TEXT B. SPORTS AND GAMES POPULAR IN ENGLAND

— What would you say are the most popular games in England today?

— Well, I suppose football, that is, soccer or rugger, and cricket.

— What are the other outdoor games?

— Oh, there's tennis, hockey, golf, and so on. Tennis is played all the year round — on hard courts or grass courts in summer, and on hard or covered courts in winter.

— What about horse-racing?

— I should say that is one of the most popular sports in Great Britain. Then there are, of course, walking-races, run­ning, swimming and boxing.

— I've been told that there are no winter sports in En­gland.

— Well, you see, the English winter isn't very severe as a rule, and we don't often have the chance of skiing, skating or tobogganing, but winter is the great time for hunting, provid­ed the ground is not too hard.

— Is there any golf to be had near London?

— Oh, yes, any amount. There are dozens of good golf-links within an hour or so of London. You ought to join a golf club if you're keen on the game.

— I think I shall if I get the chance. What about indoor games?

— Well, there's chess, billiards, cards, table tennis... By the way, do you play billiards?

— Well, I do, but of course, I'm not a professional or a champion, just an ordinary amateur, and not a very good one at that,

TEXT C. THE FOOTBALL MATCH (A Conversation)

Characters — Mr. Priestley, Lucille, Frieda, Pedro, Olaf, Hob.

Lucille: What splendid seats! We'll be able to see everything from here.

Pedro: Yes, Jan has certainly looked after us well. We'll have to take him out to dinner after the match.

The others: Good idea, Pedro, we certainly must.

Hob: And we must shout for his team. I hope Jan is in form today.

Mr. Priestley: Ihope he is. I hear they are to choose the players tomorrow for the international match and if he plays well today Jan may be chosen.

Pedro: Yes, I heard that the Selection Committee would be at the match and I told Jan he was to play his best today because they were watching him.

О1af: It must be exciting to play in an international match.

Pedro: Here are the teams coming out. Jan is leading the London team. He must be the captain.

Frieda: Yes, he is.

Hob: Jan must be a good player.

Olaf: He is; you have to be a good player to be captain of London team.

Luсille If Jan is chosen for the international match, will he have to give up his studies and go into training?

Frieda: He mustn't do that. He must go on with his studies. They are more important than football.

Mг. Ргieslley: He needn't give up his studies. He has been playing regularly and is in good form.

Hob: Jan's lost the toss and the Oxford captain has de­cided to play with the wind.

Olaf: Oh, well, they'll have to play against the wind in the second half. I see Jan is playing centre-forward. He's just getting ready to kick off. There they go.

Hob: Come on, London!

(About an hour and a half later)

Mr. Priestley: This has been a grand game. I hardly remember ever seeing a better one. Jan has played the game of his life.

Lucille: I've nearly lost my voice with shouting "Come on, London!" Oh, I wish London could win.

Mr. Priestley: I don't think they can. It must be near­ly time now. It's one goal each, and the Oxford defence is magnificent

Olaf: Yes, if my watch is right, they have three minutes to go.

Frieda: Look! Jan has got the ball. He's going like lightning towards the Oxford goal. Oh, go on, Jan!

Pedro: That Oxford centre-half is trying to stop him.

Lucille: Go on, Jan. You mustn't let him stop you.

Mr. Priestley: Jan passed the ball to the inside right, a wonderful pass.

Luсil1e: Oh! The inside-right is down; he's had to part with the ball.

Olaf: Look, Jan's got it again, he's beaten the fullback and is racing towards the goal.

Hob: Shoot, Jan, shoot! It's a goal!

Pedro: Oh, what a shot! The goal-keeper hadn't a chance.

Mr. Priestley: And there's the whistle for full time, and London have won. Well, they have to choose Jan for the international match now.

(From "Essential English for Foreign Students", Book 4, by C. E. Eckersley. Abridged)

ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY (II)

Words

Some popular sports

archery                                               skating                                            artistic

gymnastics (callisthenics)               skiing                                              boxing      

cross-country skiing                         car (motorcycle) racing               down-hill skiing

cycling                                               ski-jump                                         diving 

slalom                                                  fencing                                          sky diving (parachuting)

figure-skating                                     swimming                                      gymnastics           

weight-lifting                                     gliding                                           windsurfing

hang gliding                                       wrestling                                        mountaineering    

arm-wrestling                                     rowing and canoeing                    yachting

athletics (track-and-field)                marathon (race)                            discus (hammer, javelin)                                                                       

pole vault (vaulting)                         throwing                                        race/run

high (long, triple) jump                    shot putting                                   hurdle races         

steeplechase

Some popular games

Open-air games

badminton n                                                       net-ball n

basket-ball n                                                      rugby n (colloq. rugger)

cricket n                                                             (lawn) tennis n

football n (colloq. soccer)                                volley-ball n

golf n                                                                   water polo

hockey n

Indoor games

chess n                                                                squash n

draughts n                                                          table-tennis n

Sports Terms

amateur (professional) sport                         cup (final, semi-final) match

indoor (outdoor or open-air) sports             championship n, е.g. national        

football championship                                   sport n

compete v                                                        sports n = events

competition n, е.g. inter-                                sports adj, е.g. sports jacket

     college cup competition                              (shirt)

con'test v                                                          sporting adj

'contest n, е.g. world gym nastics                tournament n

contest (rivalry in singing, beauty)

Participants

crew n (used for sportsmen                           opponent (rival) n

rowing or sailing a boat)                                sportsman (athlete) n

national (Olympic, college)                           sportswoman n team

official (umpire, referee, judge) n

Audience

fan (colloq.) n, е.g. a foot-                             spectator n

ball fan                                                             sports enthusiast

shout for v                                                       support v

Scoring system

best (record, fastest) time                              point n, е.g. How many

defeat v                                                                  points have they won?

draw n, е.g. The match                                    runner-up n

ended in a draw.                                        score n, е.g. The score of the

draw v, е.g. The two teams drew.                       game was 6:4 (six to four).      

goal n                                                                score v, е.g. He scored

lose v                                                                       20 points. Neither side

loser n                                                                     scored in the game (нe

victory n                                                                  забила гол).

Competition sites and sports equipment

barbell n                                                            net n

beam n                                                              play-ground n

chessboard n                                                    puck n

chessman n                                                       racket n

club (stick) n                                                    rings n

discus n                                                            ski jump

draughtsman n                                                 sports hall

gym n                                                                boxing gloves

javelin n                                                            trampoline (батут) n

jumping (spring) board                                   uneven (parallel), asymmetric bars

Word Combinations

athletic training                                               to win the team (personal,

to follow a tournament                                        national, world) champion-

    (competition, etc.)                                      ship

to kick the ball                                                 to win by 2 (3, etc.) goals

to score a goal (20 points)                                  (points)

to keep the score                                             to win with the score 4 to 0

to end a game in a draw                                        in smb.'s favour

  (to draw a game)                                       to set up (break) a record

to win a prize (a cup,                                      the record holder

   victory)                                                     the world (national, European) record

EXERCISES

I. Study Texts A and В and transcribe these words:

tobogganing, yachting, lawn-tennis, wrestling, athletics, gymnastics, callisthenics, billiards, draughts, tournament, en­thusiast, soccer, rugger, court, amateur.

II. Write 15 questions about Texts A and B; b) Retell Texts A and В (in indirect speech). Evaluate the reports of your fellow students according to delivery: general clarity, pronunciation, fluency, rythm, intonation.