Religion and the ancient games

The ancient Greeks had several gods. One was Zeus and his temple was at Olympia. The Olympic Games were held in his honour and always involved lots of religious ceremonies as well as sporting events.

THE FIRST OLYMPIC SPORTS

A guide to five events at the ancient Games:

The Dalius – a race of approximately 400 metres

The Dolichus – a race of approximately 5.000 metres

Athletes in these events had to run dressed in armour (heavy clothes worn by soldiers)

Chariot Racing – this took place around a circular (in the shape of a circle) course

The Pentathlon – there were five events in the pentathlon; running, the long jump, the discus, the javelin and wrestling

The Pankration – this was a violent and very popular mixture of wrestling and boxing

BARON PIERRE DE COUBERTIN (1863-1937)

He was a French aristocrat with a dream. Fascinated by the ancient Olympics, he decided in 1889 to try and revive them. For him the Games represented ideals which the modern world badly needed: co-operation between nations; honour; fairness; high moral and physical standards. Two important decisions had to be made… where and when? The answers were “Athens” and “1896”. A total of 295 athletes from thirteen countries took part in the first modern Olympics. Watched by 40.000 spectators, they paraded around the new Panathenean stadium on 6^th April… then competition began.

5. Complete the following sentences:

1. Only men were allowed to…

2. The flame is a symbol of…

3. The most important thing is not to win, but…

4. The moto of the Olympic movement:…

5. The first recorded Games were held…

6. In the early days there was just one event – …

7. The ancient Greeks had several gods. One was Zeus and…

8. Two important decisions had to be made… where and when? The answers were:…

Make up a monologue about Olympic Games.

Summarize the following text

SPORTS IN GREAT BRITAIN

The British are known lo be great sports-lovers, so when they are neither playing, nor watching games, they like to talk about them. Many of the games we play now have come from Britain.

One of the most British games is cricket. It is often played in schools, colleges, universities and by club teams all over the country. Summer isn't summer without cricket. To many Englishmen cricket is both a game and a standard of behaviour. When they consider anything unfair, they sometimes say "That isn't cricket".

But as almost everywhere else in the world, the game which attracts the greatest attention is Association football, or soccer. Every Saturday from late August till the beginning of May, large crowds of people support their favourite sides in football grounds. True fans will travel from one end of the country to the other to see their team play. There are plenty of professional and amateur soccer clubs all over Britain. Next to football, the chief spectator sport in British life is horse-racing. A lot of people are interested in the races and risk money on the horse which they think will win. Britain is also famous for motor-car racing, dog-racing, boat-racing, and even races for donkeys. The famous boat-race between the teams of Oxford and Cambridge attracts large crowds of people.

A great number of people play and watch tennis. Tennis tournaments at Wimbledon are known all over the world. The innumerable tennis courts of Britain arc occupied by people between the ages of 16 and 60 who show every degree of skill – from practically helpless to the extremely able.

The British also like to play golf, baseball, hockey, grass-hockey. Various forms of athletics, such as running, jumping, swimming, boxing are also popular. You can sometimes hear that there are no winter sports in England. Of course the English weather is not always cold enough to ski, skate, or toboggan, but winter is a good season for hunting and fishing.

Indeed sport in one form or another is an essential part of daily life in Britain.

 

8. Answer the questions:

1. What do the British do when they are neither playing, nor watching games?

2. What kind of sport is especially associated with Britain?

3. What is cricket for an Englishman?

4. What is the most popular game in the world?

5. Where do the Cup Finals take place?

6. Is rugby played by professionals?

7. What kinds of racing are popular in Britain?

8. What do you know about Wimbledon?

9. What other kinds of sports do the British go in for?

10. What winter sports are popular in Britain?