Experiencing English 2. Unit 6 Sports and Health

Experiencing English 2

UnitUnit 66Sports and HealthSports and Health

UnitUnit 66 Sports and Sports and

HealthHealth In this unit, you willIn this unit, you will first listen, and then talk about sports; read about a famous athlete and the way of

keeping fit; learn new words and expressions; practice the use of participles; fill in a Health Background Form; visit Culture Salon for an introduction to the

emblems of the Olympic Games.

Unit 6 Sports and Health


• Lead in

• Dialogue Samples

• Passage A

Teaching procedures

I. Listen and Talk

II. Read and Explore

III. Culture Salon

Related Information

Notes to the Text

Summary of the TextWords and Expressions

Understanding the Text

Think About It

home

ListeListenn


HealthHealth

TalkTalkandand

Part IPart I


HealthHealth Directions: Listen to the following paragraphs and decide which picture is described in detail. Click here to listen.

UnitUnit 66

Sports and HealthSports and Health

The photos are all related to Sports and HealthSports and Health . Describe them to your classmates with the help of the following question.

1. What is your favorite sport? Explain.2. How do you understand “it's more

important to participate than to compete” in sports?

3. What is your opinion about the relationship between sports and health?

UnitUnit 66

Sports and HealthSports and Health Directions: Listen to the following passage and try to fill the missing words. Click here to listen.

Physical activity improves our bodies’ health. A recent study 1. ______ in The New England Journal of Medicine, suggests that maintaining a healthy level of physical 2. ______ through exercise can help people live longer; and the findings provide updated 3. ______ to Charles Darwin's “survival of the fittest” theory. But repetitive exercise can become boring, 4. _______ discouragement, frustration, even quitting. Selecting an activity that provides 5. _______ as well as physical exercise, however, can be the answer. Many people have turned to sports. Sports can provide a 6. _______ – physically as well as mentally — and increase one’s physical activity while providing social interaction, a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment. First held as part of the 1896 Olympics in Athens, Greece, and then brought to Boston, Massachusetts in 1897, the Marathon is now an important part of 7. ______ in many cities across America. Marathon running, usually a 40k (26.2 miles) race, is becoming increasingly popular with both men and women for its challenge of perseverance, requiring both 8. ______ and mental endurance, and its feat of accomplishment. For first-time runners it is the culmination of a dream – a personal 9. _______ obtained after months of physical and psychological preparation and training. For veteran marathoners it’s an opportunity to improve their Personal Best — competing 10. _______ their own fastest time. Although there is no overall Marathon record, since Marathon courses vary from city to city, the best men's times are under 2 hours and 7 minutes and the best women's times are slightly above 2 hours and 19 minutes.



Keys: 1. published 2. fitness

3. support 4. leading to

5. enjoyment 6. challenge

7. culture 8. physical

9. goal 10. preparation



Dialogue SamplesDialogue 1 Talking About SportsKey words and patterns: ◆Hey, John, you look strong. It seems to me

you are a good sportsman, aren’t you? ◆Have you been on any sports teams? ◆Do you know how to play tennis? ◆I’ll be glad to, but you know, I’m not very

good at it. ◆That doesn’t matter. I’m also learning. How

about five o’clock?



Dialogue 2Talking About Sportskey words and patterns: ◆Brian, what sports do you fellow? ◆So you want to be a muscleman? ◆What else do you do? ◆Do you ever go jogging? ◆That’s good for you. May I join you in

running tomorrow? ◆I’m thinking about finding a partner.

Never Give Up

Passage A



Words & Expressions of passage A1.Botch v. (up) spoil something by poor wor

k 弄糟 eg: I am afraid I’ve rather botched up the d

inner tonight.2. Choke v.1) fail at doing something especia

lly in a sport, because there is a lot of pressure 发挥失常

2) have great difficulty in breathing or stop breathing because of blocking

eg: He almost chocked to death on a fish bone



3) (up, with) to fill completely, so that movement is impossible.

eg: Leaves choked up the pipe. 4) choke sth. down/back: control as if by hol

ding them in the throat. eg: chock one’s tears/ anger 5) choke sb. off: stop, get rid of, or prevent eg: They’d ruthlessly choked off all opposi

tion to their plans.



