In the past ten years, America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) has grown increasingly dependent on the rest of the world to supply players.

    When Michael Jordan and Larry Bird won gold in Barcelona in 1992, the Americans were praised for teaching the world how to play basketball. This season, however, 20 percent of NBA rosters花名册) will be filled by non-Americans. NBA commissioner David Stem happily embraces the trend. On a visit to Paris in October, Stern outlined his vision for the future, which is likely to see Europe hosting NBA games by 2010.

    The NBA is now planning to take China by storm.

    “Our experience in China has been that it is going to be explosive in its growth,” said Stern. The strategy战略,策略) in China is television. “We’ve made 14 deals in China with local and national networks on cable and satellite.” The success of Chinese centre Yao Ming has paved the way for the NBA marketing blitz in China. The NBA, which is broadcasted in more than 200 countries in 42 languages, will put that to the test in October 2004 when the Houston Rockets play two pre-season games against the Sacramento Kings in Beijing and Shanghai. The NBA knows that it needs a global market to compensate for tough times on home soil.

“It doesn’t matter where the players come from, all the NBA teams now know that they have to scout寻找,觅得) internationally,” said Terry Lyons, the NBA’s vice-president of international public relations. “It has increased the level of competition here.” As Frenchman Tony Parker and Argentine Emanuel Ginobili showed in winning championship rings with the San Antonio Spurs last season, many people can earn the respect of their American peers. Others, such as the Houston Rockets’ Chinese centre Yao Ming — number one draft pick in 2002 — and the Detroit Pistons’ 18-year-old Serb Darko Milicic — number two overall in this year’s draft — are icons偶像)in-waiting. It is the ultimate最后的,根本的) revolution — the rest of the world teaching the US how to play basketball.

According to the report,                 .

A. Michael Jordan is still playing a very important role in NBA

B. the part played by the foreign players in NBA will be great

C. Yao Ming is to play two pre-season games in NBA

D. European countries will host the 2004 NBA games

The underlined phrase “take China by storm” has the meaning of      _______ ___.

A. NBA intends to make China its “marketing center”

B. NBA is planning to set up some training centers in China

C. there’ll be a big storm when NBA comes to China to play against the Sacramento Kings

D. the NBA’s live basket games will be broadcasted on all the TVs in China

What seems to be the biggest change that is happening to NBA?

A. NBA is expecting more foreign players to join the league.

B. China’s rapid development in sports affects NBA.

C. Yao Ming has taken the place of Michael Jordan.

D. The NBA will stop teaching the world how to play basketball.

When the writer talked of “home soil”, he was referring to        _        _.

A. farms in the States                   

B. native Americans 

C. the NBA training center               

D. the USA

Which of the following can be used as the best title for the passage?

A. The Non-American Basketball Players   

B. NBA Is Coming to China

C. The Foreign Ties That Bind the NBA     

D. NBA Is Making Big Progress

Some Chinese new - rich like eating shark fin soup because they think it shows their class. However, for the Chinese NBA idol Yao Ming, doing so is unacceptable as the practice has led to the overfishing of sharks.
When Yao and his wife Ye Li got married in 2007, they publicly announced that they would not allow shark fin soup to be served at their wedding banquet.
Actually, Yao had been saying no to shark fins since 2006, when he was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for wild life protection.
Now, the 226 - cm big guy is resorting to his personal influence to encourage more to say no to eating the soup and to raise awareness of protecting animals. “Sharks are friends of human beings. They are not our food,” Yao said.
Other celebrity athletes like Olympic champions. Li Ning and Kong Linghui are following on the heels of Yao, throwing themselves into serving the public as Goodwill Ambassadors for wild animal rescue. Recent reports about Yao’s retirement have saddened tens of thousands of basketball fans both at home and abroad. Yet Yao's influence goes far beyond the basketball courts.
Yao has engaged himself in charity and public welfare services for quite a while. When the devastating 8.0 -magnitude earthquake hit Wenchuan in southwest China in 2008 , Yao donated 2 million yuan. “When I was a little boy, my parents and teachers told me to help others and to be a good man,” Yao recalled. “But I could nor donate then because I had not much pocket money. After I moved to Houston, I got involved in quite a number of community service activities and I felt a strong sense of achievement when I got people together,”Yao said.
Like Yao, newly crowned French Open champion Li Na has showed her willingness to donate. Li gave 480,000 yuan of her prize money from the open, plus 20,000 yuan from her own pocket, to a local nursing home in her hometown. Another Chinese sports icon, hurdler Liu Xiang, has also been actively involved in charity for years.
【小题1】The reason why some Chinese new-rich like eating shark fin soup is that they think            

A.it is very deliciousB.it is very cheap and healthy
C.it is very popular in societyD.it can show their status
【小题2】Yao Ming is against eating shark fin soup because              
A.too many sharks are killedB.he dislikes eating sharp fin
C.it is too expensiveD.sharks are dangerous animals
【小题3】Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A.Li Na donated 500,000 yuan to a local nursing home in her hometown.
B.Yao Ming donated 2 million yuan after the earthquake of Wenchuan.
C.Yao Ming has encouraged more people to stop eating shark fin soup and protect animals.
D.Yao Ming was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for protecting wild life in 2007.
【小题4】What words can be used to describe Yao Ming according to the passage?
A.Rich and generous.B.Influential and warmhearted.
C.Energetic and optimistic.D.Popular and confident.
【小题5】From the passage , we can learn that               
A.most athletes don't like eating shark fin soup
B.Yao Ming has been donating money to charity since he was a child
C.Yao Ming has an influence on not only the basketball courts but also charity and public welfare services
D.Yao Ming has taken part in many community service activities when he was in China

