🤔Have you ever heard the phrase "March Madness" and wondered what all the excitement is about? This famous basketball tournament happens every spring in the United States, and it captures the attention of millions of Americans. In this week's episode of the Learn English Podcast, we talk about why March Madness is so popular and how it works.

🏀We'll break down the key aspects of the tournament, from how teams get selected and "seeded" to the single-elimination format that makes the tournament so exciting. You'll discover terms like "Sweet Sixteen," "Elite Eight," and "Final Four," and understand the significance of the national championship. Beyond the games themselves, we'll also explore some of the more complex issues surrounding college sports in America, such as the recent changes allowing college athletes to earn money and the historical differences in how the men's and women's tournaments have been treated.

🎧If you're looking to improve your English listening skills while learning something new about the USA, then this episode is perfect for you. You will learn new words and interesting facts while practicing your English listening skills.

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📜 SOURCES

https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2025-01-17/how-fill-out-march-madness-bracket-if-youve-never-done-it-and-thats-ok

https://time.com/7269620/how-sports-betting-took-over-march-madness/

📝 Vocabulary list:

1) Madness – Extreme excitement or chaos

2) Tournament – A series of games or competitions to determine a winner.

3) Oversee – To manage or supervise something.

4) Bracket – A diagram showing teams in a tournament and their matchup

5) Seed – To rank teams in a competition based on skill or performance.

6) Giveaway – A free prize or reward.

7) Wager – A bet or gamble.

8) Turn pro – To become a professional athlete.

9) Blue Bloods – A term used for traditionally strong college basketball teams.

10) Cinderella team – An underdog team that performs much better than expected.

11) Underdog – A person or team that is expected to lose.

12) Upset – When a weaker team unexpectedly beats a stronger one.

13) Sweet 16 – The round in a tournament where 16 teams remain.

14) Elite Eight – The round in a tournament where 8 teams remain.

15) Final Four – The round in a tournament where 4 teams remain.