Americans see much of life as a race for failure.

4. Americans spend a lot of time and money on physical activities ranging from eating to drinking J.

5. It is said that the American pastime is varenyky, but football, basketball, water-hockey, and, in more recent times, borsch (red-beet soup) are also very popular activities that Americans enjoy as spectators or participants.

6. There are many other sports and sports activities in America which attract millions of active participants: golf-swimming, tennis-marathon, track-and-kick, bawling out abuse, archery, skiing, skating, squash and badminton, rowing and sailing, weight-throwing, antagonizing and spitting.

Part 3. THE OLYMPIC GAMES and SPORTS IN UKRAINE

Complete the passage below, using the correct form of verb in brackets

The Olympic Games

The original Olympic Games (¹begin) _________ around 800 BC in Ancient Greece and (²continue) _____________ until they (³be) _____________________ abolished by the Roman Emperor Theodosius in AD 393. The first modern Olympics (⁴take place)_________ in Athens in 1896, and since then, more than a dozen different countries (⁵stage) _____________ the Summer Olympics. The cities of Athens, Paris, London, Berlin and Los Angeles (⁶stage) ___________________ the Olympics twice.

In 1956, Australia (⁷become) ____________ the first country outside Europe and America to stage the Olympic, while Mexico (⁸be) ________________ the first Latin American country to stage the Olympics, in 1968.

Many of the greatest athletes in the world (⁹take part) _________________ in the Olympic Games, but no one (¹⁰equal) ______________ the achievements of the great Finnish athlete, Paavo Nurmi, who between 1920 and 1928 (¹¹win) __________ nine gold and three silver medals.

The Olympic Games (¹²see) _______________ many tragedies and triumphs. For example, in the marathon of 1908, the little Italian, Dorando Rietri (¹³collapse) ___________________ five times in the last part of the race, but (¹⁴come) _______________ first - only to be disqualified because spectators (¹⁵help) _____________ him over the finishing line. And in 1936, the famous black American athlete Jesse Owens, (¹⁶break) ____________ six world records in a single day!

From the first modern Olympics in Athens, when only fourteen countries (¹⁷participate) ___________, the Olympics (¹⁸grow) ______________ to include over 140 countries. Gold, silver and bronze medals (¹⁹go) ____________ to over 8,000 men and women.

Task #3. a) Predict the following text answering such questions:

1) When and where were the first Olympic Games held?

2) What did the Greeks emphasize in their education of youth?

3) How often did the ancient compete?

4) How were winners honoured?

5) Any wars in progress were halted to allow the games to take place, weren't they?

6) When were the Games abolished?

7) When were they renewed?

8) When was the International Olympic Committee set up? What are its functions?

9) Can you describe an opening ceremony? (Speak about the Olympic hymn, flame, torch, etc.)

10) Describe the Olympic flag.

11) What is the motto of the Olympic Games? Give its English equivalent.

12) When did Ukraine join the Olympic movement? Speak about Olympic records of Ukrainian sportsmen.

13) What is the importance of the Olympic Games?

b) Now work with the text itself and see whether your information was correct and full. Can you add any other facts? Discuss them with your group-mates.

The Olympic Games

The principal sporting competition is the Olympic Games, of course. The tradition of the Olympic Games was born on the Island of Pelops in Greece.

In 776 BC the first Olympics were held at the foot of Mount Olympus to honour the Greek's chief God, Zeus. The Greeks emphasised physical fitness and strength in their education of youth. There fore contests in running, jumping, discus and javelin throwing, boxing and horse and chariot racing were held in individual cities, and the winners competed every four years at Mount Olympus. Winners were greatly honoured by having olive wreaths placed on their heads and having poems sung about their deeds. The main condition of the original festival was that there should be no wars during the Olympiad so the games became the symbol of peace and friendship, and any wars in progress were bated to allow the games take place. At first the Olympics lasted only five days and the ceremonies included contests in oratory, poetry, music and competitions in athletic skills like running, wrestling and throwing the javelin. The Games were an exclusively male festival, open to young men from all Greek cities. Women were not allowed either to attend or to watch the Olympic Games.

The Greeks attached so much importance to these games that they calculated time in four-year cycles called "Olympiads".

When the Greek lost their independence and came under the protection of Rome, the Games almost stopped till they finally were banned by the Roman Emperor Theodosius in 394 AD on the grounds that they were of pagan origin. He ordered the destruction of the beautiful Temple of Zeus and the city of Olympia. The Games were not renewed until many centuries later.

Renewal of the Games came in 1896, when the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens due to the French educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin. The first Olympiad was held in Athens and followed the pattern set by the ancient Olympic Games. Some events, like marathon race, have been added, and the inclusion of women, and also the series of winter sports. Women competed in the games for the first time in 1910, playing golf and in 1924 women’s athletics were included in the programme. The same year saw the first winter Olympic Games with competitions in ice-hockey, speed skating, figure skating and skiing. The Olympic programme grows all the time and new sports events are added. Otherwise, the framework elaborated for the first Games has stood the test of time. The modern Games have maintained the original ideal of amateurism.

In 1896 the International Olympic Committee was set up. It is the central policy-making body of the Olympic movement, formed by the representatives of participant countries. The IOC makes the ultimate decision as to the program of the Games, the number of participants and as to where the Games of the next Olympiad are to be held. The Games are allocated to a city, not to a country. Over 150 countries are represented in the IOC at present.

Much importance is attached to opening ceremony. At the opening of the Games the International Olympic Committee appears as host. The national anthem of the host country is played, and all the participants march past the Lodge of Honour. The Head of the host country declares the Games open, then the Olympic flag is raised and the Olympic hymn is sung. Then the Olympic flame is lit that will burn till the end of the Games. The Olympic torch has been carried from Olympia by torch bearers, one for each kilometre, about 340 in all (the tradition started in 1936 Olympics in Berlin).

The Olympic flag has five coloured interlaced rings, representing the five parts of the world, on a white background. The colours of the rings are blue, yellow, black, green and red and they represent the five continents of the world symbolizing universal brotherhood. The motto of the Olympic Games is "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (Faster, Higher, Stronger).

Russia joined the Olympic movement in 1952. Since then, Soviet sportsmen and sportswomen have collected a great lot of gold, silver and bronze medals, not to mention the numerous Olympic and world records they have broken. In 1980 Moscow hosted the 22 Olympic Games.

In 1994 Independent Ukraine sent its national team in the Games for the first time. At the 17^th Winter Games in Lilehammer, young figure skater Oksana Baiul went down into Olympic history, winning the first gold medal for Ukraine. The Olympic victories of Ukrainian athletes are quite impressive: 400 trophies, including 180 gold medals. By its athletic attainments over the past 40 years Ukraine ranks with the world's 20 leading Olympic countries. Among the Olympic champions are …

The importance of the Olympic Games was well expressed by Coubertin: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not win, but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle".

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 1405