Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. ban
    • ex. The website may ban users who break the rules.
  2. a juvenile
    • ex. The community center has many fun sports and games for juveniles after school.
  3. hesitate
    • ex. Many people hesitate when speaking a new language.
  4. unaffected
    • ex. The actor remained unaffected by the criticism of his performance.
  5. unruly
    • ex. The teacher tried to calm the unruly class.

Article

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

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The National Basketball Association (NBA) banned two people for life from its arenas after a court incident during Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks. One of the banned fans ran onto the court and appeared to take a selfie with star player Victor Wembanyama.

Security removed the fan quickly, and the game was stopped for 1 minute and 29 seconds before play continued with a jump ball. The person, a juvenile, was arrested, and officials said there was no physical contact with any players. NBA head Adam Silver said he hesitates to call the person a fan and added that both people involved will be banned for life, while the league reviews security after the incident.

Wembanyama appeared unaffected during and after the event. He did not make contact with the person who entered the court. Silver said sports events need stronger security because global attention can encourage unruly behavior, and the NBA learns from every case to improve safety measures in future league games.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Fans and Fan Behavior

  • Do you think most sports fans are respectful? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What do you think makes someone a good fan? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what should happen to fans who behave badly during games or events? Discuss.

Safety and Security at Events

  • Do you agree with banning people for life from sports arenas? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, how important is security at large sports events? Discuss.
  • What do you think sports organizations can do to improve safety and security at events? Discuss.