21、

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（USA）

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

1．What does Mike think of a game when players and fans only think about winning?

A．It's important．                                        B．It's exciting．

C．It's not fun．                                             D．It's not necessary．

2．Why are sports important for Oba?

A．Because sports are competitive these days．

B．Because sports can make money for a country．

C．Because sports can make players rich every year．

D．Because sports can make people happy．

3．What does the underlined word “call” mean?

A．Decision．           B．Telephone．            C．Suggestion．          D．Seat．

4．What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Sports are popular all over the world．

B．Sports divide people from different countries．

C．People have different opinions about sports．

D．Sports bring tourists and money to Africa．