Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. glory (n.) [glawr-ee, glohr-ee] – honor received from a certain achievement
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. glory (n.) [glawr-ee, glohr-ee] – honor received from a certain achievement
Example: The doctor brought glory to his family when he topped the exam.
2. tough (adj.) [tuhf] – difficult
Example: He was able to pass
all the tough subjects this semester.
3. league (n.) [leeg] – a group of sports team or club that play against each other
Example: He joined the
basketball league when he was 18.
4. hone (v.) [hohn] – to improve a skill
Example: An artist can hone his talent by practicing every day.
5. passion (n.) [pash-uhn] – strong interest or enthusiasm for something
Example: His passion shows in his great performance
on stage.
Article
Read the text below.
After helping her
team win the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Homare Sawa, former captain of Nadeshiko
Japan, continues to inspire her
country with “fighting spirit.”
Sawa and her
teammates brought glory to Japan
last June in the midst of tough times
for the country.
In an interview
with CNN, Sawa talked about how their coach showed images of Japan’s
disaster-hit areas before the start of matches. She said all the team members
did not feel as though they would lose in the finals, because they felt Japan
was empowering them.
Recently, Sawa was awarded
FIFA’s female player of the year. A gifted soccer player, Sawa made her first
international debut at the age of 15. However, there was not much support for
professional leagues for women
which can further hone her skills.
Not many soccer
teams for girls are established in Japan. When Sawa was a child, she used to play
in a boys’ team. She said playing with boys pushed her to be better.
Sawa is now looking
forward to this year’s Olympic Games in London. She hopes the women’s team
can bring home a medal, so that there will be more support for female
players, and fairer treatment between the male and female teams.
Although very
talented, she humbly shook her head when asked if she feels she is a national
symbol. According to Sawa, she is just glad that her team’s win inspired many
Japanese fans, especially young girls who have the passion for the sport.
She said it took a
long time to achieve the goal of winning the World Cup, so the most important
message she wants to send people is to not give up in reaching their goals.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
Do you agree that Nadeshiko’s victory helped in
the fast recovery of Japan? Why or why not?
·
How do you think can Nadeshiko Japan continue
to inspire the people?
Discussion B
·
Would you say female athletes can be as good as
male athletes? Please explain your answer.
·
Why do you think some female athletes do not
receive the recognition they deserve?