Skiing to win
Note the pronunciation: France [ Austria
Chamonix [
Switzerland [
Adelboden [
Grenoble [
It was in the middle of 1966. The Alpine World Championships were held for the first time. Everybody could see that a skier from France, Jean-Claude Killy, was striving for a gold medal in the downhill as well as the overall three-event combined title. The French team was awarded sixteen out of twenty-four possible medals. This was the greatest sports victory.
The country was greeting a new hero: J.-C. Killy – tall, blond, modest, who was to outdo the best ski experts 1of Austria, Switzerland or any other country! After a three-week rest Killy was training again for the 1967 winter season. For the first time a World Alpine Skiing Cup was going to be held 2. To become a World Cup champion a skier had to win 3 or to place well in the slalom, downhill and giant slalom events throughout the season. Killy wanted that Cup. Jean-Claude felt that success was coming to him. His father dreamed that his son would be a world ski champion. He gave the boy a fine pair of skis and the freedom to use them.
When he was eight years old Jean-Claude won a trophy for ski jumping, at nine he won a gold Chamonix medal. When Killy was ten years old he won a regional race and outdistanced his nearest rival by nine seconds. By the time the 1967 season opened J.-C. Killy was not only in top form physically but was sure he would prove the world that he was the best 4
In Adelboden, Switzerland, he won the season’s first giant slalom, giving him twenty-five points in the World Cup standings.
The following year increased his fame by winning three gold medals at the Olympics in Grenoble and his second World Cup. By then Jean-Claude Killy had nothing more to win to prove through further competitions.
He had equalled to Toni Sailer’s three-medal victory at Olympics. At twenty-four the man who was the best in the world retired from the competition.
Notes:
1who was to outdo the best ski experts – которому было суждено превзойти самых высоко квалифицированных лыжников
2a World Alpine Skiing Cup was going to be held – должны были состояться соревнования на Кубок Мира по горнолыжному спорту
3a skier had to win… – лыжник должен был выиграть…
4 …was sure he would prove the world that he was the best -… был уверен в том, что докажет миру, что он самый лучший.
Vocabulary and Speech Exercises
Ex. 1. Replace the following Russian words and word combinations by their English equivalents from the text:
уйти из спорта, зимний сезон, лучшие лыжники, в следующем году, пара лыж, ближайший соперник, трехнедельный отдых, впервые, в течение сезона, ко времени, в общем зачете, проводиться, тренироваться к сезону, занять хорошее место, обойти на 9 секунд, доказать миру, отличная спортивная форма.
Ex. 2. Fill in the gaps with the words from the word-box below:
In 1968 J.-C.Killy … the world that he was the best.
Killy’s father dreamed that his son would be … …
He … the best ski experts from Austria, Switzerland and many other countries.
After a short rest Killy began …for the 1967 winter season.
At a regional race he outdistanced his nearest … by 9 seconds.
By the time the 1967 season opened Jean-Claude was in … …
His victory gave him 25 points in World Cup …
When Jean-Claude was ten he won a regional …
It was his dream to win the overall three-event … …
standings, top form, to train, combined title, proved, outdid, rival, a World ski champion, race.
Ex.3. Complete the following sentences. Choose one of the alternatives:
1. In 1966 J.-C. Killy won a gold medal in downhill
slalom
giant slalom
2. The French team was awarded sixteen medals twenty possible medals
out of twenty-two possible medals
twenty-four possible medals
3.After a three-week rest Killy began to train for the 1967 winter season
the Winter Olympic Games
the World Cup
4. His father dreamed that his son would be a famous swimmer
a World ski champion
a Formula I driver
5. He gave the boy a fine pair of skates
skis
rollers
6. At 24 he retired from the army
the competition
the job
Ex. 4. Ask questions about the missing information and answer them. Work in pairs:
Model: A skier from France J.-C.Killy was striving for…….
What was J.-C. Killy striving for?
A skier from France J.-C.Killy was striving for a gold medal in the downhill.
The country was greeting…………………………………….
Who ………………………………………………………..?
……………………………………………………………..
After a three-week rest Killy was again training for……………..
What…………………………………………………………?
……………………………………………………………….
For the first time a World Alpine Skiing Cup was going to be held….
When………………………………………………………..?
……………………………………………………………….
Success was coming to……………………
Who…………………………………………………………?
………………………………………………………………
Ex. 5. Ask and reply about your sports activities as in the models below:
Model 1: Where was your first competition held?
It was held in Minsk.
Prompts: 1. in my native town; 2. at school; 3. at the University; 4. at my summer training camp.
Model 2: How old were you when you were awarded your first medal?
