Unlocking Word
Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in
today’s article.
1. preseason
(n.) [pri-see-zuhn] – period immediately before the start of a regular season when players go
through intense training and play in exhibition games
Example: Preseason
training is intended to prepare players for an upcoming game.
2. humid
(adj.) [hyoo-mid or yoo-] – presence of moisture or water vapor in air ‘(humid air";
"humid weather")
Example: I cannot stand humid weather because I sweat a lot.
3. hyperthermia
(n.) [hahy-per-thur-mee-uh] – unusually high body temperature
Example: Hyperthermia
is usually caused by infection, certain drugs and medications, or head injury.
4. mortality
(n.) [mawr-tal-i-tee] – the number of deaths in a given time
Example: The mortality due to cancer increases every year.
5. customarily
(adv.) [kuhs-tuh-mer-ee-lee] – according to what is commonly practiced; traditionally
Example: In some countries, children customarily make “Thank You” for
teachers on Teachers’ Day.
Article
Read the text below.
In the US, scientists have observed an increasing
number of deaths among high school football players due to heat-related
illness. Rising temperature and preseason
training are seen to be the major causes.
In addition, football coaches believe that mornings
are cooler, so they usually implement their strict twice-a-day trainings and
workout routines at this time.
However, Deke Arndt, chief of the Climate
Monitoring Branch of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, said that mornings
have become hotter and more humid in
the past months, and this could put players at risk.2011’s summer had some of
the highest temperatures ever recorded, and these temperatures are believed
to have resulted in the four cases of football player deaths during practice.
According to the research of Professor Andrew
Grundstein from the University of Georgia, between 1960 and 2009, 123 high
school athletes died from hyperthermia.
The average mortality rate also went
up in the last 15 years, which may be caused not only by rising temperatures
in summer but also the weight of players and their positions in the team.
Among the players, 60% died due to morning heat exposure and two-thirds died
during the first two weeks of the preseason. Among the players, 95% were
overweight and 85% were linemen.
Due to the increase of heat-related deaths,
scientists reminded teams to prioritize their health over victory. Coaches
were also advised to learn how to handle heat-related illnesses and also to
not let the players wear heavy equipment during the start of the preseason
trainings.
Training sessions were also prohibited until the
start of the preseason. However, in Texas, practices before school starts are
customarily observed to lessen the risks of exhaustion.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion
A
·
Can
playing football be advantageous to overweight people?
·
What
sport do you think is suitable for overweight people?
Discussion
B
·
Do
you think there should be a limit in sport trainings?
What do you think are
the disadvantages of too much training?
