Lawn tennis

Tennis is the kind of sports I like best of all and therefore I decided to choose it as my sporting speciality.

Tennis is a very beautiful game. It is played with a small ball and rackets on a level court. The court is divided across its middle by a net and includes four service courts, two back courts and two alleys. The alleys are used in playing doubles game (two on a side) but not in playing the singles game (one on a side). Singles court is used for singles game doubles court is used for doubles game. It is divided into two equal parts by a line, so that on each side of the net there are two courts: a right court and a left court. A net is attached to the ports at a height of 0.91 metre or 1.06 metre and must be 1 m in its centre.

The players must stand on opposite sides of the net. The player who first delivers the ball is called the server, and the other the receiver. The choice of sides and right to be server or receiver in the first game shall be decided by toss. The player winning the toss may choose or require his opponent to choose: a) the right to be server or receiver in which case the other player shall choose the side or; b) the side in which case the other player shall choose the right to be server or receiver. To begin a game one player tosses up a ball and bats it over the net with his racket. This is called serving. The server must serve first from the right-hand side of the court standing with both feet back of the base-line, and must bat the ball so that it will fall in the service court diagonally opposite him; if he fails to do this it is called a “fault” and he immediately tries again.

If he serves a fault twice in succession, a point is scored to the opponent (0:15). When the first point has been won or lost the same player serves again; this time from the left side and he continues to serve alternately from right and left side-hand until the games finished. The service ball must not be back over the net before it has touched the ground. Any player to whom a ball is returned must return it is like manners. Playing continues after each service until one of the players fails to return the ball. The ball must not be played until it has passed over the net. After the first point is made up, a player counts fifteen, the second fifteen making thirty, the third ten making forty and the fourth wins the game.

Experienced tennis players must use different tactics against every opponent. Experts say that a tennis player’s style reflects his character.

Vocabulary:

on a level court – на рівному корті

across its middle – посередині

back court – задня частина корту

alley – коридор

doubles game – парна гра

singles game – одиночна гра

right service court – праве поле подачі

to deliver the ball – подавати м’яч

choice of sides – вибір сторін (поля)

right to be server – право подавати

to toss – проводити жеребкування

to toss up – підкидати м’яч під час подачі

base-line – задня лінія

fault – невірно поданий м’яч

to reflect – відображати

I. Answer the following questions:

1. Why did you decide to choose tennis as your sporting speciality?

2. What is tennis played with?

3. Where is the court divided by a net?

4. How many service courts are there?

5. What game are alleys used in?

6. What is the height of the posts the net is attached to?

7. Where must the players in tennis stand?

8. How is the player who first delivers called?

9. How is the other player called?

10. What is the right to be server or receiver divided by?

11. What right has the player winning the toss?

12. Where must the server serve first from?

13. What is “fault”?

14. Who is a point scored to if he serves a fault twice in succession?

15. What case mustn’t the service ball be hit back over the net?

16. How long does playing continue?

17. Who do experienced tennis players must use different tactics against?

II. Insert prepositions where necessary:

1. There are three chief strokes ___ tennis.

2. A lot ___ time has gone into preparations to develop power and speed.

3. What is the difference ___ doubles game and singles game?

4. Jim entered ___ the garden carrying a racket ___ his hand.

5. Many sportsmen are playing ___ tennis now.

6. Special attention is paid ___ the medical service ___ our sportsmen.

7. The third goal was scored ___ a young football player.

8. The tournament will be held___Kyiv.

9. They invited me to take part ___ the competition.

10. The captain looked ___ the players and said: “Line up!”

III. Insert articles where necessary:

1. What is ___ depth of ___ Dnipro?

2. Did he know ___ subject well?

3. He answered ___ most difficult question.

4. He became quite ___ different person after ___ competition.

5. He plays ___ golf and ___ tennis well.

6. Does she play ___ piano ___ violin?

7. ___ Kremlin is an old monument of architecture.

8. ___ Black Sea is ___ bluest sea I ever saw.

9. Is ___ Volga longer than ___ Thames?

10. Don’t be late for ___ concert.