Text 13 Gymnastics.

In ancient times gymnastics was warming up for battle. In modern times it’s a televisual spectacle with close-ups of the effort and emotion which the young competitors pour into their performances. The gymnastics “family” now numbers three at the Games: artistic, rhythmic and trampoline. Artistic gymnastics is the most familiar and it breaks down into a number of individual events. Men compete in floor, vault, pommel horse, parallel bars, rings and horizontal bars. Women compete on the vault, floor, uneven bars and balance beam. The competition includes all-round events and team events.

In rhythmic gymnastics female gymnasts, accompanied by music, perform on a 13-meter square floor area with rope, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon. In the individual events they perform different routines with four of the five apparatus. Teams of five perform together, once using clubs and once with two using hoops and three using ribbons.

Trampoline gymnastics was introduced in the Sydney 2000 Games. Men and women compete as individuals. Each event has 12 gymnasts, who compete in a qualifying round and a final in one day. The competition involves both compulsory routines, displaying a specified set of skills, and optional routines chosen by the gymnast.

1. Answer the questions.

1. What events does the gymnastics consist of?

2. What is the most popular?

3. When was trampoline gymnastics introduced?

2. Translate from English into Russian.

1. vault

2. bars

3. hoops

4. female gymnasts

5. ribbons

III. Put the sentences in the correct order as in the text.

1. Women compete on the vault, floor, uneven bars and balance beam.

2. In ancient times gymnastics was warming up for battle.

3. The gymnastics “family” now numbers three at the Games: artistic, rhythmic and trampoline.

4. Trampoline gymnastics was introduced in the Sydney 2000 Games.

5. In modern times it’s a televisual spectacle with close-ups of the effort and emotion which the young competitors pour into their performances.

6. Men compete in floor, vault, pommel horse, parallel bars, rings and horizontal bars.

7. Artistic gymnastics is the most familiar and it breaks down into a number of individual events.

Text 14 Swimming.

There are four styles of sports swimming: freestyle (crawl), backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. Swimming is one of the sports that make up the Olympic Games. Swimmers from all over the world compete in these games. It may seem strange that swimming was not included in ancient Olympic Games, though people had known it long ago. Both in ancient Greece and Rome swimming was as important as reading. As a sport swimming was practised in Japan. There swimming contests were held before the new era. Since the 17^th century it has been taught in schools.

One of the earliest swimming competitions in Europe was held in 1515 in Venice. First swimming pools begin to appear in the end of the 18^th century. Swimmers trained and contested mostly in rivers, ponds and lakes, which was only possible in summer. In the 19^th century covered pools appeared and swimming became very popular.

The first European championship was held in 1890. Six years later, swimming became the Olympic sport and in 1908 the International Swimming Federation was formed.

Swimming as a sport was not popular in Russia. Training and competitions were only possible in summer and athletes could not achieve good results. The first swimming competitions in Russia were held in 1913 in Kiev. Since 1947 our swimmers have been taking part in international competitions.

I. Answer the questions

1. How many styles are there in swimming?

2. Where was swimming practised as a sport?

3. Was swimming as a sport popular in Russia?

4. When did swimming become the Olympic sport?

5. When were the first swimming competitions in Russia held?

II.Choose the Russian equivalent

1. Many countries organized national swimming competitions.

1. Национальные соревнования проводились во многих странах.

2. Организация соревнований по плаванию была на должном уровне.

3. Многие страны организовывали национальные соревнования по плаванию.

1. Swimmers trained and contested mostly in rivers, ponds and lakes, which was only possible in summer.

1. Пловцы никогда не тренировались на реках, прудах и озерах летом.

2. Соревнования по плаванию проводились летом на реках, прудах и озерах.

3. Пловцы тренировались и соревновались в основном на реках, прудах и озерах, что было возможно только летом.

2. One of the earliest swimming competitions in Europe was held in 1515 in Venice.

1. Соревнования по плаванию проходили в Европе в 1515 году.

2. Одно из самых первых соревнований по плаванию в Европе проводилось в 1515 году в Венеции.

3. В Венеции проводились соревнования по плаванию в 1515 году.