Question

“Tear them apart!” “Kill the fool!” “Murder the referee!”

These are common remarks one may hear at various sporting events. At the time they are made, they may seem innocent enough. But let’s not kid ourselves .They have been known to influence behavior in such a way as to lead to real bloodshed. Volumes have been written about the way word affect us. It has been shown that words having certain connotations （隱含意義） may cause us to react in ways quite foreign to what we consider to be our usual humanistic behavior. I see the term “opponent” as one of those words .Perhaps the time has come to delete it from sports terms.

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The dictionary meaning of the term “opponent” is “enemy” “one who opposes your interests.” Thus, when a player meets an opponent, he or she may tend to every action no matter how gross, may be considered justifiable. I recall an incident in a handball game when a referee refused a player’s request for a time out for a glove change because he did not consider them wet enough .The player proceeded to rub his gloves across his wet T-shirt and then exclaimed, “Are they wet enough now?”

In the heat of battle, players have been observed to throw themselves across the court without considering the consequences the such a move might have on anyone in their way. I have also witnessed a player reacting to his opponent’s intentional and illegal blocking by deliberately hitting him with the ball as hard as he could during the course of play. Off the court, they are good friends. Does that make any sense? It certainly gives proof of a court attitude which departs from（違背） normal behavior.

Therefore, I believe it is time we elevated （提升） the game to the level where it belongs, and setting an example to the rest of the sporting world. Replacing the term “opponent” with “associate” could be a better way to start.

The dictionary meaning of the term “associate” is “colleague”; “friend” ; “companion.” Reflect a moment! You may soon see and possibly feel the difference in your reaction to the term “associate” rather than “opponent”.

1．Which of the following statements best expresses the author’s view?

　　A．The words people use can influence their behavior.

　　B．Unpleasant words in sports are often used by foreign athletes.

　　C．Aggressive behavior in sports can have serious consequences.

　　D．Unfair judgments by referees will lead to violence on the sports field.

2．The underlined word gross in the third paragraph probably means        .

       A．complex              B．rude                    C．guilty                  D．royal

3．What did the handball player do when he was not allowed a time out to change his gloves?

　　A．He angrily hit the referee with a ball.

　　B．He refused to continue the game.

　　C．He claimed that referee was unfair.

　　D．He wet his gloves by rubbing them across his T-shirt.

4．According to the passage, players in a game may______.

　　A．kick the ball across the court with force

　　B．lie down on the ground as an act of protest

　　C．deliberately throw the ball at anyone illegally blocking their way

　　D．keep on screaming and shouting throughout the game

5．The author hopes to have the current situation in sports improved by ________.

　　A．regulating the relationship between players and referees

　　B．calling on players to use clean language in the court

　　C．raising the referee’s sense of responsibility

D．changing the attitude of players on the sports field

Answer 1

ABDCD