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Almost everybody likes sports, either to play or to watch. It’s common knowledge that sports are a good, healthy activity in either case. If you play sports, of course your health will improve and you will be a happier person for it. If you watch spectator sports like professional baseball or figure skating, you can enjoy it with your family or friends. Children will learn many good things from watching sports contests. They can learn the virtues of patience, hard work, teamwork, and fair play. Sports are an important part of society. Everybody agrees about that, but there is no agreement about which sports are best. For instance, some people like jogging. They say it’s the best personal sport because it gives your cardiovascular system an intensive workout. They say it is interesting to jog through the countryside, breathing the fresh air. Others say biking is the best because you can go farther and faster. Still others think swimming is best because it exercises the whole body and is easier on the joints, like knees. They say jogging is bad for your knees and doctors seem to agree. In any case everybody has their own favorite personal sport.

As for spectator sports, there might be an even bigger variety of tastes. Lots of people in the US swear that baseball is the best sport. They say it is a true gentleman’s sport. It is poetry in motion. Others criticize baseball as a boring sport with too little “action”. They say that the games take too long and there’s too much ”time out”. In America, people who hate baseball probably prefer American football. They say it is highly competitive, with lots of excitement. On the other hand, it is a brutal sport because the players always play dirty and hurt the other team’s players on purpose. In Europe lots of people prefer soccer. They say it’s better than American football because in soccer the players are fighting for the ball, not to hurt the other team. However, Americans don’t like soccer because they think there’s too much running and not enough scoring.

Recently, auto-racing sport has become very popular. Exciting racing action attracts a lot of fans. They can see racing live and on television.

Basketball is a very common sport in the USA. It can be played indoors or outdoors at any time of a year. But it is usually played indoors during the winter. High schools, universities, and professional teams have exciting contests, and fans come to see great talent and skill. Do you know what softball is? It is a game similar to baseball, played with a ball called a softball. Most of the rules for this game are similar to those of baseball. This game is played by both men and women.

Golf, some historians say, was originated in the Netherlands. Maybe it is true. But now it is very popular in the USA, too. There are lots of golf clubs in the country. They say, more than 12,400 golf courses serve over 20 million people.

Tennis may be played indoors and outdoors. There are lots of tennis clubs in the USA. It is played by children and adults, by professionals and amateurs. Fitness clubs are a popular place to find good partners for playing tennis. If you are very good at this game you can find a professional player, and even if you are a rookie, you will meet your match, too. Choose any sport and enjoy it!

Sports are an important part of any society. To examine the influence sports have on you answer the questions below.

4. If the answer to question 3 was one that you watch on TV, do you watch your favorite sport on TV frequently?

6. Do you know how much money (approximately) the top professional athletes in your favorite sport make annually?

7. Is your favorite sport violent (hockey, football...) or not violent (tennis, golf...)?

8. Is participation in your favorite sport completely open to women as well as to men?

9. Do you wear clothing and accessories (caps, footwear...) that are associated with sports?

10. How important are sports in your life? (Very important. Somewhat important. Not important.)

12. Where do you like them better - in the gym, outside in the park, or in the schoolyard?

16. Is there a swimming pool in your school? If not, where do you have your swimming lessons?

Even if sports are not very important for you, you sure think of how to stay in good health as long as possible, how to have a high energy level, enthusiasm and zest for living, how not to feel tired after school. If you are going to say that it is not your obsession, I wouldn’t believe you.

So, what do you do to keep fit? Do you go to a fitness club? They are very popular in the USA. Lots of people of different ages go to these clubs to workout.

- A workout is 25 percent of perspiration and 75 percent of determination. Stated another way, it is one part physical exertion and three parts self-discipline. Doing it is easy once you get started.

- A workout makes you better today than you were yesterday. It strengthens the body, relaxes the mind, and toughens the spirit. When you workout regularly, your problems diminish, and your confidence grows.

- A workout is a wise use of time. It is a way of preparing for life challenges.

- A workout is a key that helps unlock the door to opportunity and success. Hidden within each of us is an extraordinary force. Physical and mental fitness are the triggers that can release it.

- A workout is a form of rebirth. When you finish a good workout you don’t simply feel better, you feel better about yourself!

If you just do your morning exercises, you know how they work. They help you to wake up, be ready to your classes, and set you into a cheerful working mood. Some students like to exercise in the evening. They go to the gym for aerobics, weight lifting, playing basketball, volleyball, or tennis. Some young people prefer jogging, or swimming. Whatever sport you play be sure you do it in a proper way. If you like to run, wear proper running shoes and dress for the weather conditions. If you prefer to ride your bicycle, ride with a helmet and wear bright clothing. Always keep safety in mind.

It’s great if you exercise every day or three times a week. Remember to warm up and cool down when exercising. Rushing into any vigorous activity without first warming up is asking for trouble. A proper warm up increases the blood flow to your muscles, making your body parts more pliable and less likely to be injured.

How do you stay healthy?

Eat right, sleep right,

Exercise to keep right!

Just as cars need gas to go,

You need food to run and grow.

So much food to eat, it’s true.

Which one’s the best for you?

Food alone is not enough.

Exercise also keeps you tough.

So many ways to work out, it’s true.

What kind of exercise do you do?

Food and exercise aren’t enough.