雅思5.5基础阅读课程讲义 u9

UNIT 9  Sponsorship in Sport

 

词汇讲解：

…ship：…主义，…权利；

sponsorship ：赞助者的地位、任务等；

sponsor ：赞助, 发起, 主办；

friendship：友谊；

entrepreneurship：企业家精神，创业家精神；

entrepreneur：企业家。

A

The commercialization of sport has risen dramatically over recent times. Men and women athletes the world over have become marketable commodities. Sports teams are traded on stock markets and sponsorship rights at major events often involve massive amounts of money. Most people concede that sponsorship in sport is necessary. However, while it gives with the one hand it subtly takes with the other.

词汇讲解：

Commercialization：商业化,商品化;

commerce   n. 商业, 贸易；

commerce minister：商业部长

electronic commerce/ E-commerce：电子商务 

commercial  adj.商业的, 商务的

commercial success 商业成功

commercialize  v. to be more concerned with making money from something than about its quality

Dramatically  adv. 戏剧化地；

dramatic 戏剧化；显著地/sharply；

Trade：交易；

Stock market：股票市场；

Subtle  adj. ['sʌt(ə)l]：精细[巧]的; 敏锐[感]的, 有辨别力的；

微妙的, 难于捉摸[形容]的, 难解的。

B

Sponsorship in sport is usually in the form of financial assistance, or money, offered by a commercial organization to a person, team or sporting code in return for publicity. There are two main reasons for sponsorship becoming so necessary. Firstly, sport has become increasingly expensive to manage, and teams and players need money to be able to participate at a high level. Then, from a business point of view, watching sport has become a major form of social entertainment, so companies offer sponsorship to connect with consumers.

词汇讲解：

in the form of：以……形式；

assistance：赞助，帮助；

financial   adj. 财政的, 金融的

e.g.: The company was in deep financial difficulties.

finance  n. 财政, 金融，e.g.: She is an expert in finance.

financial crisis：财政危机；

economic crisis：经济危机；

mortgage   n. 抵押借款。

publicity  n. 曝光度；

increasingly：越来越…;

an increasing number of：越来越多；

an increased number of：更多的；

manage  n. 成功做某事；

manage  to do: 成功的做……

attempt  to do: 尝试（没成功）;

participate  n. 参与，参加；

form  n. 表格：application form；形式：in a form of；

v. 形成。

connect to …(抽象事物)/ link to …(具体事物)/ associate with …

C

Sponsorship of sporting events helps companies to promote their products and brands. Although the most important factor for most companies is improving sales. There are also other payoffs, and tax relief is one of these. Sponsors can claim a sponsored event against the taxes they have to pay, which means sponsorship can actually save companies money. The only negative aspects for a sponsor are if an athlete should play badly or misbehave, but generally sport creates a good image for a company by conveying health and fitness. However, this has also caused controversy for some major events because some people have questioned the choice of sponsor.

词汇讲解：

promote：促进/促销/升职；

promotion  n.

brand：品牌；

brand –new：全新的；

payoff：回报；

aspect：方面/项/朝向；

play badly：表现不佳；

misbehave：行为不端；

convey：转换，传递；

controversy  n. 公开辩论, 论战；

controversial   adj. 具有争议的, 引起争议的

D

The organizers of the Olympic Games have been harshly criticized for accepting sponsorship from fast food companies and fizzy drink manufacturers. Many people believe this is a double standard. They question why the Olympic Games and World Cup organizers take money from such companies. Public health experts believe if we really want to promote health alongside excellence in sport, then it should be linked by *endorsements to products which support good health, and not to unhealthy products.

词汇讲解：

question  v. 被质疑，被疑惑；

criticize    vt. & vi. 评论, 批评；

critical   adj. 决定性的, 关键性的, 危急的，e.g.: We are at a critical time in history.

adj.批评的, 批判的； We must inherit in a critical way.

critical thinking  

harsh  adj. 刺耳的, 刺眼的, 粗糙的

e.g.: The lamp gave out a harsh light. 灯发出刺眼的光。

adj.:严厉的, 严酷的

manufacture：

vt. 制造，e.g.: It is manufactured by hand.

v. 捏造，e.g.: She manufactured a false story to hide the facts.

n. 制造 制造品, 产品，e.g.: They make manufactures from their own raw materials.

manufacturer   n. 制造商, 制造厂。

endorsement  n. 背书, 批注；v.赞同, 支持；

endorse  〈商〉在(尤指支票的)背面签字;

bank account：银行账户；

current account  / cash account  现金账户

deposit：押金；

withdraw：取款；

E

Sponsorship is no longer restricted to major events and professionals. Now, local teams and young players are also sponsored. There is a trend also for amateurs to rely on sponsorship for equipment, clothing, travel, and to cover their expenses of training and competing even though they are not full-time sportspeople.

