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New Connection—Book 4
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UNIT 4
Sports Mania
Starting Off:
David Beckham is one of the world’s highest-earning athletes, but did you know that he makes more money from endorsement deals than he does from actually playing sports? Why do you think people are eager to own things that are promoted by their favorite sports stars? Are there some items that you would be willing to pay more for if a celebrity athlete recommended them? What if that athlete also used them?
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Task I
Listen to the two broadcasts. Fill in the reviews with words from the audio and indicate which type of sporting event each was.
GETTING READY
batter
inning
home team
pitcher
center fielder
rookie
jump shot
blocking
Baseball
Basketball
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1. Once you hear the ___________ it will be halftime, and then everyone will be leaving their seats to grab some food. (equipment that makes a loud noise)
2. Players with a position in the ___________ have to cover a lot of space, but not too many balls make it out that far. (baseball playing area outside the diamond)
3. A typical baseball game will have nine innings, but a basketball game will only have four ___________. (the periods a game is divided into)
4. The batter stood next to the ___________ waiting for the pitch to come. (a piece of plastic or rubber players touch or stand on in baseball)
5. Usually a _______________ is easily caught because it doesn’t travel a great distance. (a type of hit in baseball where the ball goes straight up in the air)
6. The coach was required to announce the starting ___________ at least three hours prior to the game. (the list of players)
Task II
Listen to the audio again and complete the sentences. Use the hints to help you.
GETTING READY
buzzer
outfield
quarters
plate
pop fly
lineup
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GETTING READY
No 1.
Broadcaster: Welcome back to another live broadcast everybody! It’s a perfect day for a game, and I’m sure all the fans in attendance are thankful for the wonderful weather. The home team is heading onto the field now, and the first batter for the away team is walking up to the plate. If you listened to the game yesterday, you’ll remember this batter1 as the one who hit that disappointing pop fly2 that lead to the team’s third out3 in the ninth inning4. Let’s see if he’ll do better today. The pitcher5 is winding up6 and . . . strike one. Strike two. Uh-oh, this guy could be in big trouble. He swings and connects! The ball shoots to the outfield7. This could be a home run folks! Oh, spoke too soon. Caught by the center fielder8, and the batter is out.

