2. Say if you agree or disagree with the following statements. Use conversational formulas (Consult Appendix 2 on page 58).

1. The world’s first rugby museum is in the USA.

2. Rugby is the most popular sport in New Zealand.

3. The team first competed internationally in 1984.

4. The game was played in New Zealand for the first time in 1780.

5. The All Blacks got their name because they wear black shorts, shirts, socks and shoes.

6. Jonah Lomu is a living rugby legend.

7. Before a rugby match, the All Blacks make a photo.

8. Jonah Lomu is the oldest player in rugby history.

Mountain Men

1. Read the text and number the paragraphs.

□The clay fighting ring is itself a sacred shrine. On entering it, the enormous wrestler first claps, to attract the god`s attention and indicate his own purity of heart. Having done that, he shakes his apron to drive away evil spirits, and raises his arms to show he carries no weapons.

□The fight itself is brief and brutal and consists of a thunderous collision that rarely lasts more than ten seconds, which ends when one giant is pushed to the ground or outside the circle.

□The history of Sumo wrestling goes back over 2000 years. Its origins are connected to the Japanese belief in Shinto, the “way of the gods”, where winning gains favour with the gods. This is why the ritual of a sumo match is taken so seriously.

□Next comes his most dramatic gesture. With his left hand on his heart and his right arm extended to the east, the huge fighter raises his right leg as high as possible – to send it crashing down with all his force. Then he performs the same earth-shaking stamp with the other leg. After that, he purifies himself and the ring by throwing salt, wiping himself, and rinsing his mouth with water. Finally, the opponents spend three or four minutes trying to intimidate each other with grimaces and threatening postures.

Notes:

• shrine – место поклонения, святыня

• stamp – топанье, топот

• intimidate – пугать, устрашать

• collision - столкновение

A sporting disaster.

1. Look at the title and say what the text is about. Read and check.

I never really enjoyed sports at school. I remember when I played football I was always put in goal, but I used to get bored and read a book. Then when the other side scored the rest of my team would shout at me. Later on I tried tennis, which wasn`t much better. I used to have this habit of dropping the racket each time I went to hit the ball. The worst thing was when I actually won a game – I was so pleased that I ran and tried to jump over the net but caught my foot on it, fell and broke my arm.

My latest attempt to get fit was when I tried boxing at a local gym. I`ll never forget my first fight. I climbed into the ring and the bell went for the start of the first round. I just shut my eyes and swung my fist. Unfortunately, I hit the referee and not my opponent. Needless to say that was the end of my boxing career. Next I decided to take up mountaineering. I booked a holiday in the Himalayas with two old school friends. On our first climb I managed to slip and found myself hanging on the end of a rope half way up a mountain. All my friends could do was to call out to me to hold on until the rescue party arrived. I guess I`ll never learn.

I keep on wanting to try out other sports even though I know I`ll never be a champion.