3.
Cheerleading Is a Sport
The New York Times states that cheerleading is the fastest growing girls'sport,yet more than half of Americans do not believe it is a sport.
A sport,according to the Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors,is a"physical activity against a competitor,governed by rules under which a winner is declared,and the primary purpose of the competition is a comparison of the relative skills of the participants."Because cheerleading follows these guidelines,it is a sport.
Cheerleading includes lots of physical activity.Like gymnasts,cheerleaders must learn to do a lot of movements,such as jumping,twisting and so on.It is not rare to see cheerleaders"flying"high up into the sky and falling to be caught by the"bases"in different positions that require strength and cooperation.
Just as basketball and football have rules for competitive play,so does cheerleading.The performance has to be completed in less than three minutes and 15seconds and the cheerleaders are required to stay within a certain area.
A cheerleader's goal is to be the best.Just like gymnasts,they are awarded points for difficulty,technique,and creativity.Cheerleading is a team sport,so the performance is also awarded according to the cooperation and synchronization.That is to say,the girls need to act like one person.Otherwise,first place is out of reach.
According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research,cheerleading is the number one cause of serious sports injuries to women,which is partly because they do not wear protective equipment.However,the main reason is that cheerleading is not yet recognized as a sport by many schools,the proper equipment is not provided to ensure safety.Instead,the girls use whatever space is available.More recognition of cheerleading as a sport would decrease the number of injuries.
So why do many Americans think cheerleading is not a sport?It cannot be because cheerleaders do not use balls or other objects.Wrestling,swimming,track,skating and boxing are recognized sports that do not use balls.
Hopefully,cheerleading will become as well-known a sport as football and basketball,and even appear in the Olympics since cheerleaders are just as athletic and physically fit as those involved in the more accepted sports.
44.What is NOT the standard for sport according to the Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Advisors?B
A.Physical movement is required.
B.The number of participants is limited.
C.The aim of a sport is to beat the competitor.
D.A winner is finally decided after the competition.
45.The underlined word"synchronization"in Paragraph 5probably meansC.
A.being creative in designing the movements
B.presenting a challenging performance
C.doing the movement at the same time
D.setting a practical competitive goal
46.Which is the main reason for more injuries to women in cheerleading according to the author?D
A.Physical activities.B.Strong competition.
C.Carelessness.D.Less recognition.
47.What is the purpose of the author to write the passage?B
A.To discuss the standards of a sport.
B.To introduce the sport of cheerleading.
C.To invite people to take part in cheerleading.
D.To suggest improving cheerleading equipment.