Никоненко Тамара Петрівна

   Jim Thorpe was perhaps the greatest athlete the United States has ever had. James Francis Thorpe was born on May 28, 1888 in Oklahoma. First he went to a public school for Indians near his home. In 1904 he entered the Carlisle Indian School. He did not have enough money to study full-time and had to interrupt his education several times as he had to earn his living.
   The director of athletics at Carlisle was Glenn warner, a famous athletic trainer. Warner began to train Thorpe for football and track. Jim became the best American football player. He also competed in baseball, basketball, tennis and swimming.
   In 1912 the Olympic Games were held in Stockholm. Never before in the history of the Modern Olympics had one man competed in both pentathlon and decathlon at one meeting of the Olympic Games. Thorpe did this and he won two gold medals.
   According to the rules only amateur athletes can take part in the Olympic Games. One of the reporters discovered that Thorpe had earned 25 dollars a month playing baseball during two summer vacations some years before. He was not therefore an amateur athlete and he had to return his gold medals. The men who came second in the pentathlon and decathlon refused to take them saying they really belonged to Thorpe.
   Thorpe decided to give up amateur athletics. He became a professional baseball and football player. He continued to play professional football and baseball until 1929.
   Since 1929 Thorpe had odd jobs: he worked as a laborer in California, sometimes he played the part of an Indian in movies about the old West.
   On March 28, 1953 Thorpe died in the town of Lomita, California, a poor lonely man not quite 65 years old.
Vocabulary
interrupt – переривати
track (скорочення від track and field events) – легка атлетика
compete – змагатися
pentathlon – п’ятиборство
decathlon – десятиборство
odd jobs – випадкова робота
laborer – робітник, чорнороб
Carlisle – [ka:lail] – м. Карлайл
Choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to each question:
1. Who was the greatest athlete the United States has ever had?
a) Garry Potter
b) Jim Thorpe
c) Arnold Schwarzenegger
d) Tomas Anderson
2. When and where was he born?
a) On May 28, 1888 in Oklahoma
b) On May 28, 1888 in Mexico
c) On May 28, 1888 in Washington
d) On May 28, 1888 in Oxford
3. What school did he go to first?
a) First he went to a Grammar school near his home.
b) First he went to a private school near his home.
c) First he went to a public school for Indians near his home.
d) First he went to a kindergarten near his home.
4. When did he enter the Carlisle Indian School?
a) In 1904
b) In 1804
c) In 1704
d) In 2004
5. Why did he have to interrupt his education several times?
a) He didn’t have enough money to study full-time.
b) He didn’t want to study.
c) He was busy taking part in sports competitions.
d) He was not interested in studying at all.
6. What did Warner begin to train Thorpe for?
a) for football and basketball
b) for football and track
c) for tennis and track
d) for skating and basketball
7. Where were the Olympic Games held in 1912?
a) in Switzerland
b) in Sweden
c) in Liverpool
d) in Stockholm
8. How many medals did Thorne win?
a) three
b) one
c) two
d) six
9. What was the reason of Thorpe’s returning his gold medals?
a) He was not an amateur athlete. He earned 25 dollars a month plying baseball.
b) Somebody discovered that he had taken drugs.
c) He did not want to get them.
10. How long did he continue his professional sport activities?
a) until 1829
b) until 1729
c) until 1929
d) until 1939
11. When and where did he die?
a) On September 28, 1953 Thorpe died in the town of Lomita, California, a poor lonely man.
b) On April 28, 1953 Thorpe died in the town of Lomita, California, a poor lonely man.
c) On May 28, 1953 Thorpe died in the town of Lomita, California, a poor lonely man.
d) On March 28, 1953 Thorpe died in the town of Lomita, California, a poor lonely man.

Зайковські С.А.., Адамовська Л.М. Англійська мова. 6-11 класи. 100 текстів і завдань для аудіювання, читання та усного мовлення. – Тернопіль: Навчальна книга – Богдан, 2001. – С. 104-105