Vacations

There are no national or even state-wide dates for school vacations. Each school district sets its own. Generally, "school's out" from around the first week in June until the last week in August. How­ever, many school districts sponsor "summer school" for children who have fallen behind and wish to make up work, or, alternatively, for pupils who want to take extra courses. Most universities and colleges also have summer semesters.

The average American employee usually has three or four weeks of paid vacation time during the summer, but this varies considerably. Auto­mobile workers who have spent several years on the job, for example, can commonly expect around five weeks of paid vacation. Some Ameri­can families simply spend their vacations at home, that is, the time is used to work (and play) around the house. Others might own or rent a cottage near a lake or in the mountains. Locations where swimming, fishing, and other water activ­ities are available, are especially popular. A great many Americans take to the road and "see America first." The widely available and inex­pensive camp grounds throughout the country also give younger families the chance to-travel on a limited budget. Every year more than 60 million Americans visit their National Parks.

Some middle-class families send their children to summer camps for a week or two. These camps are scattered throughout the country and offer a wide range of activities. Some of the camps are owned and operated by the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, or various churches. Others are sponsored by the Red Cross and might teach swimming, boating, and life-saving. Among the many sum­mer camps, private or nonprofit, are music camps, computer camps, hiking and backpacking camps, tennis camps, and camps with farms and ranches. There are also groups which organize low-cost or free summer camps for inner-city children. Most cities and communities provide special summer programs, from sports and crafts to concerts and dances, for children who spend the summer in the city. Quite often, however, American high school and college students do not take (and do not expect) any vacation at all; if they can find a summer job, they will work. But, of course, this is not what they would rather do.

EXERCISES:

I GIVE RUSSIAN EQUIVALENTS OF THE FOLLOWING EXPRESSIONS:

Spectator sport; outdoor team sports; professional and collegiate basketball teams; to be televised live; amateur sports; to attract large numbers of funs; to increase actual attendance at the stadiums and arenas; to take part in athletic activity; public sports facilities; to contribute to the wide and varied interest in sports; sportsmanship and persistence; a hotly debated topic; to take a nap in the sun; to keep fit; to perform for health and fun; to protect and preserve great wilderness areas; to give unmatched opportunities; to control and limit the access to the most popular parks.

II GIVE ENGLISH EQUIVALENTS OF THE FOLLOWING EXPRESSIONS:

командная игра под открытым небом;привлекать большое количество поклонников;профессиональный и любительский спорт;принимать участие в марафоне;

спортивное снаряжение;способ проверить собсвенные силы;безупречная академическая репутация;нарушить правила;финансовая поддержка из негосударственных источников;

вздремнуть на солнце; спортивная ходьба;аеробика;санный спорт; дельтапланеризм; завоевать международную популярность; сохранять дикую природу.

Ш AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS:

1 Universities and sports officials are inclined to ease the rules which require athletes to be properly enrolled in academic programs in order to qualify for a university team.

2 Skate-boarding and wind-surfing which very quickly spread in popularity from the beaches of Califor­nia and Hawaii.

3 Swimming, jogging, cycling, and calis­thenics demand special facilities, have certain real age limits, and are performed more for competition than for health and fun .

4 Most cities and communities provide special summer programs, from sports and crafts to concerts and dances, for children who spend the summer in the city.

5 Hunting licenses are issued by the federal government , and hunting is strictly controlled.

6 The most recent unusual sport that first reached popularity in the U.S. before spreading elsewhere is the hang-gliding.

7 By the way, it's always true that professional basketball players must be at least six feet and seven inches (two meters) tall.

8 Many Americans, would rather prefer to go to the beach on a hot summer day, swim a bit, and then take a nap in the sun than to be ingaged in some water sports and activities like swimming, skin diving, sailing, white-water canoeing, water skiing, and power-boat and "off-shore" racing.

9 The emphasis on physical fitness has involved increasing numbers of Americans in ac­tivities that provide the necessary physical condi­tioning and at the same time offer enjoyment and recreation.

10 Most Americans share the opinion that government should be kept separate from sports, both amateur and professional.

IV MATCH THE NOTIONS IN A PART AND DEFINITIONS IN B PART:

A 1 spectator sport; 2 neighborhood sport; 3 amateur; 4 rugby football; 5 life-saving ;6 tennis; 7 recreation; 8 to overlap; 9 camp;10 jogging;

B 1 the practice or techniques of saving people's lives ;

2 an individual or group activity pursued for exercise or pleasure often involving the testing of phisical capabilities taking the form of a competitive game;

3 a form of football played with an oval ball in which the handling and carrying of the ball is permitted;

4 a sport that attracts more people as spectators than as participants;

5 a racket game played between two players or pairs of players who hit a ball to and fro over a net on a rectangular court of grass, asphalt, clay;

6 a person who engages in an activity, esp a sport, as a pastime rather than professionally or for gain being unskilled in or having only a superficial knowledge of a subject or activity ;

7 refreshment of health or spirits by relaxation and enjoyment ;

8 to coincide partly in time, subject, etc;

9 a place where tents, cabins, or other temporary structures are erected for the use as temporary lodgings by a group of travellers, holiday-makers, Scouts;

10 running at a slow regular pace usually over a long distance as part of an exercise routine;

V INSERT THE MISSING WORD COMBINATIONS IN THE GAPS:

offense and defense, professional players' organizations, rugby and soccer, triathlon,

sporting activities, aircraft and jet engines, baseball and football, sportsmanship, great variety of sports, competition.