No 2.
Broadcaster: And that’s the buzzer9 to end the third quarter. Looks like the coach of the home team is making some changes to the lineup10. He’s taken out the starting center and is going to replace him with rookie11 Dave Smith. Smith is well-known for his jump shot12, which could be the reason behind the change. The other team has been having quite an easy time blocking all efforts to score. We’re getting ready to start the fourth quarter now. All right, Smith is receiving a pass from the point guard13. And in it goes. Two more points for the home team!
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WORD POWER
A. Listen Up
Complete the advertisement based on the audio. Use the correct forms of the words provided.
tryouts
small forward
free throw
shooting
slam dunk
position
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WORD POWER
Donald: Hey, Ralph. Are you going play on our school’s basketball team this year?
Ralph: I hope so. I can’t wait for tryouts1 to start!
Donald: Which position do you usually play?
Ralph: I like playing small forward2 because then I get to do a bit of everything. I can aggressively try to steal the ball when the other team is shooting3, and I get the chance to score4 when game play moves to the other net. I especially enjoy pushing past everyone to slam dunk5 the ball. What about you?
Donald: Directing game play by dribbling6 the ball up and down the court and passing it to other players is a lot of fun for me, so I usually play point guard.
Ralph: I could never play that position. I like scoring too much!
Donald: I like to score, too, but my jump shot isn’t that good.
Ralph: Maybe I can help you with that. Last year, I had the highest free throw7 percentage on the team.
Donald: That would be great. Thanks! If you could give me some advice on my layups8, that would be cool, too.
Ralph: Sure. In fact, maybe I should hold a session to help lots of people!
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WORD POWER
B. Word Focus: Sports Necessities
Match the sports below with the things associated with them.
c
e
f
a
d
b
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WORD POWER
C. Speak Out Loud
What are your opinions about the facts below? Talk about them with a classmate.
In 1992, America sent a team of professional NBA players to the summer Olympics for the first time. This “Dream Team,” which included players like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, dominated the games and easily won gold.
Sports players don’t compete just because they love to play; they want money, too! According to Forbes, the UEFA Champions League gives out the largest prizes. In 2012, tournament winning English team Chelsea received $77 million!
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CONVERSATION ZONE
（對話影片檔）
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Sports Legend
CONVERSATION ZONE
Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the choices given. Listen to check your answers.
opposing
streak
Ryan and Ted are talking about their favorite American baseball team.
Ryan: Did you watch yesterday’s game? The ① _________1 team was ruthless2.
Ted: Yeah. Despite the Red Sox’s frantic3 last-minute efforts to score, they got whipped again!
Ryan: To tell you the truth, I’m filled with4 apprehension5 that they might be on the verge of6 another losing ② _________7. Their last one continued for over 80 years!
Ted: Why did everyone have a leg up on the Sox for so long?
Ryan: You haven’t heard of the Curse of the Bambino?
Ted: Who?
Ryan: The Bambino. That was the nickname of baseball legend Babe Ruth. He originally8 played for the Red Sox but was sold to the Yankees.
Ted: Talk about bad ③ _________! Don’t a lot of people consider him to be the greatest player of all time?
judgment
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Ryan: Absolutely. He pulled out all the stops whenever he played. With his help, the Yankees beat the pants off everyone, winning the league
④ _____________9 seven times and the World Series four times.
Ted: It sounds like no other team was on par with them. I guess everyone
⑤ ______________10 that the Red Sox would have done better with Ruth, huh?
Ryan: Yeah. It’s believed that trading him caused the curse and condemned11 the team to fail. For years, they hoped that they would win the World Series again, and it finally happened in 2004.
Ted: That’s a pretty good story, but I don’t believe in ⑥ _____________12 stuff. I bet the Sox’s bad luck ensued13 because they always chickened out and didn’t strive to win hard enough.
Ryan: Maybe you’re right, but even if it’s not ⑦ _________14, I like believing in the curse.
CONVERSATION ZONE
championship
acknowledges
superstitious
rational
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CONVERSATION ZONE—REVIEW
A. Complete the Sentences
Fill in the blanks with words from the conversation. Use the hints to help you.
1. Unless you can ______________ that you caused a serious problem for me, I won’t accept your apology. (recognize)
2. The athlete had such a terrible ___________ of bad luck that no one thought he would ever win a game again. (series)
3. A person who neglects his or her education is often ___________ to working in fields that don’t pay well. (doomed)
4. I think Martha’s fear of cats is pretty ___________ considering that she got bit by one as a child. (logical)
5. The candidate’s ___________ campaigning right before the election didn’t help him gain enough votes to win. (hurried)
6. Many college students have feelings of ______________ about their futures because the economy has been doing poorly. (anxiety)
7. Kim’s ___________ treatment of her employees was the reason why she lost her managerial position at the company. (without mercy)
acknowledge
streak
condemned
rational
frantic
apprehension
ruthless
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CONVERSATION ZONE—REVIEW
B. Expression Usage
Match the expression with its meaning.
h
d
b
e
f
a
g
c
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CONVERSATION ZONE—REVIEW
C. True, False, or Unknown
Select if the statements are true (T) or false (F).






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1. Tamara was the first girl to finish all the pies in the pie eating contest. She _______________!

