SPORTS AND OLYMPIC GAMES

        Many people all over the world are interested in sport. Sport helps people to stay healthy and makes them more organized and better disciplined in their daily activities.

         They have always paid great attention to sport in our schools, colleges and universities. You can hardly find a school without a gym or a sportsground. Every city and town has a few stadiums or swimming pools, where local or even interna­tional competitions are usually held. Traditionally, sport could be divided into professional and amateur sport.

           Former Soviet Union and later Ukrainian and Russian sportsmen have set a great number of world records in gym­nastics, weightlifting, tennis, swimming, running, high jum­ping, etc. Our sportsmen also participate in the Olympic Games and always win gold, silver and bronze medals.

           The Olympic Games have long history. They started in 776 BC in Greece and took place every four years for nearly twelve centuries at Olympia. They included many different kinds of sports. All the cities in Greece sent their best athletes to Olym­pia to compete in the Games. When the Games took place, all the wars stopped. So, the Olympic Games became the symbol of peace and friendship.

          Now, there are Summer and Winter Olympic Games. They are held separately. There are always several cities wishing to host the Games. The International Committee of Olympic Games selects the most suitable. After that, the host city starts its preparations for the competitions, constructs new sport fa­cilities, or reconstructs them, reconstructs stadiums, hotels, press centres, etc. Thousand of athletes, journalists and guests arrive to the Games, and it takes great efforts to arrange eve­rything.

           Russia joined the Olympic movement in l952. Іn І980, Moscow hosted the twenty-second Olympic Games. The latest Olympic Games were held in Sydney, Australia. Our sportsmen won medals in many sports. Next Olympic Games take place in Greece, the Motherland of these games.

QUESTIONS:

1.  Why do many people like sport?

2.  How could sport be traditionally divided into?

3.  When did the Olympic Games start?

4.  What happened in Greece when the Olympic Games star­ted there?

5.  When did Russia join the Olympic movement?

6.  When did Moscow host the twenty-second Olympic Games?

7.  When and where do the next Olympic Games take place?

VOCABULARY:

healthy — здоровый; полезный

to discipline — дисциплинировать; тренировать, упраж­нять

to pay (past paid, р.р. paid) attention — обратить внимание

hardly — едва

gym разг.; сокр.от gymnasium — спортивный зал

competition — спорт. соревнование, встреча, состязание

amateur — любитель; поклонник

weigh tlifting - тяжелая атлетика

to participate—  участвовать, принимать участие

to include — включать

to compete — состязаться, соперничать

peace — мир

separately — отдельно, раздельно

to host — принимать гостей; выступать в роли хозяина, принимающей стороны

suitable — подходящий, пригодный, соответствующий

guest — гость

to arrive — прибывать

to arrange - устраивать(ся), организовывать, подготав­ливать; принимать меры