UNIT

2
SWING ENGLISH

Sports Fever
 Match each word with its correct definition

1. gigantic a. someone who sells things

2. Fanatic b. huge; very big

3. unison c. not popular; on the outside

4. fringe d. to eat a large meal

5. vendor e. a person who is overly passionate about

something
6. feast f. an instance of agreement; together
Check your English Level
Synonym: “gigantic”

C2 Brobdingnagian

C1 gargantuan

B2 monstrous

B1 massive

A2 giant

A1 huge
 Sports Fanatics: West Meets East

Cheering for sports teams is an international occurrence ; it happens

everywhere. Some people are armchair athletes, while others are devoted
fans. While fans in both the East and West celebrate sports, the way they
do it is vastly different. In the West, there are many sports fanatics.
However, there are many sports vying for the entertainment dollar.
Therefore, people tend to be more relaxed and less excessive. For
example, in major North American cities, there are several professional
sports teams to choose from. In the spring and summer months, a person
could watch professional baseball, soccer, football, basketball, or fringe
sports such as golf or tennis. There is such a demand for sports that all of
these remain popular and can be watched live or on TV.
 In smaller Asian countries such as Korea, there are fewer
choices. Therefore, certain sports tend to skyrocket in popularity
while others fail to catch on. One example of this is the insanity
that surrounds the Korea Red Devils. This is particularly true
around the world cup or any other international competition.
Attend one of their games in Korea, and you will see a
completely united crowd, blasting our cheers and tunes in
unison. It is a sight to behold! However, when you consider
sports other than soccer or baseball, you will see that this
intensity is missing.
 Another difference is the stadium sizes and traditions
surrounding game days. While Korean stadiums can hold
around 60,000 people, those used for American football are
gigantic and can accommodate more than 100,000 people!
Further, for many, American football games mean on thing .....
tailgating.... tailgate parties are an important tradition. They
involve pulling up a vehicle (often a truck) outside of the
stadium, unloading a barbeque, food, and drinks, and having a
pre-game party. These parties create a lot of excitement and
get people ready to cheer on the home team. The excitement of
sports is similar wherever you go.
 However, the style of food and way of watching, attending, and
celebrating are often very different. For example, attend a Korea Red
Devils game, and you aren't like to find burgers, pizza, and nachos. You
are more likely to find squid, pressed fish snacks, and other culturally
specific novelties. Moreover, in Korea, you are allowed to bring your own
food and drinks to the stadium to eat in your seat. This way, Korean fans
avoid getting price gouged by stadium vendors. In Canada and the USA,
fans are charged as much a $7-10 for a hot dog or a beer! East or West,
sports fans are everywhere. You can eat hot buttered squid while
watching the Red Devils. or you can feast on chicken and beet outside a
Yankees game. What remains the same is devotion to your team and pure
enjoyment of the sport. There is certainly nothing wrong with that!
UNIT
2
SWING ENGLISH

Sports Fever