season of 2001 became the most successful for Irina. She won the multi-discipline event at the 7th world games in Japan, won gold medals at the championship of Europe in the exercises with a hoop and a skipping-rope. She also took the first place at the international tournament in France, won gold at the world championship in Spain in the exercises with a hoop and silver in all other kinds of exercises. Irina believes her best compositions the exercises with a hoop and maces. «They are the most difficult, that’s why they are interesting!», – says Irina.
Irina’s fans often mark her seriousness and the fact that she hardly ever smiles while performing. In fact Irina is a very kind and responsive person. «In my usual life I like to laugh when it is really very funny, especially if interesting people surround me», – she says.
Everybody knows that the geography of gymnastics tournaments is quite vast. Irina Chaschina has visited a lot of countries but she likes Japan best of all, though its way of life seems a bit complicated and unusual to her. Irina reads a lot, adores going to the cinema. She always dreams of having a dog but her strict regimen doesn’t allow her to do it yet. To those who just do their first steps in gymnastics Irina advises not only to train the body but also the brains. «In calisthenics you should have intellect», – she says.
There was one unpleasant thing that happened to Irina and one more famous Russian gymnast – Alina Kabaeva. Being the leaders of the world calisthenics in 2001 they were caught taking a strong diuretic. As a result they were both disqualified for two years, so they had no right to take part in competitions. The second year of disqualification was conditional, so, the sportswomen were allowed to participate in official tournaments but they were constantly under the strictest control.
Irina Chaschina is considered to be a great sportswoman. Some people even call her the queen of calisthenics. Her performances are always interesting to watch as they are full of elegance, grace and boundless talent.
III. Answer the following questions.
1. When and where was Irina Chaschina born?
2. What kind of sport does Irina go in for?
3. When did Irina begin her sport career?
4. Who was Chaschina’s first coach?
5. Who first brought Irina to training?
6. When did the girl realize that she wants to go in for gymnastics?
7. Was gymnastics her only occupation?
8. Was Irina Chaschina in a good sport form when she decided to do calisthenics?
9. What was the name of Irina’s second coach?
10. When did the gymnast gain her first victory?
11. What other sport achievements does Chaschina have?
12. Who was Irina’s third coach?
13. The season of what year became the most successful for Chaschina? Why?
14. What compositions does Irina believe the best ones in her exercises? Explain why.
15. What is her favourite country?
16. What does Irina like to do in her free time?
17. What does she advise to beginners in gymnastics?
18. What unpleasant thing once happened to the famous gymnast?
19. What was the punishment for taking diuretic?
20. What Chaschina’s performances are like? Do you agree with it?
IV. Say if the given below statements are true or false. If the statement is correct, you should say «It’s true» or «I agree». If the statement is not correct you should say «It’s false» or «I disagree» and correct it.
1. Irina Chaschina was born on the 24th of April in 1983 in the Russian city of Tomsk.
2. Irina’s grandfather was a great sport-lover and wanted her to take up figure skating.
3. Irina Chaschina never wanted to go in for sports gymnastics.
4. Vera Efremovna Shtelbaums was the girl’s second coach.
5. The season of 1999 became the most successful for the sports-woman.
6. Irina doesn’t like exercises with maces.
7. Chaschina always smiles while performing but in her usual life she is very serious.
8. Irina believes that the most important thing in Calisthenics is a good sport form.
9. Irina Chaschina was once disqualified for 2 years.
10. The performances of Irina Chaschina are elegant and graceful.
V. Translate the following sentences into English using the active vocabulary of the lesson.
1. Чемпионаты по художественной гимнастике всегда интересно смотреть.
2. Заниматься спортом регулярно (regularly) значит соблюдать (follow) определенный режим и образ жизни.
3. Будучи юниором, Ирина Чащина заняла первое место на очень престижном турнире – Спартакиаде СНГ.
4. В художественной гимнастике много упражнений: с обручем, мячом, скакалкой, булавами.
5. Спортсмены тяжело переживают (suffer greatly from) дисквалификацию.
6. Ирина Чащина тренировалась под руководством трех заслуженных тренеров.
7. В 12 лет Ирина Чащина вошла в сборную команду России.
8. Ирина Чащина принимала участие в многочисленных соревнованиях.
9. Фанаты всегда поддерживают любимых спортсменов или команды.
10. Выступление этой гимнастки произвело на меня сильное впечатление.
VI. Read, translate and role-play the following dialogue between two fans of calisthenics. You may choose some other kind of sport to discuss while role-playing.
– I say, calisthenics is a very difficult kind of sport. It requires big endurance, hard and regular trainings and good health, of course.
– I
