ESL Podcast 957 - Doping in Sports
to suspend - to temporarily not allow someone to have or do something; to not let something continue to happen for a defined period of time
The company will have to suspend manufacturing until it can find the source of the problem.
doping - the practice of using illegal drugs to improve one's athletic performance
Student athletes must sign an agreement saying that they will not participate in doping.
random drug test - an unannounced blood test given at unpredictable times to determine whether someone has consumed alcohol or used drugs
Truck drivers are subject to random drug tests, and if the test shows that they're driving under the influence of drugs, they lose their job.
performance-enhancing drug - medicines or other chemical substances used to make an athlete perform better, such as being stronger or faster
Is it possible to lift that much weight without the help of performance-enhancing drugs?
system - all the parts of a human body or another organism, or one group of those parts, such as the digestive system or the respiratory system
Pollutants can be very damaging to the system, especially for young children.
playoffs - games played among many teams to determine which teams are the best and which ones should play in the championship (final) games
Everyone was surprised by how well the Bobcats did in the playoffs.
to cheat - to play unfairly; to do something that is dishonest and unfair in order to win
Don't play cards with Samuel. He usually cheats.
banned for life - not allowed to do something ever again
It doesn't seem fair that Karim is banned for life from the sport for something he did as a teenager.
to strip - to take something away, especially in a dishonorable way
The general was stripped of all his military honors due to misconduct.
championship title - the honor one or a team receives when winning an important game or tournament
Sabrina has held the championship title for three consecutive years.
to overreact - to react or respond too strongly to something
People who feel very stressed tend to overreact to small problems, treating them like major crises.
steroid - a drug that may be used in medicine, but is often used illegally by athletes to make their muscles bigger and stronger
Bryant has huge biceps. It looks like he's taking steroids, but he says he's just lifting weights at the gym.
banned substances - an illegal drug or chemical, or something else that one can take that is not allowed
If we find any banned substances in the dormitory, the student will be asked to leave the university.
to pay the price - to experience the negative consequences or bad results of something
The new mayor promises that anyone who breaks the law will have to pay the price in prison.
to level the playing field - to make something fair by giving everyone equal access to some advantage
Our program for students who come from poor families tries to level the playing field in higher education by giving them special help in colleges and universities.
commissioner - a person whose job is to lead a government group or a police department
The city commissioner is determined to reduce crime and encourage business development.