Takacs was a part of Hungary’s world-champion pistol shooting team in 1938. (3)

Text 3

Aquatics

Aquatics are a combination of 4 sports: Diving, Water polo, Synchronized swimming, and Swimming.

Synchronized swimming is for women only. It is like dancing in water. In order for swimmers to stay underwater they have to put a clip on their noses. Women compete as a pair or as part of a team. There are speakers in water so swimmers can hear the music better.

Diving has several events. There is 10m platform diving for men and women, 3m springboard diving for men and women, and Synchronized diving for men and women from both the 10m platform and 3m springboard. Divers do many different kinds of dives. The synchronized diving is done by two divers at a time. Judges score the dives and the diver with the best score wins.

Water Polo is like handball in water. There are six players on each side and one goal keeper. They are not allowed to touch the bottom of the pool at any time. The offense has 35 seconds to score a goal. If they are not successful the defense will get the ball. There are 4 quarters in a game, each is seven minutes long. The winner is the team that scores the most goals.

In the Olympics Swimming has 26 individual events and six relay or team events for both men and women. They take place in a 50 meter pool. There is backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle, and individual medley for men and women in different distances. The relays are the freestyle and the medley. In the 1972 Olympics US swimmer Mark Spitz won seven gold medals.

Swimming was one of the sports at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Water polo was included in 1900, Diving in 1904, and Synchronised swimming was added in 1984.

Vocabulary

Exercises

I. Give Russian equivalents to the following words and word combinations:

To stay underwater, to put a clip on the nose, to hear the music better, different kinds of dives, to be done by two divers, to be like handball in water, to touch the bottom of the pool, to score a goal, to take place in a 50 meter pool, freestyle and the medley, to be included in.

II. Suggest the English for:

Синхронное плавание, оставаться под водой, надевать зажим на нос, могут слышать музыку, разные виды погружений, забивать гол, дотрагиваться до дна бассейна, баттерфляй, защитник, нападающий.

III. Insert the missing words:

1) Aquatics are a _______ of 4 sports. Synchronized _______ is for women only.

2) The synchronized diving is done by two ______ at a time.

3) Judges ______ the dives.

4) Water Polo is like ______ in water.

5) Synchronized swimmers have to put a _______ on their noses.

IV. Is it true or false?

1) Synchronized swimming is for men only.

2) In order for swimmers to stay underwater they have to put a cap on their heads.

3) The synchronized diving is done by three divers at a time.

4) There are 4 quarters in a game, each is seven minutes long.

5) In the Olympics Swimming has 27 individual events.

6) In the 1972 Olympics US swimmer Mark Spitz won seven gold medals.

V. Complete the sentences:

1) Aquatics are a combination of 4 sports: ______________________.

2) In order for swimmers to stay underwater they have _______________

3) There are speakers in water so swimmers can ______________________.

4) Water Polo is like ______________________.

5) They are not allowed to touch ____________________________.

6) The relays are ___________________________________.