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SPORTS AND GAMES

People all over the world are very fond of sports and games. That is one thing in which people of every nationality and class are united.

The most popular outdoor winter sports are shooting, hunting, hockey and in the countries where the weather is frosty and there is much snow-skating, skiing and tobogganing. Some people greatly enjoy figure-skating and ski-jumping.

Summer affords excellent opportunities for swimming, boating, yachting, cycling, gliding and many other sports. Among outdoor games football takes the first place in public interest. This game is played in all the countries of the world. The other favourite games in different countries are golf, tennis, cricket, volleyball, basketball and so on. Badminton is also very popular.

All the year round many people indulge in boxing, wrestling, athletics, gymnastics and track and field events. A lot of girls and women go in for callisthenics.

Among indoor games the most popular are billiards, table tennis, draughts and some others, but the great international game is chess of course. The results of chess tournaments are studied and discussed by thousands of enthusiasts in different countries.

So we may say that sport is one of the things that makes all people kin.

11. callisthenics — ТЙФНЙЮЕУЛБС ЗЙНОБУФЙЛБ

SPORTS IN GREAT BRITAIN

English people are fond of all kinds of sports. During the autumn and winter shooting and fox-hunting are the great sports in Great Britain. Boxing is very popular especially in the large towns and important boxing matches are attended by many spectators. Horse-racing is also a great national sport. Among games football and cricket take the first place in public interest. Huge crowds watch the matches between the most important clubs, while practically every school or large business firm has its own particular cricket and football clubs. Tennis is another very popular game while golf has firmly established itself in favour and there are golf-links all over the country.

The numerous rivers afford excellent opportunities for swimming and rowing and the Oxford and Cambridge boat-race, in which crews from these two universities compete take place every spring on the Thames.

AMERICAN SPORTS AND GAMES

Baseball is the most popular game in the US. It is played throughout the spring and summer by schools, colleges and professional teams.

Football is the most popular game in the autumn. There are professional football teams in all the main cities of the United States. In American football there are eleven players in each team, as in original football, but the rules are different. Players are often hurt in American football. So the teams wear special clothing and helmets as in hockey.

Basketball is a very popular game in the United States too. It is especially popular in high schools, both among boys and girls.

The game of golf is very popular with businessmen and professional people. It is played by both men and women. There are now more golfers than tennis players.

Swimming, water siding and skin diving are popular summer sports. In winter many people go in for ice-skating, skiing and hockey if they live in the Northern and Central states.

Other sports include wrestling, boxing and horse-racing.

MY FAVOURITE SPORT

All kinds of sports and games are cultivated in our country as well as in England, the USA and other countries of the world. Tennis, hockey, volley-ball and football have become very popular in Russia. Football is my favourite sport. The term “football” is understood differently in the US and Britain. For a Britisher “football” is the same as what is known to be “ЖХФВПМ” in our country. For an American “football” means “rugby”, while the game usually played here in Russia is known as “soccer”. Soccer is played by two teams, equal in number, each consisting of eleven players. Tills is, properly speaking, genuine football, the ball being driven only by the feet. The eleven players take up their position on the field. The centre forward stands at the centre. On the right are the inside right and the outside right, on the left are the inside left and the outside left. The three half-backs are stationed behind the forward line. The goal is protected by the right back, the left back and the goalkeeper. No handling is allowed except by the goalkeeper.

Excellent technique, flexible modern tactics and good teamwork are characteristic features of modem football.

THE OLYMPIC GAMES

In 1453 before Christ the first games were held in Olympia. Beginning with approximately 776 before Christ the games were organised every fourth year. These sports consisted of running, wrestling and other exercises. The favourite games of that time were horse-racing and jumping. The ancient winners got wreaths of palm leaves. The modern Olympic Games began again in 1896. They take place every four years. They cannot take place in a country which is at war, and during the two world wars there were no Olympic Games. So except in 1916, 1940 and 1944, the Olympic Games have been held every leap year. Women's events started in 1912. Winter Olympic Games first took place m 1924.

The Games have been held in many countries. The 22nd Olympic Games were held in Moscow in 1980. The international Olympic Committee, which was set up and began to work in 1896, chooses the country and the city for the Olympic Games to be held in. The 26th Olympic Games were held in 1996 in Atlanta in the USA. It was a great sport event. There were competitions on practically all summer sports. Russian sportsmen took an active part in these Games. They won a lot of medals and we are very proud of them. The Games were organised in a proper way. It was a wonderful festival of sport, health, peace and friendship.

BRITISH HOLIDAYS

There are a number of holidays, which are celebrated in Great Britain every year.

