"Модно ли быть здоровым?"

1. Introduction. Is it fashionable to be fit?

Now people think less about their health. Some of our friends, classmates don’t go in for sport don’t have regularly lifestyle and healthy eating. They eat more hotdogs, cakes and sweets, playing computer games is the most popular leisure activity among them. But everybody wants to be healthy, have long and happy live.

What must we do to be fit?

How do people behave themselves? What is the attitude of my classmates to healthy life? Do they follow diets or have healthy eating? What do they prefer: a cake or a skipping –rope?” These questions seemed very interesting for us that's why we decided to organize our project under the name ”Is it fashionable to be fit?”.

We decided to organize an interview with our classmates and get to know if they care about their health.

1. What do you prefer: a cake or a skipping-rope? 7 pupils prefer cake instead a skipping-rope.
2. Do you go in for sport? 8 out of 8 pupils of our class go in for sport.
3. How often do you go in for sport? Every day -1 pupil, 1 or 3 times a week- 4 pupils, 4-6times a week- 3 pupils.
4. Do you play computer games and how often? 7 out of 8 pupils play computer games every day. 1 out of 8 pupils doesn’t play computer games. His parents forbid him.
5. Do you eat a lot of sweets and cakes? 5 out of 8 pupils eat a lot of sweets and cakes. 3 out of 8 pupils don’t eat a lot of sweets and cakes.
6. Do you do your morning exercises? 1 out of 8 pupil does his morning exercises. 7 out of 8 pupils don’t do it.
7. Do you eat a lot of fruit and vegetables? 8 out of 8 pupils eat a lot of fruit and vegetables.
8. When do you usually get up? 4 pupils get up early the others get up at 11 or in different time.
9. When do you usually go to bed? Most pupils go to bed after 12 o’clock or in different time. And only one pupil go to bed after 10 o’clock.
10.  Do you smoke, drink alcohol, take drugs? Our classmates don’t take drugs, two of them smoke, four of them drink alcohol.

This interview shows how careless our classmates are. They don't think about what they eat and how are they look like. But their appearance is very important topic for them.

We’ve decided to get more information about people’s health and get to know how to be healthy and have a long and happy life.

II. The main part. What helps us to be healthy?

 1. Physical activity is one of the most important conditions of being healthy.

A person must do morning exercises and go in for sport. It’s not important what kind it will be. If you want to feel fit you’d better go in for one kind of sport or another. I should admit that everyone must do all he can to be healthy.

   a) All kinds of physical exercises are very useful.

All kinds of physical exercises are very useful to make our bodies strong and to keep ourselves fit and healthy. To tell the truth I don’t do sports regularly and it is not an essential part of my daily life. In the morning I do some exercises just to awake. Then I do some aerobics for myself. It puts me into the fine moods.

In summer I go swimming as there is a beautiful river with pure water where my Granny lives.

In winter, it’s rather long at our place, I should say, I prefer skiing. There is nothing like the sight of a winter forest - a real fairy-tale. I like to ride the bike and tobogganing in winter.

Mum says that she is too old to do it, why not after all? I shouldn’t call myself a sports fan. Of course, I like to watch sports competitions on TV. Fortunately, they show different ones - football, basketball. I like tennis tournaments very much. I think, it’s a very intelligent kind of sport for clever thinking people. Also I admire skiing championships, biathlon and swimming. But what I like most is basketball. The best games are viewed on TV. I came to know that modern basketball appeared in 1891 in the USA. Since then basketball has become very popular and is spread all over the world. It is the sport of strong tall men, the sport of giants.

You have a sound mind in a sound body” as the old Latin saying goes. The English proverb “Sickness in the body brings sickness to the mind” expresses a similar idea but from different point of view.

So, why don't go in for sport?  Sport has a long history. One of the most important and interesting sport events is the Olympic Games.

    b) The Olympic Games are a major international event and they house different competitions in summer and winter sports.

And now a little bit of the history of the Olympics. The Olympic Games began more than two thousand years ago. Since then they are still the grounds of competition for the world’s greatest athletes. At the very beginning the Olympic game used to be a competition for the citizens of ancient Greece and of other nearby countries. And now they have developed into a worldwide, commercially oriented event.

The early Olympic Games started in 776 B.C in ancient Greece. Greek people found those games so important that they used periods in between the Games to to organize important events.

The winner of the Games got very good prizes: free food and housing for life. Poets mentioned the winners in their poems, architects made sculptures of winner athletes, and they became popular throughout Greece. So, winning the Olympic Games made you a national hero. It was already an honor to take part in the Games. People from Italy, Sicily, Asia, Africa, and Spain all made the long way to Olympia. And all the famous people of the time attended the Games.

