Хронологические даты

При чтении хронологических дат, годы обозначаются количественным числительным: год 1937 — year nineteen hundred and fifty-seven или nineteen fifty-seven, год 2000 — two thousand. Даты обозначаются порядковым числительным следующим образом: March the tenth, July the fourteenth or the tenth of March. Написание дат может быть различным: March 10, March 10th, 10th March, 10th of March. Дни недели и месяцы обычно пишутся с заглавной буквы: Sunday, August. Обычно после дня недели и даты перед годом ставится запятая: Wednesday, 29th January, 1987.

TEXT 8

Sport

Sport is probably as old as the humanity itself. It has been developing with the developing and growth of the mankind. All over the world people of different ages are very fond of sports and games. Sport not only helps people to become strong and to develop physically but also makes them more organized and better disciplined in their daily activities. It makes for a healthy mind in a healthy body. Sports help people to keep in good health. Millions of people all over the world are fond of sports and games. Sport helps people to stay in good shape, keeps them fit, healthy and makes them more organized and better disciplined in their daily activities. We have always paid great attention to sport in our schools, colleges and universities. You can hardly find a school without a gym or a sports ground. Every city and town has a few stadiums or swimming pools where local competitions are usually held. We all need to exercise. Even if you don't plan to make a career in sport you still have to practice. Regular exercises give you more energy. That is why many people who suffer from general tiredness should take more exercise than more rest. Exercise makes you feel and look better. The best exer­cise is one which involves in repeated movements, those are: walking, jogging or swimming. Bending and stretching will add flexibility and feeling of lightness.

Among the sports popular in our country are football, bas­ketball, swimming, volleyball, ice hockey, tennis, gymnastics, and figure skating. A person can choose sports and games for any season, for any taste.

It’s been a tradition in this country to divide sport into professional and amateur. There are different sporting societies and clubs in Russia. Many of them take part in different international tournaments and are known all over the world. A great number of world records have been set by Russian sportsmen: gymnasts, weightlifters, tennis players, swimmers, figure skaters, runners, high jumpers. Our sportsmen also participate in the Olympic Games and always win a lot of gold, silver and bronze medals. There are also a lot of amateur clubs and keep-fit centers in Russia where people go in for aerobics, yoga, body-building, swimming, skating, jogging. Thousands of people go to the stadiums to support their favourite team and many-many thousands more prefer to watch the games on TV. But watching sports events and going in for sports are two different things.

My favourite kind of sport is tennis. I've been playing it since I was eleven years old, and the more I play it the more I like it. There is a good tennis court not far from my house and whenever I have a chance I go there with a friend of mine.

Questions:

1. Why is sport so important in our life? Why do people go in for sports?

2. Was there a gym or a sports ground in your school?

3. What professional sporting societies or clubs do you know?

4. Are there any keep-fit centers in your neighborhood? Do you do there?

5. Do you go in for sports or do you prefect to watch other people playing?

6. What team are you a fan of?

7. What is your favorite kind of sport?

8. How long have you been playing it?

9. Do you take part in competitions?

10. What games are popular in Russia?