Olympic Games

It is reasonable to think that athletic contests were first organized some 3,500 years ago in Greece. However, at least four of the Greek sporting festivals ancient in origin had achieved major importance. They were the Olympic Games, held in Olympia. There are records of the champions of Olympia from 766 B.C. to A.D. 217. The first Olympic champion listed in the records was one Coroebus of Flis, a cook, who won the sprint race in 776 B.C. The Games were abolished in A.D. 393 by the Roman emperor Theodosius. Then for one thousand and five hundred years nothing more was heard of them.

Baron Pierre de Cubertin conceived the idea of reviving the Olympic Games, and in 1896 the first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens. 13 nations sent nearly 300 representatives to take part in 42 events and 10 different sports.

Olympic Games take place every four years. During the two world wars there were no Olympic Games because they cannot take place in a country which is at war. During the Olympic Games there are competitions in many kinds of sports. They are: running, jumping, athletics, swimming, boxing, basket­ball, football and others.

Winter Olympic Games first took place in 1924, and now they also take place every four years. At the winter Olympic Games many countries take part in competitions in skiing, ska­ting, hockey and other winter sports.

In 1996 the 26th Olympic Games took place in Atlanta, the USA. 197 nations sent more than 11,000 athletes to those Games.

For the first time in the history of Olympic Games, the Ukrainian team took part in those Games and won 22 medals there. Nine of them were golden ones.

In August 2008 the 29^th Summer Olympic Games took place in Beijing, China. It was one of the greatest sport festivals in the history of the Olympic Games. The Ukrainian team took part in those Games and won 27medals there. Seven golden medals were won by Ukrainian sportsmen in such kinds of sports as fencing epee ( a women team – Olha Kharlan, Olena Khomrova, Olha Zhovnir and Halyna Pundyk), rifle shooting ( Artur Aivazian), archery ( Viktor Ruban), pistol shooting ( Oleksandr Petriv), heptathlon ( Natalia Dobrianska), boating ( Inna Osypenko-Radomska) and boxing ( Vasyl Lomachenko).

Comprehension Check

Task 1. Complete the sentences.

1. It is reasonable to think that …

2. The first Olympic champion listed in the records was …

3. The Games were abolished …

4. Baron Pierre de Cubertin conceived the idea …

5. Olympic Games take place …

6. During the two world wars there were no …

7. During the Olympic Games there are competitions in …

8. Winter Olympic Games first took …

9. At the winter Olympic Games many countries take part …

10. In 1996 the 26th Olympic Games …

11. For the first time in the history of Olympic Games…

12. In August 2008 the 29^th Summer Olympic Games ….

13. The Ukrainian team took part …

14. Seven golden medals were won by Ukrainian sportsmen ….

Task 2. Answer the questions.

1. When did the first Olympic Games take place?

2. Who was listed in the records as the first Olympic champion?

3. Who abolished Olympic Games?

4. When did the first modern Olympic Games take place?

5. How many representatives took part in the first modern Olym­pic Games?

6. What competitions are there during the Olympic Games?

7. How often do summer and winter Olympic Games take place?

8. When did the first winter Olympic Games take place?

9. What competitions are there during the winter Olympic Games?

10. When did Ukraine send its representatives to the Olympic Games as an independent team?

11. When and where did last Summer Olympic Games take place?

12. How many medals did Ukrainian team win there?

13. In what kinds of sports were golden medals won?

14. What Olympic champion from Ukraine can you name? What facts about them do you know?

Task 3. Translate into English in writing using the text.

ОЛІМПІЙСЬКІ ІГРИ

Є всі підстави вважати, що перші атлетичні змагання були організовані близько 3500 років тому. Є офіційні записи про чемпіонів Олімпії з 766 р. до нашої ери. Олімпійські ігри були скасовані у 393 р. нашої ери. Перші сучасні Олімпійські ігри відбулись у 1896 р. У 1996 р. українська олімпійська команда вперше виступила як незалежна і за­воювала 22 медалі.

Text 12

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