Read the text, using a dictionary if necessary.
Rowing has a long history in England. Rowing a boat with eight oars (or with four oars) was first started in England in the 18th century. At that time the boats took part in fetes and processions on the River Thames.
In the 19th century people started to use the boats for racing not only in London on the Thames. The first boat race between universities of Oxford and Cambridge was held in 1829.
Nearly every year since then there has been a boat race between these two universities. It is held in London on the Thames, during the Easter vacation, at the end of March or the beginning of April, according to the tides.
The course from Putney to Mortlake is 4 ¼ miles long. It has many curves and turns, and there can be a lot of wind at this time of year. The crews usually row the 4 ¼ miles in well under 20 minutes. The crews of the boats, chosen from the members of the college Boat Club, train together for twelve weeks before the race, first in Oxford or Cambridge and finally in London. In each boat there are eight oarsmen and a coxswain (usually called a “cox”). The cox, who is much lighter than the others, sets the speed and the rhythm, and steers.
On Boat Race Saturday the banks and bridges of the Thames are thick with people who have come to watch. Some wear dark-blue ribbons (for Oxford), and some wear pale-blue ones (for Cambridge).
Every year in March or April, the two oldest universities in Britain – Oxford and Cambridge – compete in a boat race on the river Thames in London. It started 168 years ago as a private competition, when a student from one university challenged someone from the other to a race. In Britain today, a quarter of a million people watch the race from the banks of the Thames, while a further 10 million see it on television. Worldwide, it is thought that the race is watched by over 100 million people.
In Britain the competition is known simply as “ The Boat Race”. But it is much more than just a contest between two rowing boat. It is a British sporting tradition, as important as the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Royal Ascot and a Test match at Lord`s.
The first race took place on 10 June 1829. It was held on the river Thames, not in the heart of London, but out in the countryside, to the west of the capital. Oxford were the winners. Cambridge took revenge seven years later.
From 1839 onwards, the race became an annual event, but it was not until 1845 that the now traditional course – from Putney to Mortlake – was established. This stretch of the Thames, which runs for four and a quarter miles (about seven kilometres), is known as “The Tideway”.
In 2010 there was the 156th Boat Race, with Cambridge having won 80 times to Oxford`s 75 (in 1877,the race ended in a dead heat).The race has also been won for long periods by one university. Cambridge won 13 races in a row between 1924 and 1936, and Oxford won 10 races in a row between 1976 and 1985.
Women were finally allowed on to the rowing teams in 1981, when Sue Brown coxed the Oxford boat to victory two years in a row. Since then, six other women (all coxes) have taken part.
During the race`s history, there have been sinkings, collapses, collisions and controversies. Oxford`s boat sank in 1925 and 1951, and Cambridge`s in 1857 and 1978. In 1984, the Cambridge`s cox steered into a barge before the race had ever started, destroying the boat. The race was held the following day, a Sunday, and Oxford won in a time of 16 minutes 45 seconds. This is still the fastest time recorded over the Putney-to-Mortlake course.
Even though there are no Olympics or World Championship medals to be won, the chance to row for the university is a great honour, and the students who participate are allowed to wear special insignia, called “blues”.
The Boat Race is regarded as one of the most challenging endurance tests in sport. The students at each university train for 28 weeks, starting in October. Each boat has a team of eight oarsmen (plus one cox) and the final teams are selected just before the race.
Those students who are not selected for the “Blues” boats get a chance to row in the “second” boats, which are called “Isis” at Oxford and “Goldie” at Cambridge. Their race takes place before the main race on Boat Race day, over the same course. This race is useful for seeing how new oarsmen are shaping up for the following year`s Boat Race.
Training for the Boat Race requires dedication and a lot of will power. The oarsmen start most days at six with an early morning row on the river. This is followed by hours of exercises in the gymnasium, then running, and finally an afternoon row.
The mental exercise is also challenging because, apart from the stress of preparing for the race, the rowers must also find time to study for their degrees.
Rowing is still very much an amateur sport, but it is becoming increasingly expensive. The two universities finaly agreed to allow sponsorship of the teams in 1976. The current sponsors, Beefeater Gin who make an alcoholic drink, contribute ₤1,3 million over three years. This money pays for the boats, the coaches, and even warm-weather training in Spain when it is too cold to practise on the Thames. Prize money was introduced in 1968.
In recent years, there have been allegations of complaints that Cambridge has gone against the amateur principles of the race by offering bursaries of 5,000 each of two oarsmen to help them attend the university.
But the most serious controversy happened in 1987, when a mutiny occurred in the Oxford team. Four American oarsmen decided that they did not like the strict training regime laid down by their coach, and they demanded changes. The Oxford captain refused and the Americans were left out of the race. In true fairytale tradition the Oxford crew won the race. This team really deserved to be called “True Blues”.
Notes:
· fete – празднество, праздник
· coxswain (usually called a “cox”) - рулевой, которого зовут просто «кокс».
· Royal Ascot — знаменитые скачки, которые посещает королева. Проводятся раз в году в Аскоте на юге Англии.
· Test match at Lord`s — игра в крикет, в которой участвуют две команды из разных стран. Игра проводится на знаменитом стадионе Lord`s на севере Лондона.
· the race ended in a dead heat - обе команды финишировали одновременно
· offering bursaries ... each of two oarsmen – предлагая деньги каждому второму гребцу
· they did not like the strict training regime laid down by their coach – им не нравился строгий режим тренировок, который устанавливал для них их тренер