Non-fiction: Taking Out the Trash Talk?
Taking Out the Trash Talk?
Should insulting other players be part of the game or out of bounds?
Michael Jordan thrilled basketball fans when he said that he was coming out
of retirement. He made his return when he joined the Washington Wizards in
October 2003.
Many people say Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player ever to
play the game. Some also say that Jordan is the greatest at something else:
trash talk on the basketball court.
Sometimes trash talkers say funny things to each other. Sometimes they
say cruel things. Sometimes players tell other players how badly they're
going to be beaten.
"Michael would be telling you, 'I'm driving to the basket, and there's nothing
you can do about it.' You were at his mercy," said B.J. Armstrong. He was
Jordan's teammate on the Chicago Bulls.
Some say that trash talk is a part of competing. Others, though, say that
trash talk should be dumped.
What do you think? Should pro sports ban trash talk? Read the arguments.
Then decide for yourself.
Yes! Pro Sports Should Ban Trash Talk!
Trash talk is an ugly part of any game. It has no place in pro sports.
Talking trash to an opponent is bad for the team. Talking trash might make
the other team angry. That will only make the team work harder to win.
Pro athletes who talk trash are bad sports. They set a bad example for the
kids who look up to them. Pro players should teach kids to respect
opponents. They should not teach kids to taunt the other team.
Trash talk can also lead to fights during a game. "The last thing you want is
a 250-pound guy trash talking, and all of a sudden somebody loses his
temper and gets into a fight," said Don Beck. Beck studies how athletes
think and behave.
Sports are supposed to be fun. But trash talk isn't fun. It should be stopped.
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Article: Copyright © 2001 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved.
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Used by permission.
Non-fiction: Taking Out the Trash Talk?
No! Pro Sports Shouldn't Ban Trash Talk!
Trash talk has been going on for as long as sports have been around. It's
part of every game. It shouldn't be banned.
Talking trash is a way to get an edge on another player. "If I can get
someone to lose concentration, even if it's only for one play, I've done my
job," said Fred Smoot. Smoot plays football for the Washington Redskins. He
is one of the biggest fans of trash talk.
Pro athletes who talk trash show kids how to be intense during a game. They
teach kids how to use their minds and not just their bodies to win.
Most players enjoy trash talk. They know that it's not personal. Many think
it's funny. They like to see who can come up with the cleverest thing to say.
"You want to be smart," said Rod Babers, who plays college football. "[Trash
talk] is an art form."
Sports are supposed to be fun to watch and play. Trash talk is a fun part of
sports. As long as it doesn't get out of hand, it shouldn't be banned in pro
sports.
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®
© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Article: Copyright © 2001 Weekly Reader Corporation. All rights reserved.
Weekly Reader is a registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation.
Used by permission.
Questions: Taking Out the Trash Talk?
Name:
____ Date: __________________
1. According to the passage, why do some players talk trash?
A
B
C
D
Some
Some
Some
Some
players
players
players
players
talk
talk
talk
talk
trash
trash
trash
trash
to
to
to
to
be bad sports.
get into fights.
help win games.
come out of retirement.
2. What is one argument against trash talk that is presented in the text?
A
B
C
D
One
One
One
One
argument
argument
argument
argument
against
against
against
against
trash
trash
trash
trash
talk
talk
talk
talk
is
is
is
is
that
that
that
that
it
it
it
it
is
is
is
is
intense.
poor sportsmanship.
funny.
part of basketball.
3. It can be inferred from the passage that
A
B
C
D
all players use trash talk when they play
most players do not want to learn how to talk trash
some players are not bothered by trash talk
only a few players are as good at trash talk as Michael Jordan
4. Read the following sentence and answer the question: “Trash talk has been going on
for as long as sports have been around. It's part of every game. It shouldn't be banned.”
In this sentence the word banned most likely means?
A
B
C
D
allowed
encouraged
repeated
stopped
5. What would be another good title for this passage?
A
B
C
D
Trash
Trash
Trash
Trash
Talk:
Talk:
Talk:
Talk:
Yes or No?
Part of the Game
Bad for the Team
Michael Jordan’s Specialty
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© 2012 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions: Taking Out the Trash Talk?
6. What are two examples of trash talk?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
7. Why might some people say that trash talk is dangerous?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes
the sentence.
Some people like trash talk __________ they think it is a fun part of the game.
A
B
C
D
but
however
because
though
9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.
Trash talking can lead to fights during a game because players can get angry.
What? trash talking
(can lead to) What? ______________________________________________________
When? ________________________________________________________________
Why? _________________________________________________________________
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Questions: Taking Out the Trash Talk?
