VOA标准英语2010年-2010 World Cup Inspires Young Football

Football fans and those who play the sport are watching their favorite teams and players compete in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The month-long tournament has come to define¹ the sport in many countries around the world.  But the popularity² of football, also known as soccer, has been slow to catch on in the United States. That's slowly changing, thanks in part to a growing interest in football among young people.

The growing popularity of football is on display every week on this pitch.

These nine and 10-year-old boys and girls in Washington, DC, are playing in a city league. Many, like midfielder Dillon Reid have been playing since they were three.

"I would like football to become a very popular sport because in my opinion I love the game of football and I hope a lot of other kids do too," said Reid.

 

More than 3 million players in the US, from the ages of 5 to 19, are registered in youth football programs and that number is rising. Players like Danny practice fundamentals hoping to attain³ the same skills as the great players. Danny says kids are inspired by what they see during the World Cup.

DANNY: "If they see the World Cup they will see all of these Ronaldinho moves, the rainbow, step overs, and they will try to practice the exact same thing to get to the World Cup once they are an adult,"

MARCUS: "I like all the aggressiveness of all the teams and how they play and I just want to see more drama. about the World Cup and everything."

Marcus, 9, is a striker on his team.  His mother, from Ethiopia, wanted her sons who were born in the US to play the sport.

"[Football]is the main sport in Ethiopia so everybody plays soccer so I wanted my kids to learn how to play," said Mekeds Tassew.

Luis Cubeddu, from Venezuela, coaches this youth football team. He says the excitement generated⁴ by the World Cup in other countries is just now catching⁵ on here.

"In Latin America where I am from, football is something that is watched on weekends and families get together to do so and kids see it from an early age," said Cubeddu.  "Whereas⁶ here, there is less of that tradition and I hope that tradition is growing. And I do think watching the game makes a difference in terms of inspiring kids to play."

Players like Lucy agree. She says young American footballers need more role models.

"I think they have to have an example like some stars like Landon Donovan on the US national team of the World Cup so they can see what an example of a good player is and what they could be like when they grow up and work hard at football," said Lucy.

Many of these young players say, win or lose, they enjoy the sport.  They say watching the World Cup only fuels their enthusiasm, helping⁷ to build a bright future for youth football in the United States.

 

1 define   

vt.解释，下定义，阐述，限定，规定

参考例句：

• Please define the words.请解释这些字的意义。
• It's hard to define exactly what has changed.很难解释清楚到底发生了什么变化。

2 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

3 attain   

vt.达到，获得，完成

参考例句：

• I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
• His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

4 generated   

a.生成的

参考例句：

• It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。
• It generated much excitement and frenetic activity. 这使人们非常激动并导致了狂热的行动。

5 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

6 whereas   

conj.而，却，反之

参考例句：

• They want a house,whereas we would rather live in a flat.他们想要一座房子，而我们宁愿住在一套房间里。
• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。