Unit 6   Psychological Health

 

Passage A      

Is It Healthy to Be a Football Supporter?

 

I. Pre-reading tasks

Think about it

1．What do you know about die-hard football fans?

2．Do you have any favorite sports or other recreational activities

3．What is your attitude toward football fans?

 

II. While-reading tasks

Related Information

1． Personality

The characteristic way in which a particular individual thinks, feels, and behaves. Personality embraces a person's moods, attitudes, and opinions and is most clearly expressed in interactions with other people. Personality is those behavioral characteristics, both inherent and acquired, that distinguish each individual and are observable in the individual's relations to the environment and to the social group.

2. Sports in British school
Competitive sport and the discipline of team games have always been an important part of school life in Britain. They were seen as a way of encouraging team spirit. Today, however, there has been a change of emphasis in many schools away from the traditional team games such as football, rugby and cricket, to individual sports like track and field, gymnastics or swimming. Some teachers argue that team games are elitist because only the best take part while the majority of the students can only watch. It is better to have “sport for all”, they claim, encouraging all students to take part, regardless of their ability. The emphasis should be on individual sports, which teenagers can carry on into adult life.

3. Football fans:

Football fans sometimes damage trains and property near football grounds, attack supporters of other teams and fight on the terraces of the football stadiums. In Britain they are known as “football hooligans”. In Europe, football hooliganism is known as the English disease, although there are hooligans in other countries too. Some psychologists feel that these people enjoy fighting and they are attracted to football because the game has a “macho” image. Others blame social problems like unemployment and alcohol as well as a lack of discipline in schools. Some people also feel that attention from the newspapers and television encourages violence.

Sentence Explanation

1.       Why do people feel so drawn to form such deep ties to teams.
Why are people so attracted by the teams which they form such deep ties to?

2.    Psychologists often portray die-hard fans as lonely misfits searching for self-esteem by identifying with a team.
Psychologists often describe die-hard fans as ones who are disturbingly different from others and who are searching self-esteem by belonging to a team.

 

 

3.    Hard-core fans also demonstrate a fierce and unbreakable bond.
Hard-core fans also show an ardent and unbreakable link.

 

 

4.    It's possible to trace the roots of fan psychology to a primitive time.
It's possible to have origins of fan psychology in the earliest stage.

 

 

5.    So professional footballers seem to recreate the intense emotions in some fans that tribal warfare aroused in their forebears.
As tribal warfare stirs up the intense emotions in their forebears, professional footballers seem to recreate the same intense emotions in some fans

 

6.

6. Apparently the same pattern has been documented in male animals who fight over a female.
Apparently the same pattern has been proved in male animals who fight over a female

 

 

Words and Phrases

1.  intense:  extreme in degree, strength or size

e.g. He was sweating due to the intense heat.

     The military on both sides are involved in intense battle.

 

2. clash:   a conflict, as between opposing or irreconcilable ideas

e.g.   Within the government, there was a clash of views.

       There have been a number of clashes between police in riot gear and demonstrators.

 

3. soar:   ascend suddenly above the normal or usual level

e.g.   The temperature in the south will soar to 40 degree centigrade.

 

4. root for:   support

e.g.   She is being rooted for by friends in her effort to surmount the tragedy.

 

5. portray:   depict or describe in words

e.g.   Dickens portrays his characters in a very realistic way.

       The book portrays life long ago.

 

6.  trace to:  have origins in

e.g.   They traced the criminal to a house in the city.

        The custom traces to the times of the Warring States.

 

7.  representative:  one that serves as a delegate or an agent for another

e.g.   The representatives were all amazed by what had happened in the factory.

8.  professional:  of, relating to, engaged in, or suitable for a profession

e.g.     A lawyer is a professional man.

 

9. confrontation:   the act of confronting or the state of being confronted, especially face to face

e.g.    The commission remains so weak that it will continue to avoid confrontation with the government.

 

10. involve:  engage as a participant

e.g.   He involved the bystanders in his dispute with the police.

 

11. arouse:   sit up; excite

e.g.    The odd sight aroused our curiosity

 

12. connection:   an association or a relationship

e.g.     There appeared to be no connection between the two crimes.

