1. Why are the competitors “standing rigidly upright with their hands behind their backs”, as described in the beginning of the podcast?
A. They are doing warm-up exercises.
B. They are getting ready to slap someone.
C. They are waiting to be slapped.
D. none of the above
2. When someone is “knocked out”, they ...
A. become unconscious.
B. feel uncomfortable.
C. almost fall down.
D. hit something repeatedly.
3. According to the podcast, what happened to the man in the slap-fighting video that went viral?
A. His nose was broken.
B. Part of his face swelled to twice its size.
C. The front row of his teeth came off.
D. He fell to the ground after being punched in the face.
4. What is the maximum number of rounds in a Power Slap fight?
A. two
B. three
C. four
D. five
5. During the fights described in the podcast, the person on the “receiving end” ...
A. gets slapped in the face.
B. slaps their opponent.
C. loses the match.
D. wins the match.
6. Based on your understanding of the podcast, how are points awarded in a Power Slap fight?
A. according to how loud a slap is
B. according to how hard a slap lands
C. according to the number of slaps that are delivered in a set amount of time
D. according to which part of the face a slap lands on
7. According to the podcast, a slap is illegal when strikers ...
A. step out of the “striker box”.
B. hit above the defender’s nose.
C. do not keep both feet on the ground.
D. information not given
8. What does a referee do?
A. They decide who can enter a competition.
B. They train a person to compete in a sport.
C. They make sure the rules of a sport are followed.
D. all of the above
9. Why does Dana White say slap fighting is safer than martial arts?
A. because there is a doctor present at each game
B. because the contestants take fewer hits in slap fighting
C. because only the hands are involved in this sport
D. because each round only lasts 60 seconds
10. If something is the “next big thing”, it ...
A. is likely to become popular.
B. is an accident.
C. has many battles.
D. has a number of collisions.
11. What is the likely cause of CTE according to the podcast?
A. damage to the vessels that supply blood to the brain
B. repeated head injuries
C. a single blow to the head
D. lack of oxygen being supplied to the brain
12. Which group of people is likely to suffer from CTE?
A. rugby players
B. slap fighters
C. American football players
D. all of the above
13. Which of the following is a symptom of CTE?
A. loss of memory
B. feeling depressed
C. violent mood swings
D. all of the above
14. Which of the following can replace “cut down on” in the podcast?
A. eliminate
B. compress
C. reduce
D. decline
15. Which of the following best describes Chris Nowinski’s attitude towards slap fighting?
A. critical
B. approving
C. earnest
D. impartial
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, is a degenerative brain disease that is believed to be caused by repeated blows to the head. Photo: AP
Answers
1. C
2. A
3. B
4. D
5. A
6. B
7. D
8. C
9. B
10. A
11. B
12. D
13. D
14. C
15. A
Script
Adapted from Associated Press
Voice 1: The competitors stand rigidly upright with their hands behind their backs, waiting to absorb a brutal slap to the face. When the open-handed blow is delivered, the reaction can be dramatic. Some fighters barely move, while others stumble backwards or fall to the floor. Some are knocked out.
Voice 2: Slap-fighting beatdowns have gone viral. For example, one video shows a man who continues competing even as half of his face swells to twice its size.
Voice 1: Power Slap fights are typically three to five rounds. The fighters take turns hitting each other in the face with an open hand, and those on the receiving end stand with their hands behind their backs. A fighter has up to 60 seconds to recover and respond after receiving a blow. Fighters can earn up to 10 points based on the effectiveness of the slap and the defender’s reaction.
Voice 2: Fights can end in a decision, knockout, technical knockout or disqualification, such as for an illegal slap. All slaps are subject to video review. Each event has two referees and three judges. Also present are a supervising doctor and a physician or physician’s assistant, plus three paramedics and three ambulances.
Voice 1: The Ultimate Fighting Championship is a US company that promotes mixed martial arts. The company’s president, Dana White, is selling slap fighting as the next big thing in combat sports. White said slap fighting was safer than boxing or mixed martial arts because each contestant usually took only three blows per bout. In boxing, White said, that number could be 400 or more, and that doesn’t include the shots taken during sparring. There is no sparring in slap fighting, he noted.
Voice 2: However, there are numerous concerns about the safety of slap fighting, particularly the risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which is a degenerative brain disease believed to be caused by repeated blows to the head. CTE can cause violent mood swings, depression and memory loss and can only be detected during an autopsy.
Voice 1: Concerns about concussions that lead to CTE aren’t confined to combat sports. The disease has shown up in the brains of former rugby players. The American National Football League has also taken steps to cut down on blows to the head by changing rules regarding tackling and other hits.
Voice 2: Chris Nowinski is the co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation. He said while there may be no sparring in practice sessions for slap fighting, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen elsewhere. He said comparing boxing to power slapping is misleading because slap fighters take a full blow each time, and he has called slap fighting “one of the stupidest things you can do”.
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