3. Cover v. report the details of (an event) for a newspaper or a TV station 报道

eg: She covered all the news.4. Credibility n. the quality of deserving belie

f and trust 可信性 eg: If we don’t keep promises, we’ll lose

credibility with the public.5. Crisis n. a point or moment of great dange

r, difficulty, or uncertainty 紧要关头 eg: The sudden rise in oil prices led to an ec

onomic crisis.



6. Defend v. 1) (of a sports champion) take part in a contest to keep one’s high ranking position 卫冕

2) ( against, from) keep safe from harm; protect against attack.

eg: When the came towards me I picked up a stick to defend myself.

7. Endorsement n. a statement or action which shows one’s support or approval of something or someone 签署（合同，合约等）



Endorse v. 1) express approval or support eg: The committee’s report fully endorses t

he government’s proposals. 2) write a note to say that the driver h

as broken the law. eg: If you get any more endorsement you wo

n’t allowed to drive8. Exclusive 1) a. appearing in no other public

ation or on no other channel 独家报道 eg: The reporter managed to get an exclusive

interview with the Prime Minister.



2) exclusive of : not taking into account;without eg: The hotel charges 6 dollars a day, e

xclusive of meals.9. Fantasize v. form strange or wonderful id

eas in the mind 幻想 eg: She fantasized about winning the lottery.10. Grueling a. demanding great effort and d

etermination 艰难的 eg: All the runners were exhausted after the

grueling race.



11. Heroism n. very great courage; success under great pressure 英雄气概

eg: an act of great heroism12. Lucrative a . (especially of a business, tra

de or job) bringing in plenty of money 有利润的

eg: lucrative business13. Luster n. the brightness of a shiny, polish

ed surface 光泽 eg: the luster of gold14. Merit v. deserve; have a right to 值得



eg: Your suggestion merits serious consideration.

15. Observe v. make a remark 评论 eg: “That’s odd,” he observed.16. Persevere ( at, in, with )v. continue steadi

ly and with determination in spite of difficulties 坚持不懈

eg: If you persevere with the work, you will succeed in the end.

17. Recipient n. a person who receives something 接受



eg: the recipient of the letter.18. Routine 1)n. a sequence of movements, e

specially in a dance ( 舞蹈等表演的 ) 成套动作

eg: a dance routine 2) regular and habitual way of worki

ng or doing things. eg: She longed to escape from the same old

familiar routine.Routine adj. regular; according to what is al

ways habitually done; not special



eg: It’s just a routine medical examination, nothing to get worried about.

19. Shot n. 1) a chance or attempt to do something 尝试

eg: It’s a difficult job but I’d like to have a shot at it.

2) the action of shooting a weapon or the sound that it makes.

eg: She fired three shots. 3) like a shot: without a delay and es

p. eagerly.



eg: When he offered me the job, I accepted like a shot.

20. Usher v. lead somebody to the place where they should go or sit 引导

eg: She ushered the visitor into the room.



Lead-in PicturesLead-in PicturesBefore reading Passage A, describe the following pictures .



Brief Introduction On Figure Skating Figure skating has a history of almost 100

years and it started as an athletic sport in China in 1950s. Figure skating consists of single skating (man and ladies, pairs skating, ice dance and synchronized( 使… . 一致 ) skating. Single and pair skating consists of short program and free skating; ice dancing consists of compulsory dance, original dance, free dance; synchronized skating consists of short



program and free skating. in China,

single skating, pair skating and ice dancing are being practiced now.

The important annual figure skating competitions in China are: National Championships, National Cup Competitions, National Junior Competition series. The National Games that includes single skating only are held every four years; The National Winter Games that includes single skating, pair skating and ice dancing are also held every four years.



The Chinese figure skating team has become one of the strongest teams in the world after great efforts in training. Lu Chen won the Champion at ladies event in 1995 World Championships and bronze medals at the 17th and 18th Olympic Winter Games. Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao was among the top 3 place at pair skating event in 4 consecutive World Championships from 1999 to 2002,incuding their historical 1st place at World Championships in 2002.They won the bronze medal at the 19th Olympic Winter Games held in Salt Lake City, USA in 2002.



Lead-in QuestionsLead-in Questions

1. Do you enjoy watching figure skating? Explain.

2. Do you know any famous figure skaters? Share what you know with each other.

3. What do you usually do in facing difficulties?

(Click the button below to go to each part.)



Notes to the TextNotes to the TextClick the following words to listen to the text.

