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English for THE GAMES

Paralympic ShootingWhen athletes come together from around the world to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, they are fulfilling their dreams and competing at the highest level. Billions of people across the globe join in; watching, listening to and reading about the greatest global celebration of sport. To celebrate the London 2012 Games, the British Council is making a wide range of classroom resources available for learners of English worldwide.

shooting has a long history. some shooting clubs in germany are over 500 years old. The Paralympic shooting programme includes both rifle and pistol events for men and women. have you ever practised shooting? if not, do you think you would be a good shot?

Shooting table

Rifle

Target

Pistol

Shooting stand

B122 London 2012 English Worksheets Paralympic Shooting_V1.indd 1 15/02/2012 10:32

1. Vocabulary

a. Write the correct words in the spaces provided.

a. Rifle b. Shooting stand c. Target

d. Shooting table e. Pistol

4

3

2

1

5

2. The rules of Paralympic shooting

What is it?

Shooting is a sport that involves firing various types of guns at a target.

Who can participate in shooting at the Paralympics?

Shooting is open to athletes with a physical disability, including

athletes who have some paralysis of the spine (paraplegic and quadriplegic),

athletes with cerebral palsy,

athletes who are amputees,

athletes with progressive illnesses such as muscular dystrophy or multiple

sclerosis.

Classifications Athletes with different disabilities compete together in two classes:

SH1: athletes who can support the weight of the pistol or rifle without a shooting stand or table.

SH2: athletes who require a stand or table to support the weight of the pistol or rifle.

Within general classifications SH1 and SH2, there are several further classifications: SH1A, B and C: SH1A for athletes with the least severe disabilities, progressing to

SH1C for the most seriously disabled.

SH2A, B and C: SH2A for athletes with the least severe disabilities, progressing to

SH2C for the most seriously disabled.

Depending on the letter of classification, competitors are permitted to use a shooting

chair with no backrest (class A), a low backrest (class B) or a high backrest (class C).

How is it played?

The programme includes three men’s events, three women’s events and six mixed events.

Competitors use two types of gun: a pistol (or handgun) or a rifle.

There are three shooting positions: standing or sitting, kneeling and lying on the ground (prone).

Athletes shoot from distances of 10m, 25m and 50m.

All events have a traditional circular target, made up of 10 scoring rings. The centre ring, known as the bull’s-eye, is worth 10 points.

The rules for each event depend on the gun, the distance, shooting position, number of shots and the time limit, but each competition consists of a qualification and a final round. These rules take into account the differences that exist between shooting for the able-bodied and shooting for persons with a disability.

1. A device to help athletes who cannot support the weight of the pistol or rifle when

they are standing.

2. A device to help athletes who cannot support the weight of the pistol or rifle when

they are sitting, kneeling or prone.

3. A long firearm fired from the shoulder using both hands.

4. A short firearm shot with one hand.

5. In a position with one or both knees on the ground, and the upper part of your body

vertical.

6. Lying on your front.

7. The middle of the target, worth 10 points.

8. The object which the athletes try to hit when they shoot.

3. Reading

Károly Takács

The first official Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960. What would you say if

you knew that a Paralympic athlete had won Olympic gold in 1948 and was one of the

greatest shooters in Olympic history?

In 1938, Károly Takács was a sergeant in the Hungarian Army and a world-class pistol

shooter. Then, during an army training exercise, a defective grenade exploded and

Takács’ right hand was severely injured.

He was determined to continue his shooting career, and so taught himself to shoot with

his left hand. The following year he won the Hungarian pistol shooting championship.

The Olympics Games did not take place in 1940 or 1944, because of the Second World

War, but in London in 1948 Takács was part of the Hungarian team.

Before the competition began, the favourite, Argentinean Carlos Valiente, asked Takács

why he was in London. Takács answered, "I'm here to learn." He then won the gold medal

and set a new world record. During the medal ceremony, Valiente, who finished second,

said to Takács, "You have learned enough."

At the Helsinki Olympics four years later he won another gold medal in the same event,

and he also competed in Melbourne in 1956, although he did not win a medal.

When Takács retired as an athlete, he became a successful coach, and he retired from

the Hungarian army as a lieutenant colonel.

a. Match the words in the table with their definitions below.

a. bull’s-eye b. kneeling c. pistol d. prone

e. rifle f. shooting stand g. shooting table h. target

a. Put the following events in chronological order.

1. Takács competed but did not win a medal.

2. Takács taught himself to shoot with his left hand.

3. Takács went to Helsinki.

4. Takács won a gold medal and set a new world record.

5. Takács won the Hungarian pistol shooting championship.

6. Takács’ hand was badly injured in a grenade accident.

7. Two Olympic games did not take place.

b. Complete the 5 sentences using the past simple form of the verbs in the table.

a. be b. become c. begin

d. set e. teach f. win

1. He (__________) himself to shoot with his left hand.

2. Takács (__________) part of the Hungarian team.

3. He then (__________) the gold medal and (__________) a new world record.

4. Valiente asked him a question before the competition (__________).

5. He (__________) a successful coach.

4. Solution

Exercise 1a

1. d; 2. a; 3. e; 4. c; 5. b;

Exercise 2a

1. f; 2. g; 3. e; 4. c; 5. b; 6. d; 7. a; 8. h

Exercise 3a

6; 2; 5; 7; 4; 3; 1

Exercise 3b

1. taught; 2. was; 3. won, set; 4. began; 5. became