SPORT IN OUR LIFE

            People all over the world are fond of sports and games. Sport makes people healthy, keeps them fit, more organized and better disciplined. It unites people of different classes and nationalities. Many people do sports on their personal initia­tive. They go in for skiing, skating, table tennis, swimming, volley-ball, football, body-building, etc.

            All necessary facilities are provided for them: stadiums, sports grounds, swimming pools, skating rinks, skiing sta­tions, football fields.

Sport is paid much attention to in our educational estab­lishments. Gymnastics is a part of children’s daily activities in the kindergartens. Physical culture is a compulsory subject at schools and colleges.

           Professional sport is also paid much attention to in our country. In city, where I live, there are different sporting soci­eties, clubs and complexes.

           Practically all kinds of sports are popular in our country, but football, gymnastics and tennis enjoy the greatest popu­larity. As for me, I go in for table tennis (ping-pong). It needs mobility, liveliness and much energy. It keeps a person in agood form. I have been playing tennis for five years, but the more I play, the more I like it. I get a real joy taking part in competitions or simply playing with my friends. Sometimes, I go to tennis courts.

           Certainly, there’s a great distance between my manner of playing and such favorites as Jim Courier, Stephan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, Per Korda, but I do my training with great pleasure and hope to play as well as our best play­ers do.

QUESTIONS:

1. Why are people all over the world fond of sports and games?

2. What necessary facilities are provided for people?

3. What kinds of sports are popular in our country?

4. What is your favourite kind of sport? Why?

VOCABULARY:

fit – в хорошей форме

on personal initiative – по личной инициативе

to pay attention – обращать внимание на

kindergarten – детский сад

compulsory - обязательный

to enjoy popularity — пользоваться популярностью

mobility — мобильность

distance — расстояние