The United States of America is situated in the southern half of North America. It occupies a favourable geographical position being washed by two oceans and having various climate zones. Stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean the USA borders upon Canada in the North and upon Mexico in the South. The USA is a federation of 50 states. The United States’ flag is called the “Stars and Stripes”. It has thirteen red and white stripes and fifty white stars on a blue square. One star is for each state of the United States now, and the stripes are for the first thirteen states of the union. Americans enjoy their flag. They use it as a popular design on shirts, shoes, hats-anywhere and everywhere in fact.
The USA is a sports-loving nation. Sports in America take a variety of forms: organised competitive struggles, athletic games played for recreation and fishing. Most sports are seasonal, some sports are commercial and professional.
Americans like both to engage in sports and to watch games being played. They are also fond of reading and talking about sports. Usually, several pages of the daily paper are devoted to discussing sport events, and games are carried on television and radio. Baseball is the most popular sport in the United States. Football is the most popular sport in the fall. It is still played by almost every college and university in the country. There are professional football teams in all major cities of the United States. Basketball is the winter sport in American schools and colleges. Other spectator sports include wrestling, boxing and horse racing.
1. Ответьте на вопросы.
2. Where is the USA situated?
3. Which countries does the USA border upon?
4. What are forms of sports in America?
5. What kinds of sports are the most popular in America?
6. What can you say about the flag of the USA?
II. Расположите в логической последовательности:
1. There are professional football teams in all major cities of the United States.
2. Most sports are seasonal, some sports are commercial and professional.
3. The USA is a sports-loving nation.
4. Other spectator sports include wrestling, boxing and horse racing.
5. Baseball is the most popular sport in the United States.
III. Вставьте слова и словосочетания.
borders upon, union, everywhere, stripes, is situated, stars.
1. The United States of America … in the southern half of North America.
2. Stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean the USA … Canada in the North and upon Mexico in the South.
3. It has thirteen red and white … and fifty white … on a blue square.
4. They use it as a popular design on shirts, shoes, hats-anywhere and … in fact.
5. The stripes are for the first thirteen states of the ….
TEXT 5
Sport in our life.
People all over the world are fond of sports and games. Sport makes people healthy, keeps them fit, more organized and better disciplined. Some people go in for sports for their health and some for professional aims.
There are many stadiums, sports grounds, swimming pools and football fields in each town. Practically all kinds of sports are popular in this country but football, figure skating and tennis enjoy the greatest popularity. A lot of people are fond of jogging. In the morning and in the evening we can see people jogging in the parks, stadiums and even in streets. In every school pupils spend much time doing sports. First of all they have their physical training lessons. And when school is over they may train at different sports clubs and sections in different kinds of sports. Professional sport is also paid much attention to in this country. Every four years the Olympic Games take place in different countries with the participation of Russian athletes.
There are Summer and Winter Olympic Games. This is a great sport competition of the best athletes in the world. The Olympic Games enjoy great popularity in Russia both with athletes and sports fans.
I. Ответьте на вопросы.
1. How does sport help people?
2. Are there any sports facilities in each town?
3. What is a great sport competition in the world?
1. Закончите предложения как в тексте.
2. In every school…
3. Professional sport…
4. Every four years…
5. In the morning…
TEXT 6
Sport in Great Britain.
Sport plays such a large part in British life that many idioms in the English language have come from the world of sport. For example “to play the game” means “to be fair” and “that’s not cricket” means “that’s not fair”.
The British are proud that many sports originated from there and then spread throughout the world. The national British sports are: football, golf, cricket, table tennis, lawn tennis, darts, racing.
The most popular sport in Britain is football. A lot of people support their local clubs at matches on Saturday afternoons or watch the matches live on television.
Golf is Scotland’s chief contribution to British sport.
English people love cricket. Cricket is played in schools, colleges and universities, in most towns and villages. Test matches with other countries are held regularly.
Both men and women either in exclusive tennis clubs or on public tennis courts play tennis. People all over the world know Wimbledon as the centre of lawn tennis. The Wimbledon championship, in which the leading rackets of the world compete, is held annually in a southern suburb of London.
Englishmen like racing. There are all kinds of racing in England: horse-racing, motor-car racing, boat-racing, dog-racing, donkey-racing. The most famous boat –racing in England is between the Oxford and Cambridge. It is rowed over a course on the river Thames. Thousands of people go to watch it.
You see, all sports are very popular among British.
I. Answer the questions
1. Does sport play a large part in British life?
2. What is the most popular sport in Britain?
3. What is Scotland’s contribution to British sport?
II. True or False?
1. English people don’t love cricket.
2. Only women play tennis.
3. Englishmen like racing.
4. All sports are very popular among British.
TEXT 7