MUNICIPAL EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
«SHAKHOVSKAYA GYMNASIUM»
SPORT IN OUR LIFE
Report in English
Made by Fedorov Innokentii
10th “A” Form
The teacher Kolesnikova Lyudmila Pavlovna
Shakhovskaya
2017
Муниципальное бюджетное общеобразовательное учреждение
«Шаховская гимназия»
СПОРТ В НАШЕЙ ЖИЗНИ
Реферат
Выполнил: Федоров Иннокентий,
ученик 10 а класса.
Руководитель:
Колесникова Людмила Павловна,
учитель английского языка.
г.о. Шаховская
2017
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1. KEY FACTS OF SPORT
• Etymology
• Usage and Definition
• Rules and Records
• Sport Categories
• History
• Present-day kinds of sport
CHAPTER 2. MIND SPORTS
• Draugts
• Chess
• Billiard sports
CONCLUSION
LIST OF LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
As
well-known
Cambrige
Dictionary
says,
“Sport
is
all types of physical activity that people do to keep healthy or for enjoyment”
Sport (British English) or sports (American English) includes all kinds
of competitive physical activity or games. There is also a number of non-physical
activities, named “mind sports”.
In general, sport is a form to improve physical ability and skills of participants,
from one side, and entertainment for fans and spectators, from another. The world's
most accessible and practiced sport is running, while association football is the
most popular spectator sport.
CHAPTER 1
KEY FACTS OF SPORT
Etymology
The word "Sport" comes from the Old French desport meaning "leisure",
“activity that offers amusement or relaxation, entertainment, fun " (the 15th century
meaning) and later we can find the meaning “game involving physical exercise”.
Other meanings include gambling; hunting; and games and diversions, including
ones that require exercise.
Usage and Definition
The singular term "sport" is used in most English dialects to describe the
overall concept (e.g. "citizens are taking part in sport"), with "sports" used to
describe multiple activities (e.g. "football and rugby are the most popular sports in
Great Britain"). American English uses "sports" for both terms.
How can we separate a sport from other leisure activities? SportAccord 1 (the
association for all the largest international sports federations - association
football, athletics, cycling, tennis, equestrian sports etc.) defines sport as a system
of activities which are based in physical athleticism or physical dexterity. And also
this
organization
recognizes
five
non-physical
sports:
bridge,
chess, draughts (checkers), Go and xiangqi, and limits the number of mind games
which can be admitted as sports.
In general, SportAccord's definition of Sport is the following:
•
The sport proposed should include an element of competition.
•
The sport should not rely on any element of “luck” specifically integrated into
the sport.
•
The sport should not be judged to pose an undue risk to the health and safety of
its athletes or participants.
•
The sport proposed should in no way be harmful to any living creature.
•
The sport should not rely on equipment that is provided by a single supplier.
Rules and Records
Sports are usually governed by a set of rules or customs, which serve to
determine the winner. Winning can be determined in two ways:
- by physical events such as scoring goals or crossing a line first;
- by judges who are scoring elements of the sporting performance,
including objective or subjective measures such as technical performance
or artistic impression.
Records of performance are often kept. This information may be widely
announced or reported in sport news. Sport is also a major source of entertainment
for spectators.
1
SportAccord (previously Global Association of International Sports Federations) is the umbrella organisation for
all (Olympic and non-Olympic) international sports federations as well as organisers of multi-sports games and
sport-related international associations. SportAccord is an international sport organisation with 92 full members
(international sports federations governing specific sports worldwide) and 17 associate members (organisations
which conduct activities closely related to the international sports federations)
Sport Categories
SportAccord uses following categories for its member federations' sports, and
many of which fall into more than one category:
•
Primarily physical (e.g. athletics)
•
Primarily mind (e.g. chess)
•
Primarily motorised (e.g. Formula One)
•
Primarily animal-supported (e.g. equestrianism)
The inclusion of mind sports within sport definitions has not been
universally accepted. Whilst SportAccord recognises a small number of mind
sports, it is not open to admitting any further mind sports.