2. Ian’s soccer team has only been playing for a week, so I’m not surprised that they _________________________________ at the game yesterday.
Fill in the appropriate expressions.
EXPRESSION SPOTLIGHT
A. Paying Attention
won hands down
got whipped / blew it / were beaten down
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EXPRESSION SPOTLIGHT
B. Comparing Ability
Rewrite the parts in bold with the expressions above.
1. My school’s football team isn’t worried about the upcoming game because they have a new player who is going to give them an advantage.
→

2. Jeremy may be at the top of his class now, but there are many other students who have similar abilities to him.
→
My school’s football team isn’t worried about the upcoming game because they have an ace up their sleeve.
Jeremy may be at the top of his class now, but there are many other students who are on par with him.
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With a partner, create short dialogues with the expressions above and the situations provided.
EXPRESSION SPOTLIGHT
C. Making an Effort or Giving Up
1. give a presentation 2. do a school project
3. hold a meeting 4. play in a sports game
5. learn an instrument

Example:
A: Whenever I’m asked to give a presentation by my boss, I pour my blood, sweat, and tears into it.
B: That’s impressive. I would just chicken out and not do it!
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EXPRESSION PRACTICE
A. Check the Correct Answers
Listen to the audio. Check the correct statements about each sports fan.






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EXPRESSION PRACTICE
Casey: Hey, Pat. How did your favorite team do in their game yesterday?
Pat: Actually, Casey, the Eagles blew it! The worst part about it was that they beat the pants off the Dolphins last year!
Casey: Sorry to hear it. My favorite team played last night, too, you know.
Pat: Really? How did they do?
Casey: Well, the beginning of the game was pretty terrible. The Tigers were doing poorly, and the other team was really beating them down.
Pat: Did you stop watching?
Casey: I thought about it, but I decided to stand by my team. It was a good thing I did because in the last inning, the Tigers got the better of the Blues.
Pat: I’m glad not both of our teams got whipped!
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1. ________ is as popular among student voters at this moment as Alana is.
2. ________ had to do many things in order to be regarded as highly as the other candidate.
3. ________ had an advantage by being a part of a group that earns lots of attention from others.
4. ________ has been working with one of the candidates to help that person win.
5. ________ is interested in the tactics that will be used to outdo the other person in the debate.
6. ________ knows something that could damage the other candidate’s chance of winning.
EXPRESSION PRACTICE
B. Listen for Details
Listen and write the person’s name (Paul, Alana, or Roger) next to the matching statement.
Roger
Alana
Paul
Roger
Paul
Alana
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EXPRESSION PRACTICE
Paul: Alana, isn’t the final debate before the student election taking place tonight?
Alana: Yup. And I’m all set.
Paul: I hope so because you and Roger are still neck and neck. Whoever wins this debate could end up being our class president.
Alana: You’re right, Paul. I’m glad that we’re in a dead heat now. It took a lot of effort for me to gain as much support as he had in the beginning.
Paul: Being on the school’s winning football team certainly gave him a leg up on you in terms of popularity. You’re lucky that I dedicated so much of my time helping out your campaign.
Alana: That’s true. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be on par with Roger now.
Paul: So, how are you going to win the debate?
Alana: I have an ace up my sleeve that will really make Roger sweat, but I can’t tell you what it is yet. I want it to shock everybody!
Paul: All right. Good luck tonight!
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EXPRESSION PRACTICE
C. Fill out the Chart
Judy and Rex manage a dating agency. Listen to their conversation and fill out the information about the clients.
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
He poured his blood, sweat, and tears into the date.
She lost her nerve and never showed up.
Although she had some problems, she tried and didn’t chicken out.
He can’t stop talking about his ex. However, if he can pull out all the stops and get over her, he’ll be reconsidered.
She went for broke and confessed how she really felt in an e-mail. The agency owners liked her dedication.
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EXPRESSION PRACTICE
Judy: Hey, Rex. I’m ready to check out those reports and see who we’ll keep as customers.
Rex: OK. Dylan is first. His date said that he really moved heaven and earth to make sure she was having a good time.
Judy: Well, that’s an easy one to accept. Who’s next?
Rex: Candie. It looks like she chickened out and didn’t show up.
Judy: She’ll have to find herself another agency then. Do you have any information about Holly yet? She’s a good friend of mine.
Rex: Yes, her date said he had an alright time. Everything started out fine, but then Holly ran out of steam.
Judy: At least she didn’t lose her nerve completely. She should get another chance.
Rex: Of course. Man, look at Hank’s report! His date said that he is incapable of talking about anything except his ex-girlfriend.
Judy: I wonder why he can’t give up the ghost. We’ll have to pass on his business until he can. Anyone else?
Rex: One more. Her name is Abby, and I think she really enjoyed her date because she poured her blood, sweat, and tears into an e-mail explaining why we should keep her.
Judy: I like that. Let’s set her up again soon.
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GRAMMAR ESSENTIALS
Infinitives
An infinitive is a verb form in which the base form of a verb is preceded by the word “to”.
A. Usage
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GRAMMAR ESSENTIALS
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GRAMMAR ESSENTIALS
B. Phrases
There are several expressions beginning with an infinitive that are used when giving information.
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1. The employee was forbidden / forbid to speak to the press about the incident, but he did it anyway.

