Use the derivatives of the words on the right to complete the text. some people think so (1) highly of the seven-day week. they say it is a real monument to (2) knowledge. other people call the seven-day week illogical, but are people always (3) maybe this illogicality makes life more (4) for
us. so who is right? let’s have a look at some (5) events. the early west (6) had a four-day week. the ancient (7) had an eight-day week. do you know why? that was a period of time between their markets. other cultures had (8) views. the (9) had a cycle of fifteen days, the (10) ten. it was
the (11) of mesopotamia who first used the seven-day week. they decided to have one day for each of the most (12) objects in the sky – the sun, the moon and five major planets people can see. 1. high 2. astronomy 3. logic 4. interest 5. history 6. africa 7. rome 8. differ 9. china 10. egypt 11.
astrology 12. importance
The History of the Olympic Games
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.
The games were held every four years in Olympia on the territory of Elis. The first games which later were called the Olympic Games were held about a thousand years before our era.
Usually the Olympic Games began before the middle of the summer^ Best athletes arrived from many Greek states to Olympia to compete in running, long jumps, throwing of discus and javelin and wrestling. In the course of time fist fighting (boxing) and chariot races were also included in the Games.
All athletes took an oath that they had been preparing well for the Games and promised to compete honestly and keep the rules of the sacred Olympics. The athletes took part in all kinds of competitions. Winners were called «olympionics», they were awarded olive wreaths and cups of olive oil. This tradition has survived. In our time sportsmen often get cups and wreaths for winning the first place in sports competitions.
The olympionics of ancient Greece became very popular. Best craftsmen were chosen to make honourary cups, many poets wrote and recited in public poems about the best athletes. Sculptors made their statues which were put up at the birthplace of the winners.
The Olympic Games were accompanied by arts festivals. Poets recited their poems, singers sang hymns dancers danced and orators pronounced speeches — all this in honour of the sacred Games.
Only men could take part in the Olympic Games. Women were not allowed even to watch the competitions at the stadium under the fear of death penalty. There was a single exception, when a woman coached her son and accompanied him to the stadium in men's clothes. That brave woman was spared the penalty because her son excelled in many events.
Magnificent strong bodies inspired artists and sculptors. They painted wall pictures and made statues of marble and bronze, so now we can admire the corporal beauty of ancient and eternally young discus thrower, javelin bearer and others.
The Olympic Games had been held for about eleven hundred years, until the emperor Theodosius banned them for religious reasons in 394 A. D.
The revival of the Olympic Games began long time afterwards, in 1892, when a young French teacher Pierre de Coubertin made a public speech before the Union of French sports clubs in Paris.
At that time many people in many countries practised various kinds of sports and games. They wanted to make friends and compete with sportsmen from other lands. Pierre de Coubertin understood the importance of sports which unified peoples of the world and served the cause of peace like in ancient time.
On the 23rd of June 1894 the International Congress of amateur sportsmen made an important decision: to revive the Olympic Games and to establish the International Olympic Committee which would be responsible for the administration of the modern-Olympic Games.
The first Committee consisted of 12 members. Now 82 members of the International Olympic Committee control the affairs of all member countries which joined the Olympic movement.
African countries boycotted the Olympics in protest against the recent match of the South African rugby team in New Zealand.
Olympics opened Queen Elizabeth II as head of Canada , and the entire royal family was present at the opening ceremony .
Canada has not won a single gold medal at this Olympics (5 silver and 6 bronze ) .It was the first and only time that the tournament hosts have not received major awards .
In Montreal, there are many technical innovations . For example, in the main arena put two giant TV screen 20x10 m for slow motion performances of athletes. Swimming pool built a special design that allows " extinguish" the wave. Finally, use a completely unexpected way to transport the Olympic flame .The Olympic flame was brought into the stadium by satellite .Olympic Stadium Tower is the highest building in the world inclined .
At the Montreal Games were a lot of achievements. In the triple jump athlete defeated Victor Saneev . First in the history of the Olympics athlete third consecutive time won gold medals in this competition. For the year to Montreal few could have imagined like. In the autumn of 1975 in the Mexican capital was an event which made everyone think that the star Victor has waned . After all, did not anyone famous Brazilian Joao Carlos de Oliveira made a second after Bob Beamon "leap into the XXI Century" - 17 m 89 cm , improved the world record once Saneeva 45 cm
It is rare that all three podium athletes took a single country. It is this collective " climbing " made Soviet hammer throwers : Yuri Sedykh , Alexey Spiridonov and Anatoly Bondarchuk , the champion of the Munich Olympic Games.
Монреальская Олимпиада является самой дорогостоящей в истории. Она стоила 5 миллиардов долларов, что эквивалентно 20 миллиардам в 2006 году. Город расплачивался за олимпийские долги вплоть до 2006 года.
Олимпиаду бойкотировали африканские страны протестуя против недавнего матча южноафриканской сборной по регби в Новой Зеландии.
Олимпиаду открывала Королева Елизавета II как глава Канады, при этом вся королевская семья присутствовала на церемонии открытия.
Канада не выиграла ни одной золотой медали на этой Олимпиаде (5 серебряных и 6 бронзовых). Это был первый и единственный раз, когда хозяева турнира не получили главных наград.
В Монреале появилось много технических новинок. Например, на главной спортивной арене разместили два гигантских телеэкрана 20х10 м для замедленного повтора выступлений спортсменов. Построили плавательный бассейн особой конструкции, позволяющей "гасить" волны. Наконец, использовали совершенно неожиданный транспортировки олимпийского огня. Олимпийский огонь был доставлен на стадион с спутника. Башня Олимпийского стадиона является самой высоким наклонным сооружением в мире.
На монреальских Играх было немало достижений. В тройном прыжке победил атлет Виктор Санеев. Впервые в истории Олимпиад спортсмен третий раз подряд завоевал золотые медали в этом виде состязаний. За год до Монреаля мало кто мог предположить подобное. Осенью 1975 г. в столице Мексики произошло событие, которое заставило всех думать, что звезда Виктора уже закатилась. Ведь никому тогда не известный бразилец Жоао Карлос ди Оливейра совершил второй после Боба Бимона "прыжок в XXI век" - на 17 м 89 см, улучшив мировой рекорд Санеева сразу на 45 см.
Редко бывает, чтобы все три ступени пьедестала почёта заняли спортсмены одной страны. Именно такое коллективное "восхождение" совершили советские метатели молота: Юрий Седых, Алексей Спиридонов и Анатолий Бондарчук, чемпион мюнхенских Олимпийских игр.