Post-reading exercises

Ex.1. Replace the following Russian words and word combinations by their English equivalents from the above text:

физическая культура и спорт, влияние, способность, развитие, юноши, гармоничное развитие личности, защита страны, физическое воспитание, обязательный предмет, предотвращать болезни, делать инвестиции, организации и предприятия, оборудование, услуги, спортивные базы, налоги, производство, медицинское обслуживание, развлечение, спортивные мероприятия, болельщик, прямые трансляции, воспитывать, здоровый образ жизни.

Ex.2. Fill in the gaps with the words from the word box below and translate the sentences into Russian.

1. Physical activity and sport have tremendous ………on the ………and its members.

2. They influence the ……… , ……… , working and functional ……….

3. They play a major role in the ……… development of ……….

4. They are necessary for the ………of the nation.

5. Physical education became a ………subject for all types of schools.

6. The participation of citizens in physical activities is ………for the society.

7. Physical activity and sport are an essential part of the world’s ……….

8. Sport has influence on everything ………do.

9. People discuss sports like ……… , ………and even ……… .

10. Participation in sport helps people become accustomed to an active and healthy ……….

culture society lifestyle harmonious capacities person entertainment defence compulsory politics impact people religion health profitable economy

Ex.3. Complete the following statements. Choose one of the alternatives and translate the sentences:

1.	Physical activity and sport support ………. initiative.	personal
		economic
		political
2.	Physical education has become a compulsory subject for ……….	secondary schools
		institutes
		all types of schools
3.	Active participation of the population annually produces ………in savings.	hundreds
		thousands
		billions
4.	The participation of citizens in physical activity is ………for society.	unprofitable
		profitable
5.	Regular participation in physical activity ……… sickness expenses.	increases
		decreases
		develops
6.	Regular participation in physical activity ……… early retirement due to illness.	causes
		leads to
		prevents
7.	Sport has ……. on everything people do.	little influence
		great influence
		no influence
8.	People often ………about sports.	forget
		talk
		joke
9.	Sports provide entertainment for people ……….	in separate countries
		in Europe
		throughout the world

Ex.4. Translate the following text paying attention to the forms of the verbs.

The greatest English romantic poet Byron loved to swim more than anything else. While studying at Cambridge he dived five metres into the water and picked up objects from the bottom. He had only written a few ballads and waiting for his poetry acclamation he tried to reach fame as a swimmer. Several times a day he swam across the Thames.

At his castle in Newstead Byron built the first indoor swimming pool in the British Isles. It was in the castle’s cellars and the poet swam for hours without tiring.

Byron wrote: “I am an excellent swimmer, a decent rider and was sufficient of fencing – particularly of the broadsward”.

Byron twice tried to swim across the Dardanelles strait.

Remember:

dive прыгать в воду, нырять

pick up собирать (поднимать)

bottom дно

acclamation признание

castle зáмок

cellar подвал

tiring усталость

decent хороший

sufficient умелый

fencing фехтование

broadsward широкий меч.

Ex.5. Look through Text 1A and find nouns made from verbs by adding -ment, -ion, -ation, -ition.

Ex.6. Write down the extensive answers to the following questions to produce the topic “Physical activity and sport in the society”.

1. What impact do physical activity and sports have on the society?

2. How do physical activity and sport influence the development of children and adolescents?

3. Is physical education a compulsory subject for all types of schools?

4. How do physical activity and sport support the economy?

5. How does the government further and maintain the possibilities for physical activity and sports participation?

6. Where is citizens’ participation in physical activities profitable?

7. What influence does sport have on everything people do?

8. Do physical activity and sports constitute an essential part of the world’s culture?

9. Do sports provide entertainment for people?

10. Do physical activity and sports mould a person?

11. What role do physical activity and sport play in your life?

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

promoter n промоутер

degenerative process дегенеративный процесс

human body организм человека

endurance n выносливость

cycling n велоспорт

beneficial a полезный

disorder n нарушение, растройство

heart n сердце

hypertensive disorders n нарушение артериального давления

strength exercises силовые упражнения

mobility exercises двигательные упражнения

musculoskeletal a костно-мышечный

premature a преждевременный (ранний)

