The beginning of the match is the ______________.

8. During the match each team tries to ____________ as many goals as possible.

9. When the teams have scored the same number of goals we say it`s a ____________.

10. The players of the other team are the _____________.

11. The man who enforces the rules during the game is the ___________.

12. Playing correctly is called _________ play.

13. Unfair moves are called _____________.

14. When a player breaks the rules the other team may get a ____________.

15. A federation of football clubs is called a football _____________.

IX. Choose the correct answer.

1. I met Pete _________ his bicycle along the pavement.

a)pulling b)rolling c)turning d)wheeling

2. He was _________ from the competition because he had not complied with the rules.

a)banished b)disqualified c)forbidden d)outlawed

3. Some of the best golf ________ are to be found in England.

a)courses b)courts c)pitches d)tracks

4. Sport is a good _______ for aggression.

a)let off b)offshoot c)outlet d)way out

5. She had to _________ herself to make sure she wasn`t dreaming.

a)grasp b)pinch c)scratch d)seize

6. This is the running _________ where the first 4 minute mile was run.

a)circle b)course c)ring d)track

7. Have you been able to book us a tennis ________ for tomorrow?

a)court b)field c)ground d)pitch

8. The boxer ________ and almost fell when his opponent hit him.

a)scrambled b)shattered c)staggered d)stammered

9. He has always been ________ supporter of his local rugby team.

a)a forcible b)an unbeaten c)a staunch d)a sure

10. They stood glowering at each other, their fists ________ ready for action.

a)clasped b)clenched c)grasped d)joined

11. It seems that the world record for this event is almost impossible to _________. a)balance b)beat c)compare d)meet

12. The boxer ________ his opponent as hard as he could.

a)knocked b)punched c)slapped d)touched

13. Our team faced fierce _________ in the relay races.

a)attack b)competition c)contest d)opponents

14. She is a good runner but she`s not much good at _________.

a)barriers b)fences c)hurdles d)jumps

15. He ran four ________ of the course in half an hour.

a)hurdles b)laps c)sprints d)vaults

X. Discussion point.

StepA. Work in groups. Indicate what equipment is used in the following sports.

Angling, archery, baseball, boxing, cricket, golf, hockey, ping pong, rowing, squash, badminton, darts.

StepB. Guess what sports the people are talking about.

1. `The ball has a natural curve on it so it doesn`t go in a straight line on the grass`.

2. `Provided it`s not too windy at the top, there`s no problem`.

3. `It is incredibly noisy, fast and dangerous, but it`s really exciting to watch`.

4. `You get sore at first and can hardly sit down, but you get used to it after a while`.

5. `It`s all a matter of balance really`.

6. `You need a good eye and a lot of concentration`.

Step C. Guess what we call a person who …

a) does a long-jump

b) rides horses in races

c) drives cars in races

d) throws the discus/javelin

e) does gymnastics

f) plays hockey

g) plays football

h) does the pole-vault

XI. Read the text and answer the questions after it.

THE OLYMPIC GAMES

The Olympic Games have a very long history. They began in 777 BC in Greece and took place every four years for nearly twelve centuries at Olympia. They included many different kinds of sports, running, boxing, wrestling, etc. All the cities in Greece sent their best athletes to Olympia to compete in the Games. For the period of the Games all the wars stopped. So the Olympic Games became the symbol of peace and friendship. In 394 AD the Games were abolished and were not renewed until many centuries later.

In 1894, a Frenchman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, addressed all the sports governing bodies and pointed out the significance of sports and its educational value. Two years later the first modern Olympic Games took place. Of course, the competitions were held in Greece to symbolize the continuation of the centuries-old tradition.

