## Les 5 - Sports 2

During this “steunles” you will be busy reading texts on Sports and adding new words on this topic to your vocab list.
But before you start reading have a look at the reading card.

Now that you know some trics and tips on how to read a text lets have a look at the text you need to read.

Is she off her rocker?

A SINGLE mum with a love of outdoor sports has sparked outrage — by rock-climbing with her toddler daughter strapped to her back.

Menna Pritchard, 26, who says she believes that "life is about taking risks" has defended her decision to scale sheer rock faces while carrying two-year-old Ffion. The full-time student said: "Some people would say I'm taking more risks than are necessary. But I am very conscious of safety and I would never do anything with Ffion that I thought would put her in danger."

However, despite her claims to respect safety, Menna has been forced to defend a photograph she posted on her blog taken as she climbed a limestone rock face at Three Cliffs Bay in South Wales with Ffion strapped to her back. While the mum and her climbing partner wear safety helmets in the photo, Ffion's head is bare. Health and safety officials criticised her actions saying that she was being irresponsible and placing her child’s life at risk.

But Menna said: "I can appreciate if you didn't realise how safe the environment I was in, it could be worrying, but I was top-roping which means if you fall you don't fall any further than where you came off. It is the safest form of climbing you can do. I was also in a beach environment surrounded by experienced climbers. Health and safety legislation and the “sue and blame” culture mean so many people are nervous and afraid of getting into trouble, and taking small risks. Life is all about risks, whether that's something as simple as getting in your car every day or climbing up a rock face."

Menna split with Ffion's dad when she was three months pregnant and moved to Wales to live with her parents. She is studying for a degree in outdoor education at University of Wales, Trinity St David in Carmarthen and works part-time as an outdoor instructor while juggling her job and education with her love of adventure sports.

Ffion was just four-months-old when Menna carried her up Pen y Fan, the highest peak in South Wales. "She slept through the whole thing," she said. "She was in a front carrier at that time and it really was incredibly safe. Safety is always paramount."

Menna has since walked or climbed with Ffion in The Gower, a coastal beauty spot near Swansea, on the Pembrokeshire coast, and in North Wales. She added: "Rock climbing, kayaking and canoeing are all fairly new to me in the last two years but I feel I am in my element. The idea is that's it's fun and exciting for Ffion too and hopefully I am inspiring her and giving her access to the outdoors. Ever since Ffion was born I have been either trying to do mountain climbing with her or forest walking or doing beach trips. It just felt so good, not only for my physical well-being but also for my state of mind."

Working list SPORT

Sport

Sport holds an important place in our life. When we listen to the radio in the morning, we can always hear sport news. When we open a newspaper, we can always find information about some game or other or an article about our favorite kind of sports. Television programmers about sport are also very popular, and we can watch something interesting every day. Sport helps people to keep in good health. Sport also makes us more organized in our daily activities. National game and sports competitions are popular in our country. People go in for many kinds of sports. There are sports grounds near every school, every institute, every factory and plant. Besides there are sports clubs and sport school in every town. Many people go there for training.

Sports in Russia

There are different sporting societies and clubs in Russia. Many of them take part in different international tournaments and are known all over the world. A great number of world records have been set by Russian sportsmen: weightlifters, tennis players, swimmers, figure skaters, high jumpers. Our sportsmen also participate in the Olympic Games and always win a lot of gold, silver and bronze medals. There are also a lot of amateur clubs and keep-fit centers in Russia where people go in for aerobics, yoga, body-building, swimming, skating, jogging.

A healthy way of life

Sport is probably as old as the humanity itself. It has been developing with the development and growth of the mankind people all over the world are very fond of sports and games. We all need to exercise. Even if you don't plan to make a career in sport you still have to practice. Regular exercises give you more energy. That is why many people who suffer from general tiredness should take more exercise than more rest. Exercise makes you feel and look better. The best exercise is one, which is involved, in repeated movements: walking, jogging, swimming.

Kinds of sports.

- Many people do sports on their personal initiative. They go in for skating, table tennis, swimming, volleyball, football, bodybuilding, etc. All necessary facilities are provided for them: stadiums, sport grounds, swimming pools, skating rinks, skiing stations, football fields.

- 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.

- Summer affords excellent opportunities for swimming, boating, cycling, gliding and many other sports.

- All the year round many people do boxing, wrestling, athletics, gymnastics and track and field events.

- There are sport games: football, golf, tennis, cricket, volleyball, basketball and so on.

Among indoor games the most popular are snooker, table tennis and chess.

Kinds of fitness.

- Aerobic fitness conditions heart and lungs. Aerobic means "with oxygen". The purpose is to increase the amount of oxygen that is delivered to your muscles, which allows them to work longer.

- Muscle strengthening. One can get more powerful muscles, which can do bigger jobs or which will work longer before becoming exhausted.

- Running is a well-known fitness workout: it's cheap, can be done anywhere, at any time and it is very effective.

- Swimming is very healthy for spinal column, helps to prevent hart diseases, implicates major muscle groups and is an effective slenderize exercise.

- Cycling provides healthy heart and it's interesting and pleasant.