History
Artifacts and structures suggest sport in China as early as 2000
BC. Gymnastics appears to have been popular in China's ancient past. Monuments
to the Pharaohs indicate that a number of sports, including swimming and fishing,
were well-developed and regulated several thousands of years ago in ancient
Egypt.
A wide range of sports were already established by the time of Ancient
Greece and the military culture and the development of sports in Greece influenced
one another considerably. Sports became such a prominent part of their culture that
the Greeks created the Olympic Games, which in ancient times were held every
four years in a small village in the Peloponnesus called Olympia.
Present-day kinds of sport
In our days we have more and more kinds of sports. There is an opinion that
there are more than 200 000 kinds of sports. Some of them are very unusual and
funny:
 Chess Boxing - chess and boxing, a combination that seems unlikely to be
together in the same sport but is just what the name suggests: chess boxing.
According to Wikipedia, chess boxing is a hybrid sport that combines the
games of chess with the sport of boxing, alternating between chess and
boxing after each round. While the name may not be completely original,
chess boxing is a singular sport and the ultimate challenge that requires both
brains and brawn like no other athletic competition. The winner has to be
strong of both mind and body, playing a bit of chess between rounds of
boxing. The game can last up to eleven rounds, starting with a four-minute
chess round and followed by a two-minute boxing round. Chess boxing can
be won by either knocking out an opponent, winning the chess game or by
the judges’ decision at the end.
 Underwater Hockey - It’s hard to believe that anyone could imagine a more
dangerous version of ice hockey, but with the added element of potential
drowning, underwater hockey make ice hockey look like child’s play. The
rules of underwater hockey are quite similar to its solid counterpart; the
only difference being that players use small plastic or wooden sticks to push
a metal puck around the pool’s floor.
 Quidditch,- The pastime of the wizarding world of the "Harry Potter" series,
quidditch combines magic, athleticism, and a touch of violence. Given the
sheer impossibility of the sport, you'd think there wouldn't be a real-life
equivalent -- and you'd be wrong. There are enthusiastic fans of the series
who just wouldn't let reality or the laws of physics stand in their way.
And so, these ambitious muggles created their own version of quidditch that
might not have all the magic of the dramatic version but certainly isn't
lacking for passion. Founded at Middlebury College in Vermont, the
International Quidditch Association has grown in just a few short years to
include hundreds of teams with a presence on nearly every continent. The
game has the same rules and scoring system as the quidditch from the
series, with one big difference: no flying.
 Extreme Ironing - there is a way to get blood pumping while one irons. It’s
called extreme ironing. All is needed to do is find the craziest way to iron
clothes. If that means ironing clothes while jumping off a cliff or across a
canyon, then so be it.
 Frog Jumping - a competitive pastime for humans in which frogs are
entered into competitions.
Another – extremely dangerous:
 Scuba Diving - While scuba diving has become a common term, most do not
know that Scuba is actually an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater
Breathing Apparatus, which is used by a diver for breathing underwater.
While it sounds wonderful, but it comes with its perils. If the ascent from a
dive is too fast, it can cause decompression illnesses, which include bends,
and can cause spinal cord, brain and lung failure. There is also the fear of
being attacked by stray sharks or other underwater creatures.
 Cave Diving, - Cave diving is an unusual sport which involves underwater
diving in caves with at least partial water content. Besides the use of regular
scuba equipment in specialized configurations, it uses a varied range of
equipment, depending on the circumstances. Major hazards of this sport are
caused my lighting failure and low visibility, which can lead to separation
from the partner. Air loss is another peril, especially because one can’t just
rise to the surface to catch air, or he might smash his head.
 Base Jumping - is essentially parachuting. The BASE part is actually an
acronym for Building, Antenna, Span and Earth, meaning cliff. These are
the fixed structures from which individuals hurl themselves. Exciting as it
sounds, speeding through the air with the wind running through the hair, it is
lethal. Apart from the obvious risk of jumping from hundreds of feet above,
there’s a chance of being thrashed by the wind. It is illegal in many
countries, including in the US, except at organized events.
