In many parts of the world， there are four seasons： spring， summer， fall and winter. In the U.S.， there are only three： football， basketball and baseball. That’s not completely①true， but almost. In every season， Americans have a ball. If you want to know what season it is， just look at what people are playing. For many Americans， sports do not just occupy②the sidelines. They take center court.
Besides“the big three” sports， Americans play a variety③of other sports. In warm weather， people enjoy water sports. Lovers of surfing， sailing and scuba diving flock to the ocean. Swimmers and water skiers also revel in the wet stuff. Fishermen try their luck in ponds④， lakes and rivers. In winter sportsmen delight in freezing fun. From the first snowfall， skiers hit the slopes. Frozen ponds and ice rinks become playgrounds for skating and hockey. People play indoor sports whatever the weather. Racquetball， weightlifting and bowling are year-round activities.
① completelyadv. 完整地，完全地，彻底地
② occupyv. 占(时间，空间)，占用；住
③ varietyn. 种种
④ pondn. 池塘
美国人的运动
世界上的许多地方，一年有四季：春、夏、秋、冬。美国，却只有三季：足球、篮球和棒球季。这并非完全正确，但也差得不远了。每一个季节，美国人都有乐趣。若你想知道此季为何，看看人们正在打什么球就行了。对于多数美国人而言，运动并非只是一旁站的小消遣，它是生活中很重要的一环。
除了这“三大运动”，美国人还做许多其它的运动。天热时，他们喜欢水上运动。冲浪、驾帆船和潜水的爱好者群集于海中。游泳和滑水者，也纵情于水中。渔夫在池塘、湖泊和河川里试他们的运气。冬季，运动员在冰天雪地里也玩得很开心。从下雪的头一天起，滑雪者便登上雪坡。结了冰的池塘和溜冰场成了溜冰和冰上曲棍球的场地。不论气候如何，人们都从事户内运动。回力球、举重和保龄球都是全年性的活动。
