International Tennis Federation (ITF), the world governing body of the sport.
Tennis originally was known as lawn tennis, and formally still is in Britain, because it was played on grass courts by Victorian gentlemen and ladies. It is now played on a variety of surfaces. The origins of the game can be traced to a 12th–13th-century French handball game called jeu de paume («game of the palm»), from which was derived a complex indoor racket-and-ball game: real tennis. This ancient game is still played to a limited degree and is usually called real tennis in Britain, court tennis in the United States, and royal tennis in Australia.
T he modern game of tennis is played by millions in clubs and on public courts. Its period of most rapid growth as both a participant and a spectator sport began in the late 1960s, when the major championships were opened to professionals as well as amateurs, and continued in the 1970s, when television broadcasts of the expanding professional tournament circuits and the rise of some notable players and rivalries broadened the appeal of the game. A number of major innovations in fashion and equipment fueled and fed the boom. The addition of colour and style to tennis wear (once restricted to white) created an entirely new subdivision of leisure clothing. Tennis balls, which historically had been white, now came in several hues, with yellow the colour of choice. Racket frames, which had been of a standard size and shape and constructed primarily of laminated wood, were suddenly manufactured in a wide choice of sizes, shapes, and materials, the most significant milestones being the introduction of metal frames beginning in 1967 and the oversized head in 1976.
While tennis can be enjoyed by players of practically any level of skill, top competition is a demanding test of both shot making and stamina, rich in stylistic and strategic variety. From its origins as a garden-party game for ladies in whalebone corsets and starched petticoats and men in long white flannels, it has evolved into a physical chess match in which players attack and defend, exploiting angles and technical weaknesses with strokes of widely diverse pace and spin. Tournaments offer tens of millions of dollars in prize money annually.
1. Speak about tennis with your patner. Translate the following questions and ask them to him:
1. Кто играл в России в большой теннис, когда игра еще только зарождалась?
2. В каком году был образован первый теннисный клуб? Как он назывался?
3. Почему теннисные клубы в России существовали только в Москве и Санкт- Петербурге?
4. Когда и где были заложены теннисные корты?
5. Вы умеете играть в теннис?
6. Вы следите за соревнованиями и чемпионатами по теннису?
7. Вы знаете самых известных победителей Уимблдона?
8. Кто является первой ракеткой мира сегодня?
Их существует очень много, но мой любимый — Уимблдон, потому что в нем старые теннисные традиции сохраняются такими, какими были. Некоторые из самых известных Джон Маккенрой, Борис Беккер, Штеффи Граф, Моника Селеш.
2. Answer the following questions:
Where is tennis played?
Is the court divided into two parts by a net?
What is it played with?
Do you know how many players make a team?
What is the object of the game?
How many strokes are there in tennis?
What chief strokes do you know in tennis?
What kinds of play are there in tennis?
What qualities does tennis develop?
What famous tennis-players do you know?
1. Look through Text 1 and do comprehension tasks below.
FOOTBALL
T he history of football goes back almost as far as that of cricket.
Games similar to football were played in China as early as 400 ВС. Egyptians played a kind of football too. They played games involving the kicking of a ball.
In about 200 AD the Romans played a game in which two teams tried to score by advancing a ball across a line on the field. The Romans passed the ball to one another but they never kicked it. They called the game «harpastum».
Football in the Middle Ages in England was played by teams formed of whole villages, and there were no very clear rules. With as many as a hundred people on each side, the teams struggled to score goals with a ball made of the inflated bladder of a pig. You could attack the ball, or you could attack members of the opposite team instead. In some villages the annual football match was regarded as a perfect opportunity to settle grievances against neighbours, who during the course of the game could be thrown into the duck pond. There were many injuries, some of them serious, and several times laws were passed to forbid the game, not only because of these injuries but because it interfered with practice for archery, which in those days was not so much a sport as an essential part of national defence.
Many rules changed and each person interpreted the rules differently. The modern version came from England. Football became a more orderly game in the nineteenth century, and eventually a group of keen players met to form the Football Association, the parent body of Associations all over the world and of the International Football Association, which sees that rules are universal, and also runs the World Cup Competition every four years.
The rules of are simple. The referee makes most of the decisions and attempts to encourage fair play. The game starts off with a kick off and the teams are allowed to pass, dribble, juggle, head, kick and shoot the ball to place it down the field, and (hopefully or eventually) into their opponent's goal.