2. I’m sorry, but to make a long story short / to be honest, I suspect Randal will be offered the promotion over you.

3. Brandy usually prefers to ask her mom / her mom to ask for advice, so I was surprised when she wanted my help.

4. Since everyone in the class failed to answer / to fail answering the question correctly, the teacher assigned extra homework.

5. Ancient scientists the world was estimated / estimated the world to be much smaller than it actually is.
GRAMMAR WORKOUT
A. Circle the Answers
Choose the correct usages.
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1. Since ______________________ the company and complain, I’ll do it for her.

2. Rick must ______________________ the most deserving if he really wants that scholarship.

3. Class was about to end, so ______________________ the rest of the test.

4. I ______________________ with us because he’s seemed very down lately.

5. Whenever Jane ______________________ her, she typically calls her neighbor first.

6. During the construction, ____________________________ the cafeteria.
GRAMMAR WORKOUT
B. Fill in the Blanks
Choose a noun, verb, and infinitive from the boxes below to complete the sentences. Change the verb tense if necessary.
should
Mary refuses to call
prove himself to be
I hurried to complete
invited Charles to come
needs someone to help
nobody was permitted to enter
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Although owning a puppy sounds like fun, one should remember that it can also be hard work. Beginning with, puppies don’t use the restroom like people do. Owners must them to train go outside, and then walk them every day. Additionally, you can’t wait to expect a puppy when the weather is bad, so time will be spent outside during rainstorms and when it’s extremely cold. There are so many other things a puppy owner must do that many acknowledge puppies being as needy as human infants. If you can dedicate to afford time every day to a puppy, then having one can be great. However, people with little free time are advising postponed plans to buy one.
GRAMMAR WORKOUT
C. Correct the Mistakes
Fix the six errors in the passage.
To begin with,
train them to
expect a puppy to wait
to be
afford to dedicate
advised to postpone
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READING─PRE-READING TASK
Scan the article and then select the items you think the author will discuss.
a. Reasons why the Olympics are so expensive to host
b. Interesting ways that sports organizations raise funds
c. Which baseball memorabilia sells for the most money
d. Examples of sports merchandise sold for high prices
e. Mementos that are popular to own from various sports
f. Unusual items that some sports enthusiasts have bought
(b)
(d)
(e)
(f)