Listen to the whole text. Listen to paragraph 1.Listen to paragraph 2.Listen to paragraph 3.Listen to paragraph 4.Listen to paragraph 5.Listen to paragraph 6.Listen to paragraph 7.Listen to paragraph 8.Listen to paragraph 9.Listen to paragraph 10.Listen to paragraph 11.Listen to paragraph 12.



Summary of the TextSummary of the Text

Paul Wiley was a 27-year-old American ice skater who could never win the big competitions. Many times he considered retirement but he persevered. Younger skaters consistently (constant to the same principles) defeated him, yet he kept practicing and competing. Then he finished second in the 1992 Olympics in France and became a hero. Applause greeted him as he stepped off the plane bringing him home from the Olympics. Fame and endorsements came his way.



Summary of the TextSummary of the Text

But he remained very modest and did not consider himself a hero. He said that selfless service can make a true hero, and he also hoped that his story would inspire other people. This would be another kind of hero. Like skating, he felt that life requires the regular practice of small actions which add up to make a larger whole. It's not necessary to be famous to be a hero in daily life.



Understanding the TextUnderstanding the Text

1. How was Paul Wylie's life changed after he won the silver medal?

He was regarded as a hero, traveling on figure-skating world tours, being invited to exclusive events, and with figure skating fans chasing for his autographs.




2. What did the question "what are you doing here?" imply?

It implied that people were unhappy with Paul Wylie's performance.




3. Did Paul Wylie expect what he would see back in his home country after he won the silver medal in France?

No, he didn't. He had no idea how his performance was unfolding on U. S. television.




4. Why did Paul Wylie give the answer "daily" to the question "how often do you contemplate retirement?"

He answered "daily" because he was undergoing a very difficult time in his skating career and it was hard for him to keep going.




5. Was Paul Wylie a famous skater in the U. S. before he won the silver medal?

No, he wasn't. He had been struggling for many years on his way towards success.




6. What have you learned from Paul Wylie's story?

Open.


Experiencing English 2 Never Give Up

　 They told him to quit, that he wasn't good enough, but figure skater Paul Wylie refused to listen.　

　 When he stepped off the plane in Washington, D.C., following the 1992 Winter Games, and everyone in the terminal started clapping, Paul Wylie almost stopped in his tracks. Who's behind me? He

wondered. Despite the silver medal in his pocket, he couldn't believe that the applause was for him. From that moment on, Paul recognized that his life would never be the same. 　



The silver medal he earned in Albertville, France, ushered the 27-year-old figure skater into a new existence. He was no longer a nobody who choked at big events, like the 1988 Calgary Olympics, where he finished an unimpressive 10th. No longer the recipient of advice from judges who, after Paul's performance in the '91 World Championships, suggested that he quit: "Make room for the younger skaters." 　　No longer the target of loaded questions from reporters covering the '91 Olympic Trials ("What are you doing here?"). No longer the skater incapable of finishing ahead of U.S. National Champion Todd Eldredge or three-time defending World Champion Kurt Browning of Canada. 　



Now Paul Wylie was an Olympic hero. He was an athlete who kept going when doubters suggested he quit. He was a recent Harvard University graduate who had frequently fantasized about life without grueling hours on the ice, but who persevered anyway. He was

a young man who had discovered and demonstrated that goals can be reached no matter how many obstacles and botched attempts lie in the way. 　

　



"A reporter who interviewed me at the Closing Ceremonies told me, 'You came here an unknown and now you go home a hero,'" Paul says. "I thought that was interesting, because I was in France and unaware of how my journey was unfolding on U.S. television. It wasn't until I stepped off the plane that I realized people considered me a hero. They were changed by my story. They were changed by the fact that I was able to persevere and win the silver medal even though almost everyone had counted me out." 　



At times, Paul had almost counted himself out. "Two months before the '92 Olympics, USA Today did a survey of different athletes and asked, 'How often do you contemplate retirement?' The choices were: 'yearly,' 'monthly' or 'weekly.' 　

　 "I wrote, 'daily,' because it was hard to keep going. But I just decided, I'm going to persevere and hang in there, because I have a shot." 　

　



Things definitely changed in 1992 in Albertville. "To have my story be one that brought tears to people's eyes, because of the way it turned around — that changed my life as well," Paul says. "I looked at my skating career and saw it rewritten and beautiful, as opposed to a big disappointment and many years struggling toward some goal but not reaching it." 　