If the ball is kicked off the field over the length of the field, the other team is given a throw-in, where the ball is thrown over the player's head, and back onto the field.
If the ball is kicked over the goal or across the width of the field, either a corner kick results, realizing by the offensive team, where the ball is placed on the corner of the field and kicked into play or the defensive team is awarded a kick, where the ball is placed on the corner of the goal box, and kicked back into play.
If a goal is scored, the ball is taken back to the centre of the field and the team, scored against, kicks off and keeps playing.
Today football is played at a professional level all over the world, and millions of people regularly go to football stadium to follow their favorite team, whilst millions more avidly watch the game on television. A very large number of people also play football at an amateur level. In many parts of the world football evokes great passions and plays an important role in the life of individual fans, local communities, and even nations; it is therefore often claimed to be the most popular sport in the world.
There are many worldwide international competition of football. One of the major international competitions in football is the World Cup organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association. The first World Cup Championship was in Montevideo, Uruguay. Over 190 national teams compete in qualifying tournaments within the scope of continental confederations for a place in the finals. The finals tournament, which is held every four years, now involves 32 national teams competing. Also there is League of Champions and FIFA Cup competitions which take place every year in Europe.
So football is the national sport of most European and Latin-American countries and of many other nations.
1. Finish the sentences:
1. The history of football goes back ... .
2. Football in the Middle Ages in England ... .
3. You could attack the ball ... .
4. In some villages the annual football match was regarded as ... .
5. There were many injuries, some of them serious ... .
6. Football became a more orderly game in the nineteenth century... .
2. Translate the following sentences into English:
1. Футбольная команда состоит из 11 игроков: вратарь, защитники, полузащитники и нападающие.
Капитаном команды, как правило, является самый старший или самый лучший игрок.
Я рад, что сегодняшняя игра закончилась вничью. Мы могли проиграть, многие из нас не в форме.
Футбольное поле должно быть от 100 до 130 метров в длину и от 50 до 100 метров в ширину.
Я едва мог поверить своим ушам, когда мне сказали, что команда нашего института выиграла со счетом 6:0.
Он был страшно расстроен, когда ему сказали, что его команда проиграла.
Никто не ожидал, что они выиграют со счетом 2:0.
Игра в футбол обычно длится в течение полутора часов.
В перерыве, команды меняются сторонами площадки.
Я болею за футбольную команду «Спартак».
Кто первым забил гол?
Вы пойдете на этот матч?
Женщины не играют в футбол, правда? – Играют, но редко.
Футбольное поле делится на две половины по средней линии.
Финал чемпионата по футболу в Англии проходит ежегодно в мае на знаменитом стадионе «Уэмбли» в Лондоне.
1. Look through Text 1 and do comprehension tasks below.
CRICKET
Cricket is England's national summer game. Nobody knows exactly how old the game is, but some form of cricket was being played in England in the 13th century.
That game was probably quite different form the one which is known, as the rules of the game changed over the years. Cricket is a bat and ball sport played between two teams, usually of eleven players each. A cricket match is played on a grass field (which is usually roughly oval), in the centre of which is a flat strip of ground 22 yards (20.12 m) long, called a pitch. At each end of the pitch is a set of three parallel wooden stakes (known as stumps) driven into the ground, with two small crosspieces (known as bails) laid on top of them. This wooden structure is called a wicket. A player from the fielding team (the bowler) bowls a hard, fist-sized cork-centred leather ball from one wicket towards the other. The ball usually bounces once before reaching a player from the opposing team (the batsman), who defends the wicket from the ball with a wooden cricket bat. The batsman, if he or she does not get out, may then run between the wickets, exchanging ends with the other batsman (the «non-striker»), who has been standing in an inactive role near the bowler's wicket, to score runs. The other members of the bowler's team stand in various positions around the field as fielders. The match is won by the team that scores more runs.
The period during which each team bats is called an innings. Most matches last one day, and each side has one innings, but important matches (such as international ones) can last six days. The oldest series of international matches (Test Matches) is between England and Australia, and the team that wins, takes home a famous trophy, The Ashes called. The trophy has this odd unusual name because it contains the ashes of the stumps and bails that were used in Test series of 1882, and then burned. And even today for cricket lovers winning The Ashes is like winning The World Cup for football! In England cricket is played in schools and universities, and almost all villages and towns have their cricket teams which play regularly at least one match a week during the season – from May to September. There are many thousands of cricket grounds all over England.
