Unit 9

This article was written in 1962, but it has a frightening intensity that makes it relevant even today. Boxing, perhaps, is no longer the spectacle that it once was, but what about our TV news that includes video-taped beatings, riots, and footage from the battle-lines of all the modern wars?

Who Killed Benny Paret? What do you think of the title? Who is Benny Paret? The use of an intriguing title, “Who Killed Benny Paret?” This quickly arouses the reader’s curiosity and attracts his attention.

Extended Reading Think about it: pros and cons of boxing

Should Boxing Be Banned? CONS: The government should not ban something adults choose to do unless it clearly affects other people. In boxing, it is the boxer who takes the risk and who will pay the price, no one else. Other sports are also dangerous, for example horse-riding, skiing or parachuting — should we ban those too? All sport is about testing the human body and reaction against others. Boxing does this in the most simple and direct way possible. There is no point trying to deny our human nature — man is an aggressive animal and sports provide a safe outlet for that aggression.

Boxing offers a way out of poverty for working-class boys. Isn’t it better for children to want to be boxers when they grow up than drug dealers and gangsters? Those in charge of boxing work have to make sure that it’s as safe as possible. Both professional and amateur fights are run under very strict rules to make the risks as small as possible. Making boxing illegal would just drive it “underground”. It would still go on, because men would still want to fight and others would still be prepared to pay to see them. Once boxing is underground, it cannot be regulated and fights will become much more dangerous. Boxing is much safer when it is legal but regulated.

PROS: Boxing is a very dangerous sport. Every year both amateur and professional boxers die in matches or afterwards as a result of injuries. Banning boxing would mean an end to needless deaths, injuries and brain-damage. Boxing is unlike any other sport. The aim of boxing is to hurt the other man. The sport appeals to the worst and most violent parts of human nature. Such a savage sport should have no place in modern society. Boxing makes violence look cool. The money and fame a few champion boxers get for hitting people sends the wrong message to young people.

Writing Style This article is a magazine editorial. A newspaper article written by or on behalf of an editor that gives an opinion on a topical issue. The writer gives the reader a serious account of a single incident — the tragic death of a prizefighter, and makes a strong argument against the propriety of professional boxing.

Scanning Paras. 1-2: The writer had an interview with Mike Jacobs, who was _____Number One in the boxing world. Prizefight promoter Paras. 3-5 The only important element in successful boxing promoting is ______. People come out to see ______. To please the crowd; the knockout

Paras. 6-8 Benny Paret was killed in ____. The direct cause of his death was ____. Paras The prime responsibility for Paret’s death lies with _____. The blame should be put on ____. the ring a massive hemorrhage in the brain the people who pay to see a man hurt the prevailing mores that regard prizefighting as a perfectly proper enterprise and vehicle of entertainment

True or False A prizefight audience is likely to get crazy about the boxer’s skills of defensive or offensive work. The most important thing in successful promoting is how to please the crowd. According to the writer, the investigators have already looked into every possible cause of the boxer’s death. The writer does not think the referee should take the responsibility. The boxing audience is affected by the social customs that prizefight helps make both fortune and fun.

Para 1 It tells us _____. What information can you get? the background The author interviewed Mike Jacobs.

I was a fledgling newspaper reporter at that time; full-fledged AE; fully fledged BE [only before noun]: completely developed, trained, or established “A fledgling newspaper reporter” means “a young inexperienced newspaper reporter”. The writer was born in 1915, so in 1935 or 1936 he was only about twenty years old.

my beat was education, but during the vacation season I found myself on varied assignments, all the way from ship news to sports reporting. Bob has worked as an officer on this particular beat for 20 years. the area regularly covered by a reporter or a police officer I found I was given different kinds of assignments, ranging in variety from ship news to sports reporting.

Para 2 Find out comparison. Why does the writer mention his interview with Mike Jacobs in this part before he comments on the death of Benny Paret?

he was no longer a bland little man but a colossus This dish is very bland. pleasant, mild, dull Mozart is a colossus among composers. a giant

who sounded the way Napoleon must have sounded when he reviewed a battle. Napoleon has become a worldwide cultural icon who symbolizes military genius and political power. He was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution. As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to He is generally regarded as one of the greatest military commanders of all time. The French invasion of Russia in 1812 marked a turning point in Napoleon's fortunes.

Paraphrase the paragraph There was nothing in Mr. Jacobs’ appearance and manner that would attract public attention, but when he talked about prizefights, he was not ordinary any more. He looked like a giant who spoke in an authoritative and powerful manner, a manner Napoleon would adopt when he inspected a battle. You knew you were listening to the most authoritative promoter in the boxing world. Whatever he said became true because he was so powerful and influential.

Why does the writer mention in his interview with Mike Jacobs before he comments on the death of Benny Paret? Mike Jacobs was Number One in the boxing world. As the writer’s view coincides with that of Jacob’s, by citing Jacob’s words, the writer gives greater weight to his own opinion about Paret’s death and makes it more convincing.