In 1896 the International Olympic Committee was set up. It is the central policy-making body of the Olympic movement. It is formed by the representatives of all countries which take part in the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee decides upon the programme of the games, the number of the participants and the city-host for the Games. Over one hundred and fifty countries are represented in the International Olympic Committee now. Besides, each country has its National Olympic Committee. Summer and Winter Games are held separately. There are always several cities wishing to host the Games. The most suitable is selected by the International Committee. After that the city of the Games starts preparations for the competitions, constructs new sports facilities, stadiums, hotels, press centres. Thousands of athletes, journalists and guests come to the Games, and it takes great efforts to arrange everything. There is always an interesting cultural programme of concerts, exhibitions, festivals, etc., for each Games.

1. When and where did the Olympic Games begin?

2. Why did the Olympic Games become the symbol of peace and friendship?

3. When did the Games in Greece stop?

4. Who renewed the Olympic movement?

5. When and where did the first modern Games take place?

6. When was the International Olympic Committee set up? What is its function?

7. How does the city-host prepare for the Olympic Games?

8. When and where were the latest Olympic Games held?

9. Do the back-translation of the text.

XII. Discussion point.

First read the following information:

The Olympics are having many problems. In Munich (1972), terrorists killed Israeli athletes. In Moscow (1980), the United States refused to participate. In Los Angeles (1984), the USSR and other Eastern European countries refused to participate. In Seoul (1988), Cuba and other countries refused to participate. In addition to political problems, the Olympics are having problems with professionalism, drug use, and too many sports.

Step A. Work in groups. You are members of the International Olympic Committee. Your job is to redesign the Olympic Games.

1. Instead of moving the Games from one city to another, discuss the possibility of having one permanent summer city and one permanent winter city. Work out the criteria for choosing the cities.

2. Every year the Olympics adds new sports. Now there are too many (over 237 events in 23 sports). Discuss the possibility of decreasing the number of sports to only 25 individual events (same for men and women) and three team sports (same for men and women). Work out the list of sports.

Step B. Discuss these questions with your group-mates.

1. Should professional athletes participate in the Olympics? Explain.

2. What do you think is the maximum number of athletes a country should have? (In Seoul [1988], the United States had 625 athletes; Brunei had one.)

3. Is it possible to separate sports from politics? If yes, how? If no, why?

4. Should athletes be permitted to use drugs (such as steroids)? Explain.

XIII. Choose the correct answer.

1. Most _________ tennis stars learn the game at an early age.

a)hopeful b)prospective c)will-be d)willing

2. Mary tells me she is __________ my horse in the Derby.

a)backing b)betting c)gambling d)staking

3. I always feel ________ before the start of a race.

a)jerky b)jittery c)timid d)unsteady

4. All the athletes were wearing ________ suits when they came into the stadium.

a)jogging b)running c)sports d)track

5. The new sports centre _______ for all kinds of leisure activities.

a)caters b)deals c)furnishes d)supplies

6. I`m afraid we shall have to call ________ the match on account of the bad weather.

a)back b)in c)off d)on

7. I tried to _______ my disappointment at losing by cheering the winter loudly.

a)hide b)mask c)shield d)veil

8. The fastest runner took the _______ just five metres before the finishing line.

a)advance b)head c)lead d)place

9. There is a lot of friendly ________ between the supporters of the two teams.

a)contention b)contest c)defiance d)rivalry

10. He`s _________ to win. No one else in the race stands a chance.

a)bound b)liable c)probable d)unavoidable

XIV. Thinking ahead. Before reading the text discuss the following statements.

1. Athletes of the future will be taller and stronger than today`s athletes are.

2. In the future, drug-taking in sports will be legalized.

3. What athletes eat and drink before a race is more important than what they eat and drink after a race.

4. A good running shoe helps athletes run faster.

5. The most important factor in long jumping is the speed of the approach.

XV. Reading comprehension (2).

Read the text and do the tasks after it.

RECORD-BREAKER

A world record is every athlete`s dream, but the hard-won records of a few years ago are mostly just today`s qualifying times. Roger Bannister`s famous four-minute mile of 1956 has been beaten by nearly 15 seconds, while almost an hour and twenty minutes has been taken off the women`s marathon since 1953. `Faster, higher, stronger`, is the Olympic motto, and today`s competitors continue to push back the boundaries of what the body can achieve. But one wonders if this can continue.