In the countries of South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, cricket is the most popular sport. It is also a major sport in places such as England and Wales, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Bermuda, and the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean, which are collectively known in cricketing parlance as the West Indies. There are also well established amateur club competitions in countries as diverse as the Netherlands, Kenya, Nepal and Argentina, among others; there are over one hundred cricket-playing nations recognised by the International Cricket Council. Cricket is arguably the second most popular sport in the world.
The sport is followed with passion in many different parts of the world. It has even occasionally given rise to diplomatic outrage, the most notorious being the Basil D'Oliveira affair which led to the banning of South Africa from sporting events. Other examples include the Bodyline series, played between England and Australia in the early 1930s, and the 1981 underarm bowling incident involving Australia and New Zealand.
2. Translate the following sentences into English:
Крикет – командная игра с использованием бит и мяча.
Первые документальные упоминания о прообразах крикета относятся к началу XVI века – в это время появились сообщения об игре, участники которой ударяли по мячу изогнутыми битами, напоминающими клюшки.
Самые ранние сведения об игре под названием «крекетт» датированы 1598 годом.
Исследователи полагают, что корни этой игры могут быть английскими или фламандскими.
По одной из гипотез, название игры произошло от древнеанглийского существительного cricc (cryce), обозначавшего палку или костыль.
FINAL TASKS:
1. Say in what countries the following sports and games are popular:
cricket, surfing, karate, reindeer racing, rugby, baseball, judo (jujitsu), lacrosse, lasso-throwing, soccer, croquet
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2. Which is better – to be a specialist or a generalist? Match each specific term in column I. with the generic term in column II.
I.
barbell
racket
wicket
alpenstock
knockout
bishop
catcher
gauntlet
puck
tee
spin
spike
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II.
basket-ball
cricket
golf
fencing
figure-skating
tennis
ice-hockey
mountaineering
baseball
boxing
chess-playing
weight lifting
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3. Translate the following sentences into Russian:
1. Thousands of people devote their leisure time to outdoor and indoor games.
2. The number of participants and spectators shows that the most popular of the team games are football and cricket.
3. Games in which individuals or couples try their skill are lawn-tennis and golf.
4. Lawn tennis is a game played with rackets and a light ball by two players or two pairs of players on a rectangular court, as of grass, clay, or asphalt, divided by a net.
4. Correct the wrong statements. Add a few more sentences to make up a short dialogue:
1. There is no difference between «soccer» and «rugby». 2. Badminton can be played only indoors. 3. The goal-keeper acts as a judge in football. 4. Ice hockey is popular with women. 5. A tennis ball is struck with a club. 6. Women are good football players as a rule. 7. People who play draughts are called draughtsmen. 8. We use balls when playing badminton. 9. Golf is played on ice fields. 10. Hockey is one of the most popular summer games. 11. Table-tennis and lawn-tennis are one and the same game. 12. In hockey a handball and rackets are used. 13. You may touch the ball with your hands when playing football.
Prompts: I just don't agree...; I'm not so sure...; All I know is... but at least...; How can you say such a thing! You seem to think that...; That is just the other way round. You are badly mistaken.
5. Try to describe your favourite game. Use a dictionary to look up any special words. Let your partners guess which game you are describing. Speak according to the plan that is given in the example:
E x a m p l e:
1. Number of players (per team):
Two teams of eleven players each.
2. Equipment necessary: a ball.
Each player wears shorts and special boots.
3. Place where played: a special field which has goal posts at both ends.
4. How to play and win: the players kick the ball to each other. They try to kick it between the goal posts of the opposing team. The opposing team tries to stop them. The team scoring the greatest number of «goals» wins.
5. Length of game: one hour and a half, with a break in the middle.
6. Some of the rules: only the two goal-keepers (who stand in front of the two goals) are allowed to touch the ball with their hands; no one can kick or push another player.
6. Act out the following situations:
1. Two friends are talking after a football match. One is happy – his favourite team has won; the other is not as his team has lost the match.
2. Imagine a dialogue between two sports fans about their favourite sports.
3. A friend of yours claims to be an «all-round sportsman». Once you call on him and find him surrounded by a thick cloud of cigarette smoke. You have a talk with him.
