Задания

I. Прочтите текст. Найдите и переведите предложения, в которых говорится:

1) в чем заключается игра «Хоккей на траве»; 2) об отличительных особенностях ирландского хоккея на траве; 3) о качествах, которыми должны обладать игроки.

II. Дайте русские эквиваленты следующим словам и словосочетаниям:

a team game, to drive a ball; goal posts; an opposite end; an object; free stroke line; goal area; crossbar; a point is scored; broad-bladed stick; a playing pitch; the ability to control and direct; power to drive the ball.

III. Определите, какие из данных ниже предложений соответствуют содержанию текста. Те, которые не соот­ветствуют, исправьте:

1. Hurling is the fastest of all team games. 2. The object of the game is to drive the ball through the goal posts of the opponents. 3. A player who catches the ball may throw it and may carry it in the hand as much time as he wants. 4. The ball area is not forbidden territory to attackers. 5. The basic skill of hurling is the ability to run and jump.

IV. Найдите в тексте и прочтите все правила назначе­ния свободного удара.

V. Расскажите, в чем заключается игра «Ирландский хоккей на траве». Используйте упражнения №№ 3 и 4.

УЭ-8

Text h. The cricket season

Do you know how to play cricket? If you don't live in England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or the West India you won't learn it in school. If you don't spend at least five summers in England you'll never understand the game.

English people love cricket. Summer isn't summer without it. Every Sunday morning from May to the end of September many Englishmen get up very early, and their wives make large piles of sandwiches. These are necessary because the games are very long. Games between counties, for example Lancashire and Sussex, last for three days. Games between two village teams last for only one afternoon. Games between two countries, called "Test Matches" last for five days.

If you play cricket you must wear white: a white shirt, long white trousers (these are called "flannels"), a white pullover and white boots. Players often wear two or three pullovers because the weather can be very cold in summer. Players from the West India sometimes wear three or four pullovers, because their weather is much better than ours.

There are two teams. One team must bat¹ and the other team must field. When the first team finishes batting the second team must begin. At the beginning of the game, the players stand in the pavilion, and then the "fielding" team walks out. All the players have their hands in their pockets. Then the batting team sends out its first two batsmen. They must hit² the ball and run. Around the cricket field is a white line called the "boundary", and if the batsman can hit the ball as far as this he scores four "runs". If he can hit the ball into the crowd he scores six runs. If he knocks out one of the spectators he must walk over and apologize to the unfortunate man's wife.

Cricket is not like baseball. In baseball there is only one man who throws the ball. He is called the "pitcher". In cricket there can be seven or eight "bowlers" who take it in turns³. There are different types.⁴ Some are big and strong, with a lot of black hair and faces like criminals. They are called "fast bowlers". They try to frighten the batsman by throwing the ball to a short good-looking man with blond hair. He is the "slow bowler". He runs and bowls very slowly so that the batsman will get bored⁵ and go to sleep. When the batsman is asleep, it is very easy to "get him out"⁶.

The batsman must all the time guard his "wicket"⁷, three rather ridiculous pieces of wood which are pushed into the ground. The fielders all have wonderful names, such as "square leg", "gully" and "silly mid-off". "Silly-mid-off" must stand very near the batsman, and very often the ball hits him on the head and he goes to hospital for an X-ray. The following week he returns and stands in the same place. That's why we call him "silly".

Foreigners often think that cricket is very boring, but I don't agree. On a nice summer's day it is very nice to sit by the side of a cricket field and quietly go to sleep It's the only sport in the world where you can have a good time without watching one minute of the game.

Notes

J. to bat —t бить битой

2. to hit — попасть в цель

3. there can be seven or eight "bowlers" who take it in turns — там может быть семь или восемь игроков, которые подают мяч по очереди

4. There are different types.— Спортсмены бывают разные (по внешнему виду)

5. so that the batsman will get bored — пока крикетист не устанет

6. ...it is very easy to "get him out" —...очень легко «вывести» его.

7. must guard his wicket —должен охранять свои ворота