Topic 8. Sports and games.

Good health is a great blessing. Everyone shoud do all he can to stay healthy. Being in good health means having both body and mind in good working order free from disease and pain. As they say, "A sound mind in a sound body".

All sorts of physical exercises are very helpful to make our bodies strong as well as to keep us well mentally. So if we want to keep ourselves fit, we have to go in for sports or games. People play games — in some games each person is for himself, in others there are teams. Some games are quiet, others are very lively. Every game has its own rules. Winning and losing are always a part of playing a game. No list could be made of all the games people play. Games that take a great deal of athletic skill are often called sports. Football (soccer), tennis, hockey, basketball, for instance, are sports. We know, and may go in for, a great variety of sports and games. Some kinds of sports need simple equipment and facilities, others —rather complex ones. Our first contact with sport and games is in childhood. Later on in school we discover our favourite sports and games. I play football, table tennis, swimming, chess and some others.

Today sports teachers in schools have different ideas about why they are teaching sport. Should they try to produce a winning team? Should they use sport for character building? Should they teach a lot of techniques? Or should they just teach the pupils to enjoy the game? No matter what the answer might be the school has always been the place for training prospective sportsmen. Some of them become professionals but the majority remain amateurs.

In our country every year a great number of different com­petitions are held at different levels — starting with schools and finishing at national levels. Then winners of national competi­tions take part in international championships: World and European ones, Olympic Games, Students' Olimpiads and so on.

You can't do without this vocabulary:

blessing — благо, блаженство, щастя

healthy — здоровий

disease and pain — хвороби та болі

"A sound mind in a sound body" — "В здоровому тилі — здоровий дух"

mentally — розумово

to keep oneself fit —підтримувати форму

to go in for sports — займатися спортом

quiet — спокійний

lively — жвавий, рухливий

to win — вигравати

to lose —програвати

a great variety — велика кількість

a facility — обладнання, спорядження

to produce a winning team —готувати команду для перемоги

character building — формування рис характеру

to enjoy the game — насолоджуватися грою

a professional — спортсмен-професіонал

an amateur — спортсмен-аматор

a competition (championship) — змагання (чемпіонат)

Olympic Games — Олімпійські Ігри

Exercise 1. Read and memorize the following words:

track-and-field athletics — легка атлетика

fencing — фехтування

boxing — бокс

aquatic sports водний спорт

sports circle — спортивне товариство

coaching, training — тренування

sport competitions — спортивні змагання

skiing — лижний спорт

skating — ковзанярський спорт

tobogganning — катання на санках з гори

hunting —полювання

outdoor games — ігри на свіжому повітрі

indoor games — ігри в приміщенні

chess —шахи

billiards — більярд

snooker — снукер (гра на бильярді)

fan of — вболівати за (команду)

a score — рахунок

a stadium — стадіон

in favour of — на користь

to net a ball — забити м'яч у ворота

callisthenics художня гімнастика

wrestling боротьба

soccer \ football — футбол

rugby - peгбi

boat race — змагання з веслування

cricket крикет

fishing (angling) — вудіння, вудити рибу