4. It's Sunday afternoon. In a few minutes, there will be a football match on TV, while on another channel there will be a fashion show. Argument between husband and wife.
5. You are in the hall of your institute. You are an ardent athlete and like to get up at sunrise, at which your room-mate is grumbling. You try to make him do at least his morning exercises.
GRAMMAR REVIRSION
1. Fill in the blackets with the verb to be in Present, Past, Future Simple:
1. Whose hockey team … the best last year? 2. I … fond of sport. 3. All the sportsmen of our basketball team … in excellent form now. 4. I … on our football team two years ago. 5. I hope the score … five to nil in favour of our team. 6. The attacks of «Spartak» … too week so that the game ended in a draw. 7. He has six lesson. It not … the best day for training. 8. The match between «Zenit» and «Rubin» … the most interesting, I hope. 9. Who … the champions in the last world figure-skating tournament? 10. Who … your coach?
2. Replace the Infinitives in brackets by the correct tense-form of verbs (Present, Past, Future Simple):
1. They (to train) much last month. 2. I often (to go) to the stadium. 3. They (to tell) me about the competition yesterday. 4. They (to play) basketball two days ago. 5. She (to run) fast? 6. How long (to train) you tomorrow? 7. It (to take) me 20 minutes to get to the Palace of Sports. 8. You … (to see) the football match last Sunday? 9. She (to finish) her training at 5 o'clock every day. 10. The referee (to put) the half-back out of the game for offences yesterday. 11. You (to get) there by walking or by cycling? 12. The football match (to take place) at the central stadium next week. 13. All our students (to take) a keen interest in Olympic Games. 14. They (to go) to the competition in wrestling yesterday? 15. When you (to begin) to go in for sport? 16. He (to speak) about the contest every time we meet. 17. The game of water polo (to take place) in three days. 18. What sportsman you (to like) best of all? 19. Who (to compete) in track-and-field events at the last competition? 20. They (to see) an interesting game over television yesterday.
3. Replace the Infinitives in brackets by the correct tense-form of verbs (Present, Past, Future Progressive):
1. Many children (to play) handball and basketball now. 2. He (to train) in the sports hall now. 3.The flags of Russia (to wave) over the stadium during the last match. 4. Both adults and children (to enjoy) the hockey match over television when I came. 5. Our sportsmen (to establish) new records now. 6. They (to swim) in the swimming-pool from 6 till 8 tomorrow. 7. Where are you? – I (to go) to the stadium to train outdoors. 8. When she came, he (to watch) boxing on TV. 9. We (to dive) when you come to the swimming-pool. 10. I (to wait) you at the stadium at 3 o'clock. 11. The women football team (to play) here. 12. We (to skate) the whole last Sunday. 13. I want to see how our cyclists train. – Look there! They (to train) on the highway or cycking tracks. 14. I (to prepare) for the next competitions now. 15. After a short rest they (to ski) the whole evening.
4. Replace the Infinitives in brackets by the correct tense-form of verbs (Present, Past, Future Perfect):
Do you know who (to win) the gold medals. 2. We (to finish) the game when you came. 3. I (to wait) you at 4 o'clock in the sports hall. 4. Whose teams (to win) in the international championship this year. 5. The runners (to set) a new European record. 6. Who of your athlets (to take) first place this month? 7. The sportsmen (to score) a new victory by the next Olympiad. 8. We (to practise) the breast stroke before our coach came. 9. The athlets (to run) 5,000 metres by 9 o'clock yesterday. 10. We (to have) our training today. 11. He (to speak) already to the coach. 12. You (to win) in the competition if you train hard. 13. The sportsmen (to do) all the exercises before the coach returned. 14. How many Masters of Sport (to enter) the ranks of leading athlets? 15. She (to achieve) excellent results in this contest. 16. It's a pity but we (to win) only bronze medals. 17. You … (to play) hockey lately? 18. Ron (to cover) the distance long before the rest of the competitors arrived. 19. Hundreds of football of fans (to arrive) in Moscow today. 20. Our wrestlers (to contest) against the University team this week.
