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Doping Scandals in International Sports

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English Learning: Doping Scandals in International Sports

Dialogue

Alice: Bob, did you hear about the latest doping scandal? Apparently, a marathon runner credited his sudden burst of speed to a new ‘super-caffeine’ smoothie.

Bob: Alice! I saw that! I’m pretty sure my ‘super-caffeine’ smoothie just makes me want a nap.

Alice: Exactly! He probably just had an espresso IV drip. It’s getting ridiculous.

Bob: It’s like a real-life cartoon sometimes. Remember that cyclist who swore his improved performance was due to a ‘lucky charm’ in his water bottle? Turned out the charm was a microscopic vial of EPO.

Alice: Oh, the ‘magic pebble’ incident! My personal favourite was the swimmer who claimed the chlorine in the pool gave him superhuman lung capacity. Sure, and I can fly if I flap my arms hard enough.

Bob: I wonder what excuse they’ll come up with next. ‘My sweat glands accidentally produced pure testosterone’? Or ‘I just had a really good night’s sleep… for three years’?

Alice: Don’t give them ideas, Bob! It’s like they’re trying to win an Olympic medal for the most creative denial.

Bob: Maybe they should have a separate competition: ‘Most Unbelievable Doping Excuse.’ That would be entertaining.

Alice: I’d watch that! Gold medal for the guy who blamed his positive test on second-hand smoke from a unicorn.

Bob: Or the athlete who said his muscles spontaneously grew because he listened to too much motivational pop music.

Alice: It’s a serious issue, though, isn’t it? It just undermines the whole spirit of fair play.

Bob: Absolutely. When you see someone achieve something incredible, you want to believe it’s pure talent and hard work, not pharmaceuticals.

Alice: Right. It makes you question every record, every medal. It’s such a shame for the clean athletes.

Bob: Hopefully, with better testing and harsher penalties, we’ll see fewer of these headlines.

Alice: Fingers crossed, Bob. Maybe one day ‘natural talent’ won’t be a scandalous excuse.

Current Situation

Doping scandals remain a persistent and significant challenge in international sports. Despite the efforts of organizations like the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to implement stringent testing protocols and enforce strict penalties, athletes continue to seek illicit advantages. The desire for success, fame, and financial rewards can push some individuals to use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).

These substances range from anabolic steroids and human growth hormones to EPO (Erythropoietin) and various stimulants, often combined with masking agents to evade detection. The anti-doping battle is a constant cat-and-mouse game, with scientists developing new detection methods while some athletes and their support teams devise new ways to cheat.

The impact of doping is profound: it tarnishes the reputation of athletes, undermines the integrity of sports, casts doubt on legitimate achievements, and discourages clean athletes who compete fairly. Major events like the Olympics and World Championships are frequently marred by revelations, leading to medal stripping, bans, and public outcry, reinforcing the need for continuous vigilance and education.

Key Phrases

  • Doping scandal: An incident involving an athlete illegally using performance-enhancing drugs.

    Example: The cycling world was rocked by a major doping scandal last year.

  • Performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs): Substances used to improve athletic performance.

    Example: Using performance-enhancing drugs can lead to severe health risks.

  • Undermine the spirit of fair play: To weaken or damage the principle of competing honestly and equally.

    Example: Cheating in any form will undermine the spirit of fair play in sports.

  • Positive test: A test result indicating the presence of a banned substance.

    Example: The athlete was immediately disqualified after her positive test for steroids.

  • Clean athlete: An athlete who competes without using illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

    Example: We need to protect and celebrate the achievements of clean athletes.

  • Harsh penalties: Severe punishments for breaking rules.

    Example: The league introduced harsh penalties to deter players from doping.

  • Come up with: To think of or suggest an idea, plan, or excuse.

    Example: He tried to come up with a believable story for his absence.

  • Turn out: To be discovered or revealed to be.

    Example: The mysterious package turned out to be just a box of old clothes.

  • Credit (something) to (something/someone): To attribute something (e.g., success) to a particular cause or person.

    Example: She credited her success to years of hard work and dedication.

Grammar Points

1. Modal Verbs for Speculation and Deduction

Modal verbs like must, might, could, should, and phrases like probably are used to express how certain we are about something, or to make deductions based on evidence or general knowledge.

  • Must / Probably: Used when you are almost certain something is true.

    Example: Alice: He probably just had an espresso IV drip. (Alice is quite sure)

    Example: She hasn’t eaten all day; she must be starving.

  • Might / Could: Used when you think something is possible, but you are not certain.

    Example: Bob: Maybe they should have a separate competition. (Bob is suggesting a possibility/idea)

    Example: Bob: I wonder what excuse they’ll come up with next. (Bob is speculating about future possibilities)

    Example: It could rain later, so take an umbrella.

  • Should: Used to express what is expected or advisable.

    Example: Bob: Hopefully, with better testing and harsher penalties, we’ll see fewer of these headlines. (An expectation/hope)

2. Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb and a preposition or adverb (or both) that create a new meaning, often different from the original verb’s meaning.

  • Come up with: To invent or think of an idea, plan, suggestion, or excuse.

    Example: Bob: I wonder what excuse they’ll come up with next.

  • Turn out: To happen in a particular way; to be discovered to be.

    Example: Bob: Turned out the charm was a microscopic vial of EPO.

  • Credit (something) to (something/someone): To attribute something (e.g., success, a characteristic) to a particular cause or person.

    Example: Alice: a marathon runner credited his sudden burst of speed to a new ‘super-caffeine’ smoothie.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Vocabulary Match

Match the key phrases with their definitions.

  1. Doping scandal
  2. Clean athlete
  3. Undermine the spirit of fair play
  4. Harsh penalties
  5. Positive test
  1. An athlete who competes without using illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
  2. Severe punishments for breaking rules.
  3. An incident involving an athlete illegally using performance-enhancing drugs.
  4. A test result indicating the presence of a banned substance.
  5. To weaken or damage the principle of competing honestly and equally.

Answers:

  1. 3 (An incident involving an athlete illegally using performance-enhancing drugs.)
  2. 1 (An athlete who competes without using illegal performance-enhancing drugs.)
  3. 5 (To weaken or damage the principle of competing honestly and equally.)
  4. 2 (Severe punishments for breaking rules.)
  5. 4 (A test result indicating the presence of a banned substance.)

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences using the correct key phrase from the list below. (Use each phrase once)

(doping scandal, positive test, come up with, harsh penalties, clean athletes)

  1. The cyclist received ___________ after being caught using banned substances.
  2. Authorities are working hard to protect ___________ from cheaters.
  3. The latest ___________ involved several top-tier gymnasts.
  4. He had to ___________ a good excuse for missing the deadline.
  5. A surprise drug test revealed a ___________.

Answers:

  1. harsh penalties
  2. clean athletes
  3. doping scandal
  4. come up with
  5. positive test

Exercise 3: Choose the Best Modal Verb

Choose the most suitable modal verb (must, might, should) for each sentence.

  1. She’s been training non-stop for months; she ___________ be exhausted. (deduction, almost certain)
  2. If he took a banned substance, he ___________ face a long ban according to the rules. (expectation/strong consequence)
  3. I don’t know why he’s late; he ___________ have missed his bus. (possibility, not certain)
  4. You ___________ always verify your sources before believing news reports. (advice/recommendation)
  5. The athlete said his amazing speed was due to a new diet. It ___________ be true, but I doubt it. (slight possibility)

Answers:

  1. must
  2. should
  3. might
  4. should
  5. might

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