Vocabulary. to attract attention — привлекать внимание

hardly — едва, с трудом

to attract attention — привлекать внимание

amateur — любительский

to develop — развиваться

widely spread — широко распро­страненный

tournament — турнир, спортив­ное

race — гонка;

races — скачки, бега

event — событие

rowing — гребля, гребной спорт

conditions — условия

probably — вероятно

at least — по крайней мере

to devote — посвящать

The Englishmen are known to be great sports-lovers. One of the most popular British games is cricket, which foreigners can hardly understand. Cricket is played by two teams of 11 men. Players usually wear white clothes. Cricket is a very' slow game. Matches last from one to five days. It is played all over the country in summer. To many Englishmen cricket is both a game and a standard of behaviour. When they consider anything unfair, they say " That's not cricket."

Another game which attracts the greatest attention is soccer. There are plenty of soccer clubs in every town. The Cup Final played in London is the main event of the football season. Rugby football is also very popular, but it is played mainly by amateurs. It's a kind of English football in which the players use their hands for carrying the ball. This game is played by teams of 15 men with an oval ball.

Golf began to develop in Scotland and now is widely spread all over Britain. A great number of people play and watch tennis. The most famous tennis tournament is the one in Wimbledon. Horse racing is also extremely popular in Great Britain. The racing season includes five races. The Derby is one of the most famous sporting events in the whole world. The English also like playing golf, baseball, basketball and bowling. Athletic sports such as running, jumping, rowing, swimming, boxing and gymnastics are practised at schools and colleges. The annual Oxford-Cambridge boat race on the river Thames attracts lots of people and is very popular. In Scotland where there arc good conditions for winter sports skiing is very popular.

Sport probably plays a more important part in people's lives in Britain than it does in most other countries. Millions of people take part in some kind of sport at least once a week. Many millions more are regular spectators and follow one or more sports. There are hours of televized sport each week. Every newspaper devotes several pages entirely to sport. Indeed, sport in one form or another is an essential part of daily life in Britain.

Answer the following questions:

1. What popular British sports do you know? 2. What sports were invented in the UK? 3. What sports are especially associated with Britain? 4. What do you know about cricket? 5. What kinds of racing are popular in Britain? 6. Why do many sports games have English names? 7. What famous sporting events in Britain do you know? 8. What are the most popular teenager's sports in the UK? 9. Do you know any outstanding British sportsmen/women? 10. Does sport play an important part in the life of British people? Can you prove it?