5. Replace the Infinitives in brackets by the correct tense-form of verbs (Present, Past, Future Perfect Progressive):
These young athletes (to study) the technique of standing jump for two months. 2. They (to throw) the discus for half an hour. 3. He (to train) in the track-and-field athletics section for two years before I joined him. 4. They (to walk) for 2 hours. 5. We (to look) for a fine training place for about an hour before we started the game. 6. They (to talk) with the competitors for half an hour before the race started. 7. How long you (to engage) in wrestling before I met you? 8. She (to jog) gor about 15 minutes. 9. 10. 11. 12. I wonder why he (to choose) such non-productive method of training. 13. He (to talk) about tennis 3 hours running. 14. They (to play) volleyball in the sports hall since 7 o'clock tomorrow. 15. The participants of the Games (to improve) their techniques over recent years.
UNIT 4. THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT
Topics: 1. The Olympic Games 2. The Olympic Movement in Russia 3. The Paralympic Games
Grammar: Verbs (Passive Voice), Modal Verbs
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1. Check the meaning and pronunciation of the words and expressions in the box in the dictionary:
in honour of the Olympic Oath competitor enormous
to compete the Marathon competitive location
to embrace Olympiads a lighted torch equipment
facilities the Olympic Committee prior pressures
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1. Look through Text 1 and do comprehension tasks below.
THE OLYMPIC GAMES
T  he Olympic Games are one of the most spectacular reminders of the debt we owe to the Greeks. The original Olympic Games were held every four years in honour of Zeus, the supreme god of Greek religion. The first record of the games dates from 776 B.C., but it is certain that they existed prior to that. They were held continuously for over 1.000 years until they were abolished in the reign of King Theodosius about 392 A.D. The Olympic festival was a great unifying bond between the Independent city-states of Greece.
The important sports in the original Olympic Games were running, jumping, wrestling, throwing the discus and throwing the javelin. Only men competed and they wore no clothes in order to have greater freedom of movement. Each competitor had to take the Olympic Oath – a promise to behave in a sportsman-like fashion.
The modern Olympic era began in 1894 when Frenchman Baron Pierre de Coubertin decided to revive the ancient Greek tradition of celebrating health, youth and peace with a sports festival. Baron de Coubertin created the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the first modem Olympiad took place in Athens in 1896. Since then the Olympic Games have been held every four years with only two exceptions because of the two world wars.
Even though the modern Olympic Games embrace the whole world, the connection with Greece is still very strong. A lighted torch is brought all the way from Greece, carried by a relay of runners, in order to light the Olympic Flame which bums all through the Games. As in ancient Greek times, the competitors still take the Olympic Oath. The long-distance race is still called the Marathon. Marathon was a village about 26 miles from Athens. In the year 490 BC the Greeks defeated a powerful Persian army at that spot. After the fierce day's fighting a soldier volunteered to bring news of the victory to the anxious citizens of Athens. He ran all the way and after gasping out the message. «Rejoice, we conquer!» he collapsed and died.
One important rule of the Olympic Games is that the competitors must be amateurs. This rule has been under a lot of pressure in recent years because modem sport is so professional and competitive. Athletes train for years to take part in the Olympics and some countries spend much more than others on equipment and facilities. But despite these pressures, the amateur rule remains.
In modern times the Olympic movement has become an enormous and expensive organisation, It's controlled by the International Olympic Committee, which consists of members from all the participating countries. The IOC is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It chooses the locations of both summer and winter games (both take place once very four years, with winter games half a year before summer Olympiads). It also controls the rules of the competitions and selects new Olympic sports. The famous flag of the IOC shows five rings of different colours linked together. The rings represent the five continents.
1. Put the words and word-combinations in the right form and you will get a short story about the history of Olympic Games:
prize, kind of sports, history, to be held, athletic team, to persuade, event, to take part , to be stopped, to take place
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The Olympics have a very long … . They began in 776 ВС, and … for nearly 1,000 years at Olympia, Greece. The citizens of all the Greek states were invited … in the games. The … were wreaths made of branches of olive trees. Ancient Olympic Games were a great athletic festival and included many different …; running, boxing, discus throwing, wrestling, the pentathlon (five different sports) and others. In 394 AD, the games … by the Roman Emperor Theodosius.
Only fifteen hundred years later, in 1894, a Frenchman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, managed … people from fifteen countries to start the Olympic Games again. The International Olympic Committee in 1894, and the first of modern series of the Games … in Athens two years later, in 1896. All the nations of the world were invited to send their …. From then the Olympic Games have been international and the number of … on the programme have increased.