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READING
運動紀念品風潮

　只有菁英份子能在運動專業上互相較量，但那不代表其他人無法分一杯羹！從贏得比賽的紀念球到可以一把抓起的泥土，運動迷渴望擁有能與他們最喜愛的運動員連上關係的物品，使得運動紀念品事業蓬勃發展。
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READING
　只要是贏得主辦奧運比賽殊榮的城市，都預料將因舉辦比賽而累積龐大債務 。然而，二０一二年倫敦奧運的主辦單位想出了一個募集額外資金的妙招，他們將比賽中的物品拍賣售出。在官方網站上，奧運迷可以出價購買在這為期兩週各種公開活動中的物品，像是男籃金牌比賽中的籃球、開幕典禮中的農村服飾，甚至是由知名英國運動員在比賽開始之前所傳遞的火炬。其中一項甚至還售得高達兩萬美元呢！
Back to Multiple Choice No.1-2
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READING
　對棒球的熱愛驅使許多支持者想持有他們最喜愛運動隊伍的周邊商品。在重要棒球史上所使用過的棒球要價不菲，有些甚至售得驚人的價格。舉例來說，貝比魯斯在第一場全明星賽中的全壘打球，在二００六年就以超過八十萬美元的價格售出。很明顯地，一般人無法負擔如此高價的紀念品，所以美國職棒大聯盟最近開始販售另一項價格合理的紀念品，也就是泥土。只要四十美元，球迷就可以擁有堪薩斯城體育場的泥土，球星卡布瑞拉二０一二年就是在那兒贏得了美國職棒大聯盟的三冠王。有興趣多花一點錢的人則可用三百五十百美元購買包含三十個大聯盟棒球場的泥土紀念組。想像一下所有曾經站在那個球場上的球員吧！
Back to Multiple Choice No.3-4
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READING
由於籃球會用到的設備數量有限，所以球迷能獲得的東西並不多。因此，專業球員所穿的球衣就變得炙手可熱。令人難以置信地，新興球星的球衣需求量幾乎和那些長期職業球星一樣多，此乃由於許多買家希望他們有一天會成為籃球傳奇人物。看看林書豪就知道了。當他於二０一二年初崛起而聲名大噪時，他曾穿過的衣物價格也飆漲。他在尼克隊第一場比賽的制服在eBay就以四萬美元售出！
Back to Multiple Choice No.3-4
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READING
　不論是哪一種運動，總有無數商品能被購買來炫耀一個人對該項運動的熱愛。只要從這些交易中能賺錢，紀念品市場將會持續成長，且肯定會有新的商品出爐。
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READING─AFTER YOU READ
A. Understand from the Context
Choose the meaning of the word or phrase in bold.
1. Jenny dried the roses from her wedding bouquet and has kept them as a memento of that special day.
a. souvenir
b. attribute
c. publication
d. trophy

2. When the singer announced he would begin a new tour, everyone was desperate to get their hands on tickets.
a. impact
b. attain
c. transport
d. yield
(a)






(b)



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3. The notable physicist Stephen Hawking has written several books that are highly regarded by the scientific community.
a. renowned
b. unexpected
c. militant
d. unknown

4. One of the main reasons for the French revolution was the great disparity in wealth between the aristocrats and the peasants.
a. priests
b. foreign visitors
c. monarchy
d. country people
READING─AFTER YOU READ
(a)







(d)



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READING─AFTER YOU READ
B. Fill in the Missing Letters
Complete the advertisements with words or phrases from the article. Change the forms if necessary.
Don’t miss your chance to grab your own  k____________ from the London Olympics. There are still tons of items being
 a__________________. In fact, bids are now being taken for the home plate used in the Olympic  b____________ during the gold medal baseball game. Please remember that once a
 t____________ is completed, no refunds or exchanges are given.
For sale:
I have a large collection of basketball  j____________ that I’m looking to sell. A few of them belonged to elite members of the NBA and are already worth a lot. The others come from
 u__________________ athletes who are just beginning their careers. There’s no telling how high the values of these will
 s____________ when those players get to the top of their game!
Asking price: $2,000 OBO
keepsake
auctioned off
ballpark
transaction
jerseys
up-and-coming
soar
Note: OBO = Or Best Offer
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READING─AFTER YOU READ
C. Multiple Choice
Choose the answers.
1. Why were items from the London Olympics auctioned off?
a. To raise money to offset the large debt
b. To get rid of things that couldn’t be used
c. To give free merchandise to people
d. To pay back loans they had taken out

2. What was remarkable about the London Olympic torches?
a. They were donated to British athletes.
b. It was the first time torches were used.
c. They were all sold before the games.
d. One was bought for thousands of dollars.
(a)





(d)



P. 33
P. 33
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READING─AFTER YOU READ
3. How is the MLB making baseball memorabilia more accessible?
a. It is holding online auctions worldwide.
b. It is selling more affordable things.
c. It is only selling items that are authentic.
d. It allows fans to collect home run balls.

