TENNIS Warm-up task Discuss in pairs: - What do you know about tennis? - If you play tennis, what do you enjoy about it most? - Who are the current champions in men´s and women´s tennis? - Who are the legends of Czech tennis? - Is tennis an attractive sport for children nowadays? - What would you highlight in a promotional material about tennis? PART 1 Basic vocabulary What do you call: 1. one of the people involved in playing a game 2. a two-player game 3. a four-player game 4. one player hits the ball towards the other player from behind the baseline, players get two attempts to make a good one 5. the piece of material across the middle of the tennis court that divides the court in half 6. the left and right edges of a tennis court 7. young boys or girls to collect tennis balls during a game 8. a score of zero points in a game or zero games in a set 9. a serve which hits the net and / or lands outside the service box PART 2 The Game Are the statements true or false? 1. The serve must be played from behind the sideline and must land in the service box. 2. The player who hits the ball back after a serve is the receiver. 3. 3.In tournaments the balls are changed after a certain number of matches to ensure they stay as bouncy as possible. 4. A player wins a game if, generally, they are the first player to win four points. 5. Usually, in men's tennis, the first player to win three sets wins the match. In women's tennis, the first player to win two sets wins the match. 6. If a score gets to 40-40, the score is called deuce - at this stage, the winner of the game is the first player to now win four points in a row. 7. If both players win 6 games each then there is a tie-break. In a tiebreak, the first player to win seven points wins the tiebreak. 8. A player who only needs one more point to win the set is said to be at match point. 9. When a serve hits the top of the net and lands within the service box, it is known as a 'let' and the server must serve again. PART 3 Types of shots Match each type of shot with its definition: 1. Down-the-line 2. Drive 3. Drop shot 4. Ground stroke 5. Lob 6. Smash 7. Stop volley A) an overhead shot hit very hard, usually before the ball has bounced B) a gently played shot that just gets over the net so the other player can't reach it C) a shot that travels parallel to and along the sideline D) a shot that slows the ball down a lot and makes it drop just over the net with very little bounce E) a hard, straight shot often used to pass an opponent at the net F) a shot played deliberately high into the air to land at the back of the opponent's court G) a shot that is made after the ball has bounced PART 4 Talking about tennis What do you think it means when people say… 1. S/he will win because they are hungry for the title. 2. My favourite is out. 3. The player is at his/her peak. 4. Goran is a legend! 5. Don't write that player off. 6. The player has been given an easy draw. 7. That player is out of form. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/vocabulary/tennis.shtml) PART 5 Why to play tennis? Complete the gaps with suitable words. Playing tennis gets you moving -- and moving is good for the body and the _______(1). One of the great things about tennis is that it's a sport that can be played at nearly any ______(2) and at any skill level. Because it's a low-impact sport and it's not dependent on the strength of the player, young and old alike pick it up easily. Whether you play competitively, for your health or just for _______(3), tennis has great benefits. Lowering high blood pressure, ___________(4) a healthy body weight, lowering cholesterol, reducing stress and being physically active are key to helping reduce the risk ofheartdisease-- and playing tennis can help you accomplish all these things. Playing tennis regularly helps to improve the body's ability to synchronize controlled movements, which can have benefits that carry over to other areas of your life. Flexibility is great because it can give you a wider range of _______(5), help prevent injuries and even reduce musclestrain. And coordination and balance reduce the risk of injury when playing sports or simply engaging in everyday activities. The more you play, the better your flexibility, coordination and balance will be. Tennis requires the brain to be creative, and it involves planning, tactical thinking, agility and the coordination of different parts of the body. So the ___________(6) you play tennis, the better and stronger the neural connections related to those typesofactivitiesbecome, and the better you become at them. In addition to improving neural connections and developing new neurons, studies show that exercises that require a lot of thinking -- such as tennis -- can actually _________(7) brain function in ways that aid memory, learning, social skills and behaviour. Playing tennis isn't good for your muscles and mind alone; it has a positive ________(8) on your bones as well. Exercising regularly can increase your peak bone mass and can slow the rate of bone mass loss over time. Running, swinging, reaching, pivoting -- tennis can be a real workout with the right opponent. It's a whole-body sport, and you can ________(9) a lot of calories because you're constantly on the move. (adapted from: http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/aging/retirement/5-health-benefits-of-playing-tennis5.htm) Follow-up: Summarise the main benefits of playing tennis in your own words.