节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2014-02-25
难易度:Low
关键字:athletic, champion, no doubt, definitely, mascot, 7th inning stretch
Welcome back.
Do you ever wonder what sports are popular in other countries?
There are certain sports that are popular around the world, like soccer, for
example.
Well, in our lesson today our author, who is from Taiwan, is sharing what she
has observed in America about the sports people like watching there.
Today we learned about March Madness already, and we just started learning about
America's love for baseball.
Let's continue with that sport now.
(Music).
Super Sports, Super Fan!
They wear their favorite team's caps or even carry their mascot.
Our family went to watch Wang Chien-Ming play in D.C. once.
We ate hot dogs, waved flags and sang during the 7th inning stretch.
If you're not a sports fan yet, come and pick a sport or a team.
Go to a ball game with your family, and cheer your team on.
Sports are definitely a part of American culture one should not miss.
(Music).
All right.
(Chinese).
And now let's go to our teachers.
Thank you, Michelle.
Well, let's continue talking about baseball.
It is, of course, America's national sport.
Lots of people enjoy baseball games.
Baseball games can be events for the whole family to attend.
And they're usually not too expensive.
Well, I think that all depends on where you sit in the stadium.
But we read here what people wear when they go to baseball games.
They wear their favorite team's caps or even carry their mascot.
Now we talked about mascots last month.
It could be a person or an animal or a symbol that represents a team.
Yeah. And it's supposed to bring good luck to you or your team.
Carolyn, what are you holding in your hand?
Oh, this? This is GuGuLu.
Google what?
GuGuLu. GuGuLu! It's Studio Classroom's mascot.
Studio Classroom's mascot?
Yeah, GuGuLu.
And you're holding him... or her, GuGuLu.
Nice.
Eh, you're holding a dancing mascot in your hands.
Well, sure.
Gabe, did you know that Studio Classroom had a mascot?
I didn't! But now I do! Studio Classroom's mascot, GuGu... GuGu...
GuGuLu. It's a cute little owl.
You know, owls are smart, so we have GuGuLu.
Yes, of course. OK. That is our mascot.
And of course I think that people might bring their favorite mascots or the
mascot of their baseball team to a baseball game.
Yes, they can do that.
Maybe I can bring GuGuLu.
Well, I think we should get back to the lesson.
We were talking about baseball games.
Our author says here that her family went to watch Wang Chien-Ming play in D.C.
That's so cool.
They got to see Wang Chien-Ming play live.
Right. I'd love to see him or Chen Wei-Yin.
He's a great player as well.
Well, Wang Chien-Ming played in D.C.
And what is D.C.?
It's short for District of Columbia.
It's also short for Washington D.C.
And do you know what is special about this place?
It's the capital of the United States.
It's where the White House is and where the president lives.
And of course, it's where you can see baseball games at Nationals Park baseball
stadium.
So the author and her family were there watching Wang Chien-Ming play.
And she says they ate hot dogs, waved flags and sang during the 7th inning
stretch.
Now, wait a minute. What is a 7th inning stretch?
I'm glad you asked.
It's a break right in the middle of the 7th inning.
In Major League Baseball, there are 9 innings.
Each inning has two parts, one for each team to bat.
So just before the end of the game, when things may be getting very exciting,
there is a 7th inning stretch.
This is when you can get up and, well, stretch.
You can walk around, grab a bite to eat, and like our author says, you can sing
during the 7th inning stretch.
But what would you sing?
Well, there are some special baseball songs.
You've probably heard the song Take Me Out to the Ball Game.
But there's another one that people have started singing more since 9/11 - God
Bless America.
Now, if you are a baseball fan and want to see an American baseball game, go
between March and September.
This year the baseball season will be from March 22 to September 28.
Check it out if you get the chance.
But if you're not a sports fan yet, come and pick a sport or a team.
That's what the author encourages us to do.
Come and do something.
That's a great phrase to use when you want to invite or encourage someone to do
something.
Right. You could say come and join us for a ride.
Or come and see something incredible.
What do you want others to do?
Use... use this phrase and ask them to come and do it.
Well, our author says go to a baseball game and cheer your team on.
Now when you use the word "cheer," you could say you are cheering for someone
like: I cheer for my favorite player.
Or you could say you are cheering someone on like: I cheer my favorite player
on.
Right. They basically mean the same thing.
When you cheer someone on, you are in a sense telling them to go on, to move
forward, to keep going.
(Chinese).
I hear that all the time when people are cheering for someone here in Taipei.
And I think you are doing a great job.
We want to cheer you on from here at Studio Classroom.
Yeah. And sometimes we say things like good luck or I hope you win.
Speaking of, I think Steve and Ken have something they want to share with us in
the Information Cloud.
Let's join them now.
And then we'll watch a review skit and join Linda for our Editor's Summary.
Some of the most superstitious people in the world have got to be athletes.
No matter what sport it is, athletes are always looking for that extra edge.
And if performing an odd, superstitious ritual will give them that edge, they'll
do it.
In baseball, for example, many players, when heading on and off the field
between innings, will avoid stepping on the foul line.
That's bad luck.
Right.
And if a player is on a hot streak, they'll often do the exact same thing the
next day to keep that success going,
including eating the same exact meal or wearing the same exact undershirt,
sometimes unwashed.
Golfer Tiger Woods always wears a washed red shirt on Sundays.
He admits he does it out of superstition.
It's lucky.
Mmhm. Now, before we pass judgment on all this weirdness, let's see if we live
with any superstitions.
Well, in the Western world, many tall buildings don't have a 13th floor because
the number 13 is considered unlucky.
And people still say "God bless you" after someone sneezes because long ago, it
was thought saying it would protect people from disease and ward off evil
spirits.
Superstition.
(Chinese).
I really miss it.
Me, too.
Football season is over.
It was a great season and a great Super Bowl.
Oh, yeah.
Millions of Americans glued to their TVs.
Yeah. I couldn't pull myself away from a game.
And I couldn't pull myself away from the snacks: pizza, chicken wings, chips.
I loved all the cheering. Go! Go, team, go!
And the impressive halftime show.
And the funny commercials!
The Super Bowl really entertains.
And now football is over.
Now what?
Basketball!
It's time for March Madness.
Yeah, 68 teams compete until the field is reduced to the...
Final Four.
And the winning team becomes the...
National champion!
But then what?
Baseball!
Yeah. Baseball is no doubt America's national sport.
Oh, yeah. I can take Grandpa and the kids to the baseball game.
Families could all go together.
We can wear our team caps and carry the team mascots.
We can eat hot dogs, wave flags and sing the 7th inning stretch.
Take me out to the ball game...
I love baseball.
And basketball.
And football.
We love it all!
And in March, we see that... March Madness begins. Basketball.
March Madness means everyone is watching college basketball, and this is after
watching the All-Star basketball game played by professionals.
And you can't forget baseball.
It's called America's national sport by many.
Pauline and her family went to a game once to see Wang Chien-Ming play.
It was a family experience.
Sports are popular in the States.
And Pauline's descriptions are very, very accurate.
Thank you, Linda.
Well, now it's time to get out and go to a baseball game.
But first, I think we should practice singing for the 7th inning stretch.
What?!
Yeah, like, take me out to the ball game.
Take me out to the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks.
I don't care if I ever get back.
For it's root, root, root for the home team.
If they don't win, it's a shame.
For it's 1, 2, 3 strikes, you're out of the old ball game.
Thank you for joining us here at Studio Classroom.
And we will see you next time.
All right. See you.