来自世界不同地方的六位学生在美国相遇。他们都是交换学生，到美国大学就读一个学期，学习英语，了解美国文化，同时修专业课程。英语“日常会话” (Everyday Conversations)系列围绕这六位学生在美国的经历展开。这套材料适于中级或中级以上英语水平的学生使用。
在这个对话中，一个新闻专业学生（Ajay）采访另一个学生、女子足球队员（Lucía），谈战绩斐然的本季度比赛。
Ajay: Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed, Lucía.
Lucía: No problem! I’m honored that you chose me.
Ajay: Well, you were the MVP of the last soccer game. Your team is on quite awinning streak. How does that feel?
Lucía: It feels amazing! Now that we are contenders for the championship title, more fans are coming out to support us. I’m glad that a women’s sports team isgetting recognized.
Ajay: Do you think the women’s sports teams don’t get as much support from the fans as the men’s teams?
Lucía: It seems like there are more fans at men’s games. Even at the professional level, women’s sports take a back seat to men’s sports.
Ajay: You and the entire soccer team definitely should be front and center. You’re nearly undefeated. Your next matchup is against the Number 1 team in the league. How are you going to prepare?
Lucía: My teammates and I work hard at every practice until then. I’m also going torecruit as many people to come to the game to support our team and show us that women’s sports teams are just as important as men’s teams!
让我们来学习一些词语（也可阅读英文解释）：
MVP：最有价值的队员 （most valuable player），即在一场比赛或一个赛季中表现最出色的队员
A winning streak：连续得胜，连胜势头
Championship title：冠军称号
Fans：粉丝，迷
To get recognized ：引起注意，受到重视，得到承认
Take a back seat：居于次要位置
Front and center：居于最重要的位置
形容一个球队是undefeated，即是指它在赛季中未曾输过一场，立于不败之地
在体育中， a matchup 是指两个运动队或者运动员之间的比赛
A league：球队联盟
To recruit：招收，招募
有兴趣听更多英语对话吗？请浏览“英语学习”专题网页。
American English 网站提供可供英语学生和教师免费使用的多种英语资源。American English Facebook网页提供每天更新的英语学习资料。
“日常会话”由美国国务院教育与文化事务局英语语言项目处（Office of English Language Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs）资深项目官员海蒂·豪兰（Heidi Howland）编写。
Everyday conversations: Women and sports [audio]
Six students from around the world meet. What do they have in common? They are all exchange students studying at a U.S. university for a semester. Throughout the semester, they learn more English, learn about U.S. culture, and learn more about their fields of study. This series of Everyday Conversations is about these six students and their experiences during a semester at a university in the U.S. These conversations are for intermediate-level English-language learners or higher.
In this conversation, a student studying journalism (Ajay) interviews another student (Lucía) about her role in the women’s soccer team’s winning season.
Ajay: Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed, Lucía.
Lucía: No problem! I’m honored that you chose me.
Ajay: Well, you were the MVP of the last soccer game. Your team is on quite awinning streak. How does that feel?
Lucía: It feels amazing! Now that we are contenders for the championship title, more fans are coming out to support us. I’m glad that a women’s sports team isgetting recognized.
Ajay: Do you think the women’s sports teams don’t get as much support from the fans as the men’s teams?
Lucía: It seems like there are more fans at men’s games. Even at the professional level, women’s sports take a back seat to men’s sports.
Ajay: You and the entire soccer team definitely should be front and center. You’re nearly undefeated. Your next matchup is against the Number 1 team in the league. How are you going to prepare?
Lucía: My teammates and I work hard at every practice until then. I’m also going torecruit as many people to come to the game to support our team and show us that women’s sports teams are just as important as men’s teams!
Now let’s review the vocabulary.
MVP means most valuable player; the person who was the most outstanding player in a sport during a specific game or season.
A winning streak is the number of games won in a row, or the length of time a team wins without interruption.
Championship title is the status of being the winner in a series of matches or games in a sport.
Fans are the people who like and support someone or something, such as a sports team, in a very enthusiastic way.
To get recognized means to receive special attention and notice, often in a public way.
Take a back seat means to be given a less important position or role.
Front and center is to be in the most important position.
When a sports team is undefeated, it has not lost a game or match so far during the sports season.
In sports, a matchup is a competition between two teams or people.
A league is a group of sports teams that play against one another.
To recruit means to find new people to join something.
Ready to learn more English? Our materials can help.
The American English website offers a variety of free resources for learners and teachers of English. The American English Facebook page posts learning materials for English-language learners daily.
Everyday Conversations are developed by the State Department’s Heidi Howland, a senior program officer in the Office of English Language Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
