Summer Olympic Games

By Kenneth Beare

The Summer Olympic Games will be held in Beijing, China from August 8 to August 24. Competitors from around the world will compete for the gold, silver or bronze medals. For some athletes, winning is not a real possibility. However, they will strive to set personal and / or national bests in their events. Of course, many world records will also be broken during these games. The intensely competitive nature of the games, the strong national pride involved and the challenge in facing the best athletes from around the world combine to demand the top performances from each individual.

In a world where soccer (football), basketball, golf and tennis dominate television broadcasts, the Summer Olympic Games provide a chance to observe sports not usually covered. When was the last time you watched water polo, or fencing? Chances are you watched them during the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Greece. In this age when many people are fortunate enough to have cable TV connections, spectators can watch a wide variety of athletic competitions.

Athletics and wrestling are probably the oldest sports in the Olympic Games. The tradition of these sports goes back to the original games held in ancient Greece over 2500 years ago. Some of my favorite events include the javelin throw, the high jump and the pole vault, as well as the hurdles. There will also be a wide variety of water sports that include canoeing, sailing and diving. Naturally, swimming is probably the most popular water sport with a wide variety of competitive events including backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle and more.

The summer games also include a number of events that have recently been introduced to the games. Kayaking and mountain biking, baseball and beach volleyball are just a few. I certainly haven't mentioned all the sports - who would want to miss gymnastics - but you get the idea. Turn on your TV, relax and enjoy a moment of peace and togetherness in this struggling world of ours. The Summer Olympic Games provides an example that we all should follow: competition with respect.

Источник: http://esl.about.com/od/readingintermediate/a/r_olympic.htm

IX. Внимательно прочитайте один из текстов (I–V) и передайте его содержание на английском языке в 10-12 предложениях.

Text I. The Olympic games have a very long history. They began in 777 bc. in Greece and took place every 4 years for nearly 12 century at Olympia. 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 O.G. became the symbol of peace and friendship. In 394 A. D. The Games were abolished. The idea to revive the Games came from a Frenchman Baron Pierre de Caubertin who pointed out of the significance of sports and its educational value. He said: "The important thing in the O.G. is not winning, but taking part". In 1896 the 1st modern O.G. took place. The competitions were held in Greece to symbolize the continuation of the old tradition. The same year the International Olympic Committee was set up. Each country has its Nation Olympic Committee. Summer and winter Games are held separately. Thousands of athletes, journalists and guests come to the games. Russia joined the O.G. movement in the 1952. Since then it has won lot of gold, silver and bronze medals. In 1980 Moscow hosted 22d O.G. Nowadays, major cities compete to be the host of O.G. not just for the win. The Games have also become politically important.

Text II. In 1453 before Christ the first games were held in Olympia. Beginning with approximately 776 before Christ the games were organised every fourth year. These sports consisted of running, wrestling and other exercises. The favourite games of that time were horse-racing and jumping. The ancient winners got wreaths of palm leaves. The modern Olympic Games began again in 1896. They take place every four years. They cannot take place in a country which is at war, and during the two world wars there were no Olympic Games. So except in 1916, 1940 and 1944, the Olympic Games have been held every leap year. Women's events started in 1912. Winter Olympic Games first took place in 1924. The Games have been held in many countries. The 22nd Olympic Games were held in Moscow in 1980. The international Olympic Committee, which was set up and began to work in 1896, chooses the country and the city for the Olympic Games to be held in. The 26th Olympic Games were held in 1996 in Atlanta in the USA. It was a great sport event. There were competitions in practically all summer sports. Russian sportsmen took an active part in these Games. They won a lot of medals and we are very proud of them. The Games were organised in a proper way. It was a wonderful festival of sport, health, peace and friendship.

Text III. The history of Olympic games goes back to Ancient Greece. They began in 776 B.C. (that is more than 2700 years ago) and took place for about 1200 years every four year, at Olympia in Greece. It was a great athletic festival including many different kinds of sports: running, boxing, discus throwing, wrestling and others. The Olympics were organized up to the year of 391. In 394 A.D. the Games stopped. Then fifteen hundred years later, in 1894, a Frenchman, Baron Pierre de Coubertn, managed to persuade people from fifteen countries to start the Olympic Games again. The International Olympic Commitee was set up in 1894, and the first of the modern series of Games took place in Athens two years later, in 1896. More than two thousands competitors from twenty-two different countries took part in them. There were competitions in many kinds of sports: running, jumping, boxing, swimming, football and others. Since then, the number of competing athlets has increased each time. The Olympic Games cannot take place in countries at war. That is why there were no Olympic Games during the two world wars. The International Olympic Commitee in Switzerland chooses where each Olympic Games will take place. They ask the city chosen to be the host. Summer and Winter Olympic Games are held separately, in different countries. Winter Olympic Games first took place in 1924. At the Winter Games many teams from different countries take part in competitions in figure-skating, skiing, hockey and other winter sports. Since 1936 the opening ceremony has been celebrated by lightning a flame which is called "Olympic Flame". The 22-nd Summer Olympic Games were held in Russia, Moscow in 1980. It was for the first time that the Olympic Games were held in our country.

Text IV. The word's greatest international sports games are known as the Olympic Games. They are held once every four years. The Olympic Games began in Olympia nearly 1,200 years ago in Olympia. They were for men only. In 1896 the first International Olympic Games were organized in Olympia. The Games opening ceremony is celebrated by lighting a flame called the "Olympic flame". The Olympic motto is "Faster, Higher, Stronger." The Olympic symbol is five interlocking circles colored blue, yellow, black, green and red. In 1980 the Olympic Games were organized in our country in the Moscow. The first Winter Olympic Games were hold in France in the city Shamoni in 1924. Last Winter Olympic Games were hold in the USA in the Salt-Lake city, state UTA from 8th to 24th February 2002. Russian athletes took part in this sports competition. Russia won 16 medals (6 gold, 6 silver, 4 bronze). It is the 4th result. The first result achieved Germany with 35 medals.

Text V. London was host for the first time in 1908. With 1,500 competitors from 19 nations, the Games were by now an institution of world-wide significance. The programme, moreover, was augmented by the inclusion of Association football (which appeared in 1900 but only in a demonstration match), diving, field hockey, and ice hockey, as well as other sports since discontinued. The most dramatic episode of these Games was in the marathon, run from Windsor to Shepherd's Bush in London, the site of a new stadium. Pietri (Italy) led into the arena but collapsed and was disqualified for accepting assistance from officials. The gold medal went to the second man home, Hayes (USA), but Queen Alexandra, who was present opposite the finishing line, was so moved by the Italian's plight that she awarded him special gold cup. The 400 metres provided an opportunity for Halswelle (GB) to become the only man in Olympic history to win by a walk-over. The final was declared void after an American had been disqualified for boring. Two other Americans withdrew from re-run final in protest, leaving Halswelle an unopposed passage. Britain won the polo, and all the boxing, lawn tennis, rackets, rowing, and yachting titles as well as five out of six cycle races.

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