Para 3

So far as he was concerned, there was no mystery to it Mr. Jacobs saw nothing mysterious in boxing.

men who are adroit at feinting, parrying, weaving, jabbing, and dancing clever and skilful, dexterous

but who don't pack dynamite in their fists — and you wind up counting your empty seats That news story is dynamite. I wound up by going home early. It's time to wind things up - I have a plane to catch. end up doing/ wind up (by) doing something How to understand the sentence?

Understanding the sentence Dynamite is a powerful explosive. An explosion of dynamite brings about damage, ruin and death. “Men who don’t pack dynamite in their fists” are boxers who are skilful at the sport, but who do not kill their opponents. If you hire boxing artists, you have few spectators, because boxing fans are not interested in watching boxing artists.

So you searched for the killers and sluggers and maulers — fellows who could hit with the force of a baseball bat. slug=punch American English informal: a baseball player who hits the ball a very long way a maul maul=batter v. a fighter who batters the opponent comparison

Comparison In playing baseball, the batter has to hit the ball very hard. When the prizefighter is compared to a batter, he is sure to give his opponent a knockout. By using “fellows who could hit with the force of a baseball bat”, the writer gives us a feeling of horror at such power.

Para. 4 – Para. 5

Para. 6

In the twelfth round he was hit hard in the head several times, went down, was counted out, and never came out of the coma. Paul was counted out in the first round. He never regained consciousness

Para. 7

The Paret fight produced a flurry of investigations. After a quiet spell there was a sudden flurry of phone calls. The day started with a flurry of activity. a sudden burst or commotion; a stir; a time when there is suddenly a lot of activity and people are very busy The Paret fight resulted in a great deal of public interest and several investigations.

One question that was solemnly studied in all three probes concerned the action of the referee. The policeman made efforts to probe into the case of murder. investigation, inquiry, inquest, inquisition What does the writer mean by “in all three probes”?

“Probe” is a journalistic term used especially in newspapers to mean a “thorough and careful examination or investigation”. By “all three probes”, the writer means the thorough investigation into the death of Benny Paret made by the three organizations, namely, the special committee appointed by Governor Rockefeller, the New York State Boxing Commission, and the District Attorney’s office.

did he rush his boy into the fight without adequate time to recuperate from the previous one? He is recuperating from a sprained ankle. Winston proposed several ways for the industry to recuperate. recover

Para. 8 Think about it Why does the writer go into elaborate details to describe the human brain?

because the human fist delivers enough impact, when directed against the head, to produce a massive hemorrhage in the brain. a cerebral hemorrhage or haemorrhage

but there is always the risk of concussion and damage to the brain. I had a concussion and a lot of scrapes and bruises. violent forcible contact between two or more things: collision, concussion, crash, impact

Why does the writer go into elaborate details to describe the human brain? The brain is the most important part of the human body, so it is foul play to hit the prizefighter hard on the head. The brain is well-protected and so some blows on the head do not cost a prizefighter his life. Benny Paret was killed because of a massive hemorrhage in the brain, which showed he was hit extremely violently on the head by his opponent just to please the crowd. The human brain is the most delicate mechanism in creation, yet it is precisely this intricate machinery that is the source of evil thoughts. It is where the most underhand means and the dirtiest dealings of doing something are worked out.

Para. 9

In any event, it is futile to investigate the referee ’ s role My efforts to go back to sleep proved futile.

The primary responsibility lies with the people who pay to see a man hurt. It lies with you to accept or reject the proposal. Unfortunately, the decision doesn’t lie with our department. lie with (someone): be someone’s duty or responsibility

the referee who stops a fight too soon from the crowd's viewpoint can expect to be booed. She was booed off stage. They shouted 'boo' until she left the stage.

No crowd was ever brought to its feet screaming and cheering at the sight of two men beautifully dodging and weaving out of each other ’ s jabs. The finale brought the audience to its feet. standing ovation The audience were on their feet.

Understanding the sentence The time when the crowd is brought to a cheerful and excited mood is when a boxer receives hard blows over his heart and head, when his mouthpiece falls off, when blood gushes out from his nose or eyes, when he moves unsteadily from side to side under the attack, and his opponent chases him and goes on with his heavy blows and hard punches with the force of an axe.

Para. 10

on the prevailing mores that regard prize-fighting as a perfectly proper enterprise and vehicle of entertainment. most common; predominant the customs, social behaviour, and moral values of a particular group What does it mean?

Understanding the sentence Find out where the responsibility really lies— it lies in the dominant and controlling social customs and standards that look upon prize- fighting as a completely suitable business for making money and a form of recreation.

No one doubts that many people enjoy prizefighting and will miss it if it should be thrown out. The sentence means _______. Should prizefighting be abolished, undoubtedly, many people will feel sorry since they enjoy it so much.

Dictation

Boxing is a very popular sport enjoyed by millions across the world. It is also a dangerous sport. Over 1000 boxers have died during or just after fights in the past one hundred years. Many more have been damaged for life by injuries in the boxing ring. Some of these victims were professional boxers who made their living from the sport. Others were amateurs boxing for fitness and fun, rather than for money. Sometimes it seems to be just one punch which does the damage. In other cases it seems to be the overall effect of hundreds of punches over many fights. For these reasons medical associations speaking for doctors all over the world have called for boxing to be banned.