National Sport

Fanny: Hey, Brian, what's the most popular sports in Canada?

Brian: The most popular sport is definitely ice hockey.

Fanny: Ice hockey! So do you play hockey by yourself?

Brian: I don't actually. When I was a kid, I wanted to play ice hockey, and I was always like begging my dad and asking him but he always said 'NO'.

Fanny: Why?

Brian: I think the big reason is that... Well, he told me it was too expensive.

Fanny: Is it?

Brian: It's not cheap. You know, it costs quite a bit to get all the gear but the big reason I think is the practice was always very early in the morning.

Fanny: Oh, I see.

Brian: Like five a.m. is when the practice is, and I think he was too lazy to wake up and take me to the practice.

Fanny: Oh, I see.

Brian: He told me it was too expensive. Deep down I think he was.... he didn't want to drive me.

Fanny: So are there many people playing hockey?

Brian: There are. It's a great sport. It's very popular with many children, and maybe high schools and universities all have hockey teams.

Fanny: Oh, nice. That means you're a lot of rich people in Canada, then.

Brian: Or maybe they spend all of their money on hockey gear. Have you ever played hockey?

Fanny: No, no, not really. It's not that popular in China.

Brian: What kind of sports are more common in China?

Fanny: People always play soccer...

Brian: Ah, soccer.

Fanny: And table tennis. Table tennis is very popular.

Brian: You're country is very strong at table tennis I think.

Fanny: We always get all the medals in the big, you know, big events

Brian: Why is table tennis so popular now do you think?

Fanny: I think the first reason is that everybody can play it because it's very easy to get the, you know, the... to get ready for the sports. It's not expensive.

Brian: No, I guess you just need the ball and the paddle.

Fanny: The paddle. The ball and the paddle. Yes, and a partner.

Brian: Right. Right. So have you played it then?

Fanny: Yeah, I'm quite good at it.

Brian: Oh, really.

Fanny: Because my mother plays very well and so I always played with my mom, so I got better now.

Brian: OK. So she taught you how to play table tennis?

Fanny: Actually she didn't teach me but we always played together.

Brian: Right.

Fanny: Practice makes perfect.

Brian: So they say.

Fanny: Yeah.