English Through Reading. Учебно-методическое пособие

41

III.Guess what holiday is meant

1.People bake leavened bread and decorate their houses with willow.

2.Children hang their stockings at the fire place waiting for presents.

3.In the USA they visit the cemetery and put flowers on graves.

4.The British go to Llangollen to enjoy the most picturesque ceremony.

5.This is the festival of sharing when family members gather for a reunion; they cook turkey, corn, pumpkin and cranberry jelly.

6.This is the holiday in honour of a leader of the Civil Rights Movement.

7.On this day people usually make resolutions, most of which are broken or forgotten in a month.

8.In villages they dance to drive away the evil spirits and to welcome in the new ones.

9.In New York a lighted ball drops slowly from the top of a pole on the building.

10.The most important festival of the year for most British families.

IV. Translate into English.

1.Вчера я видел, как Джордж наряжал елку, украшал дом яркими гирляндами. – Не удивительно. Рождество приближается. Я каждый день слышу, как дети распевают рождественские гимны, а в церквях проводят службы. Жена уже купила подарки, а дети с нетерпением ждут, когда они смогут их развернуть и насладиться праздником.

2.Однажды вечером Джон услышал, как что-то взорвалось. Когда он выбежал на улицу, то увидел людей, запускающих фейерверки, жгущих костры. Он вспомнил, что была ночь Гая Фокса.

3.Казалось, что Мэри не знала, что делать. Поехать на День Благодарения к родителям или провести его с друзьями. Мама, как обычно, приготовит индейку, и вся семья соберется вместе. И наконец-то она увидит, как ее младший брат изображает индейца! Она решила следовать традиции.

4.Сегодня Вербное воскресенье, а через неделю Пасха. Вы собираетесь красить яйца? – Конечно! Я видела, ты купил шоколадных кроликов для детей? – И куличи!

5.Мама! Я видела, как Роберт и Нелли целовались на крыльце! – Не удивительно, сейчас Рождество, а они стояли под омелой. Это такой обычай.

42

TOPIC: SPORT

TEXT 1: SPORTS IN GREAT BRITAIN

The British are known to be great sports-lovers, so when they are neither playing, nor watching games, they like to talk about them. Many of the games we play now have come from Britain.

One of the most British games is cricket. It is often played in schools, colleges, universities and by club teams all over the country. Summer isn't summer without cricket. To many Englishmen cricket is both a game and a standard of behaviour. When they consider anything unfair, they sometimes say: "That isn't cricket."

But as almost everywhere else in the world, the game which attracts the greatest attention is Association football, or soccer. Every Saturday from late August till the beginning of May, large crowds of people support their favourite sides in football grounds. True fans will travel from one end of the country to the other to see their team play. There are plenty of professional and amateur soccer clubs all over Britain. International football matches and the Cup Finals take place at Wembley.

Rugby football is also very popular, but it is played mainly by amateurs. Next to football, the chief spectator sport in British life is horse-racing. A

lot of people are interested in the races and risk money on the horse which they think will win. The Derby is perhaps the most famous single sporting event in the whole world.

Britain is also famous for motor-car racing, dog-racing, boat-racing, and even races for donkeys. The famous boat-race between the teams of Oxford and Cambridge attracts large crowds of people.

A great number of people play and watch tennis. Tennis tournaments at Wimbledon are known all over the world. The innumerable tennis courts of Britain are occupied by people between the ages of 16 and 60 who show every degree of skill — from practically helpless to the extremely able.

The British also like to play golf, baseball, hockey, grass-hockey. Various forms of athletics, such as running, jumping, swimming, boxing are also popular. You can sometimes hear that there are no winter sports in England. Of course the English weather is not always cold enough to ski, skate, or toboggan, but winter is a good season for hunting and fishing.

Indeed, sport in one form or another is an essential part of daily life in Britain.

43

Vocabulary

cricket – крикет

standard – норма, образец behaviour – поведение

to consider – считать, рассматривать unfair – нечестный, несправедливый

to attract attention – привлекать внимание crowd – толпа

association football (soccer) – футбол to support – поддерживать, болеть football ground – футбольное поле fan – болельщик

amateur – любительский spectator – зритель

spectator sport – зрелищный вид спорта racing – бега

boat-race – гребные гонки tournament – турнир innumerable – бесчисленный degree – степень

to toboggan – кататься на санях

Questions

1 . What do the British do when they are neither playing nor watching games?