With medal in hand, Paul was suddenly ushered into a world of lucrative endorsements and figure-skating world tours, of exclusive events and autograph seekers. Everything you might expect of a celebrity hero, but none of what Paul himself believes merits the honor of that title. 　

"What makes a true hero is selfless service," he says. "Or someone whose life and actions inspire you to be better and to be a bigger person. I don't think that what I did was selfless service. But God used the story of my life to inspire others." 　



"What makes a true hero is selfless service," he says. "Or someone whose life and actions inspire you to be better and to be a bigger person. I don't think that what I did was selfless service. But God used the story of my life to inspire others." 　

　Heroism, Paul has observed, requires daily maintenance. Just as a skater achieves perfection by practicing small parts of his larger routine day after day, a hero must look for ways to serve on a regular basis — not just in a crisis or more visible situation.



As an Olympic medal loses its luster after years of storage, a hero will lose his credibility if he stops looking to the needs of others. When Paul joins the thousands of others watching the Olympics in Salt Lake City, he knows that behind the scenes of each victory, of each record-setting finish, stand countless stories of everyday heroes. Heroes who refuse to give up. 　



Words and ExpressionsWords and Expressions1. quit: stop (doing something)

Examples:

• He quit his job for a better position.

• He should really quit smoking.



Words and ExpressionsWords and Expressions2. persevere: continue firmly in spite of

difficulties

Examples:

• He persevered at his search for a job.

• Despite the failure of his early experiments, the scientist persevered in his research.



Words and ExpressionsWords and Expressions3. in the way: blocking space for the forward

movement

Examples:

• The chair is in the way; so move it, please.

• Although he thought he was helping us prepare the dinner, he was only in the way.



Words and ExpressionsWords and Expressions4. count out: leave out by choice

Examples: • If you are playing football in this rainy

weather you can count me out.

• We have ten applicants for the post, but

two of them have now accepted other

appointments, so we can count them out.



Words and ExpressionsWords and Expressions5. at times: sometimes

Examples:

• I do feel a little nervous at times.

• We have pie for dinner at times.



Words and ExpressionsWords and Expressions6. survey: general view

Examples:

• We made a survey of the uses of English.

• They ran a survey of the most popular

television programs.



Words and ExpressionsWords and Expressions7. have a shot: try

Examples: • I don't know if I can do that, but I'll have a

shot (at it).

• Have a shot at solving the problem.



Words and ExpressionsWords and Expressions8. as opposed to: in contrast to

Examples:

• It happened in the day as opposed to the

evening.

• This is a book about business as opposed

to theory.



Words and ExpressionsWords and Expressions9. exclusive: not shared with others

Examples:

• The actress granted the reporter an exclusive interview.

• This company has the exclusive right to print Mr. Dare's books.



Words and ExpressionsWords and Expressions10. crisis: a turning point in the course of

anything

Examples:

• I was on the verge of a terrible crisis in my life.

• The potentiality for future government crises was growing.



Words and ExpressionsWords and Expressions11. behind the scenes: out of sight,secretly,

without public knowledge

Examples:

• He is an important man behind the scenes.

• John was president of the club, but behind the scenes Robert told him what to do.



Notes to the TextNotes to the Text

1.The silver medal he earned in Albertville, France, ushered the 27-year-old figure skater into a new existence. (para. 2)

The second-place medal he earned in Albertville, France, gave the 27-year-old figure skater a new status and reputation.

这位 27 岁的花样滑冰运动员在法国的阿尔贝维尔获得了银牌，生活从此改观。



Notes to the TextNotes to the Text2.He was no longer a nobody who choked at big

events, like the 1988 Calgary Olympics, where he finished an unimpressive 10th. (para. 2)

He was no longer a little-known competitor who became nervous and could not win in major competitions, like the 1988 Calgary Olympics where he finished 10th and few people noticed him.

1988 年的卡尔加里冬奥会上，他表现平平，只得了第 10 名，如今他再也不是在大型赛事中举止失措的无名小卒了 .




3.No longer the target of loaded questions from reporters covering the '91 Olympic Trials ("What are you doing here?"). (para. 3)

(He was) no longer asked embarrassing and irritating questions (such as "Why are you here?") by the reporters reporting on the 1991 Olympic Trials.

