Page 104 - 416_

Unit 5

SPORTS AND LEISURE

CULTURAL POINTS

Americans love sports, both as participants and as spectators.
Sports play an important part in most people's leisure time. While
Americans can be quite fanatical about whatever sports team they
happen to be loyal to, it doesn't usually lead to the outbreaks of
violence that happen in some other countries. There is relatively
little awareness or coverage of international sports.

LEISURE TIME

With the United States being such a large and diverse country,
there are pastimes and leisure activities to suit everyone. However,
sports - for both spectators and participants - are a major part of
most people's lives. Among the most popular of spectator sports
are three that are almost unique to the United States - baseball,
football, and basketball.

SPEAKING OF BASEBALL

Baseball, the national game, besides being incredibly popular,
has contributed a number of words and phrases that have become a
part of the language. For example, someone might say that a
person who has attempted something and failed has struck out. A
ballpark figure is an approximate number. If some one gets to first
base they succeed at the first step of something they are trying to
do. This expression is also used to mean that someone has
succeeded in kissing someone they are interested in sexually. A
pinch hitter is someone who steps in for another person in an
emergency.
Many children play baseball either at school or in Little
League, a national organization of baseball and softball teams for