10. Read the vocabulary word and definition below and complete questions 10a, 10b,
and 11.
Vocabulary Word: insult (in · sult): to say or do something very rude.
10a. Read the sentences below and underline the word insult.
1.
I was angry when my little brother insulted me by saying my dress was ugly.
2.
If you insult someone by accident, you should say you are sorry.
3.
It was upsetting to hear the baseball players insult each other before the game.
4.
5.
When the president of one country insulted the president of another country, it
almost started a war.
My mom insulted me when she told me to brush my hair.
10b. Which image shows a face that may insult someone?
11. If you tell someone that you like their t-shirt, are you insulting them? Why or why
not?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
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© 2012 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.
Teacher Guide & Answers: Taking Out the Trash Talk?
Teacher Guide & Answers
Passage Reading Level: Lexile 640
Featured Text Structure: Argumentative – the writer presents evidence for both sides of an argument
Passage Summary: The passage describes the issue of trash talk. The passage then puts forth
arguments why trash talk should or should not be banned from professional sports.
1. According to the passage, why do some players talk trash?
A
B
C
D
Some players talk trash to
Some players talk trash to
Some players talk trash
Some players talk trash to
be bad sports.
get into fights.
to help win games.
come out of retirement.
2. What is one argument against trash talk that is presented in the text?
A
B
C
D
One argument against trash talk is that it is intense.
One argument against trash talk is that it is poor sportsmanship.
One argument against trash talk is that it is funny.
One argument against trash talk is that it is part of basketball.
3. It can be inferred from the passage that
A
B
C
D
all players use trash talk when they play
most players do not want to learn how to talk trash
some players are not bothered by trash talk
only a few players are as good at trash talk as Michael Jordan
4. Read the following sentence and answer the question: “Trash talk has been going on for as long as
sports have been around. It's part of every game. It shouldn't be banned.”
In this sentence the word banned most likely means?
A
B
C
D
allowed
encouraged
repeated
stopped
5. What would be another good title for this passage?
A
B
C
D
Trash Talk: Yes or No?
Trash Talk: Part of the Game
Trash Talk: Bad for the Team
Trash Talk: Michael Jordan’s Specialty
6. What are two examples of trash talk?
Suggested answer: Two examples of trash talk might be saying that the other team is going to lose, or
that another player is not going to be able to play well. [paragraphs #4, 5]
7. Why might some people say that trash talk is dangerous?
Suggested answer: Some people might think that trash talk is dangerous because trash talk might
make players so angry that they would start fighting. [paragraph #11]
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Teacher Guide & Answers: Taking Out the Trash Talk?
8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence.
Some people like trash talk __________ they think it is a fun part of the game.
A
B
C
D
but
however
because
though
9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.
Trash talking can lead to fights during a game because players can get angry.
What? Trash talking
(can lead to) What? fights
When? during a game
Why? because players can get angry
10. ReadWorks recommends that you teach this vocabulary word to the whole class out loud using the
four steps listed below.
Vocabulary Word: insult
Step 1: Introduce the word
a. Teacher writes the word on the board and divides it into syllables: (in · sult)
b. Teacher says: “This word is insult. What is the word?” [All students reply together out loud:
“insult.”]
Step 2: Provide a child-friendly definition
a. Teacher says: “To insult means to say or do something very rude.”
b. Teacher says: In the text the author asks if insulting other players should be part of the game or
not. By this the author means if players being very rude to each other should be part of the game
or not. Insult means to say or do something very rude.
c. Teacher says: “What is the word?” [All students reply together out loud: “insult.”]
Step 3: Practice the word
Teacher provides examples and additional opportunities to repeat the word. Read the first sentence out
loud to your students. Begin reading it again and when you come to the vocabulary word prompt students
to say the vocabulary word out loud. Then, finish reading the sentence out loud to your students.
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Teacher Guide & Answers: Taking Out the Trash Talk?
10a.
1. I was angry when my little brother insulted me by saying my dress was ugly.
2. If you insult someone by accident, you should say you are sorry.
3. It was upsetting to hear the baseball players insult each other before the game.
4. When the president of one country insulted the president of another country, it almost started a
war.
5. My mom insulted me when she told me to brush my hair.
Step 4: Check for student understanding
This step can be completed as a whole class activity or as an independent practice.
10b. Which image shows a face that may insult someone?
11. If you tell someone that you like their t-shirt, are you insulting them? Why or why not?
Suggested answer: No, because you are saying something nice about them.
Suggested Additional Vocabulary: thrill, retirement, opponent, temper, intense
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