词汇讲解：

restrict   vt. 限制; 约束；

major ：

adj. 较大的; 主要的; 严重的；

n. 少校；

n. 专业; 主修科目。

amateur   adj. 业余的, 非职业的；

n. 业余爱好者；

n.    外行, 生手。

cover  n. 覆盖。

F

So, sponsorship in sport is essential. On the one hand, it enables major world events to become more prestigious and spectacular, and to improve individual performances, and on the other hand, it promotes and encourages participation at *grassroots level. Sponsorship also brings sports to everyone. It enables us to view our favourite sporting event on television in our own home, even though it is taking place on the other side of the world.

词汇讲解：

essential：

adj. 必不可少的, 绝对必要的; 非常重要的，e.g.: Food is essential for life.

adj.本质的, 实质的, 基本的，e.g.: There are essential differences between the two.

n. 要素, 要点 / 必需品。

近义词：crucial/ indispensable/ cardinal。

prestigious   adj. 受尊敬的, 有声望的, 有威信的；

spectacular：宏伟的；

grassroots：草根，底层人物。

G

However, such commercialization also means compromise, and in fact, for some less popular sports it may be a negative factor, and, most significantly, it may even result in the end of that sporting code. Sponsorship affects fans, players and the sports themselves. For instance, players have been upset by rule changes that sponsors have requested. Fans are angered by games played in atrocious weather conditions and at awkward hours to meet the scheduling restrictions of television. Changes have also been made to the timing and duration of events. Furthermore, players are being told what to wear. Finally, there is the crucial issue that while some sports have become too popular, others have difficulty getting any sponsorship.

词汇讲解：

compromise ：妥协；

atrocious   adj. 恶毒的; 残忍的；

awkward  adj. 笨拙的, 不灵活的；

embarrass  vt. & vi. (使)窘迫; (使)局促不安；

schedule：

vt. 排定, 安排；e.g.: The secretary is trying to schedule the month's appointments.

n. 时间表, 日程安排表；e.g.: Have you made the examination schedule?

H

　　When sports clubs were state-funded, all sports were given an equal opportunity to attract members and to grow. Now, however, sports which are seen as lower profile, or less popular, and therefore less commercially viable can no longer attract sponsors. In this respect, sponsorship in sport creates the situation of giving with the one hand and taking with the other. The uneven distribution of sponsorship could lead to the end of some less popular sports, and could reduce our freedom of sporting choice.

词汇讲解：

profile  n. 利益;

uneven  adj. 不公平，不公正；

equal：公正;

justice：公正，正义.

distribution  n. 分布；

appoint: 指派；allocate：分配 / locate：定位 / location：位置 / local：本地的。

 

Reading Overview

练习1：Find the glossary（难词表）.

Complete the explanation given for each of the following words:

　　a. endorsements           p ______ a______

　　b. grassroots              p ______ at the b ______ level

c. brand                 t ______ m ______

练习2：Identification of Writer's Views

　　Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer? Write:

　　YES          if the statement agrees with the views of the writer

　　NO           if the statement contradicts the views of the writer

　　NOT GIVEN   if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks

　  13) ______ The involvement of business in sport has declined dramatically over recent times.

　　14) ______ Promoting a brand to consumers will make the company successful.

　　15) ______ Sponsorship gives companies opportunities to promote their products.

　　16) ______ Companies should not be able to claim tax relief.

　　17) ______ Many people believe that sponsors should not be allowed to promote unhealthy products.

　　18) ______ When sports facilities were supported by government funding, most sports had similar chances to gain members.

19) ______ Sponsorship is happening across all codes at the same rate.

练习3：Sentence Completion

　　Complete the following sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

　　8 ) Sponsors will provide support to an individual or a team in return ________.

　　9 ) Sport has grown in popularity resulting in individuals needing to perform to a higher standard. This, in turn, means they ________.

　　10) It is in the interest of business companies to sponsor sport so that they can ________.

　　11) Sports fans and players often have to agree to compromises and restraints, such as what to wear, when to play and the ________.

　　12) Some lower profile sports find they cannot attract the financial support of sponsors. This inequality will inevitably result in the downfall of the ________.