2.What kind of sport is especially associated with Britain?

3.What is cricket for an Englishman?

4.What is the most popular game in the world?

5.Where do the Cup Finals take place?

6.Is rugby played by professionals?

7.What kinds of racing are popular in Britain?

8.What do you know about Wimbledon?

9.What other games do the British play?

10.What winter sports are popular in Britain?

TEXT 2: OLYMPIC GAMES

The Olympic Games have a very long history. They began in 777 BC in Greece and took place every four years for nearly twelve centuries at Olimpia. They included many different kinds of sports: running, boxing, wrestling, etc. All the cities in Greece sent their best athletes to Olimpia to compete in the

44

Games. For the period of the Games all the wars stopped. So the Olympic Games became the symbol of peace and friendship.

In 394 AD the Games were abolished and were not renewed until many centuries later.

In 1894, a Frenchman, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, addressed all the sports governing bodies and pointed out the significance of sports and its educational value.

Two years later the first modern Olympic Games took place. Of course, the competitions were held in Greece to symbolize the continuation of the centuriesold tradition.

In 1896 the International Olympic Committee was set up. It is the central policy-making body of the Olympic movement. It is formed by the representatives of all countries which take part in the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee decides upon the programme of the games, the number of the participants and the city-host for the Games. Over one hundred and fifty countries are represented in the International Olympic Committee now. Besides, each country has its National Olympic Committee.

Summer and Winter Games are held separately. There are always several cities wishing to host the Games. The most suitable is selected by the International Committee. After that the city of the Games starts preparations for the competitions, constructs new sports facilities, stadiums, hotels, press centres. Thousands of athletes, journalists and guests come to the Games, and it takes great efforts to arrange everything. There is always an interesting cultural programme of concerts, exhibitions, festivals, etc., for each Games.

Russia joined the Olympic movement in 1952. Since then it has won a lot of gold, silver, and bronze medals. In 1980 Moscow hosted the Twenty-Second Olympic Games. Russian sportsmen got medals for their records in many sports events.

Vocabulary

BC (Before Christ) – до нашей эры wrestling – борьба

athlete – атлет

to compete – соревноваться

AD (Anno Domini) – нашей эры to abolish – отменять

governing – административный, руководящий body – орган, комитет

to point out – указывать на significance – значимость to be held – проводиться

45

participant – участник

city-host – город-хозяин Олимпийских игр to host – принимать гостей, быть хозяином separately – отдельно

sports facilities – спортивные сооружения arrange – организовывать

sports events – спортивное соревнование

Questions

1 . When and where did the Olympic Games begin?

2.Why did the Olympic Games become the symbol of peace and friendship?

3.When did the Games in Greece stop?

4.Who renewed the Olympic movement?

5.When and where did the first modern Games take place?

6.When was the International Olympic Committee set up? What is its function?

7.Are Summer and Winter Games held separately?

8.How does the city-host prepare for the Olympic Games?

9.When did Russia join the Olympic movement?

10.Where were the latest Olympic Games held?

46

II. Give the English equivalents: футболист, теннисист, фигурист, сравнять счет, установить рекорд, баскетболист, лыжник, велосипедист, закончить с сухим счетом, улучшить рекорд.

III. Name 5 winter kinds of sport and 5 summer kinds of sport.

IV. Insert the necessary word or a word combination:

1)Our sportsmen have tremendous success at word and European … .

2)In Britain, education is … between the ages of 5 and 16.

3)I prefer games where it‘s … … rather than the individual performance.

4)Not only keen sportsmen but anyone can … … in competitions.

5)Palaces of sports, stadiums, sports grounds, gymnasiums, swimming pools, tennis courts are called … … .

6)I prefer to watch games on TV, so I‘ve become a … rather than a participant.

7)If you like light athletics you may … … running, jumping or throwing.

8)Throughout school and college sport is a … subject.

9)World championships are often … on TV.

10)You can hardly find a person who does not … his or her favourite team.