2. Make up the questions and you will get a dialogue then play it in roles:
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: The Olympic Games came into being in 776 B.C. at Olympia, Greece.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: As far as I know, they were founded to honour Zeus, the Greeks' Protector.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: Yes, the Games were a great sport festival.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: They included various kinds of sports.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: The Olympics took place every 4 years.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: The Games were abolished by the Roman emperor. Besides, Olympia was destroyed by strong earthquakes.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: Yes, they were revived in 1896.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: It was a French, Baron Pier de Coubertin.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: The International Olympic Committee was set up in Paris in 1894.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: The first modern Olympics took place in Athens.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: Only 12 countries participated there.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: No, you are mistaken; the Summer Olympic Games and the Winter Games are held separately.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: Our country joined the Olympics in 1951.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: Russia was the hostess of the XXII International Olympic Games.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: They were a great success.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: The Olympic Games' emblem was developed by Pierre de Coubertin.
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: The Olympic motto consists of three Latin words: «Citius, Altius, Fortius!» that mean «Quicker, Higher, Stronger!»
A: ________________________________________________________ ?
B: I fully agree with you, the Olympics greatly contribute to the cause of peace, better understanding and trust among the Globe nations.
3. Say it in English:
1. Люди во всем мире следят за Олимпийскими играми.
2. Олимпийские игры имеют очень давнюю историю.
3. Древние греки устраивали соревнования по бегу каждые четыре года в честь бога Зевса.
4. Первые современные Игры состоялись в Афинах в 1896 году на месте, где 1500 лет назад происходили древние праздники. С тех пор Олимпийские игры проводились каждый високосный год, кроме 1916, 1940 и 1944 годов.
5. В 1896 году был основан Международный Олимпийский комитет, который направляет олимпийское движение.
6. Олимпийский Комитет решает, где будут проходить следующие Олимпийские игры, назначается город (страна), который будет хозяином Олимпийских Игр – один город для Зимней Олимпиады и еще один – для Летней.
7. Олимпийская эмблема – 5 сплетенных колец голубого, желтого, черного, зеленого и красного цветов на белом фоне, которые символизируют 5 континентов.
8. По меньшей мере, один из цветов эмблемы имеется в национальном флаге каждой страны.
9. Штаб-квартира Международного Олимпийского комитета в г. Лозанне (Швейцария).
10. В Олимпийских соревнованиях принимают участие все страны мира.
1. Give English equivalents to the following words and word-combinations:
Олимпиада; полноправный член олимпийского движения; завоевать много золотых, серебряных и бронзовых медалей; международные соревнования; количество участников; иметь огромный успех; знаменательное событие
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ame is, but some form of cricket was being played in England in the 13th century.
he period during which each team bats is called an innings. Most matches last one day, and each side has one innings, but important matches (such as international ones) can last six days. The oldest series of international matches (Test Matches) is between England and Australia, and the team that wins, takes home a famous trophy, The Ashes called. The trophy has this odd unusual name because it contains the ashes of the stumps and bails that were used in Test series of 1882, and then burned. And even today for cricket lovers winning The Ashes is like winning The World Cup for football! In England cricket is played in schools and universities, and almost all villages and towns have their cricket teams which play regularly at least one match a week during the season – from May to September. There are many thousands of cricket grounds all over England.
ven though the modern Olympic Games embrace the whole world, the connection with Greece is still very strong. A lighted torch is brought all the way from Greece, carried by a relay of runners, in order to light the Olympic Flame which bums all through the Games. As in ancient Greek times, the competitors still take the Olympic Oath. The long-distance race is still called the Marathon. Marathon was a village about 26 miles from Athens. In the year 490 BC the Greeks defeated a powerful Persian army at that spot. After the fierce day's fighting a soldier volunteered to bring news of the victory to the anxious citizens of Athens. He ran all the way and after gasping out the message. «Rejoice, we conquer!» he collapsed and died.
ne important rule of the Olympic Games is that the competitors must be amateurs. This rule has been under a lot of pressure in recent years because modem sport is so professional and competitive. Athletes train for years to take part in the Olympics and some countries spend much more than others on equipment and facilities. But despite these pressures, the amateur rule remains.