          Do you believe that there’s a connection between smoking and heart disease?

 

13. abandon:  withdraw one’s support or help from; desert

e.g.  The scheme’s investors, fearful of bankruptcy, decided to abandon the project.

     The authorities have abandoned any attempt to distribute food in an orderly fashion.

 

14. biased:  marked by or exhibiting bias; subjective

e.g.   He seemed a little biased against women in my opinion.

       University funding is generally biased toward scientists.

 

15. document:   support with evidence or decisive information; prove

e.g.   document one’s claim/  document a thesis/ 

       He documented his dealing with the patient very carefully.

 

16. conflict:   a state of disharmony between incompatible persons, ideas or interests

e.g.  Fortunately analysis is not the only way to resolve inner conflicts.

      All these actions by the NATO conflicted with the universally accepted international laws.

 

17. back up:  support, help. Aid

e.g.   The new evidence backed up my argument.

       Will you back up against the others?

 

18. attachment:  a bond, as of affection or loyalty

e.g.    Some models come with an attachment for dusting

 

19. .foster: promote the growth and development of; cultivate

e.g.   Frequent cultural exchange will certainly help foster friendly relations between our two universities.

 

20. crucial:  extremely significant or important

e.g.   He had administrators under him but he made the crucial decisions himself.

      Improved consumer confidence is crucial to an economic revive.

 

 

 

Summary of Passage A

 

     Die-hard football fans are often portrayed as lonely misfits, but a study has revealed that football fans suffer fewer bouts of depression and alienation than people who never watch the game. The research shows that through football match, fans can win admiration not for their own achievements, but through their connection to a team that wins. More surprising is that they have higher self-esteem than people uninterested in sports. Some ardent fans remain loyal to their teams through thick and thin, and this can be explained by the desire to belong to a group or a society. All human beings----- including football fans ----- share the basic psychological need of belonging.

 

After-reading Tasks

 

1.  Do exercises 2—9;

2.  Write a short passage in about 120 words on the topic “Sports and Psychological Health”

Passage A      

Is It Healthy to Be a Football Supporter?

 

I. Pre-reading tasks

Think about it

1．What do you know about die-hard football fans?

2．Do you have any favorite sports or other recreational activities

3．What is your attitude toward football fans?

 

II. While-reading tasks

Related Information

1． Personality

The characteristic way in which a particular individual thinks, feels, and behaves. Personality embraces a person's moods, attitudes, and opinions and is most clearly expressed in interactions with other people. Personality is those behavioral characteristics, both inherent and acquired, that distinguish each individual and are observable in the individual's relations to the environment and to the social group.

2. Sports in British school
Competitive sport and the discipline of team games have always been an important part of school life in Britain. They were seen as a way of encouraging team spirit. Today, however, there has been a change of emphasis in many schools away from the traditional team games such as football, rugby and cricket, to individual sports like track and field, gymnastics or swimming. Some teachers argue that team games are elitist because only the best take part while the majority of the students can only watch. It is better to have “sport for all”, they claim, encouraging all students to take part, regardless of their ability. The emphasis should be on individual sports, which teenagers can carry on into adult life.

3. Football fans:

Football fans sometimes damage trains and property near football grounds, attack supporters of other teams and fight on the terraces of the football stadiums. In Britain they are known as “football hooligans”. In Europe, football hooliganism is known as the English disease, although there are hooligans in other countries too. Some psychologists feel that these people enjoy fighting and they are attracted to football because the game has a “macho” image. Others blame social problems like unemployment and alcohol as well as a lack of discipline in schools. Some people also feel that attention from the newspapers and television encourages violence.

Sentence Explanation

1.       Why do people feel so drawn to form such deep ties to teams.
Why are people so attracted by the teams which they form such deep ties to?

2.    Psychologists often portray die-hard fans as lonely misfits searching for self-esteem by identifying with a team.
Psychologists often describe die-hard fans as ones who are disturbingly different from others and who are searching self-esteem by belonging to a team.