Olympia was chosen as a sight of the Games because it was seen as a neutral area. It was also a beautiful green valley accessed by two rivers. The Olympia was also the place where the wild olive tree grew. And the Crown Olive became the only prize won at Olympia.

One Persian leader who fought against Greece noticed that Greek people loved fighting not for gold and money but purely for the sake of excelling. Originally there was only one race. It was a sprint and the winners got a prize - an olive wreath. Time went on and other races and other sports were added like boxing and wrestling.

In 1894 baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee. In the 20th century Winter Olympic Games were created for ice and snow sports.

The Olympic Games now are held every 2 years Winter Olympic Games coming after Summer Olympic Games. Then the Paralympics Games were added for people with physical disabilities and Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes. The growing importance of the Mass Media made the Olympic Games commercial.

There are over 13,000 athletes that compete at summer and winter Olympics in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events. The first, second and third place winners in each event receive gold, silver or bronze Olympic medals, respectively.

The Games now give the chance to different sportsmen to get national or even international fame. And the Games also give an opportunity for the host city and country to show them to the world.

Olympics have their own symbols and traditions. The Olympic flag has 5 rings. The ceremony usually starts with the parade of sportsmen and burning of flame, concert of famous people and theatrical plays showing the most historical events of the country which hosted the games.

    с) The future Olympic Games.

The future Olympic Games take place in Russia in 2014. It will take place in Sochi. All citizens of our country are waiting for this event. The symbols of these games were chosen by voting. They are the jeopardy and white hear and a bear. The Paralympics symbols are snowdrop and sunny ray let.

Physical activity is very important for a healthy lifestyle, and it's difficult to be fit if you don’t do any. However, it's always better to do some exercise than none at all.

2. Rules of healthy eating are the second important part to be healthy.

 It is very important to know what and how you eat. Here are some simply tips for you. They are:

• Eat smaller portions!

You don't have to give up all your favourite food, but you'll have to eat less bread, sugar and fat. Take a smaller plate and put less food on it. But don’t skip meals. It won’t give you any good. But don't eat less fruit and vegetables. They are always good for you.

• Concentrate on your food!

Don't read or watch TV when you eat. Put your knife and fork down and chew your food slowly and carefully. You'll feel full sooner and won't eat so much.

• Have healthy snacks!

Forget about high-fat, high-calorie snacks: cookies, potato chips and soda. Make your own sandwiches with meat and vegetables. Drink water or juice instead of Coke and lemonade. Have an apple instead of a hot dog.

• Drink a lot of water!

Your body needs a lot of water. Drink at least two liters of water every day. Tea and coffee don't count!

• Have your last meal at least two hours before you go to bed!

There are hundreds of adverts for wonder pills and magic drinks which promise to make you thin, but do they actually work? The answer is no. most of them aren't safe either. If you take them, you can sometimes be putting your health in danger. They can cause headaches, high blood pressure and many other problems.

There is no magic diet plan to help you become thin. Anybody who promises you that is telling you lie. You can go on a very strict diet of fewer than 600 calories a day for a week or two and lose weight, but you won't be happy with the result. A diet like this will leave you feeling weak and give you headaches, bad breath and bad skin. When you finish it, the weight will come back quickly. You could even gain some excess weight. As a result you'll look and feel miserable.

It's not necessary to diet if you eat properly and make sure you have a lot of vegetables and fruit every day. But if you live in a region where it's difficult to get them, you should take multivitamins.

Everything you do – smiling, talking, reading – burns calories. But if you want to be fit, you'll have to do more. Do some exercise in the morning or in the afternoon every day: ride a bicycle, go swimming or jogging, wash the floors in your home or walk the dog!  Everything is important and everything counts!

3. Modern bad habits.

Bad habits are really deadly. Among them are: smoking, drinking alcohol and taking drugs.

Smoking makes teeth yellow, hair and clothes smell, skin unhealthy. It causes a cough, a headache and a cancer.

 Drinking alcohol makes speech unclear, brain centers sleep. It causes brain disease and slow reactions.

Taking drugs makes brain centers sleep. It causes loss memory, blood disease.

Smoking, drinking alcohol and taking drugs affects the whole family, the people around you, your knowledge and your social controls.

4. Regularly lifestyle is also very important for our health.

 It promotes your health. Sleeping seven or eight hours a day, getting up early, eating breakfast and regularly meals is really a good way to live. Of course sleeping too much or too little, snacking and skipping breakfast are not quite as deadly as smoking and drinking but they are indicative of dangerously chaotic lifestyles. And this is very dangerous for your health.

5. Seven deadly health sins.

There are, however, modern health sins which are in fact far more deadly.

When the Bible set down the Seven Deadly Sins they were not meant to be taken literally. Few of us will die of pride, envy or anger.

