Task 2. Check if these words and word combinations are known to you. If not,

try to memorize them:

staple n основа

alongside adv. бок о бок; рядом

goose-riding гусиные забеги

cock-fighting петушиные бои

curlingn керлинг

slidev (slid) скользить, кататься

stonen камень

ancestorn предок

vigorousadj. энергичный

drawv (drew, drawn) привлекать, привлечь

drawupcоставлять, составить; оформить

flockv собираться группой

coden кодекс, свод законов; нормы

urbanadj. городской

embracev обнимать

governv управлять

governingbody руководящий орган

governmentn правительство

employern работодатель

fair-mindedadj. справедливый

expansionn расширение, экспансия

distinguished adj. выдающийся

 

Task 3. Read Text 4 B to know the British sporting traditions:

 

Text 4 B. From the History of the Sporting Traditions

 

Games and sports had long been a staple of life in the British Isles. Alongside goose-riding and cock-fighting there were also early versions of more familiar activities. Curling, the sliding of stones over ice – was played on Scottish lochs, from at least the 1500’ s. Hurling – an ancestor of modern field hockey – was very popular in Highland Scotland and the west of Ireland. In Wales there was “cnappen” a vigorous variant of the old – age game of street football.

There was also a long tradition of watching sport. Even in the 18^th century cricket drew large crowds. Some 10,000 spectators attended the Artillery Ground, Finsbury for a match in 1743. People flocked to watch classic horse races such as the St Leger (established in 1776) and the Derby (1780). And from 1829 supporters lined the banks of the Thames to enjoy the annual Boat Race between Oxford and CambridgeUniversities.

By 1860 Britain had become a highly industrial mainly urban country. Established activities like racing, boxing and cricket were reorganized. Ancient forms of football and tennis were completely transformed. New codes of play were drawn up and regulatory organizations formed. These transformations enabled sportsmen or teams to compete with others from all over the country.

Sport in turn helped to mould a new kind of popular culture, embracing both players and spectators. By 1890 for example, there were 203 amateur football clubs in Liverpool and professional football matches were attended by millions of Englishmen through the year. National governing bodies such as the Football Association (1863), the Rugby Union (1871) and the Amateur Athletic Association (1881) were founded by former public schoolboys.

At that period governments,employers and trade unionists played a surprisingly small part in the organization of competitive British sports. Most of the initiative came from private individuals of every social class, and from the clubs, associations and governing bodies which they founded.

Organized sport was an essential part of the 19^th century public-school curriculum. Schoolmasters made use of sport to teach both discipline and morality. Team games in particular were believed to develop cooperation and fair-minded competition. Love of healthy sport and exercise was a good way to each pupil not only to control themselves but also to govern others.

With the expansion of the British Empire, there were increasing numbers of people to be governed. Imperial officers and administrators spread organized sport wherever they were posted. So the era of modern international sport began, a continuing era of more than a hundred years during which British sportsmen and women were to play a large and distinguished part.

 

Post-reading exercises

 

Ex.1. Find in the text the paragraphs describing:

 

– old-age games and sports in the British Isles;

– a long tradition of watching sports;

– the Great Victorian transformation of sports;

– the apperance of the first national governing bodies;

– organized sport at the 19^th century public schools;

– the spread of the English sports and games with the expansion of the

British Empire.

 

Ex.2. Choose any of the 2 paragraphs from the text and translate them in

written form into Russian.

 

Ex.3. Write questions to the following answers:

· Curling, hurling and cnappen were early versions of sports and games inthe British Isles;

· Watching sports has a long tradition in Great Britain;

· Cricket matches and horse races drew large crowds of spectators;

· ­The annual Boat Race-between Oxford and CambridgeUniversities wasorganized in 1829;

· Sporting activities like racing, boxing, cricket, football and tennis had been reorganized and transformed by the beginning of the 20^th century;

· New codes of play and regulatory organizations enabled sportsmen andteams to compete with others;

· Sport helped to mould a new kind of popular culture in Great Britain;

· Sport was used by schoolmasters to teach children discipline, morality andcooperation;

· British sportsmen and women played a large and distinguished part in the

· development of modern international sport.

 

Ex.4. Read the statements below and agree to them saying “That’s right”

or disagree, saying “That’s wrong”. Correct the mistakes.

· Games and sports had always played an important part in the life of the

· British people.

· The tradition of watching sports appeared only in the 20^th century.

· The most popular spectator events in Great Britain in the 18^th century werecricket matches and horse races.

· The Boat Race on the Thames between Oxford and CambridgeUniversitieswas established after World War II.

· Ancient forms of football, cricket and tennis were reorganized and transformed in the years between 1860 and World War I.

· Different codes of play and the absence of regulatory organizations didn’t enable British sportsmen or teams to compete with one another in the 19^thcentury.

· The organization and development of the British competitive sports were due to the efforts of the British Governments.

· Organized sport wasn’t included into the public-school curriculum in the 19^th century.