TEXT 3: THE ROGUE BLUDGER

(from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret by J.K. Rowling)

Harry woke early on Saturday morning and lay for a while thinking about the coming Quidditch match. He was nervous, mainly at the thought of what Wood would say if Gryffindor lost, but also at the idea of facing a team mounted on the fastest racing brooms gold could buy. He had never wanted to beat Slytherin so badly. After half an hour of lying there with his insides churning, he got up, dressed, and went down to breakfast early, where he found the rest of the Gryffindor team huddled at the long, empty table, all looking uptight and not speaking much.

As eleven o'clock approached, the whole school started to make its way down to the Quidditch stadium. It was a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air. Ron and Hermione came hurrying over to wish Harry good luck as he entered the changing rooms. The team pulled on their scarlet Gryffindor robes, then sat down to listen to Wood's usual pre-match pep talk.

'Slytherin have better brooms than us,' he began, 'no point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers —' (Too true,' muttered George Weasley. 'I haven't been properly dry since August') '- and we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy buy his way onto their team.'

47

Chest heaving with emotion, Wood turned to Harry.

'It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Harry, because we've got to win today, we've got to.'

'So no pressure, Harry,' said Fred, winking at him.

As they walked out onto the pitch, a roar of noise greeted them; mainly cheers, because Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were anxious to see Slytherin beaten, but the Slytherins in the crowd made their boos and hisses heard too. Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands, which they did, giving each other threatening stares and gripping rather harder than was necessary.

'On my whistle,' said Madam Hooch, 'three ... two ... one ...'

With a roar from the crowd to speed them upwards, the fourteen players rose towards the leaden sky. Harry flew higher than any of them, squinting around for the Snitch.

'All right there, Scarhead?' yelled Malfoy, shooting underneath him as though to show off the speed of his broom.

Harry had no time to reply. At that very moment, a heavy black Bludger came pelting towards him; he avoided it so narrowly that he felt it ruffle his hair as it passed.

'Close one, Harry!' said George, streaking past him with his club in his hand, ready to knock the Bludger back towards a Slytherin. Harry saw George give the Bludger a powerful whack in the direction of Adrian Pucey, but the Bludger changed direction in mid-air and shot straight for Harry again.

Harry dropped quickly to avoid it, and George managed to hit it hard towards Malfoy. Once again, the Bludger swerved like a boomerang and shot at Harry's head.

Harry put on a burst of speed and zoomed towards the other end of the pitch. He could hear the Bludger whistling along behind him. What was going on? Bludgers never concentrated on one player like this, it was their job to try and unseat as many people as possible ...

Fred Weasley was waiting for the Bludger at the other end. Harry ducked as Fred swung at the Bludger with all his might; the Bludger was knocked off course.

'That's done it!' Fred yelled happily, but he was wrong; as though it was magnetically attracted towards Harry, the Bludger pelted after him once more and Harry was forced to fly off at full speed.

It had started to rain; Harry felt heavy drops fall onto his face, splattering onto his glasses. He didn't have a clue what was going on in the rest of the game

48

until he heard Lee Jordan, who was commentating, say, 'Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero.'

The Slytherins' superior brooms were clearly doing their jobs, and meanwhile the mad Bludger was doing all it could to knock Harry out of the air. Fred and George were now flying so close to him on either side that Harry could see nothing at all except their flailing arms and had no chance to look for the Snitch, let alone catch it.

'Someone's - tampered - with - this - Bludger -' Fred grunted, swinging his bat with all his might at it as it launched a new attack on Harry.

'We need time out,' said George, trying to signal to Wood and stop the Bludger breaking Harry's nose at the same time.

Wood had obviously got the message. Madam Hooch's whistle rang out and Harry, Fred and George dived for the ground, still trying to avoid the mad Bludger.

'What's going on?' said Wood, as the Gryffindor team huddled together, while Slytherins in the crowd jeered. 'We're being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Angelina scoring?'

'We were twenty feet above her, stopping the other Bludger murdering Harry, Oliver,' said George angrily. 'Someone's fixed it – it won't leave Harry alone, it hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins must have done something to it.'

'But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then ...' said Wood, anxiously.

