Sport - anglický jazyk

Sport

Speech
Sports are one of the most popular leisure time activities. This is mainly due to the fact that they help one to keep fit both physically and mentally. Such a form of relaxation as sports is refreshing, can help take off some weight, and makes use of ones skills and strength. Last but not least, during sports events one can meet a lot of new people and see how it feels to be a winner or a loser.

Usually all sports and games are further differentiated into two groups according to where they can be practiced. Indoor sports include for example gymnastics, table tennis, boxing, wrestling etc. On the other hand, among outdoor sports are skiing (down-hill, cross-country, slalom, ski jump), sledding, hiking, rock climbing, horse riding, golf, and some aquatic sports such as rowing or windsurfing. Non-professional cycling, or riding a (mountain) bike, which is one of the most popular activities, is also enjoyed out of doors (on the roads or paths). But most sports and almost all games can be done both indoors and outdoors. Meetings in all the track and field events (sprints, middle and long distance runs, hurdling, high and long jump, pole vault, shot put, javelin and discus throw) take place in summer stadiums as well as in athletic halls. Also one of the healthiest sports, swimming, and figure skating do not actually demand a roofed room. One can easily recognize that those sports which can be done only on ice or snow (skating, skiing etc.) are winter sports whereas alt the rest we call summer or all-season sports.

In our town there are rather many sports facilities available. We can visit both the summer stadium which serves as a track and football field and the ice-rink where one can skate. Next to the summer stadium a few clay tennis and volleyball courts and a handball playground can be found. For indoor activities there is a modem sports hall and several fitness centers around the town.

Our physical training lessons are quite rare. We have them only twice a week. Usually before the lesson starts we change into sports wear such as T-shirts, shorts, track pants sweatshirts, and sneakers in a dressing room. When the weather is good, our lessons are usually filled with running, jumping or simply playing games. But first we must always do a little warm-up exercise (for those who do not do morning exercises it is especially necessary). In winter or in bad weather, though, we go to the gym and do gymnastics. Our gym is fully equipped - there are many apparatuses there (wall bars, horizontal bar, parallel bars, beam, rings, vaulting horse, mats, springboards, climbing rope and pole).

The Olympic Games

The first Olympic Games took place in Olympia. Greece in the year 776 B.C. There exist many legends about the origin of the games. They were probably a part of religious ceremony honoring the Greek God Zeus. They became gradually important and the winners were respected throughout the western world.

The father of the modern Olympic Games is Pierre Coubertin. He was an idealistic dreamer who saw athletics as a way of improving the educational system in France. He gave the Olympic Games international nature. It was his great gift to be able to organize what we would today call “public relations”. The first modern Olympic Games took place in Olympia in 1896. Twelve nations, besides Greece, participated. The modern games, like their ancient models, are supposed to be competitions between individuals, not nations.
 

Some sports

Basketball, volleyball and handball are games popular in Europe as well as in America except handball which is almost unknown in America. They are practiced by sportsmen who need to be excellent in handling the ball. The variety of special skills in throwing, catching, serving, dribbling, passing or setting the ball make these ball games popular among onlookers too.
Ice-hockey is a fast and wild game. There are three twenty-minute periods. Every minute is full of action. Two groups of 6 players hit the small flat puck across the ice with their sticks. The aim (cíl) of the game is to score as many goals as possible.