12 Track 12

Unit 4

The World of Sports

Chapter 2

Are Sports Important?

Page 55

Are sports important?

Sports are all around us. We watch and read sports news. There also sports bars and even sports-only channels on TV.

In many countries, athletes make millions of dollars every year.

But why are sports (like soccer and baseball) so important?

They’re only games, right?

Our readers answer:

Vlad (Kiev, Ukraine)

Sports bring people together. In 2006, our team qualified for the soccer World Cup for the first time.

Everyone was happy. Rich and poor, old and young, men and women - everyone was dancing in the streets together!

Kelly (Philadelphia, USA)

Sports bring people together, but they divide them, too. Fans different teams fight all the time – they yell and hit each other. For example, my brother plays high school baseball.

Last week, his team played an important game. At the game, two parents fought about a call.

Come on… baseball is only game! Sports are so competitive these days. it’s all about winning. When fights happen, the game isn’t fun anymore.

Oba (Abuja, Nigeria)

Right now, some of the world’s best soccer players are from African countries, Cameroon, Senegal, the Ivory Coast and the 2010 World Cup was in South Africa.

Yes, some athletes make a lot of money - maybe too much. But sporting events (like the World Cup) bring tourists and money to countries and help their people.

And that was really good for Africa.

Send us your opinion