1 Both ………are, or course, American developments of sports played in Eng­land.

2 What makes football in the U.S. so different from its European cousins, …….., is not just the size, speed, and strength of its players.

3. There are hundreds of possible "plays" (or moves) for teams on ……… .

4 are therefore very concerned with such things as retirement benefits and pensions

5 Swimming, jogging, cycling, and calis­thenics can be done in company with family members and friends, have no real age limits, and are performed more for health and fun than for ……..

6 The most recent unusual sport that first reached popularity in the U.S. before spreading elsewhere is the…… .

7 The attention given to organized sports should not overshadow the many ……….

which are a part of daily American life.

8 The fact that the average high school offers its students a ………often including rowing, tennis, wrestling and golf may have contributed to the wide and varied interest and participation of Americans have traditionally done well internationally in many of these sports.

9 Among the ”social values” brought up in children are ……..(when they win, American players are expected to say, "well, we were just lucky” and persistence.

10 Americans will race just about anything that has wheels. Not just cars, but also "funny cars" with………, large tracks with special motors, tractors, pick-up trucks with gigantic tires, and even motorcycles with automobile engines.

VI COMPLETE THE TAG QUESTIONS:

1 Hang-gliding became really popular after those same people in California started jumping off cliffs above the ocean,……..?

2 The average American employee usually has three or four weeks of paid vacation time during the summer,……?

3 There are several sports and sports activities in the U.S., which many people think are a bit strange or at least unusual,……?

4 Sledding and tobogganing are equally popular,……?

5Several universities like the highly respected University of Chicago do not take part in any intercollegiate sports whatsoever,…..?

6 Some Americans watching triathlons conclude that keeping fit can't be that much fun,…..?

7The widely available and inex­pensive camp grounds throughout the country also give younger families the chance to-travel on a limited budget,….?

8 Most Americans think that government should be kept separate from sports, both amateur and professional,….?

9 Those who don't understand the countless rules and the many possibilities for plays miss most of the game,….?

10 American high school and college students hardly take (and do not expect) any summer vacation at all,….?

VII QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:

1 What are the most popular spectator sports in the USA today? Why?

2 What makes football in the U.S. so different from its European cousins, rugby and soccer?

3 What two most popular participant sports in the world today are American in origin?

4 Is live broadcasting of professional and collegiate games popular in the USA?

5 What sports and sport activities attract millions of participants?

6 What are possible reasons of the popularity of sports in the USA?

7 Why do professional players' organizations pay special attention to such things as retirement benefits and pensions?

8 Why did universities and sports officials enforce rules which require athletes to be properly enrolled in academic programs in order to qualify for a university team ?

9 Who are sports sponsored by in the USA?

10 What sporting activities accompany Americans in their daily life?

11 What water sports are the most popular?

12 What nontraditional kinds of sport activities are widespread in the USA?

13 What does the triathlon competition include?

14 What are the greatest natural tourist attractions in the USA?

15 How is the National Park System developing in the country?

16 How long does the average American employee vacation last?

17 How do people in America prefer to spend their vacations?

18 How is the children’s recreation activity organized in the USA?

VIII TRANSLATE INTO ENGLISH:

Америка очень спортивная страна. Спортом занимаются не только в специально отведенных для этого местах: любителей бега, например, можно встретить практически повсюду. Постоянная и строгая забота о своем здоровье стала составной частью американского образа жизни, поэтому спортивные площадки и бассейны прочно вошли в здешний быт. Вообще, большинство американцев занимаются спортом весьма активно, может быть потому, что давно уже поняли - сохранять здоровье обходится гораздо дешевле, чем его восстанавливать. Наиболее популярными видами спорта в США являются, пожалуй, бейсбол, американский футбол, баскетбол, плавание, теннис и легкая атлетика. Любимые виды оздоровительной активности – пеший туризм, ходьба, гребля, охота и рыбная ловля. Все они пользуются популярностью и как развлечение, и как тренировка. Но в Америке существует много других видов спортивной деятельности, которые привлекают миллионы участников. Одни просто хотят получить удовольствие, другие испытывают страсть к состязанию, а третьи стремятся к хорошей физической форме и здоровью. Всем этим требованиям хорошо удовлетворяют командные виды спорта – такие, как бейсбол, баскетбол, американский футбол и волейбол, получившие широкую популярность в ХХ веке. Никакой другой вид спорта не вызывает у американцев таких ностальгических воспоминаний, как бейсбол. Столько людей в детстве увлекаются этой игрой, что ее называют «национальным времяпрепровождением». В своем нынешнем виде она возникла из целого ряда сходных игр, в которые люди играли не одно столетие. Хотя современный бейсбол, несомненно, сформировался в Северной Америке, точное происхождение этой игры определить трудно. Сегодня профессиональный бейсбол привлекает на стадионы миллионы зрителей и еще развлекает миллионы людей, которые слушают или смотрят трансляции по радио и телевидению.