I was 10 when I was awarded my first medal. .
Prompts: 1.12; 2. 14; 3. 16; 4.17; 5. 20.
Model 3: How many points are you going to score at your next
competitions?
I am going to score 20 points.
Prompts: 1. 10; 2. 25; 3.30; 4. 40; 5 50..
Model 4: Who are you going to outdo at the next competitions?
I am going to outdo my nearest rivals from the Ukraine.
Prompts: 1. everybody; 2. my team-mates; 3. my opponents from Russia; 4. the best experts in my event.
Ex. 6. Give extensive answers to the following questions:
1. What were J.-K.Killy's achievements in Alpine skiing ?
2. How did J.-K.Killy prove the world that he was the best in 1967?
Ex. 7. Speak on:
J.-C.Killy’s victories;
his way to success
Task 3. Before reading Text 1 B match the following international words with their Russian equivalents:
1. athletics 1. миля
2. tactics 2. карьера
3. distance 3. минута
4. career 4. рекорд
5. economy 5. система
6. minute 6. (легкая) атлетика
7. record 7. дистанция
8. detail 8. тактика
9. energy 9. спринтер
10.mile 10.деталь
11.system 11.энергия
12.sprinter 12.стайер
13. leader 13. экономика
14. stayer 14. лидер
15. human 15. человеческий
Task 4. Learn these words and word combinations:
1. athletics n легкая атлетика, спорт
syn. track-and-field athletics
e.g. Track-and field athletics is the most popular of all Olympic sports.
2. runner n бегун
middle-distance runner бегун на средние дистанции
run (ran, run) v бегать
e.g.Roger Bannister was a medical student and a middle-distance runner.
3. track n дорожка (стадиона),
трасса,трек
e.g. The story of Bannister off the track is more interesting than all of his races.
4. lap n круг стадиона
e.g. To cover a mile you should run four laps.
5. aim n цель
definite aim определенная цель
e.g. He ran with very definite aim – to find out what the human body could stand.
6. screen n экран
cinema screen киноэкран
e.g. Bannister did more training in front of a cinema screen.
7. movement n движение
move v двигаться
e.g. He studied every movement in the greatest detail.
8. defeat v наносить поражение
9. speed n скорость
average speed средняя скорость
speed v мчаться,ускорять
10. stamina n выносливость
runners of equal stamina бегуны с одинаковой выносливостью
e.g. He did much training to defeat runners of equal stamina and speed.
11. science n наука
medical science медицина
scientist n ученый
e.g. Athletics is not only a sport but a science.
12. ability n способность,умение
13. intention n намерение
e.g. Tactics is a study of the ability and intentions of your rivals.
14. work out v разрабатывать,отрабатывать
15. knowledge n знание, познание, эрудиция
e.g. His medical knowledge helped him work out tactical schemes
of running.
.
Task 5. Read the text to know one of the possible ways of defeating rivals in sports competition.
Text 1 B
AN ATHLETE TO REMEMBER: ROGER BANNISTER
Dr. Roger Gulbert Bannister was the first man to run the mile in under four minutes 1 which in its day was the greatest achievement in athletics.
His career in athletics was short but of great value not only to himself and the sport, but to medical science.
The first that was heard of him was in 1947 when he won the Inter-Varsity Mile2 but from this moment he was seldom out of the headlines3.
He won the Inter-Varsity event again in three following years. In 1950 he won the mile for the British Universities against their American rivals. Though unsuccessful in the 1952 Olympics in 1954 he became the first man to run the distance under four minutes .
But the story of Bannister off the track is more interesting. He ran with a very definite aim – to find out what the human body could stand 4. Bannister did more training in front of the cinema screen. He studied every movement, went into the technical problems of defeating runners of equal stamina and speed. To Bannister athletics was not only a sport but a science. His medical knowledge helped him work out tactical schemes to outwit his opponents 5.Many milers believe that the start should be slow, no faster than the average speed for the first lap. Bannister thought just the opposite and could prove it theoretically.
Another key to Bannister system lies in the study of opponents. Tactics is not only a study of what you plan to do yourself but also the ability and intentions of your rivals. Before the race he always knew the best times of his opponents. He divided them into sprinters and stayers and into leaders and followers. What he demonstrated and proved is now accepted as sound tactics for the mile.
Notes:
1 under four minutes – менее четырех минут
2 the Inter-Varsity Mile -соревнования в беге на милю между университетами Англии
3 he was seldom out of the headlines –редко его имя не попадало в газетные заголовки
4 what the human body could stand – что может вынести организм человека
5 to work out tactical schemes to outwit his opponents – разработать тактические схемы, чтобы перехитрить соперников