Windsurfing was invented in the mid-sixties by two southern Californian
surfers, Hoyle Schweitzer and Jim Drake. Surfers need strong rolling
waves, and they hate days of calm sea. Schweitzer noticed that on days
when waves were not high enough to surf, there was often a strong wind
and he set about finding a way to use it. His first experiments involved
standing on his surfboard holding out a piece of sail cloth in his
hands. Gradually he and Drake refined this idea into a basic design for a
sailboard, similar to a surfboard, but holding a mast and a triangular
sail which could be tilted and turned in any direction...
Nowadays, sport is an important thing in the people's life. Some
people prefer to watch different sports events, others choose to take
part in the sport games. Millions watch them on television.
The most popular sports are football, hockey, basketball,
tennis, and motor racing. Many people enjoy watching these competitions.
World Football, Hockey and Basketball Championships attract people from
all over the world. It is wonderful that television is bringing all
kinds of sports to our homes. Sometimes I go to the stadium to watch a
game, but more often I stay at home and watch matches on TV...
In 1453 before Christ the first games were held in Olympia. Beginning
with approximately 776 before Christ the games were organised every
fourth year. These sports consisted of running, wrestling and other
exercises. The favourite games of that time were horse-racing and
jumping. The ancient winners received wreaths of palm leaves. The modern
Olympic Games were revived in 1896. They take place every four years.
They cannot take place in a country which is at war, and during the two
world wars there were no Olympic Games. So except in 1916, 1940 and
1944, the Olympic Games have been held every leap year. Women's events
were held beginning from 1912. Winter Olympic Games first took place in
1924...
Long ago ancient Greeks often waged wars. Small states suffered and lost
much even if they did not take any side and stayed out of wars. The
ruler of such a small state, Elis, wanted to live in peace with all
neighbours. He was a good diplomat because his negotiations were
successful and Elis was recognized a neutral state. To celebrate this
achievement, he organized athletic games.
In the beginning this feast lasted one day, but later a whole
month was devoted to it. All wars and feuds were stopped by special
heralds who rode in all directions of Greece...
Table tennis was first Invented in England in about 1880. At first the
game had several strange names: Gossima. Whiff Whaff and Ping Pong. It
wasn't until 1926 that the International Table Tennis Association was
formed with international championships and rules. Although the...
The English are great lovers of sport; and they are neither playing
nor waching games, they like to talk about them. However, there is
important thing about sport in Britain which we must know. Today, the big-time
sport is professional and famous players can make much money.
Lat's take Football for example. It is the most popular team game in
Britain. It is played in most of the schools, and there are thousands of
amateur teams for young men in all parts of the country. But for most of
the public football is a professional game which is watched on
saturday afternoons at the stadium...
People all over the world are very fond of sports and games. That is
one thing in which people of every nationality and class are united.
The most popular outdoor winter sports are shooting, hunting, hockey and
in the countries where the weather is frosty and there is much
snow-skating, skiing and tobogganing. Some people greatly enjoy
figure-skating and ski-jumping...
Sport is probably as old as the humanity itself. All over the world
people of different ages are very fond of sports and games. Firstly,
sport helps people to become strong and to develop physically. Secondly,
it makes them more organized and better disciplined in their daily
activities. Also sport keeps your mind healthy. Sport helps people to
keep in good health. We all need to exercise. Regular exercises gives
you more energy. Exercises make you feel and look better. The best
exercises are: walking, jogging or swimming. Among the sports popular in
our country are football, basketball, swimming, volley-ball, ice
hockey, tennis, gymnastics, figure skating. A person can choose sports
and games for any season, for any taste....
People all over the world are very fond of sports and games. That is one
of the things in which people of every nationality and class are
united.
The most popular outdoor winter sports are shooting, hunting,
hockey and, in the countries where the weather is frosty and there is
much snow — skating, skiing and tobogganing. It's so nice to go to the
skating-rink on a frosty sunny day. Some people prefer to be out of town
in such weather and to sledge or to ski in the woods. Many people
greatly enjoy figure-skating and ski-jumping...
Americans' interest in sports seems excessive to many foreign visitors.
Television networks spend millions of dollars arranging to telecast
sports events. Publications about sports sell widely. In the US
professional athletes can become national heroes.
Sports are associated with educational institutions in a way is
unique. High schools have coaches as faculty members, and school teams
compete with each other.
Nowhere else in the world are sports associated with colleges and
universities in the way they are in the States. College sports,
especially football, are conducted in an atmosphere of intense
excitement and pageantry....