Question

1.Use your own words to write a speech story with title based on the following talk.
2.Prepare questions for the speaker in a Q&A session.

Eric Thompson, Athletic Director of University of Cadwell in UK for the past 30 years, has previously announced his retirement, effective at the end of next month. He gave a farewell speech at 2:30pm today at the annual meeting of members of Athletics Club at the Grand Hall.

Script of the speech
As I look around this room, I see many familiar faces: good people, generous people who’ve been friends and supporters for as long as I’ve been here. Now, all of you know I’m retiring at the end of next month. I’m 65, and it’s time. What you don’t know is that I’ve decided to devote the time I have left to increasing public awareness of a serious problem for our athletes and athletic programs. What I’m going to say isn’t going to be popular, but it’s something I feel I have to say, something eating my heart out. The fact is, it’s no longer fun to play college football. It has become a fatiguing grind. It’s a full-time job, a year-around job, and that’s true of every college football program across the country.

The insanity has to stop. Coaches demand more, colleges demand more. Alumni demand more, so college football has turned into a 12-month-a-year-job that never ends. We’ve got fall games and winter workouts. There’s spring practice, and there’re summer conditioning drills. So our players work and work and work during the season.

You’ve got wonderful young players literally working themselves to death, dying so you can have a winning season. Eleven college football players died in the past 12 months, and it’s a tragedy we have to stop.

Heatstroke is a part of the problem, especially during those damned summer drills. Heatstroke can cause your body temperature to soar to 42 degrees Celsius, cause a heart attack, and induce a coma. We tell our players on a hot day he should drink around 600 milliliters of fluid and then continue to drink every 15 minutes whether he’s thirsty or not. If you’re a coach, whether in high school or college, and your kids aren’t getting water every 15 or 20 minutes, you shouldn’t be coaching.

Actually, heat stroke is one of the easier problems we deal with. Some of our players have pre- existing conditions we don’t know about. We had a freshman die after a series of early-morning drills. He was just 19, 6 feet 2, and 180 pounds, with no history of heart problems. That non- detection is no surprise. Many cardiologists say arrhythmia can be difficult to find. Some people are born with these defects but often show no outward signs of the problem. About 100 to 150 young athletes die each year from the condition.

Answer 1

Speech Story

Title:  Eric Thompson; Retirement or a new battle ahead?

Athletic Director of University of Cadwell in UK for the past 30 years, Mr. Eric Thompson announced his retirement and gave a farewell speech at 2:30pm today at the annual meeting of members of Athletics club at the Grand Hall. He started off by looking around the room and mentioned those familiar faces which have been with him from past so many years and have supported him throughout his tenure. 65 years is the right age and it was time to say good bye, he mentioned. He then continued with the speech and took a very unattended yet important topic of over playing college football. He further added that it was no longer fun to play college football for athletes as it has become a 12 month activity and a full time job. The pressure has always been rising from college's end or alumni's end or coach’s end which gave rise to fatigue in players by over playing.

He elaborated that he wanted to address this issue from so long and today being the last day he could not stop himself from sharing this. He further added that college football was played throughout the year be it winter workouts, fall games, spring practices or summer conditioning drills which was most dangerous in all of them. The data shared by him about 11 college football players having dies by over playing the sport or not getting proper rest in between was astonishing. How big a problem of "Heatstroke" is was explained by him and how a heatstroke can rise the temperature of body to 42 degrees which might lead to heart attack was emphasized. Another challenge which he thinks will be in front is some players having some born defects which are unknown to coaches and might die because of their pre requisite condition without even showing any symptoms. A young guy just 19 years of age died in an early morning drill with no history of any heart problem was a serious cause to worry, he mentioned. He summed up by sharing a data that around 100 to 150 athletes die because of such medical condition.

A man of honor indeed, his love for athletes was clearly depicting from his words and his future endeavor to take this issue forward was definitely commendable. He was an asset to the organization and he served in the best way he could have.

Questions for the speaker in a Q&A session:

• A 30 year is a long span Mr. Eric Thompson, you have spent a portion of your life for this university, so what will you miss the most about this place?
• As you mentioned it was no longer fun to play college football, what improvements or changes would you like to suggest to improve the scenario overall?
• Do you want that college football should be banned?
• Why didn't you raise your voice earlier on this issue?
• Do you thing giving more rest to players or having a rotation policy so that there is less pressure on a single player is a solution to this problem?
• How will you move ahead in taking up this issue and how will you solve it?