The Olympic Games Reading
Olympic Games
The world’s greatest international sports games are the Olympic Games. The Olympic idea means friendship among the people of the world.
The five Olympic rings are the symbol of the unity of five continents. They are of five colours – red, yellow, blue, green and black – on a white field of the Olympic Flag. The flag of any country has at least one of these colours. The Olympic Games have a very long history. They began more than two thousand years ago in Greece and took place every four years at Olympia.
All the cities in Greece sent their best athletes to take part in them. The strongest athletes competed in running, jumping, wrestling, throwing the discus and boxing. The games were very popular, and thousands of Greek came to watch them. It was a tradition to stop wars for the time of the Olympic Games, and people lived in peace. The competitions lasted for five days. When the champions came back home, the people greeted them with flowers. In ancient Greece the games were for men only. Women couldn’t take part in the competitions or even watch them at the stadium.
For a long time, from 394 till 1896, there were no Olympic Games. For about one thousand and five hundred years nothing more was heard of them. The first modern Olympic Games started again in Athens in 1896. Since then the best athletes of the world have met every four years, as it was in Greece many, many years ago. During the two world wars there were no Olympic Games because they cannot take place in a country which is at war. The ancient Greeks had no winter sports. Only in 1924 the first winter Olympic Games took place in France. Now we have summer and winter Olympic Games every four years in different countries. The capitals of many countries have been Olympic cities – Athens, Paris, London, Berlin, Helsinki, Rome, Tokyo, Mexico and others.
The modern sportsmen compete in more than 30 different kinds of sport, among them: running, jumping, athletics, swimming, boxing, basketball, football and others. During the winter Olympic Games there are competitions in skiing, skating, hockey and others.
I. Choose the correct answer and complete the sentences:
1. The Olympic Games began more than ______________.
a) 2000 years ago; b) 1000 years ago; c) 200 years ago
2. They began in ____________.
a) Great Britain; b) Greece; c) Rome
3. The famous Games at Olympia took place every ________ years.
a) five; b)ten; c) four
4. ____________ in Greece sent their best athletes to take part in the Olympic Games.
a) All the cities; b) Some cities; c) The big cities
5. ____________ competed in running, jumping, wrestling, throwing the discus and boxing.
a) Famous people; b) The strongest athletes; c) Not many people
6. The ancient Olympic Games were for ____________ only.
a) men and children; b) men; c) women
7. The first modern Olympic Games started again in Athens in _________.
a) 1899; b) 1896; c) 1889
8. In 1924 the first winter Olympic Games took place in ____________.
a) Britain; b) France; c) Italy
9. Now we have summer and winter Olympic Games every _______ year in different
countries.
a) second; b) fifth; c) fourth
10. The Olympic emblem is __________ rings.
a) five; b) six; c) four
II. Answer the questions:
- When and where did the ancient Olympic Games begin?
- What kinds of sport were popular among the ancient Greeks?
- Were the competitions in Olympia friendly?
- How many days did the ancient Olympic Games last?
- When did the modern Olympic Games start?
- When did the first winter Olympic Games take place?
- How often do summer and winter Olympic Games take place?
- Which kinds of sports do the modern sportsmen compete in?
- What competitions are there during the winter Olympic Games?
10. What do you know about the symbols of the Olympic Games?
11. What does the Olympic flag symbolize?
12. Which cities were the Olympic capitals?
про публікацію авторської розробки
Додати розробку