Are Sports Important?

    Sports are all around us. We watch and read sports news. There are also sports clubs, and even sports-only channels(频道) on TV. In many countries, players make millions of dollars every year. But why are sports so important? They're only games, right?

    Our readers answer:

    Vlad (Ukraine乌克兰)

    Sports bring people together. In 2006, our team was able to play in the 2006 World Cup for the first time. Everyone was happy. Rich and poor, old and young, men and women—everyone was in the streets together!

Mike (U.S.A.)

    Sports bring people together, but they divide them too. Fans of different teams fight all the Time-they shout and hit each other. And here's another example: My brother plays high school baseball. Last week, his team played an important game. At the game, two parents fought about a call .

    Come on … baseball is only a game! Sports are so competitive (有竞争力的) these days. It's all about winning. Then the game isn't fun.

    Oba (South Africa)

    Right now, some of the world's best soccer players are from African countries, and the 2010

    World Cup games will be held in South Africa. Yes, some players make a lot of money—maybe too much, but sporting events (like the World Cup) bring tourists and money to countries and people. And that is good for Africa.

    An important question about eating out is who pays for the meal. If a friend of yours asks you to have lunch with him, you may say something like this, "I'm afraid it'll have to be someplace cheap, as I have very little money." The other person may say, "OK, I'll meet you at McDonald's."

    This means that the two agree to go Dutch, that is, each person pays for himself. He may also say, "Oh, no. I want to take you to lunch at Smith's," or "I want you to try the Chinese dumplings there.

    They're great." This means the person wants to pay for both of you. If you feel friendly towards this person, you can go with him and you needn't pay for the meal. You may just say, "Thank you. That would be very nice."

    American customs about who pays for dates are much the same as in other parts of the world.

    In the old days, American women wanted men to pay for all the meals. But, today, a university girl or a woman in business world will usually pay her bill during the date. If a man asks her for a dance outside the working hours, it means "Come, as my guest." So as you can see, it is a polite thing to make the question clear at the very beginning.

    When you go to an American's house for dinner, there are some table manners(餐桌礼仪)you should know.

    ⒈Don't talk too loudly at the table.

    ⒉Never talk on the phone at table.

    ⒊Eat soup quietly and with the side of the spoon(勺子).

    ⒋Break your bread; don't cut it.

    ⒌Don't eat food with your fingers unless(除非)it is finger food like bread, pizza and so on.

    ⒍Don't play with food or table utensils(用具).

    ⒎Don't put your elbows(肘)on the table.

    ⒏Keep the napkin(餐巾)on the lap(膝盖).

    ⒐Never ask a doggy bag(打包袋)when having a formal(正式的)dinner.

    ⒑It's OK not to finish all the food on your plate.

    Follow the rules and you will have a great time enjoying your dinner.

References(参考词汇):

make rules to .../ be good for.../ follow the rules/ be strict with...

No rules, no standards.(没有规矩,不成方圆。)

⒈补全1-4题的信息。每空限填一词。

⒉请提出一个有关参观悉尼歌剧院的问题，完成第5题。不超过10个词。

The Sydney Opera House is a very famous building in the world. It has become Sydney's best- known landmark and international symbol. The Opera House with a "sailing roof" was designed by Utzon, a famous architect(建筑师) who came from Denmark. The base of the building was started in 1959 — years before the designs were finished. Utzon spent four years designing the Opera House.  In 1962, the designs were finalised (敲定) and the construction began. In 1967, they started the decoration(装修) inside. It took 14 years in total to build the Opera House. Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ officially opened it on 20th October 1973. 

The Sydney Opera House cost around $100 million. More than six thousand square metres of glass was used to build it. The Opera House includes nearly 1, 000 rooms. It is about 185 metres long and 120 metres wide. The building's roof sections weigh about 15 tons each. Each year, this fantastic building attracts thousands of tourists to come for a visit or enjoy events in it. 

The Opera House reaches out into the harbour (港 湾 ). It is amazing and unforgettable, offering people a strong sense of beauty. 

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