Bet on the Blond

Words in Use (Lesson 10)

• evidence
• solitary
• vision
• frequent
• glimpse
• recent
• decade
• hesitate
• absurd
• conflict
• minority
• fiction

Read the following passage to see how the new words are used in it.

Bet on the Blond
Can women excel as jockeys in big-time horse racing? Years ago the feminine touch was kept out of racing, but now at tracks all over the country women mount horses and compete with men, many of whom dread the whole idea. Their masculine image, they feel, may be threatened.* Also, some offer the weak argument that females are a menace on the track. But, as we all know, we should resist* the tendency to underestimate the power of women. A few female jockeys have been victorious in numerous races, and this is probably what has put the male jockeys in a rage.* It would be wise if the men were more flexible in their attitudes toward women athletes.