Exam. Sport

Sport

1. Let’s talk about sport. What do you do to keep fit?

The English have a proverb: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” They do not think that play is more important than work; they think that Jack will do his work better if he plays as well, she is encouraged to do both.

Sport has played an important part in our lives for many centuries. For some, it seems as necessary and natural as eating and sleeping, for others, it is just entertainment on television.

Firstly, today it is easy to forget that sport is supposed to be for enjoyment, for the good feeling. Many people nowadays work in offices where they have to sit at desks for 6 or 8 hours a day. For this reason, we feel the need for exercise at the end of the day and turn to sport. And of course sport helps us to get rid of tension and let off steam.

Many people do their morning exercises, jog in the morning, attend sports sections and clubs. Besides, physical training is a compulsory subject in our schools. We play basketball, football or table tennis. In winter we usu­ally ski.

Secondly, I can’t but mention that Belarus is one of the most sport-minded countries in the world. Millions of people – from school children to middle-aged and even old people engage in sport of one kind or another. The principle here is "mass participation" which means giving everybody a chance.

At present sport in our country is paid a lot of attention to by the government and much is being done to set up all necessary facilities for its development. Many skating rinks, stadiums are built for people to go in for sports.

Moreover, Belarusian professional sportsmen achieved a lot of success in major international competitions. They have set up many world and national records in various sports, they have scored outstanding victories at home and abroad.

Among the stars of Belarusian sports there are such athletes known all over the world as: the strongest man in the world, Olympic champion in weightlifting Alexander Kurlovich, repeated Olympic champion, the famous wrestler Alexander Medvedz, the most famous athlete of Olympic Games in Barcelona, six-time Olympic champion, gymnast Vitaly Shcherba, four-time Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics Olga Korbut and four-time Olympic champion in fencing Yelena Belova and many others.

The 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi were the most successful games in the history of Belarusian sport. Belarusian athletes won 5 gold medals (Darya Domracheva – 3, Alla Tsuper – 1, Anton Kushnir - 1) and 1 bronze medal (Nadezhda Skardino). Three-time Olympic champion Darya Domracheva was awarded the Hero of Belarus title. 

To sum it up, I personally can't imagine my life without sport. I jog in the morning and sometimes play sport games with my friends and go to the swimming pool. I also like to watch the Olympic games, especially figure skating com­petitions, on TV.

2. Do you agree that bad habits, like smoking, can be dangerous? Why (not)?

First and foremost, I am absolutely sure that bad habits are dangerous. For example, smoking is the most common bad habit nowadays. Some people start smoking because they think it's a kind of relaxation. Others always men­tion peer pressure or a protest against parents. But smoking is very addictive and very difficult to stop. Besides, smoking leads to lungs and heart diseases. And it shortens our life.

Secondly, many people don’t realize they are addicted to smoking. They think they can easily quit any time they want. But when they try, they understand that it is extremely difficult. Unfortunately, it is very easy to get addicted.

Moreover, the longer you smoke the more damage you do to your body and your health. Most people who begin smoking as teens say that they wish they had never started. The decision to start or continue smoking is all up to you and no one can make you stop, but you should think really hard about whether it is the best thing for your body and your life.

In conclusion, I'd like to say that it's sometimes difficult to give up a bad habit. If you have true friends and close relatives ask them to help you. They will sup­port you in your desire to give up a bad habit. Then try to do sports and try to keep to a balanced diet. It will help you to feel better and to lead a healthier life. Good luck!

3. What questions will you ask a professional sportsman?

1.    Is sport hard work for you?

2.   Do you agree that professional sport is a risky thing?

3.   Have you ever won any competition?

4.   What is your best result?

5.   How do you set your goals?

6.   Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by?

7.    What is your diet like?

4. What can you advise a person who doesn’t know what kind of sport to take up?

For some people, choosing which sports to pursue throughout high school is hard because they have never really played an organized sport before and aren't sure what they'll most enjoy. For others it's a tough decision because their friends don't like to play the same sports.

No matter what your sports dilemma is, you have to make the decision that is best for you. If you're great at volleyball but would rather play football because you think it's more fun, then give the pigskin a go (just make sure it's cool with mom and dad)!

Sports are meant to be fun. If there is a sport you really enjoy but you aren't sure if you can make the team, try out anyway. What's the worst that can happen? If you get cut you can always try another sport.

5. Sport develops character and team spirit. Can you add other points in favour of sport?

Sport is not just about becoming fitter and stronger. Any physical exercise is good for your mind, body and spirit. There are so many unseen benefits from taking up a sport. Here are some reasons in favour of sport:

a) Many athletes do better academically (Sports require memorization, repetition and learning — skillsets that are directly relevant to classwork).

b) Sports teach teamwork and help achieve goals (Fighting for a common goal teaches you how to build a collective team co-operation and effectively communicate).

c) Sports offer many health benefits (Sports also encourage healthy decisions such as not smoking or drinking and offer hidden health benefits such as a lower chance of getting osteoporosis or breast cancer later in life).

d) Sports boost self-esteem (Watching your hard work pay off and achieving your dreams brings about tons of self-confidence. If you can achieve something in a sport or with a fitness goal, then you know you can achieve any other goal you set. This is a very rewarding and exciting process).

e) Playing a sport cuts down on pressure and stress (Exercising is a natural way to loosen up and let go of stress).o 

References:

• Belarus and Sport

• 10 Bad Habits and the Best Ways to Quit Them 

• Benefits of Sports

• Your English Exam Support: Подготовка к экзамену по английскому языку: пособие для учащихся учреждений общего среднего образования / [сост. Н.А. Сергиенко]. – Мозырь: Белый Ветер, 2015. – 97, [3] с.