 

 

3.    Hard-core fans also demonstrate a fierce and unbreakable bond.
Hard-core fans also show an ardent and unbreakable link.

 

 

4.    It's possible to trace the roots of fan psychology to a primitive time.
It's possible to have origins of fan psychology in the earliest stage.

 

 

5.    So professional footballers seem to recreate the intense emotions in some fans that tribal warfare aroused in their forebears.
As tribal warfare stirs up the intense emotions in their forebears, professional footballers seem to recreate the same intense emotions in some fans

 

6.

6. Apparently the same pattern has been documented in male animals who fight over a female.
Apparently the same pattern has been proved in male animals who fight over a female

 

 

Words and Phrases

1.  intense:  extreme in degree, strength or size

e.g. He was sweating due to the intense heat.

     The military on both sides are involved in intense battle.

 

2. clash:   a conflict, as between opposing or irreconcilable ideas

e.g.   Within the government, there was a clash of views.

       There have been a number of clashes between police in riot gear and demonstrators.

 

3. soar:   ascend suddenly above the normal or usual level

e.g.   The temperature in the south will soar to 40 degree centigrade.

 

4. root for:   support

e.g.   She is being rooted for by friends in her effort to surmount the tragedy.

 

5. portray:   depict or describe in words

e.g.   Dickens portrays his characters in a very realistic way.

       The book portrays life long ago.

 

6.  trace to:  have origins in

e.g.   They traced the criminal to a house in the city.

        The custom traces to the times of the Warring States.

 

7.  representative:  one that serves as a delegate or an agent for another

e.g.   The representatives were all amazed by what had happened in the factory.

8.  professional:  of, relating to, engaged in, or suitable for a profession

e.g.     A lawyer is a professional man.

 

9. confrontation:   the act of confronting or the state of being confronted, especially face to face

e.g.    The commission remains so weak that it will continue to avoid confrontation with the government.

 

10. involve:  engage as a participant

e.g.   He involved the bystanders in his dispute with the police.

 

11. arouse:   sit up; excite

e.g.    The odd sight aroused our curiosity

 

12. connection:   an association or a relationship

e.g.     There appeared to be no connection between the two crimes.

          Do you believe that there’s a connection between smoking and heart disease?

 

13. abandon:  withdraw one’s support or help from; desert

e.g.  The scheme’s investors, fearful of bankruptcy, decided to abandon the project.

     The authorities have abandoned any attempt to distribute food in an orderly fashion.

 

14. biased:  marked by or exhibiting bias; subjective

e.g.   He seemed a little biased against women in my opinion.

       University funding is generally biased toward scientists.

 

15. document:   support with evidence or decisive information; prove

e.g.   document one’s claim/  document a thesis/ 

       He documented his dealing with the patient very carefully.

 

16. conflict:   a state of disharmony between incompatible persons, ideas or interests

e.g.  Fortunately analysis is not the only way to resolve inner conflicts.

      All these actions by the NATO conflicted with the universally accepted international laws.

 

17. back up:  support, help. Aid

e.g.   The new evidence backed up my argument.

       Will you back up against the others?

 

18. attachment:  a bond, as of affection or loyalty

e.g.    Some models come with an attachment for dusting

 

19. .foster: promote the growth and development of; cultivate

e.g.   Frequent cultural exchange will certainly help foster friendly relations between our two universities.

 

20. crucial:  extremely significant or important

e.g.   He had administrators under him but he made the crucial decisions himself.

      Improved consumer confidence is crucial to an economic revive.

 

 

 

Summary of Passage A

 

     Die-hard football fans are often portrayed as lonely misfits, but a study has revealed that football fans suffer fewer bouts of depression and alienation than people who never watch the game. The research shows that through football match, fans can win admiration not for their own achievements, but through their connection to a team that wins. More surprising is that they have higher self-esteem than people uninterested in sports. Some ardent fans remain loyal to their teams through thick and thin, and this can be explained by the desire to belong to a group or a society. All human beings----- including football fans ----- share the basic psychological need of belonging.

 

After-reading Tasks

 

1.  Do exercises 2—9;

2.  Write a short passage in about 120 words on the topic “Sports and Psychological Health”