[00:00.00] a)I'm Ted.

[00:02.92]Well, I've been playing it since I was quite young

[00:08.42]because my father was very keen on it and he used to give me lessons.

[00:14.00]We didn't have to go far to play, so we used to play together quite a lot.

[00:20.45]Unless you have to join a club, it's not an expensive sport.

[00:25.78]You just need a racket and balls.

[00:30.24]When I went to university, I played an hour or so every morning.

[00:36.11]Sometimes it was not easy for us to book a court because it was so popular.

[00:42.44]It was great exercise. It needs a lot of energy. Of course,

[00:49.14]you have to be fit since you do a lot of running and you have to be quick.

[00:55.66]It's not a lot of standing around, it's movement all time.

[01:01.27]It's a sport I like to play and to watch.

[01:05.92]b)I'm Mike.

[01:09.19]I think I've been playing now for nearly forty years, ever since I was a little kid

[01:15.92]and it's always been one of my greatest interests in life.

[01:20.86]When I watch a game I appreciate the athletic skill of the players,

[01:27.44]the strategies of the manager or coach, and the excitement of the uncertainty,

[01:34.18]just not knowing how the game's going to go,

[01:38.71]even when a very strong team's playing a very weak team.

[01:44.51]There's always that possibility of a surprise,

[01:49.37]of the unexpected moment changing the game.

[01:54.34]c)I'm Lisa.Well, I've been doing it every winter holiday since I can remember.

[02:02.51]I love doing it because it's a skill that improves every time you do it.

[02:10.32]It's fast and it's exciting and although it's really cold

[02:18.31]you can still get a tan when you do it.

[02:23.24]Of course the scenery's beautiful

[02:27.89]and it's really nice when you're tired to go and have a hot drink afterwards.

[02:35.02]Of course the problem is that it's very expensive and it's really dangerous,

[02:42.86]you can always break a leg doing it, but apart from that, I really like it.

[02:51.04]Exercise 2

[02:55.28]Directions:

[02:58.92]Listen again and decide which of the following descriptions matches which sport.

[03:07.49]Check the answers with your partner.

[03:12.49]Listening 2

[03:16.20]Exercise 1

[03:19.94]Directions:

[03:23.98]Listen to the short talk, and then discuss the following questions in pairs.

[03:30.89]During the thirties and forties, when someone asked a kid who his role models were,

[03:37.73]would often respond with names of baseball players.

[03:43.42]Advertisers trying to sell a product would often turn to baseball stars too

[03:49.97]because the public knew them and loved them.

[03:54.79]Now looking at today's players, the only time you seem to hear about them

[04:01.34]is when they are complaining about their salaries.

[04:06.17]No longer is baseball the great national pastime,

[04:11.39]and kids are looking elsewhere for role models.

[04:16.03]Back in the thirties and forties, money wasn't such an important issue.

[04:22.76]Players played baseball because they loved the game.

[04:27.88]They rarely complained about money.

[04:31.94]And they earned nothing in comparison with players today.

[04:37.38]Most players back then were also positive role models both on and off the field.

[04:45.37]They did a lot of things for their neighborhood,

[04:49.73]from visiting sick children in hospital to signing autograhps not for the publicity,

[04:57.72]but just out of the kindness of their hearts.

[05:02.47]Parents then could be proud when their child said

[05:07.87]that he wanted to grow up and play major league baseball.

[05:13.45]Today, however,

[05:16.94]most baseball players visit hospitals only when they themselves need care.

[05:24.04]and some of them charge twenty dollars for an autograph.

[05:29.76]In the past players always tried to be positive role models for America's youth.

[05:36.96]It is a totally different story today.

[05:41.50]It seems that you can't get through a week without some baseball player

[05:46.90]doing something stupid or illegal.

[05:51.94]If players today would just grow up

[05:56.76]and stop worrying about who's making the most money,

[06:01.66]they would start feeling better about themselves,

[06:06.16]the public would start respecting the game again,

[06:10.80]and kids could start finding some role models on the baseball field again.

[06:17.14]Exercise 2

[06:20.70]Directions:

[06:24.30]Listen to the talk again,

[06:28.19]and work with your partner to decide whether the following statements are true

[06:34.45]or false.