• 2022-06-06
    Practice3
    Fortherestofthemonth,anepidemic(流行病)willsweepacrosstheUS.Itwillkeepkidshomefromschool.Collegestudentswillignorepilesofhomework.Employeeswillsuddenlylosetheirabilitiestoconcentrate.
    Thedisease,knownas“MarchMadness”,referstotheyearly65-teamUSmen’scollegebasketballtournament.ItbeginsonMarch15andlaststhroughthebeginningofApril.Teamscompeteagainsteachotherinasingleeliminationtournamentthateventuallycrownsanationalchampion.
    Nearly20millionAmericanswillfindthemselvesprisonersofbasketballfestivalmadness.
    Thefuncomespartlyfromguessingthewinnersforeverygame.Friendscompeteagainstfriends,husbandsagainstwives,andcolleaguesagainstbosses.
    Big-nameschoolsareusuallyfavoredtoadvanceintothetournament.Buteachyeartherearedarkhorsesfromlittle-knownuniversities.
    Thisaddstothemadness.Watchingateamfromaschoolwith3,000studentsbeatateamfromaschoolwith30,000,formanyAmericans,isanexcitingexperience.Lastyear,thelittle-knownGeorgeMasonUniversitywasoneofthefinalfourteams.Manypeoplehadneverevenheardoftheuniversitybeforethetournament.
    Collegebasketballplayersarenotpaid,sothegameismoreaboutmakinganamefortheiruniversityandthemselves.Butthatdoesn’tmeanmoneyisn’tinvolved.
    About$4billionwillbespentgamblingontheevent.AccordingtoMediaLifemagazine,theeventwilldrawover$500millioninadvertisingrevenuethisyear,toppingthepost-seasonrevenue,includingthatoftheNBA(全国篮球协会).
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