Learn English via Listening - Level 3 - The Olympic Games | Текст песни

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• Learn English via Listening - Level 3
• The Olympic Games

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The modern Olympic Games began in the late-nineteenth century as a revival of the
ancient Greek Olympics. Now just over one hundred years old, the modern Olympic
movement is the biggest and most important sports movement in the world. In fact, many
people believe the Olympic Games to be the most important cultural event of any kind in
the world.
The modern Olympic Games were the brainchild of Frenchman Baron Pierre de
Coubertin. De Coubertin's dream for an international sports event and cultural movement
became a reality in 1894 at the International Athletic Congress in Paris. After the Games
were constituted in 1894, the first Olympic Games was held in Athens, Greece, in 1896, in
recognition of the ancient Greek Olympic Games.
The original purpose of the Olympic Games in de Coubertin's mind was to celebrate and
strengthen the physical, mental, and cultural qualities of humanity. The Games would
blend sport with culture, tradition, and education. The philosophy of Olympism is based
on the joy of physical and mental effort and the respect for universal ethical principles.
De Coubertin envisioned creating a more noble and sympathetic humanity through the
Olympic movement.
The sports events themselves de Coubertin modeled after the English public school
sport system. He saw in upper-class English boys' sport the qualities of camaraderie,
nobility, and honesty. Most importantly, however, was adherence to the rules of sport, in
particular the rule that stated sport ought to be amateur in nature. De Coubertin believed
participants should never participate in sport for the purpose of making money. To do so
would contradict the underlying philosophy of sport. Breaking the amateur rule in de
Coubertin's time was as serious a violation as taking drugs to enhance performance is in
today's world of sport.
Over time, the Olympics grew to be the largest international festival of any kind. Today,
debates exist as to the degree to which the modern Games adhere to de Coubertin's
original intent. On the one hand, Olympic sport is truly international in nature, as de
Coubertin would have wanted it. On the other hand, it is doubtful that de Coubertin would
have admired the existence of politics, commercialism, and drug use in sport. The
Olympics have become truly international, but perhaps at a price.
There is little question that the Olympic Games hold out the possibility for fulfilling de
Coubertin's original goal of sport contributing to a better, more peaceful, and
understanding world.