1. Read the following text about the Olympic Games. Then answer the questions.

2. The first Olympic Games ever took place in Olympia in Greece in 776 B.C. Back then there was only one discipline and only cities and kingdoms in Greece were competing. After some time the Ancient Games also included disciplines like jumping, discus, wrestling, boxing and riding. However, the games weren‘t just for fun: The competition was also a religios event where people honoured Zeus (the father of all Greek gods). The games were held every four years and reached their biggest influence in the 6th century B.C. When the Romans took control over Greece, the Olympic Games started to lose their influence: They were stopped by a Roman emperor in 426 A.D. It took over 1400 years until the next Olympic Games were held, this time in Athens, the capital city of Greece. The year was 1859. The contestants were from Greece and Turkey. Then in 1890 Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee which still is responsible for organising the Games today. Just like in 776 B.C., the Games take place every four years. The first Olympic Games under the rule of the IOC were held in Athens in 1896, where 14 nations and 241 athletes competed in 43 events. At the Olympic Summer Games 2012 athletes from 204 nations come together in London. London has already hosted the Olympic Games in 1908 and in 1948. In 2016 the Games will be in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There are also Olympic Winter Games. The next will be in Sochi in Russia in 2014.

3. Olympic Facts and Figures Nowadays there are 33 sports in total, 26 in summer and 7 in winter. There are three medals for the first three winners. The best medal is the golden one, then the silver and finally the bronze medal. Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina won an unbelievable 18 medals over three Olympics. So far, American swimmer Michael Phelps is the man who has won the most medals: 16 gold and two bronze. The most successfil German is Birgit Fischer – she won eight gold and four silver medals. Her discipline was canoeing.

4. GO Greece The first Olympic Games took place in … Italy Germany Hungary Greece

5. GO Irish Michael Phelps is … French American British American

6. GO Moscow The next Olympic Winter Games will be in … Munich Sochi San Francisco Sochi

7. GO break dance The old Games included disciplines like riding, boxing, wrestling and … swimming discus shooting discus

8. GO 340 This year there are going to be … nations competing. 204 189 78 204

9. GO Pierre de Coubertin Who founded the International Olympic Committee? Albert Einstein Angela Merkel Jacques Chirac Pierre de Coubertin

10. GO 43 At this year‘s Olympic Winter and Summer Games are … sports. 34 33 26 33

11. GO silver, gold, bronze The medals are … gold, silver, bronze bronze, silver, gold gold, bronze, silver gold, silver, bronze

12. GO five The Games are held every … years. three six four

13. GO Greece and Turkey In 1859 the contestants were from … Germany and Sweden America and Canada GB and Ireland Greece and Turkey

14. GO Russians The … took over Greece and stopped the Olympic Games. Turkish Romans Egyptians Romans