One of them is, of course, New Year's Day on the first of January. It is not so popular in England as in our country, but it is rather popular in Scotland. On that day people usually visit their friends and there is a lot of dancing and eating. In Scotland people bring a piece of coal for good luck in the New Year.

The next holiday of the year is St. Valentine's Day. It is on the 14th of February. People buy or make Valentine cards and send them to the people they love.

In March there is Mother's Day. All the children, little or adult ones, come to their mothers on that day to express their love and gratitude.

In April there is Easter. At Easter children eat chocolate Easter eggs. Sometimes parents hide them in the ho-use or in the garden and children have to look for them.

In June there is Father's Day. On Father's Day children give or send their fathers and grandfathers cards and presents.

On the 31st of October there is a Halloween. They say ghosts and witches come out on Halloween. People make lanterns out of pumpkins. Some people have Halloween parties and dress as witches and ghosts.

The 25th of December is Christmas Day. It is one of the people's favourite holidays. People put Christmas trees in their houses and decorate them. There are beautiful Christmas decorations in the streets. On Christmas Eve everybody puts the presents under the Christmas tree. People say that at night Father Christmas puts presents into the stockings which children usually hang on their beds. The traditional Christmas meal is roast turkey and Christmas pudding.

AMERICAN HOLIDAYS

There are a number of holidays in the USA which are celebrated every year. Here are some of them.

The 1st of January is New Year's Day. People do not go to bed until after midnight on December 31. They like to see “the old year out and the new year in”. Many people give parties on New Year's Eve.

Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, is dedicated to those who fought in the War of Independence, in World War I or in World War II.

The 4th of July is Independence Day. It is the biggest national holiday in the USA. The Declaration of Independence was proclaimed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, when the American colonies were fighting for independence against England.

On the 11th of November there is Veteran's Day. It is I dedicated to those who fell in the two World Wars.

Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November. In the autumn of 1621, the Pilgrim Fathers celebrated their first harvest festival in America and called it Thanksgiving Day. Since that time it has been celebrated every year.

Christmas is celebrated on the 25th of December. People usually stay at home at Christmas time, and spend the day with their families.

1. midnight — РПМОПЮШ

MY FAVOURITE HOLIDAY

Many great holidays and anniversaries are celebrated in our country. On the 1st of May there is May Day — the holiday of spring and labour. On the 8th of March there is Women's Day — the holiday of all women and girls. We celebrate Day of Independence of Russia on the 12th June and Day of Russian Constitution on the 12th of December. Now people celebrate some religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter. But my favourite holiday is New Year's Day, of course. It is a really wonderful holiday. People get ready for this holiday long before it. They buy New Year trees and decorate them. Every year a fairy-tale comes to every house and every family on New Year's Eve. Children and even grown-ups wait for this day because they believe that all their wishes and desires come true and different wonderful miracles happen on that day.

On New Year' s Eve people get together to see “the old year out and the new year in”. They eat tasty food, drink champagne, dance and have a good time together. They wish each other happiness and good luck in the new year and put the presents under the New Year tree. Children like this holiday very much. They wait for New Year presents, which, they believe, Father Frost bring to them. Everybody is merry on that day and wishes the next year to be good and happy and all one's troubles and disappointments to remain in the past.

SHOPPING

When we want to buy something, we go to the shop where it is sold. In the shop-window we see what is sold in the shop. Sugar, tea, coffee, salt, pepper, ham, bacon and so on are sold at the grocer's. Bread is sold at the baker's, meat at the butcher's. We go to the greengrocer's for vegetables and to the fruiterer's for fruit. Cakes and sweets are sold at the confectioner's. When we want to buy clothes, we go to the men and ladies outfitter's. We buy boots and shoes at the boot and shoe shop. We buy jewellery at the jeweller's. To buy tobacco and cigarettes we go to the tobacconist's. We buy books at the book-seller's.

The salesman or salesgirl stands behind the counter. The cashier sits at the cashdesk. The salesman or salesgirl weights the goods which we want to buy on the scales and tells us the price. Those who buy different filings in the shop are customers. Some shops have many departments. We can buy nearly everything we need there. They are called department stores or supermarkets. In some shops there are no salesmen or salesgirls, but only cashiers. The customers choose the goods they want to buy and pay at the cashdesk. They are called self-service shops.

Shops are very important in our life. People cannot do without them. Some people do not like to go shopping, but, as for me, I like to go shopping very much.

9. the outfitter's — НБЗБЪЙО ПДЕЦДЩ

17. to weight — ЧЪЧЕЫЙЧБФШ