Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. mascot (n.) [mas-kot, -kuht] – a thing, animal or person, usually cartoonish, used to represent an organization
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. mascot (n.) [mas-kot, -kuht] – a thing, animal or person, usually cartoonish, used to represent an organization
Example: The baseball team
Tokyo Yomiuri Giants’ mascot is
Giabbit, which looks like a rabbit.
2. prop (n.) [prop] – any
item or object used while performing
Example: The dancer used a
chair as a prop during his
performance.
3. first-timer (n.) [furst-tahy-mer] – someone who experiences something or
does something for the first time
Example: As a first-timer in Tokyo, he had difficulty
understanding the city’s train system.
4. showcase (v.)
[shoh-keys] – to present talents and skills in front of an audience
Example: Sports competitions showcase the skills of the athletes.
5. breathable (adj.) [bree-thuh-buhl] – describes something that has tiny holes to let air pass through
Example: It is very comfortable
to wear breathable clothes in summer.
Article
Read the text below.
A summer camp held
near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the US is helping train people become skilled
mascots.
Erin Blank, an
expert mascot, started Keystone Mascots fifteen years ago. She created the camp
to help other people who were interested in becoming better mascots.
The camp teaches
skills such as acting and using props.
Campers are also educated on mascot rules and safety.
The campers include
amateur and professional mascots from schools, sports teams and restaurants. Some
of them are first-timers, while
others have trained with Blank before. They say the camp helps them by
developing their personalities and relieving their stress through fun
physical activity.
As part of
graduation, the mascots showcase
what they have learned in camp through a final performance at a minor league baseball
game.
Blank says she has
been passionate about being a mascot since she first wore a Cookie Monster costume
at age 10. Now 42 years old, she continues to wear mascot costumes for numerous
sports teams and organizations.
She also makes
costumes in her studio. Blank uses a baseball helmet for the head and puts
holes in the costume to make it breathable.
Mascot costumes are also washable in water because people sweat heavily while
wearing them.
Blank believes mascots
create good public images for whatever they are representing. Mascots help raise
the crowd’s excitement at sports events, and they can also build a friendly image
for companies and organizations.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
What do you think are the difficulties of being
a mascot? Why do you think so?
·
Why do you think mascots are popular among audiences?
Discussion B
·
If you were the owner of a company, would you
hire a mascot to represent your business? Why or why not?
·
Do you think the presence of mascots in sports
competitions is important? Please explain your answer.