 Heliskiing - It is not too hard to pick out from the name of the sport itself
that heli-skiing has something to do with helicopters. Well, it is off-trail,
downhill snowboarding or skiing, accessed by a helicopter. Passionate
patrons of the sport even book a year in advance to leap onto snow on peaks
far away from human inhabitation, and then ski down. They ignore
completely the possibility of being stranded by weather change, or being
killed by avalanche. The helicopter rides, too, are perilous.
 White-Water-Rafting - White water rafting is a perilous outdoor activity in
which an inflatable raft is used as a vehicle to navigate white water or other
water bodies of rough water. The environment is varied, and brings new
challenges to the participants. The wild waters pose the threats of tossing the
participants, smashing them into rocks. The foot entrapment can entangle a
participant if he falls off, making it difficult for him to dislodge himself
easily. Common injuries include broken bones or twisted knees.
 BMX - Bicycle motocross, or BMX, is a cycle sport, and there are special
kinds of bikes, known as BMX bikes, which are ridden in this sport. While
the sport in its basic form involves racing, its offshoots include bicycle
stunts on vertical ramp and flatland. It requires the cyclist to perform a
combination of acrobatics while he is astride the BMX bike. As the bikers
strive to do a trick no one else has ever done before, they are likely to face
injuries or even concussions, besides cuts, scrapes and bruises.
 Ice Mountain Climbing - It is not too hard to comprehend that mountain
climbing essentially involves the risky activity of climbing up and down the
highest of natural rocks, i.e. mountains. Every element of this activity is
risky. The climber can receive different physical injuries like twisted ankles,
sprained muscles, torn ligaments, broken bones, back injury, concussion, or
frostbite, during the heavy physical activities or from falls. Weather changes
can be lethal, one can lose path easily, and deaths are quite common.
 Big-Wave-Surfing - Big wave surfing is a discipline of surfing in which
surfing maestros paddle into or are towed onto waves of the height of at least
20 feet. The most coveted crown is to ride an intimidating 100-foot wave
which offers a prize a $100,000. Some of the biggest hazards of this sport
include drowning and being pulled into the water by the current, or even
have the head smashed against the hidden underwater rocks. It is also not
impossible to get whacked by the gun, which is the surfing board.
 Bull Riding - Bull riding is a rodeo sport, in which the rider mounts a large
bull and tries to stay atop the bull, while it attempts to buck off the rider.
This sport is considered a great favourite with the extremely macho men
who like to boast about their high testosterone level and are ready to take on
any pain for the sake of it. While the fall can cause severe injuries and
concussions, the bull, which can weigh up to 1800 pounds, may trample the
fallen rider. But, for some, beyond the pain and fear lies an art.
CHAPTER 2
MIND SPORTS
A mind sport is a game of skill where the mental exercise component is
more significant than the physical.
As well as many board games, chess and card games, other disciplines that
have been described as mind sports: speed reading, eSports (video game-based
competitions), computer programming and cybersecurity wargames.
Draughts
Draughts (British English) or checkers (American English) is a group
of strategy board games for two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform
game pieces and captures by jumping over opponent pieces.
A similar game has been played for thousands of years. A board looked like
a draughts board was found in Ur (Mesopotamian ancient city-state) dating from
3000
BC.
In
the British
Museum there
are
specimens
of ancient
Egyptian checkerboards. And there are also pictures of the Greeks playing a board
game like draughts on artifacts from Troyan War.Sport
The World Championship in International draughts began in 1885 in France.
It occurs every two years.
Chess
Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on a white and black
chessboard with 64 squares.
Each player begins with 16 white or black pieces: one king, one queen,
two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. Each of the six piece
types moves differently. The most powerful is the queen and the least powerful is
the pawn. The objective is to checkmate 2 the opponent's king by placing it under an
2
The word "Checkmate" came from the Arabic Shah mat ("the king is dead")
inescapable threat of capture. In addition to checkmate, the game can be won
by voluntary resignation of the opponent, which typically occurs when too
much material is lost, or checkmate appears unavoidable.
Chess appeared in India before the 7th century (a minority view holds that
chess originated in China.) The pieces assumed their current powers in Spain in the
late 15th century; the rules were finally standardized in the 19th century.
