Global Breaking News - Sunday, December 22, 2024

 Some young children spend a great amount of their time practicing sports. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Currently some young children spend a great amount of their time in practicing sports. Most parents feel quite happy because sports are good for their kids' development and team work spirit, however they are quite worried about some negative effects such as practicing sports occupies too much time, distracts their attentions on schoolwork and loses certain interests on other activities. In my opinion, everything has its good side and bad side. The important thing is to handle it properly.
* a great amount of = 많은 / team work spirit = 팀워크 정신, 협동심 / occupy = 차지하다 / distract = 다른 데로 쏠리게 하다, 분산시키다 / handle = 다루다, 처리하다 / properly = 적당하게, 알맞게

Admittedly, practicing sports can help children's physical development, which makes them grow faster and stronger than before. As we know, during children's development periods, especially from 10 to 16 years old, sports are really helpful for children to develop. Sports can create a strong body that reduces the possibility of contracting some diseases easily. Definitely we believe that children benefit from sports.
* admittedly = 명백히, 의심할 여지 없이 / physical development = 육체적 발달 / contract = 병에 걸리다 / definitely = 명확히, 분명히

Another good thing is that sports teach us to learn how to corporate with other members in a team. Most sports are team work. If we want to play them well, we must master some skills to care about what our team members are thinking and how to adapt each other to achieve a common goal. Sports are not an individual activity, it needs corporation and mutual understanding. This is not easy to master. Of course, for parents they are delightful to see their children to get this skill from sports.
* adapt = 적응하다, 순응하다 / common goal = 공통의 목표 / individual activity = 개인 활동 / corporation = 법인, 회사  cf) cooperation = 협동 / mutual understanding = 상호 이해 / delightful = 기쁨을 주는, 유쾌한

On the other hand, practicing sports seem to occupy too much of children's spare time to concentrate their schoolwork. As a student, one's major task is to study hard and try to learn as much as possible, which needs students to devote much time on study or their spare time. If children devote themselves in practicing sports, it is not denying that they cannot concentrate them on schoolwork at the same time. The consequence of practicing sports too much leads children to distract themselves, which influences their future. Actually, besides sports, there are still many kinds of activities, such as drawing, collecting, good for their developments. If a child is too concentrated on sports, it is inevitable that he will lack of chances to explore other activities and lose some happiness when engaged in different experiences.
* spare time = 여가시간 / schoolwork = 학업, 학교 공부 / major task = 중요한 / devote = 바치다, 헌신하다 / deny = 부인하다 / at the same time = 동시에 (=simultaneously) / consequence = 결과 / inevitable = 피할 수 없는, 필수적인 / engaged in = ~에 종사하다, 바쁘다

Overall, on one hand, we should encourage our children to participate in sports activities; on the other hand, we must also remind them not to be too engaged because they should put study at the first place during their school time. There is a limit of doing everything.
* encourage = 용기를 북돋우다 / participate in = ~에 참가하다 / remind = 상기시키다, 일깨우다 / at the first place = 처음에 / school time = 수업 시간, 학교 일과