美国的三大球类运动与其他热门运动

Team sports appeal to Americans’ love of socializing and competing. The most popular team sports in the U.S.—baseball, football, and basketball—are both spectator sports and participatory sports. Boys and girls begin playing softball (a game similar to baseball but with a bigger, softer ball) when they are about 9 or 10 years old. In high school and college, football and baseball are played primarily by boys and men, and basketball is played by both sexes.

Baseball is often called the national pastime. People from other countries sometimes wonder why Americans enjoy this sport so much. “It’s dull,” they say. “Most of the time, the players are just standing still, waiting for someone to hit the ball.” And that’s true. But hitting that ball is quite a challenge. A pitch thrown by a professional pitcher usually travels more than 90 miles (145 kilometers) an hour. Hitting a ball thrown that fast is a difficult challenge for any athlete, so when a batter hits the ball out of the ball park (a home run!), the fans scream and cheer. The professional baseball season ends with the World Series, seven games played between the nation’s top two teams. As with championship football, fans sometimes pay hundreds of dollars for a ticket to a World Series game. But those that watch the games at home on TV probably see them better.

Football involves knocking down a player who is trying to carry the ball down the field. Although players wear a lot of padding and other protective gear, injuries are fairly common. Versions of the game that involve less physical contact—flag football and touch football—are played by teams enjoying the sport just for fun and exercise.

As a spectator sport, football is extremely popular, especially among men. Women sometimes call themselves “football widows” because, during the football season, their boyfriends or husbands are either at the stadium or glued to the TV set. Both college football (played on Saturday afternoons) and professional football (played on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights) attract huge audiences. At the end of the college football season, the best teams compete in Bowl games. The day’s festivities are colorful and exciting, involving parades with floats and marching bands. Bowl games attract huge crowds and big TV audiences. The professional football season ends with the Super Bowls, the game between the country’s top two teams. More than 130 million people worldwide watch it on TV. It is the most watched TV show in the world. Because of this huge audience, advertisers pay about $2 million for a 30-second advertisement!

Note that the game Americans call football is not what Europeans call football. To Americans, that game is soccer. Soccer, the world’s most popular sport, the national sport of most European and Latin American countries, has not been a great success in the U.S. as a professional sport. However, it is one of the fastest-growing team sports in U.S. elementary and high schools and is also a popular college sport.

While baseball and football are played outdoors (or in huge enclosed stadiums), basketball is the world’s most popular indoor sport. Variations of the game are also played informally outdoors. Nearly every park in the U.S. has a basketball net and hard-surface playing area, and many American homes have a basketball net outdoors. In NBA, there are 30 professional men’s teams. In addition, women’s professional basketball has been growing in popularity. Basketball is also played competitively by high school and college students.

Professional basketball players make almost impossible shots look easy and graceful. Michael Jordan, the former Chicago Bulls player, became famous worldwide because of his achievements on the basketball court. Jordan’s 13-year career earnings (his salary for playing plus earnings for endorsing products in ads) exceeded $300 million! Is it any wonder that almost every tall American boy hopes to grow much taller and eventually play professional basketball?

Americans know that athletics is good for the body and the mind. Those who are serious about exercising can find all kinds of activities to do, everything from winter sports to water sports. Some are safe, tame, and not very strenuous. Others require speed and great endurance. Some even require courage. Many Americans spend a lot of money on equipment and instruction to participate in sports they enjoy. Others talk about exercising more but never get around to it.

One sport that can be played from about age 10 to 110 is golf. This popular sport is played all year except when the ground is covered with snow. Doctors highly recommend it for mild exercise, and they often practice what they preach. “Don’t get sick on a Wednesday,” people joke. That’s doctors’ traditional day off, and supposedly they are all on the golf course. The achievements of American golfer Tiger Woods have been an inspiration to golfers everywhere. He won the Masters Tournament in 1997, at the age of 21, and is still ranked the world’s best golfer. He is also a one-man representative of American multiculturalism. His ethnic background is a blend of African-American, Native American, Chinese, European, and Thai!

Another sport that is not extremely strenuous and appeals to a wide age range is bowling. About 43 million people bowl in the U.S. Many bowling leagues (groups of teams that compete against each other) are formed by coworkers or members of community organizations.

Tennis, played by millions throughout the world, is also popular in the U.S. It is played all year, indoors or out, and provides a very vigorous workout. When two people are playing against each other, it is called singles; when four play (two teams of two players each), it is called doubles. As with other major sports, top professional tennis players win a lot of money and become famous.

Americans also enjoy winter sports on snow or ice. Skiing attracts both individuals and families. In flatter areas of the country, “mountains” are artificially created and covered with artificial snow. Skiers also go to resorts with real mountains in places such as Aspen, Colorado. Ice-skating, indoors and outdoors, is also popular. Hockey (the national sport of Canada) is a popular team sport for boys in the U.S., too. Girls, however, are more likely to enjoy figure skating.

The next category of sports is called extreme sports. These are risky activities involving speed, high skill, and danger. They include daredevil tricks on snowboards, skateboards, and bicycles; parachute jumps off bridges or cliffs; bungee jumping; barefoot waterskiing; and skydiving. Most Americans consider extreme sports enthusiasts extremely foolish. However, others see them as carrying on the traditional pioneering, adventurous spirit that enabled Americans to conquer a wilderness.

1) What are the three most popular team sports in the U.S.?

2) What’s the difference between Bowl games and the Super Bowl?

3) What sport may be the doctors’ favorite game?

4) Why are some people crazy about extreme sports?

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21世纪内容语言融合（CLI）系列英语教材是在CLI教育理念指导下，基于国家社会科学基金项目“英语专业基础阶段内容依托式课程改革研究”推出的系列英语内容依托教材。适用于英语专业一、二年级的学生，也适用于具有中学英语基础的非英语专业学生和英语爱好者学习。本套教材具有以下主要特色：

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