7. Sports Activities

drastic – коренной

household gadgets – бытовые приборы

lately– за последнее время

tokeepfit– поддерживать форму

weightlifting– тяжелая атлетика

fencing- фехтование

skiing–лыжный спорт

amateur– любительский

todosports– заниматься спортом

lungs- легкие

tissues– ткани (организма)

to nourish - питать

to share - разделять

to be devoted – быть преданным

to rely on – полагаться на

to apply oneself in – применить себя в чем-то

self-esteem – самоуважение

self-confident - самоуверенность

to foster – воспитывать

will power – сила воли

endurance - выносливость

indispensable - необходимый

to be persevering – быть стойким, упорным

vulnerable – уязвимый

We see many drastic changes in the life of people nowadays. Less than a hundred years ago many of the things we do now were thought to be impossible. Our great-grandfathers couldn't even imagine the things we use every day like a TV set, a computer, etc. Changes have taken place in various aspects of our life. A lot of household gadgets and modern appliances, which make our life easier, have appeared. But also many problems arise from these changes. We do less exercise nowadays; people have become weaker, we run a high risk of catching diseases in big cities. That is why sports have gained popularity lately.

Sports help us to keep fit. There are plenty of sports, such as running, swimming, athletics, weightlifting, fencing, skiing, tennis, football, basketball etc. All sports require an effort. We should distinguish between professional and amateur sports, as professional sport requires a lot of time and it becomes the main activity. When we do sports our heart and lungs are forced to work harder in order to provide enough oxygen. As a result tissues are nourished better. Sports help us to arrange our daily schedule, because we must be well organized to have enough time for sports. Moreover we become stronger and better trained.

Sports are a source of relaxation and satisfaction. We get acquainted with many people. So we learn to share the team spirit, to be devoted to our friends, to support them. Your friends can rely on you. Sports give an opportunity to apply yourself in life. On account of the fact that brain is nourished better while a person is doing sports, we improve our performance at high school. Doing sports helps us to raise our self-esteem, become self-confident and independent. Sports foster will power, endurance. They prevent people from smoking, drinking and drug-addiction, but professionals use steroids and even drugs to improve their performance. Sports contribute to international cooperation. When sportsmen come to international competitions, they travel and learn about other peoples' customs and traditions.

We benefit a lot from doing sports. They help us become a success in life. Sports are indispensable in terms of forming our characters. We learn to be persevering. Sports help us resist infections and not to be vulnerable to some diseases.

Answer the questions to the text

1. Why have sports gained popularity lately?

2. What is the difference between professional and amateur sports?

3. How do sports influence people?

4. Why must people do sports?

5. What sports are the most popular in the world?

6. What is your favorite kind of sport?