Text 8 Sport in Australia.

The majority of Australians love sport. It’s part of their culture. This is helped by the good weather. Everyone knows that Australians are surf crazy but what else do they do?

Because Australia has so many lifeguards, they have their own competitions and demonstrate their skills. There are also Iron Man Competitions. Competitors have to swim, paddle a rescue boat then run along the sand.

Australian football is like eighteen-a-side football but you are allowed to throw the ball. It is played with an oval ball that players jump high in the air to catch. The game is famous for its fights on the pitch. There’s usually lots of injury time at the end.

The Henley-on-Todd Regatta is a boat race in Alice Springs with a difference; there’s no water! Specially designed boats race where the water used to be. If the riverbank actually fills with water, the race is cancelled!

Australians love watching racing. Speedway is very popular. So is horseracing. The Melbourne Cup is Australia’s most famous horse race and is watched by a large percentage of the population.

Australia hopes to do well in every Olympics. The AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) invests a huge amount of money in sport. Every year they search Australian schools for children who might be good at a particular sport. Then they spend millions of dollars training them. They test most schoolchildren and tell them what sports to concentrate on in the future.

1. Answer the questions

1. What can you say about the Australian football?

2. What is the Henley-on-Todd Regatta?

3. When is the race in the Regatta cancelled?

4. How do Australians choose future champions?

5. Do Australians love sport?

2. Complete the sentences as in the text

1. … invests a huge amount of money in sport.

2. … is watched by a large percentage of the population.

3. They test most schoolchildren… .

4. … paddle a rescue boat then run along the sand.

5. … by a large percentage of the population.

Text 9 Olympic Games.

The tradition of Olympic Games runs back to Ancient Greece. We know that the first Olympic Games took place in the town of Olympia more than 2700 years ago.

There was no war in the country for these five days when sports competitions took place. It was a great athletic festival of wrestling, foot-racing, discus throwing and others. The Games were organized and held up to the year 393. Then for more then 1700 years nothing more was heard of the Olympiads.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. They take place every fourth year. The Games cannot take place in a country, which is at war. That’s why there were no Olympic Games during the two world wars.

During the Olympic Games there are tournaments in many kinds of sport. Summer sport competitions take place in summer during the Summer Olympic Games. The Winter Olympic Games are now held two years before the Summer Games in a different country. Famous athletes are proud of participating in the Games. They compete in football, basketball, volleyball, boxing, weight-lifting, athletics, gymnastics and many other kinds of sport.

At the Winter Olympic Games many teams from different countries take part in competitions in figure skating, skiing, freestyle, ice hockey and others.

The Olympic Games are very popular in this country. All lovers of sport watch the Games on TV and many of them watch the events live and support our national team.

1. Answer the questions

1. Where did the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece take place?

2. When were the first modern Olympic Games held?

3. Are famous athletes proud of taking part in the Games?

2. Say, if you agree or disagree, and why:

1. The Olympic Games are very popular in the world.

2. The Summer Olympic Games are more representative than the Winter Olympic Games.

3. Many countries are eager to host the Olympic Games.