II. Answer the questions to the text.

1. Why and by whom was basketball created?

2. What is National Basketball Association?

3. How is basketball played?

4. How do the players score in basketball?

5. How many players are there in each team?

6. What qualities does basketball require?

 

III. Choose the correct variant.

1. When was the National Basketball Association founded?

a) in 1949 b) in 1959 c) in 1849

2. When did the history of basketball begin?

a) in 1891 b) in 1949 c) in 1892

3. Basketball is a fast and exciting game played between two teams of … players.

a) four b) five c) seven

4. Who created basketball?

a) James Neismith, USA b) Jack Neismith, USA c) Neismith, UK

5. Players score by ____ a large inflated ball into baskets.

a) shooting b) hitting c) throwing

6. A player can advance the ball toward the basket only by dribbling or passing the ball to a ___

a) team-mate b) guard c) referee

7. NBA is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in ___

a) South America b) North America c) Latin America

8. The first basketball match was played on ___

a) March 2, 1936 b) March 2, 1891 c) March 2, 1892

9. Each team also tries to prevent the other team from ___

a) scoring b) passing c) dribbling

10. Basketball is the world’s most popular ___ sport.

a) outdoor b) indoor c) competitive

b)

IV. Find the Russian equivalents for the following words and expressions. teamwork, end in a tie, indoor game, the International Basketball Federation, great endurance, score points, opposing team, shoot the ball, dribble the ball, team-mate, prevent from scoring, additional time.

 

V. Say whether these statements are true or false.

1. NBA is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league only in North America.

2. The International Basketball Federation was founded in the 19th century.

3. FIBA players are the world's best paid sportsmen, by average annual salary per player.

4. Baskets hang at the height of 3 m 05 cm above the ground at each end of the basketball court.

5. A player can advance the ball toward the basket only by dribbling, kicking or passing the ball to a team-mate.

 

TEXT 11

 

Vocabulary

timekeeper scorekeeper adherent   судья-секундометрист (следит за временем игры) судья-секретарь (следит за счетом) последователь

 

I. Before you read the text discuss these questions.

1. What is handball?

2. What are the handball rules?

3. Can you name any famous handball players?

SPORTS GAMES (HANDBALL)

Handball is a no-contact game played either outdoors by two opposing teams or indoors by teams of 7-a-side (6 field players and a goalkeeper). It is played with one or two hands by catching, passing, and throwing the ball. The aim is to score by throwing the ball into the opponents goal. The playing time is 2 halves of 30 minutes. Two referees with equal authority shall be in charge of each game. They are assisted by a timekeeper and a scorekeeper.

Handball or handball-like games were played all over the world in antiquity, but handball as it is played today was first introduced in about 1890 by a German gymnastics master, Konrad Koch. After the First World War it was adapted to Association football rules and became a popular activity in Western Europe as a regular sport in schools, clubs, colleges, and universities. The International handball federation founded in 1928 governs international handball. During the 1928 Olympic Games a demonstration handball match was played. Men’s field handball was played at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin at the special request of Adolf Hitler. It was removed from the Olympic Program until it returned as team handball in 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Women’s team handball was added as an Olympic discipline at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

Handball has undergone a significant change in its development. Until 1952 field handball (11-a-side) was the main version of the game, indoor handball (7-a-side), also called team handball being played almost exclusively in Scandinavia. Since then, the indoor version has gained more adherents, so that the position nowadays is reversed: team handball is played all over the globe, the field game only in certain countries of central Europe.

II. Answer the questions to the text..

1. What is handball as a competitive sport?

2. Where is handball played?

3. How is handball played?

4. What is handball’s history?

5. What changes did handball undergone in its development?

6. What is the governing body of handball?