Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. horseplay
    • ex. No running or horseplay in the house!
  2. a combat sport
    • ex. My friend likes to watch combat sports like boxing and karate.
  3. have a background in (something)
    • ex. I got the job because I have a background in marketing.
  4. silly
    • ex. My grandpa likes to tell silly jokes.
  5. a sibling
    • ex. Jenna has two siblings, a younger brother and an older sister.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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The Pillow Fighting Championship (PFC) recently held its first live pay-per-view event. Many people think that pillow fighting is only childhood horseplay, but Steve Williams, the CEO and founder of the PFC, says that it’s a true professional combat sport. The PFC event was shown on the sports streaming platform FITE in January.

Most PFC athletes have backgrounds in other combat sports like Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) or boxing. They use specialized pillows and wear costumes during the 3-round matches. Williams says that the sport may look silly, but the athletes are serious about it and train hard to win. Interested athletes can register to fight on the official PFC website.

According to Williams, PFC fighters don’t want to get hurt, and their audience doesn’t want to see blood. He says that the PFC is focused on good competition, and athletes need to have strength, stamina, and strategy to win. Williams feels that pillow fighting could become a mainstream sport because most people have experience fighting their siblings and friends with pillows.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Pillow Fighting

  • Do you agree that pillow fighting is a true professional combat sport? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • PFC fighters don't want to get hurt, and their audience doesn't want to see blood. What do you think about this (ex. it's good, it's not very interesting)? Why? Discuss.
  • PFC fighters wear silly costumes during their matches. What do you think about this? Why? Discuss.

Childhood Activities and Games

  • Other than pillow fighting, what childhood activities or games could become professional sports? Why? Discuss.
  • What childhood activities and games would you like to do again as an adult? Why? Discuss.
  • Do you think that children today play the same activities and games that you played in your childhood? Why or why not? Discuss.