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World
Champion in chess.
The official world championship begun in 1886, when the two leading players in
Europe and the United States, Johann Zukertort and Wilhelm Steinitz respectively,
played a match. Current world champion Magnus Carlsen won the World Chess
Championship in 2013, 2014 and 2016 (against Sergey Karjakin from Russia).
Since the second half of the 20th century, computers have been programmed
to play chess with increasing success, to the point where the strongest home
computers play at a higher level than the best human players. The computer Deep
Blue produced by IBM was the first machine to overcome a reigning World Chess
Champion in a match when it defeated Garry Kasparov in 1997.
Current chess engines are able to defeat even the strongest human players under
normal conditions. Whether computation could ever solve chess remains an open
question.
Billiard Sports
Charles Dickens wrote: “There are few more cheerful sights, when the evenings
are long, and the weather dull, than a handsome, well-lighted billiard room, with
the smooth, green surface of the billiard table; the ivory balls flying noiselessly
here and there, or clicking musically together”;
Billiard
sports
(or
Cue
a table covered in green cloth,
sports)
in
-
which
a game played by
a cue (=
two people on
a long stick) is
to hit balls against each other and into pockets around the table.
used
There are three major subdivisions of games within cue sports:
•
Carom billiards, referring to games played on tables without pockets;
•
Pool, games generally played on six-pocket tables;
•
Snooker and English billiards, games played on a billiards table with six
pockets called a snooker table.
Snooker mostly played in Great Britain. The players use 15 red and six colored
balls.
Pool is more popular in the United States and uses 16 colored balls.
Russian pyramid, also known as Russian billiard or pyramid billiards, is a cue
sport that has several differences from Western pool. It is played in Russia and also
in countries of the former Soviet Union.
Differences from other billiard games:
• Table: the same size preferred for snooker, but much larger than a pool
table.
• Balls: there are sixteen balls (fifteen numbered, plus a cue ball), as in pool,
but the numbered ones are white, and the cue ball is usually red. The balls
are larger and heavier than Western billiard balls.
• Pockets: the corner pockets are only 4–5 mm wider than the diameter of the
ball. The central pockets, however, are 14–18 mm wider than the diameter
of the ball. This makes the game's mechanics like an oversized version of
snooker, requiring greater precision to pocket a ball in such tight pockets
than in pool, which has a much larger pocket size in relation to the balls.
There is an opinion that skill, not luck, is the only way to win in Russian
billiard.
There are other variants that make use of obstacles and targets, and table-top
games played with disks instead of balls.
Billiards has a long and rich history stretching from Mary, Queen of Scots and
its many mentions in the works of Shakespeare. There were many famous
enthusiasts
of
this
sport: Mozart, Louis
XIV
of
France, Marie
Antoinette, Immanuel Kant, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, George
Washington, Charles Dickens, Theodore Roosevelt, Lewis Carroll.
Billiard was brought to Russia by Peter 1. The game became very popular
and was even included in nobility educational program. There are many famous
persons who played billiard and supposed this game very useful. Mikhail
Lomonosov, for example, was one of the best billiard player in Russia in the 18th
century. Also Pushkin, Nekrasov, Turgenev, Tolstoy loved this game.
Billiards influenced science – math theory of billiards is used in dynamical
physics.
CONCLUSION
The evolution of sport is connected to evolution of humankind. The more
technologies come to our life the more kinds of sport appear (esports, robosports)
We can imagine that in the future we will have fantastic sports, even such as
space football, spaceships racing or intergalactic chess.
LIST OF LITERATURE
1. Cambrige Dictionary. Cambrige University Press, 2017
2. The Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, 2001-2017
3. SportAccord official web-site (www.sportaccord.com/)
4. Official web-site of the Olympic Movement (www.olympic.org)
5. Official web-site of Russian Billiard Federation (www.fbsrf.ru)
6. Encyclopedia Britannica – online version (www.britannica.com)
7. Official web-site of World Chess Federation (www.fide.com)
8. Great Soviet Encyclopedia – online version (www.bse.sci-lib.com)
9. IBM Official web-site (www.ibm.com)