The last forty years have seen many important technological advances. For example, since the introduction of strong, flexible fibreglass poles, over a metre has been added to the pole vault record. There have also been important developments in the design of the running shoe. And while a shoe won`t actually make someone run faster, modern shoes do mean many more miles of comfortable, injury-free training.

Pushing back the limits now depends more on science, technology and medicine than anything else. Athletic technique, training programmes and diets are all being studied to find ways of taking a few more seconds off or adding a few more centimetres to that elusive world record. It seems that natural ability and hard work are no longer enough.

The search to find more efficient ways of moving goes on. Analysis of an athlete`s style is particularly useful for events like jumping and throwing. Studies show that long jumpers need to concentrate not on the speed of approach, as once thought, but on the angle their bodies make with the ground as they take off. However, the rules governing each sport limit advances achieved by new styles. For instance only one-footed take-offs are allowed in the high jump.

In the future, it should be possible to develop a more individual approach to training programmes. Athletes will keep detailed diaries and collect data to help predict the point when training becomes overtraining, the cause of many injuries. If athletes feed all their information into a database, it may then be possible to predict patterns and to advise them individually when they should cut down.

Combining the right diet with a training programme is vital. Athletes are continually searching for that special `go-faster` ingredient, but apparently it`s still a battle to get them to drink sufficient liquid and to follow a balanced healthy diet throughout all phases of training, competition and recovery. Diet in the period after an event is particularly important and often neglected. An athlete who doesn`t replace all the liquid lost immediately after a hard run won`t be able to repeat the performance at the same level 24 hours later.

So what of the future? It is no secret that many records are not authentic and with the tightening of drugs controls, performances may actually decline, particularly in events like the shot putt and discus. The throwers of the future will be `clean` and smaller and will pay more attention to technique and less to strength.

Choose the most appropriate heading from the list A-H for each paragraph of the text. There is one extra heading.

A. Research holds the key to success

B. New and improved techniques

C. A new kind of athlete

D. New equipment has made a difference

E. Athletes are what they eat

F. Personalized programmes will help

G. The influence of drugs

H. Is there a limit to record-breaking?

In the text find the words which mean:

a) pay too little or no attention to

b) say what will happen

c) able to bend easily without breaking

d) genuine

e) struggle, fight

f) difficult to find or achieve

g) essential

h) saying used as a guide to behaviour

Agree or disagree with the following statements.

1. Today`s competitors push back the boundaries of what the body can achieve.

2. Technological advances help sportsmen a lot.

3. Pushing back the limits now depends more on science, technology and limits than on personal sportsman`s abilities.

4. It`s not important to analyze an athlete`s style.

5. In the future it will be possible to avoid overtraining.

6. Diet plays a vital role in training.

7. The future throwers will be twice as strong as those of nowadays.

XVI. Practise your translation skills. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Игроку не удалось подать мяч обратно, и команда потеряла очко.

2. Удар через сетку был неточным, они потеряли право подачи.

3. Если бы он взял правильный темп с самого начала, то пришел бы к финишу на 10,4 секунды раньше, чем его соперник.

4. Украинский боксер нокаутировал известного английского боксера.

5. Сколько длится раунд в боксе?

6. Он до сих пор удерживает мировой рекорд по плаванию.

7. Вы увлекаетесь парусным спортом? – Нет, этот вид спорта мне не по душе.

8. Гонки на моторных лодках становятся все более популярным видом спорта в нашей стране.

9. Я бы хотел научиться стрелять из пистолета. – Это очень просто. Главное, не забудь взвести курок.

10. Он выбил 39 очков из 40.

XVII. Reading comprehension (3).

Read the following sporting news only once and try to answer as many questions as you can. Don`t look at the text! When reading again, answer all the questions.

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