题干
Golf is big business in America, with a total economy estimated at nearly 70 billion dollars. The U.S. is also the world’s biggest market for golf equipment, according to a report from Golf Datatech. The other top countries are Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom, Canada and China. But the industry is working on ways to make golf more appealing, especially to young Americans.
The CEO of the U. S. -based World Golf Foundation, Steve Mona, believes the current state of golf is healthy and stable. His group says about 20 million Americans regularly play the game. But Mona also sees the need for change, to get more people to discover and play golf. He said the industry has focused on ways to make the game faster, funnier and more playable.
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Some golf courses have expanded fairways (球道) so golfers have less chance of losing balls in water or trees. Others move up the starting point for young or new players, so they are closer to the hole.
Some new courses also have fewer obstacles (障碍物) than those in the past, such as water ponds or sand traps. And the area near the hole is sometimes designed flatter, to keep the ball from rolling too much.
These changes could also attract adult golfers who want to play a faster, less difficult game. But with young people, Mona said it is important to get them interested at an early age.
Drive, Chip and Putting Championship
One program to do this is the Drive, Chip and Putting Championship, for girls and boys.
The name of the competition refers to golf’s three main skills. Driving is when a golfer hits the ball far at the start of the game. A chip is a much shorter shot, usually taken close to the hole. Putting refers to hitting the ball softly in the area near the hole, called the green.
Junior Golf Champions
Girls and boys from all 50 U. S. states compete in the championship. Organizers say the program has been one of the best ways to bring young people to golf. But Mona said it was not enough just to get people interested. “The challenge for us in the golf industry is that we have to change interest into trials,” he said. “And then change trials into actual participation in the game.”
Sam Schmitz is studying professional golf management at Eastern Kentucky University. He also believes speeding up the game will get more people to try golf. “For the younger generation, the biggest complaint about golf is how long it takes,” he said. A full game can last four hours.
【小题1】What is the passage mainly about?| A．How golf can appeal to more people. | B．Why the U. S. is the country of golf. |
| C．Whether young people like playing golf. | D．How a child can he good at playing golf. |
| A．Changeable Positions of the Fairways | B．Sharp Increase in the Obstacles |
| C．Modern Changes on the Courses | D．Increasing Popularity of Golf |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Unconcerned. |
| C．Critical. | D．Favorable. |
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