Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

    • ex. The violence in the movie horrified some people.
  1. run into (something)
    • ex. The jogger ran into a tree because he was looking at his smartphone.
  2. taunt
    • ex. Jenny isn’t very nice. She often taunts other children.
    • ex. A man was heckling a comedian, so they made him leave the club.
    • ex. Kyle isn’t very aggressive, so he doesn’t usually confront people.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

Font size 文字サイズ

Bad fan behavior has been a problem at sporting events for many years, but according to players and experts, it’s getting much worse. Over the past three years, about 50,000 referees and other officials for high school sports in the US have quit. The most common reason was bad behavior from both parents and fans.

On the professional level, fan behavior at a recent New York Yankees game horrified many people. After Cleveland player Steven Kwan ran into the outfield wall, Yankees fans began to taunt him. They continued to heckle Kwan while he was receiving medical treatment, so his teammate Miles Straw almost climbed the wall to confront the fans. At the end of the game, Yankees fans threw trash on the field where the Cleveland players were standing.

NBA player Miles Bridges also had a recent incident with fans. While Bridges was leaving the basketball court, Atlanta Hawks fans began to heckle him. Bridges threw his mouthguard at one of the aggressive fans, but he missed and hit a 16-year-old girl instead. Bridges was fined $50,000 (about ¥6.5 million) by the NBA.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Sports Fans

  • In your opinion, should fans be allowed to taunt and heckle players? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Do you think it’s okay for players to confront aggressive fans? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what sport has the wildest fans (ex. soccer, hockey)? Why? Discuss.

Sporting Events

  • Do you agree that fan behavior at sporting events is getting much worse? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, should alcohol be allowed at sporting events? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, should it be legal to gamble on sporting events? Why or why not? Discuss.