4. Why is it difficult to get basketball mementos?
a. Players refuse to get rid of their jerseys.
b. Fans fight more competitively for items.
c. Basketball is not as popular as baseball.
d. Not many items are used in the sport.
(b)






(d)



P. 34
P. 35
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WRITING SKILLS
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WRITING SKILLS
Task
Write sentences that include examples to clarify and explain the topics below.
1. Babe Ruth ___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. Auction Web Site _______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. Superstition ___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
4. Sought-After Celebrity ___________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
5. Opening Ceremony _____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Babe Ruth was one of the most influential baseball players ever, just as Michael Jordan was important for the sport of basketball.
Auction Web sites, like eBay, are good places for finding sports memorabilia, such as signed baseballs or old baseball cards.
To mark the beginning of an important event or the launch of a new shop, there is often an opening ceremony, which is a celebration of the things about to happen.
A sought-after celebrity is one who is greatly in demand, i.e. he or she is wanted by many movie studios.
A superstition is an illogical belief that something is lucky or unlucky. For instance, believing that walking under a ladder will bring you bad luck is a common superstition.
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WRITING SKILLS─BEFORE YOU WRITE
A player will receive a foul for touching the puck with anything other than his or her stick, such as an arm or foot.

Spectators are often unaware of how mean the players are to each other, i.e. since everything happens underwater, it’s hard to see what is happening.
Go online and research the three unusual sports below. Find at least two interesting pieces of information related to each one to write about. Use examples in your sentences to clarify or explain what you are mentioning.
1.




2.
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WRITING SKILLS─BEFORE YOU WRITE
The sport is performed like an old-fashioned duel. Two opponents attempt to hit each other with their tubes just as gentlemen in the past used to do with swords.


To make events more fun, participants often craft their own cardboard armor, which is normally made out of taped together boxes colored with markers.
1.







2.
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WRITING SKILLS─BEFORE YOU WRITE
Players of this sport will spend a lot of time in the air, that is, they will be jumping on trampolines and the inflated court area throughout every game.

Teams score different amounts of points based on where the ball lands. For example, hitting the trampoline will earn three points!
1.





2.
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WRITING SKILLS─WRITE IT UP
Choose one of the sports above and write a 180-word essay explaining it. Include examples to help your readers understand what the sport entails.
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WRITING SKILLS─WRITE IT UP
An Unusual Sport
Introduction:
Underwater hockey takes place exactly where it sounds like it does, under the water. The sport was invented in 1954 by the members of a diving club in the U.K. Originally called “Octopush,” the game was created as a way to keep people interested in the club during the winter when they couldn’t go diving.

Body:
To play underwater hockey, some items are needed. Just like in regular hockey, each player carries a stick with which to hit the puck, that is, the thin disk that is pushed into nets to score goals. Obviously, since the sport takes place underwater, players need swimming equipment as well, like snorkels, masks, and fins.
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WRITING SKILLS─WRITE IT UP
Each team in underwater hockey has ten players, but only six play at a time. When the game starts, the players dive into the water and head to the center of the pool where the puck is placed. Then, they try to push the puck into the other team’s net to score points. A typical game consists of two 15-minute periods of play, which are called halves.

Conclusion:
There are many more interesting things worth learning about this unusual sport, but if you want to find out more, you’ll have to join your own underwater hockey team!
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The End