· The era of modern international sport began with the expansion of theBritish Empire.

 

Ex.5. Write your comments on the following statement: “Sport in turn helped

to mould a new kind of popular culture, embracing both players and

spectators”.

 

Task 4. Learn the following words and word combinations you will come across

inText 4 C:

 

differentaдругой, разный

differv (from) отличаться, различаться

joggingn бег трусцой

participatorysportsзанятияспортом

syn. participant sports

ant. spectator sports - зрелищныйспорт, посещениеспортивных

соревнований

handlev владеть мячом

originn начало, происхождение

state государственный

nationallevel национальный уровень

internationalмеждународный

TV audience телезрители

pastime развлечение, приятное времяпрепровождение

 

Task5. Skim Text 4 С to know about the most popular American participatory

and spectator sports. Time your reading. It is good if you can read it

for 5 minutes (70 words per minute).

Text 4 C. Sports in the USA

 

Note the pronunciation: Springfield [ ]

Massachusetts [ ]

 

American sports are in many ways different from European sports. Hockey, baseball, football and basketball are the four most popular sports in the USA. There are many other sports and sports activities which Americans like. Among them are golf, swimming, tennis, marathon, track-and-field, skiing, skating, squash, badminton, rowing, sailing, boxing and wrestling. The size of America and the different climates in it have provided Americans with a large choice¹ of summer and winter sports. The American statistics shows that swimming, bicycling, fishing, jogging, gymnastics and bowling are Americans’ favourite participatory sports.

Baseball has a reputation of being a “typically American sport”. It’s played with a wooden bat and hard ball by two teams of nine players. The game is played on a field with four bases at the corners of a square called diamond² . Each player from one team hits a ball with a bat and then tries to run round all four bases before the other team can get the ball back.

This typical American game dates back long before the Civil War³. Baseball is mainly a professional sport, the players receive a salary⁴. There are sixteen major teams and each one represents an American city. There are two leagues of eight teams each and in the autumn of the year the winner of the league plays the winner of the other. This contest is called the World Series⁵, though it is a national competition.

American football is a very popular outdoor team sport in the USA. It’s rather like rugby, played between two teams of 11 players using an oval ball that can be handled or kicked. But it still differs from European rugby and soccer. The difference is not only in the size, speed and strength of the players, but in the specific rules which the game has. The countless rules of American football which state what each player in each position may or may not do and when⁶ make people call American football the most “scientific” of all outdoor team sports.

Basketball which is one of the most popular participant sports in the world is American in origin. The first basketball game was played in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891. A large number of fans attend Basketball games in the USA. Live TV broadcasts⁷ of basketball matches at state, national and international levels have a wide TV audience.

Basketball is among the favourite sports of American young people. There are basketball teams almost in all American schools and universities and “shooting baskets” with friends is a pastime many young people like most.

 

Notes:

¹ …have provided Americans with a large choice …– предлагаютамериканцам

широкийвыбор…

² The game is played on a field with four bases at the corners of a square called

diamond. – В игру играют на поле в форме ромба с четырьмя базами по углам.

³ …before the Civil War – … передГражданскойвойной

⁴ …the players receive a salary – … игроки получают зарплату

⁵TheWorldSeries– Мировая Серия (вид соревнований)

⁶ThecountlessrulesofAmericanfootballwhichstatewhateachplayerineachpositionmayormaynotdoandwhen. – Бесчисленные правила американского футбола, которые определяют, что и когда имеет право выполнять каждый игрок в каждой позиции.

⁷liveTVbroadcasts– прямые телевизионные трансляции

 

Post-reading exercises

 

Ex.1. Complete in written form the statements with information corresponding to the contents of the text.

 

1. American sports are in many ways different…

2. The territory of America and different climates found in it provided Americans

with …

3. The four most popular sports in the USA are …

4. Baseball has a reputation of being a “typically American sport” it is played with

…

5. The game is played on a field with …

6. American football is rather like rugby, played between …

7. American football differs from European rugby and soccer not only in the size,

speed and strength of the players but …

8. Basketball which is one of the most popular participant sports in the world is …

9. “Shooting baskets” with friends is …

10. According to American statistics swimming, bicycling, fishing, jogging, gymnastics and bowling are…

 

 

Ex.2. Look through the text once more and compare American football with

soccer and rugby. Write down how American football differs from

European soccer and rugby.

 

Task 6. Observe the following abbreviations you will need to understand Text 4 D.

 

1. BUCS – спортивнаяассоциация университетов и колледжей Великобритании

2. UAU – студенческий спортивный союз Англии и Уэльса

3. BUSA – спортивная ассоциация университетов Великобритании

4. UCS – профессиональный студенческий спортивный союз Великобритании

5. BUSF – спортивная федерация университетов Великобритании, в состав которой входили спортивные федерации и союзы университетов Шотландии, Уэльса и Северной Ирландии

 

Task 7. Read Text 4 D to find answers to the questions given before each paragraph.