jog n бег трусцой

physical working ability физическая работоспособность

suitable a подходящий

oxygen uptake потребление кислорода

be susceptible быть подверженным

hypodynamia n гиподинамия

neglect v игнорировать

cite v ссылаться

brace n ортопедический аппарат, фиксирующая скоба

Task 3. Read Text 1B to know the role physical activity and sport play in the human life.

Text 1B

Physical Activity and Sports in the Human Life

The significance of physical activity and sport as a promoter of health was recognized very early. They make contribution to the battle against disease and degenerative processes in the human body.

Regular physical exercise performed in accordance with well defined rules can greatly improve the functioning of various body systems. Sometimes they are more effective than medicine.

Training, especially endurance training (running, cross-country skiing, swimming, cycling) has direct beneficial effect on the heart. The heart works more efficiently and is less stressed. Long-term endurance training of moderate intensity has a beneficial effect on various forms of hypertension and hypertensive disorders.

Regular strength and mobility exercises are also beneficial to health, especially to musculoskeletal system. They can prevent the premature appearance of postural defects.

According to the investigation, 78 of 1,000 men over 35 years of age are saved from coronary heart disease if they jog regularly five times a weak during a period of 30 minutes. In addition a total of 1,138 days of quality lifetime is gained.

If maintaining functional capacity could prevent 100 persons of working age from early retiring, society would have saved 10-20 million US dollars.

After people reach 45 years of age, they can lose 25per cent of their physical working ability in five years, or they can increase it by 25per cent in a few years if they exercise regularly in a suitable type of physical activity.

If older people improve their oxygen uptake by 20 per cent, they are able to live on their own eight to nine years longer. In addition older people who are in good condition are able to live independently almost until death.

Today man and women of the most diverse occupations are susceptible to hypodinamia, the disease of the age. Numerous studies make it clear that the only way to overcome hypodynamia is by training the body, by daily physical recreation or sport. Whoever neglects, this will very soon experience the symptoms of hypodynamia: first, barely noticeable functional disturbances¹ (weight gain, rapid tiring, headaches, unpleasant sensations in the region of the heart²), then shortness of breath, palpitations of the heart occasioned by insignificant physical strain, and, finally, irreversible changes in the body³.

Physical activity and sport occupy a special place in rehabilitation programmes.

We can cite many cases in which physical activity and sport restored health and returned people to a full and active life.

For Wilma Rudolph (USA), the struggle for life began as a premature baby. She was 2.2kg at birth. Her childhood was difficult. She was one of eighteen brothers and sisters in a very poor family. After a series of illnesses she lost the use of her left leg. She had to wear a leg brace and was unable to walk. Wilma had spirit and determination and when she got a little older her brace was replaced with a special medical shoe. Wilma continued to walk and walk and walk, faster and faster. At the age of 11, to her mother’s amazement, she threw away her brace and her special shoe to play basketball. By 16 she was not only a star in basketball, but also in track. At the 1960 Olympics she was the star winning gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay races. Until her death in 1993, Wilma continued to tell students about how physical activity and sport had helped her become a happy married woman, mother and successful business person.

Physical activity and sport play the decisive role in all-sided and harmonious development of a person. The surest way to keep fit is to go in for sport all the life.

Notes:

¹ functional disturbance – функциональное нарушение;

² weight gain, rapid tiring, headaches, unpleasant sensations in the region of the heart – излишний вес, быстрая утомляемость, головные боли, неприятные ощущения в области сердца;

³ shortness of breath, palpitations of the heart occasioned by insignificant physical strain, and, finally, irreversible changes in the body – одышка, сердцебиение даже при незначительных нагрузках, и, в коечном итоге, необратимые изменения в организме.