Madam Hooch was walking towards them. Over her shoulder, Harry could see the Slytherin team jeering and pointing in his direction.

'Listen,' said Harry, as she came nearer and nearer, 'with you two flying round me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the Snitch is if it flies up my sleeve,' said Harry. 'Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one.'

'Don't be thick,' said Fred. 'It'll take your head off.' Wood was looking from Harry to the Weasleys.

'Oliver, this is mad,' said Alicia Spinnet angrily. 'You can't let Harry deal with that thing on his own. Let's ask for an inquiry -'

'If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match!' said Harry. 'And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a mad Bludger! Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone!'

This is all your fault,' George said angrily to Wood. '"Get the Snitch or die trying" - what a stupid thing to tell him!'

Madam Hooch had joined them.

49

'Ready to resume play?' she asked Wood.

Wood looked at the determined look on Harry's face.

'All right,' he said. 'Fred, George, you heard Harry - leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own.'

The rain was falling more heavily now. On Madam Hooch's whistle, Harry kicked hard into the air and heard the tell-tale whoosh of the Bludger behind him. Higher and higher Harry climbed. He looped and swooped, spiralled, zig-zagged and rolled. Slightly dizzy, he nevertheless kept his eyes wide open. Rain was speckling his glasses and ran up his nostrils as he hung upside down, avoiding another fierce dive from the Bludger. He could hear laughter from the crowd; he knew he must look very stupid, but the rogue Bludger was heavy and couldn't change direction as quickly as he could. He began a kind of roller-coaster ride around the edges of the stadium, squinting through the silver sheets of rain to the Gryffindor goalposts, where Adrian Pucey was trying to get past Wood ...

Text Assignment

Ex. 1. Find in the text the equivalents to the following words and phrases.

Приближающийся матч; негодуя (кипя) в душе; душный день с намеком на скорую грозу; речь для поднятия духа; бесполезно это отрицать; заставим их сожалеть о том дне; скользкий тип/слизняк; рев голосов приветствовал их; пожать руки; по моему свистку; послать мяч сильным ударом в сторону…; отклонился от прямого пути; Гарри увернулся; он бросился снова в атаку; команда столпилась вместе; нас изматывают; команда насмехалась; мы будем вынуждены признать поражение; возобновить игру; предательский свист мяча; езда по американским горкам.

Ex.2. Find in the text the following words and word combinations. Try to guess their meanings.

1.to face smb / smth

2.to look uptight

3.to pull on

4.to make smb do smth

5.to squint around

6.to avoid smb / smth

7.to give a whack

8.to unseat people

9.to be forced to fly

10.the rogue Bludger

50

Ex.3. Guess what is meant by the following.

1.to gather closely together in a group

2.a speech that is intended to encourage you to work harder, win a game, etc.

3.to pull or lift something very heavy with one great effort

4.to start doing something again after a pause or interruption

5.to say something is untrue

6.to deal with a difficult situation; to play against an opponent or team in a game or competition

7.to look or behave in an angry way because you are feeling nervous and worried

8.to increase gradually, especially in a way that makes a situation worse; to get on a horse, bicycle

9.to lose something valuable by having it taken away from you, either as a punishment or because of a law or rule

Words to support: to face, to mount, to huddle, uptight, pep talk, to deny, to heave, to forfeit, to resume.

Compose your own sentences with these words.

Ex.4. Insert the necessary word in a proper form. Take the words from exercise

3.Translate the sentences.

1.A few diehard football fans … together in the rain waiting for tickets.

2.Martinez will … Robertson in tomorrow‘s final.

3.Jackson categorically … any involvement in the affair.

4.He … the pack up onto his back.

5.For days after the accident the death toll continued to … .

6.By becoming a German citizen he … his right to live in the US.

7.The manager gave his team a … at half time.

8.The President … the difficult task of putting the economy back on its feet.

9.They were silent, then Billy … his story.

10.Brigg‘s chest was … with exhaustion.

Ex.5. Questions to the text

1.What was Harry‘s mood in the morning of the match? Did the Gryffindor team share his mood?

2.What was the weather on that day?

3.What was the point of Wood's usual pre-match pep talk? Do you think such talks are necessary?