Wimbledon Finals in 3D

July 1, 2011

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. tournament (n.) [toor-nuh-muhnt, tur-] – in sports, a competition in which contestants play a set of games to determine an overall winner
Example: Wimbledon is one of the biggest tournaments in tennis.

2. broadcast (v.) [brawd-kast, -kahst] – to show something (usually through a radio or a television)
Example: National Geographic and Discovery Channel broadcast science-related shows.
   
3. tension (n.) [ten-shuhn] – refers to a feeling of nervousness, suspense, stress, or excitement
Example: The tension was heightened in the last two minutes of the game.

4. actual (adj.) [ak-choo-uhl] – refers to the current or present moment
Example: I prefer to attend online classes than actual ones in classrooms.

5. match (n.) [mach] – (in sports) a formal game or sports event in which people, teams, etc., compete to win
Example: The match between the greatest players was intense.


Article
Read the text below.

International tennis tournament Wimbledon Championships will be shown live in 3D (three dimensions) by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

The head of BBC HD and 3D, Danielle Nagler said that the company is providing its TV viewers a chance to feel the action in the games.

Paul Davis,  BBC’s executive sport producer, also added that using 3D to broadcast  live matches make TV viewers experience the tension, drama, and excitement of the games as if they were there at the actual venue. Anyone who has a 3D TV set with HD Channels will be able to experience all these.

Last year’s finals between Spanish player Rafael Nadal and Czech player Tomas Berdych was watched by more than 5 million viewers, while more than 2 million watched the women’s singles.

This year’s final matches for men’s and women’s singles will be on Saturday, July 2, and Sunday, July 3. Both matches will be broadcast live in 3D, and will also be available on BBC One, BBC HD and BBC Two. 



Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A 

·         Would you rather watch a sports game live or watch it on TV?
·         What do you think are the advantages or disadvantages of watching sports games live?


Discussion B

·         How much time do you spend watching programs or videos?
·         What kind of technological gadgets make watching more enjoyable for you?

July 1, 2011