Track – and – Field athletics

Track – and field athletics is a world-wide sport that has grown in popularity since the days of Greeks. Records of organized competitions in track events date back from the first Olympic Games in 775 B. C. It is a sport in which techniques constantly change as stronger athletes taught by better coaches break through new record barriers.

Track – and – field athletics includes many events, such as: running: middle distance race, steeple – chase, relay race, cross – country race; 1) trial run, running on toes, running in the curve, jogging, drive to accumulate, find race etc.; 2) jumping: high jump, scissors high jump, long jump, hop, step and jump, pole vault, standing jump, squat, jump, running jump, standing hop, etc.; the discus throwing, the hammer throwing, the javelin throwing, the shot – put, walking, pentathlon and decathlon.

Each of these events have their own skill and many of them are difficult to learn. There is a lot to learn in this sport.

The young athlete who trains without purpose or proper direction will soon tire of the sport. There are certain general principles which must be followed. The athlete studies his event as both its technique and training methods.

The “Queen of Sport” is not exacting – any kind of stadium or court is a fine training place for a jumper, a runner, a shot – putter or hammer – thrower.

Vocabulary:

track – and field athletics – легка атлетика

constantly changes – постійно змінюється

to include – включати

middle-distance race / run – біг на середню дистанцію

steeple-chase – біг з перешкодами

relay race – естафетний біг

cross country race – біг по пересіченій місцевості

trial run – контрольний біг

running on toes – біг на носках (ніг)

running in the curve – біг на повороті

jogging, jog – розминочний біг

drive to accelerate – біг з прискоренням

final race – фінальний біг

high jump – стрибок у вишину

scissors high jump – стрибок у вишину з переступом

long jump – стрибок у довжину

hot, step and jump – потрійний стрибок

pole vault – стрибок з шестом

standing jump – стрибок з місця

squat jump – стрибок із зігнутими ногами

long jump with running – стрибок у довжину з розбігу

running jump – стрибок з розбігу

standing hop, step and jump – потрійний стрибок з місця

discus throwing – метання диска

hammer throwing – метання молота

javelin throwing – метання списа

shot – put – штовхання ядра

walking – спортивна ходьба

pentathlon – пятибор’є

decathlon – десятибор’є

I. Answer the following questions:

1. What time has track-and-field athletics grown in popularity?

2. How far do competitions in track events date back from?

3. When do techniques change in this kind of sport?

4. What events does track-and-field include?

5. What happens to the athletes who train without purpose?

6. What must a young athlete follow?

7. Where can athletes have their training lessons?

II. Insert propositions wherever necessary:

1. Be quicker or you’ll be late ___ your lessons. 2. What event are you taking part ___? 3. Can you say that track - and field is the leading sport ___ our country? 4. Two runners should be ___ two meters apart. 5. Our opponents are ___ good form. 6. What kind ___ jumping do you know? 7. I have special training lessons three times ___ a week: ___ Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 8. Every training lesson begins ___ a warming - up period. 9. The boy disappeared ___ the corner. 10. You can address the referee ___ the captain only.

III. Insert articles wherever necessary:

1. Track - and field athletics is ___ leading sport in our country. 2. It’s very dark here. Will you turn on ___ light, please? 3. I wonder why ___ Browns haven’t come yet. 4. Charles Dickens, one of ___ most popular English novelists, was born on ___ 7 ^th of February, 1812. 5. How long does it take you to get to ___ University on foot? 6. ___book, I took from the library, is very interesting. 7. ___ door is locked, we can’t get into. 8. I advise you to hide ___ matches far from ___ children. 9. You can’t make ___ child obey you by shouting at him all ___ time. 10. ___ expression of ___ child’s face said that he didn’t believe a single word of ___ story.