Olympic Games

Once in four years the Olympic Games take place in different countries. There are Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The Olympic Games are very popular in all countries. The sportsmen compete in football, basketball, boxing, weight-lifting, field athletics and many other kinds of sport.

In 2008 Olympic Games were in Peking (Beijing), China. Ukrainian team won 27 medals: 7 gold medals, 5 silver medals, 15 bronze medals.

Ukraine competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom from July 27 to August 12, 2012. The National Olympic Committee of Ukraine sent a total of 238 athletes to the Games, 121 men and 117 women, to compete in 21 sports. The nation's team size was smaller by 5 athletes from the Beijing games.

The Ukrainian team included five Olympic champions from the previous games (shooter Artur Ayvazyan, archer Viktor Ruban, heptathlete Nataliya Dobrynska, sprint canoer Inna Osypenko, and boxer Vasyl Lomachenko). Among these champions, Lomachenko was the only athlete to successfully defend his Olympic boxing title this time in the men's lightweight division. Previously, he became the champion in the men's featherweight division, which was removed from the Olympic programme due to its replacement of the women's boxing categories. Double Olympic medalist and judoka Roman Gontiuk was appointed by the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine to carry the nation's flag at the opening ceremonies.

By results, Ukraine's participation in these Olympic Games was perceived as successful with 20 medals (6 gold, 5 silver, and 9 bronze), the lowest in Summer Olympic history since its debut in 1996. Five of these medals were awarded in boxing including two gold medals won by Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk from the men's heavyweight division. Three medals were all received in sprint canoeing, Yuriy Cheban (who won only the gold medal in the men's fastest sprint singles in canoeing) and Osypenko (who earned two silver medals as an individual athlete in the women's kayak division). Two other medals for an individual athlete were received by pistol shooter Olena Kostevych, winning two bronze. Ukraine also awarded its first ever gold medal from the women's quadruple sculls in the rowing event.

QUIZ

1. Ukraine _________a country in Eastern Europe, and the second largest country in Europe after Russia.

a) is c) was

b) are d) were

2. Ukraine is a land _______ with good climate, fertile soil and excellent geographic situation.

a) blesses c) blessing

b) blessed d) has blessed

3. The capital city of Ukraine____ Kyiv with a population of about 2,6 million people.

a) are c) is e) have been

b) has been d) was

4. From the 9^th century Ukraine was a part of Kievan Rus, the first significant East Slavic state which_____ to the Mongol invasions of the 13^th century.

1. is succumbed

2. has succumbed

3. succumbed

4. succumbs

5. Pysanka, a decorated Easter egg, is a meaningful symbol ____ Ukraine.

a) at c) between

b) of d) to

6. Easter is the biggest Christian holiday _____Ukraine.

1. on c) in

2. at d) across

7. Christmas has only recently gained official status in Ukraine, it ______for years in families and it still retains a private atmosphere.

1. survived c) is rurviving

2. has survived d) survives

8. Ukraine is a country of ancient cultural traditions, many of which_____ roots since the pre-Christian times.

1. have b) have had c) are having

9. Christmas vertep ______ the traditional folk puppet theatre.

a) is b) are c) wiil be

10. Every religious holiday in Ukraine ____ by the ringing of church bells.

1. has marked c) is marked

2. marks d) is marking

11. The Ukrainian currency ______ hryvnia.

1. is b) are c) have been