But in combination with the modern bad habits like smoking and taking drugs, these poor health habits could double the chance of dying or lead to different diseases.  

6. The wisdom of nation is mirrored in its proverbs. 

There are many proverbs connected with health in Russia and in Britain. We divided them into three groups: proverbs about the necessity of the physical activity, about healthy eating and about people’s lifestyle.

а) Proverbs about necessity of the physical activity:

A sound mind in a sound body. (английская пословица)
Дословный перевод: Здоровый дух в здоровом теле.
Русский аналог: В здоровом теле здоровый дух.

A change is as good as a rest.
Дословный перевод: Изменение так же хорошо, как отдых.
Русский аналог: Лучший отдых — смена деятельности.

b) About healthy eating:

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. (английская пословица)
Дословный перевод: Съедая одно яблоко в день, вы оставите вашего доктора без работы. Кто съедает одно яблоко в день, экономит на враче.
Русский аналог: Живот на живот — и всё заживёт. Лук от семи недуг. Лук семь недугов лечит, а чеснок семь недугов изводит.

You are what you eat. (английская пословица)
Дословный перевод: человек – это то, что он ест.
Русский аналог: скажи мне, что ты ешь, и я скажу, кто ты.

Eat to live, not live to eat.
Дословный перевод: Есть, чтобы жить, а не жить, чтобы есть.

Eat well, drink in moderation, and sleep sound, in these three good health abound.
Дословный перевод: Ешь хорошо, пей умеренно и крепко спи. В этих трех вещах все здоровье.

c) About lifestyle:

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Дословный перевод: Кто рано лег спать и рано встал утром, тот будет здоровым, богатым и мудрым.
Русский аналог: Кто рано ложится и рано встает, здоровье, богатство и ум наживет. Кто рано встает, тому бог подает.

Good health is above wealth. (английская пословица)
Дословный перевод: Доброе здоровье дороже богатства
Русский аналог: Здоровье дороже денег. Здоровье всего дороже. Здоровье дороже всякого богатства.

Beauty is only skin deep. (английская пословица)
Дословный перевод: Красота не глубже кожи.
Русский аналог: С лица воды не пить. Не родись красивой, а родись счастливой.

Time is a great healer.        
Дословный перевод: Время — лучший доктор.
Русский аналог: Время лечит. Всё прошло – и это пройдёт (царь Соломон)

Worrying never did anyone any good.
Дословный перевод: Беспокойство еще никому не помогало.
Русский аналог: Дурная голова ногам покоя не дает.

Sleep is a healing balm for every ill.
Дословный перевод: Сон является целительным бальзамом для каждой болезни
Русский аналог: Сон — лучшее лекарство.

Don’t worry,  be happy.        
Дословный перевод: Не беспокойся, будь счастлив.
Русский аналог: Утро вечера мудренее.

Let not the sun go down on your wrath.
Дословный перевод: Не позволяй солнцу закатиться, пока ты в гневе.
Русский аналог: Не держи долго обиду, выясняй всё сразу.

A good rest is half the work.
Дословный перевод: Хороший отдых половина дела.

He who has health has hope, and he who has hope, has everything.
Дословный перевод: У кого есть здоровье — у того есть надежда, у кого есть надежда — у того есть все.

Medicine sometimes snatches away health, sometimes gives it.
Дословный перевод: Иногда медицина крадет здоровье, иногда дает его.

Hygiene is two thirds of health.
Дословный перевод: Гигиена составляет две трети здоровья. Чистота - залог здоровья.

Prevention is better than cure.
Дословный перевод: Профилактика лучше лечения. Лучше болезнь предотвратить, чем потом лечить.

Laughter is the best medicine.
Дословный перевод: Смех — лучшее лекарство.

III. Conclusion. The most important things to be healthy.  

To be fit people must go in for sport, eat more fruit and vegetables, sleep 8 hours a day, don’t smoke, don’t drink alcohol, be calm and merry.

We advice the grown-ups and the children love the life and the people.

And of course the adults must tell their children about the danger of chaotic lifestyle and the modern bad habits

IV. Sources of information.

1. Кузовлев В.П., Лапа Н.М., учебник для 9 класса общеобразовательных учреждений «Английский язык». – М.: Просвещение, 2003. – с. 99, 105.
2. Кауфман К.И., Кауфман М.Ю., Английский язык «Счастливый английский.ру»/ учебник для 9 класса общеобразовательных учреждений. – Титул, 2009.- с. 95-96.
3. Cтупницкая М.А., Что такое учебный проект? -М.: Первое сентября, 2012.
4. http://ru.wikipedia.org 

V. Added Files.

    1. Результаты анкетирования учащихся 8а класса группы английского языка. Диаграммы.

    2. Буклет. «Модно ли быть здоровым?» Правила здорового питания и образа жизни.