I. Before you read the text discuss these questions. 1. What sports games do you know?

1. What sports games do you know?

2. Can you name any famous football players?

SPORTS GAMES (FOOTBALL)

Sports games are generally practiced between individuals or teams, where the players interact to achieve an objective which consists in moving a ball or similar item according to a set of rules, in order to score points. Most sports games appeared as competitive sports in the 19th century, though many of them had been played in some form much earlier. There are games of international importance, as football, basketball, volleyball, handball, tennis, ice-hockey etc., and national games, which are popular only in certain regions or countries, like rugby and cricket in Great Britain and the British Commonwealth of Nations, American football and baseball in the United States etc.

Sports games are practiced all over the world in the form of recreation, participant sport or a spectator sport. They need special equipment and facilities to be played and demonstrated, and form an essential part of the world’s industry, involving building and production, instruction and training, mass media and entertainment.

Football, or soccer, is the most popular of all ball games. Football requires strength, will-power, persistence and endurance. Each team consists of 11 players: a goalkeeper, forwards, halfbacks and fullbacks. Football is played for about 90 minutes, two halves of 45 minutes each with additional time minutes added by referee, the interval being 15 minutes. The team that scores the greatest number of goals is the winner.

The homeland of modern football is England where in October, 1863 the first football association was formed and the rules were worked out. The first international soccer match was played in 1872 between Scotland and England. Now more than 140 countries belong to the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA).

II. Answer the questions to the text.

1. What is а sports game?

2. What are the most popular games?

3. What are the basic rules of football?

4. What qualities does football require?

5. What is the origin of football?

6. What is the governing body of football?

III. Think of some more questions to the text.

IV. Say whether these statements are true or false.

1. The homeland of modern football is the USA.

2. Now more than 140 countries belong to the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA).

3. Football is played for about 120 minutes, two halves of 60 minutes.

4. Most sports games appeared as competitive sports in the 20th century.

5. Sports games don’t need special equipment and facilities to be played and demonstrated.

IV. Find the English equivalents for the following words and expressions. набирать очки, спортивное соревнование, Международная Федерация Футбола, футбольный матч, сила воли, настойчивость, набирать очки, игры международного значения, массовый спорт, вратарь, нападающий, полузащитник, защитник, Британское Содружество Наций.

V. Fill in the missing words.

1. The first international soccer match was played in 1872 between … and England.

2. The team that scores the greatest number of … is the winner.

3. Football is played for about 90 minutes, two … of 45 minutes.

4. Rugby and cricket are popular in Great Britain and the British … of Nations.

5. The players … to achieve an objective which consists in moving a ball or similar item according to a set of rules.

TEXT 9

Vocabulary

to array serve advantage court surface material row net

построиться подача преимущество площадка покрытие ряд сетка

I. Before you read the text discuss these questions.

1. What is volleyball?

2. What are the rules of volleyball?

3. Can you name any famous volleyball players?

SPORTS GAMES (VOLLEYBALL)

Volleyball is a popular recreational game and a competitive sport. Volleyball as a recreational game is played indoors and outdoors on any court. The competitive volleyball is divided into volleyball and beach volleyball. Beach volleyball is played outdoors on a sand court with two players in a team. Normally volleyball is played indoors on a court made of wood or other indoor surface material. There are six players in a team.

In a standard game the teams are arrayed in two rows on each side of the net. The game starts with a serve by the right back of the serving team. Each team tries to hit the ball to the floor of the other team’s court and to make it difficult for the other team to return the ball. Every team scores a point each time the ball touches the other team’s floor or whenever that team hits the ball more than three times. Volleyball games are played in three or five sets, until the score of 25 points with 2 points advantage is reached in every set, with the exception of the last one, in which 15 points are sufficient for the victory.

The main qualities of volleyball players are springiness, reaction, coordination and physical strength. The ball is usually played with the hands or arms, but players can legally throw the ball with any part of the body.

Volleyball can be played formally but some people or fans play volleyball for enjoyment because the rules and equipment are very simple. There are different kinds of volleyball: beach volleyball, mini-volleyball, pioneer ball, park volleyball.

Volleyball was invented in the USA in 1895 by the physical fitness instructor William G. Morgan. The first international volleyball tournament was held in Paris in 1931. In 1946 the International Volleyball Federation was formed (FIVB). In 1961 volleyball was added to the program of the Olympic Games.

In Ufa there is a Russian male volleyball club called «Ural». It was founded in 1992.