跟踪报道 1991 年冬奥会选拔赛的记者们曾问他“你来这儿干什么？”，如今再也不会有这种恶意的提问了。




4.But I just decided, I'm going to persevere and hang in there, because I have a shot."(para. 7)

But I just decided I'd keep practicing and competing, because I really had a chance to win.

“ 我写的是‘每天’，因为要坚持下去实在是太难了。但我还是下定决心要坚持下去，决不放弃，我要全力一搏。”



Notes to the TextNotes to the Text5.With medal in hand, Paul was suddenly ushere

d into a world of lucrative endorsements and figure-skating world tours, of exclusive events and autograph seekers.(para. 9)Now that he was a medal winner, Paul had many new opportunities to make money from signing advertising contracts or traveling around the world with skating shows, being invited to special events for famous people and signing autographs for the fans.

手中拿着奖牌，保罗突然进入到一个全新的世界：财源不断的签约、花样滑冰巡回赛、独家采访、追星族要求签名。




6.Heroism, Paul has observed, requires daily maintenance.(para. 11)

Paul has noticed that heroism requires daily perseverance, ie a medallist has to persevere in training in order to keep the honor..

保罗还说，英雄是需要日日维护的。




7.As an Olympic medal loses its luster after years of storage, a hero will lose his credibility if he stops looking to the needs of others.(para. 12)

Over the years the public may forget about an Olympic medal winner and stop trusting him if he does not pay attention to what other people want or need.

收藏多年之后，奥运奖牌会退去它最初的光泽；若是不再关注别人的需要，英雄也会失去其知名度。



Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., a city as well as a district, is the capital of the United States of America. The city of Washington is coextensive (extend the same time) with the District of Columbia (D.C.), the federal district of the United States. Washington is today the core (central part) of one of the largest metropolitan (of a metropolis) areas in the country and serves as a center of both national and international politics and diplomacy.

1. Jefferson Memorial2. Washington Monument3. Statue of Lincoln4. Marine Corps War Memorial5. White House



1992 Winter Olympics, Albertville1992 Winter Olympics, Albertville

The 1992 Albertville Olympic Games were the last Winter Games to be staged in the same year as the Summer Games. Only 18 of the 57 events were held in Albertville itself, while nearby resorts hosted the rest.

http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=2&OLGY=1992



1988 Winter Olympics, Calgary1988 Winter Olympics, Calgary

Female Hockey

Short Track Speed Skating Cyclin

g

Long TrackSpeed Skating

http://www.oval.ucalgary.ca/

Calgary's dream to host the Olympics finally came true on its fourth candidacy. The term of the winter games was extended from 12 days to 16 days, the same as the summer games, as from the Calgary Olympics.



Todd EldredgeTodd Eldredge

"In your mind, you can imagine

anything. That's part of the

reason I came back. You dream

certain things and you hope to

achieve those dreams." -Todd Eldredge, Los Angeles 1/10/02

http://www.toddeldredge.net/

Full Name: Todd James EldredgeRepresenting: United StatesCoach: Richard CallaghanBorn: August 28, 1971Hometown: Chatham, Massachusetts (now living and training in Michigan)Interests: Golf, sports cars, computers



Kurt BrowningKurt Browning

Kurt Browning is Canada's Four Time Canadian and World Figure Skating Champion. He is one of the most celebrated skaters in his native country of Canada, and the world. Kurt has landed himself a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first man to complete a Quadruple Jump at the World Figure Skating Championships in Budapest, Hungary on March 25, 1988.

http://www.skate.org/browning/



Harvard UniversityHarvard University

Harvard University a private, coeducational institution of higher education, is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is the oldest university in the United States.

Homepage of Harvard University: http://www.harvard.edu/



USA TodayUSA Today

USA Today --- A Window on the World There’s no better daily source for articles about the USA and its

culture than syndicated features from USA TODAY, the pioneer of modern newspapers. Every day, subscribers receive 20-25 articles on Trends Across the USA, News, Money, Entertainment, Life and Health, Sports and Opinion. Check out USA Today's famed Web site: http://www.usatoday.com/



2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City, Utah hosts the 2002 Winter Olympic Games starting February 8, 2002. The games lasted 17 days and featured more than 180 events in 15 different sports.

Http://www.saltlake2002.com

Thank You!Thank You!

Documents

Experiencing English 2. Unit 6 Sports and Health