Chinese star Yao Ming has retired. Yao made it official Wednesday, telling a news conference that a series of foot and leg injuries forced him to end his playing career at the age of 30.
“I will formally end my career,’’ said Yao, who became a household name in China before starting his NBA career with the Houston Rockets in 2002. Yao played eight seasons in the NBA.
“Today is an important day for me and holds a special meaning for both my basketball career and my future,’’ Yao said. “I had to leave the court since I suffered a stress fracture(断裂) in my left foot for the third time at the end of last year. My past six months were a painful wait. I have been thinking about my future over and over. Today I am announcing a personal decision, ending my career as a basketball player and officially retire. But one door is closing and another one is opening.’’
Yao said he would return to work with his former Chinese team, the Shanghai Sharks, with the possibility of becoming general manager. He already owns the club and wants to contribute more. “My playing career started with the club. I hope I can do something for it,’’ Yao said.
He later appeared with his family on the stage to the applause and cheers of the crowd. He thanked a lot of people — his family, former coaches, even players like Shaquille O’Neal — “for making me a better player.’’
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was among those attending the farewell(告别) conference Wednesday. Morey made the long trip from Houston. Morey said 20 hours on planes was tiring but “I would be sorry if I wasn’t here.” “It’s a big moment,’’ Morey added. “Yao had a sense of humor, a great attitude and sense of responsibility. I hope we can continue his culture in the NBA.’’
【小题1】Yao Ming has retired from basketball because of _____.

A.his ageB.his bad conducts on the court
C.his foot and leg injuriesD.his poor health
【小题2】Yao Ming was _____ before he decided to end his career as a basketball player.
A.peacefulB.upsetC.confidentD.proud
【小题3】Yao Ming started his playing career in _____.
A.ShanghaiB.HoustonC.BeijingD.New York
【小题4】According to the passage, which of the following words can’t be used to describe
Yao Ming?
A.Talented.B.Responsible. C.Humorous. D.Cautious.
【小题5】 What do you know about Daryl Morey?
A.Daryl Morey thinks highly of Yao Ming.
B.Daryl Morey was Yao Ming’s coach.
C.Daryl Morey is a basketball player in the Houston Rockets.
D.Daryl Morey is not satisfied with Yao Ming’s retirement from basketball.

Some Chinese new-rich like eating shark fin soup because they think it shows their class. However, for the Chinese NBA idol Yao Ming, doing so is unacceptable as the practice has led to the overfishing of sharks.

When Yao and his wife Ye Li got married in 2007, they publicly announced that they would not allow shark fin soup to be served at their wedding banquet.

Actually, Yao had been saying no to shark fins since 2006, when he was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for wild life protection.

Now, the 226-cm big guy is resorting to his personal influence to encourage more to say no to eating the soup and to raise awareness of animal protection. "Sharks are friends of human beings. They are not our food," Yao said.

Other celebrity athletes like Olympic champions Li Ning and Kong Linghui are following on the heels of Yao, throwing themselves into serving the public as Goodwill Ambassadors for wild animal rescue. Recent reports about Yao's retirement have saddened tens of thousands of basketball fans both at home and abroad. Yet Yao's influence goes far beyond the basketball courts.

Yao has engaged himself in charity and public welfare services for quite a while. When the devastating 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit Wenchuan in southwest China in 2008, Yao donated 2 million yuan . "When I was a little boy, my parents and teachers told me to help others and to be a good man," Yao recalled.  "But I could not donate then because I had not much pocket money. After I moved to Houston, I got involved in quite a number of community service activities and I felt a strong sense of achievement when I got people together," Yao said.

Like Yao, newly crowned French Open champion Li Na has showed her willingness to donate. Li gave 480,000 yuan of her prize money from the open, plus 20,000 yuan from her own pocket, to a local nursing home in her hometown. Another Chinese sports icon, hurdler Liu Xiang, has also been actively involved in charity for years.

1.The reason why some Chinese new-rich like eating shark fin soup is that they think _______ .

A.it is very delicious

B.it is very cheap and healthy

C.it is very popular in society

D.it can show their status

2.Yao Ming is against eating shark fin soup because ________ .

A.too many sharks are killed

B.he dislikes eating sharp fin

C.it is too expensive

D.sharks are dangerous animals

3. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A.Li Na donated 500,000 yuan to a local nursing home in her hometown.

B.Yao Ming donated 2 million yuan after the earthquake of Wenchuan.

C.Yao Ming has encouraged more people to stop eating shark fin soup and protect animals.

D.Yao Ming was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for protecting wild life in 2007.

4.What words can be used to describe Yao Ming according to the passage?

A.Rich and generous.

B.Influential and warmhearted.

C.Energetic and optimistic.

D.Popular and confident.

5.From the passage , we can learn that________.

A.most athletes don't like eating shark fin soup

B.Yao Ming has been donating money to charity since he was a child

C.Yao Ming has an influence on not only the basketball courts but also charity and public welfare services

D.Yao Ming has taken part in many community service activities when he was in China

 

“Someday, there’ll be no Americans left in the NBA,” said 12-year-old Xing Tao, who joined his school team two weeks ago after watching Yao Ming in a televised NBA game. “The players will all be Chinese, like Yao.”

To China, Yao is a home-grown superstar who helped make the world’s first basketball league closer to Chinese players. To the NBA, the 2.23-meter center offers an opening of a different sort into the world’s largest new market. Yao’s NBA first appearance against the Indiana Pacers in October reached 287 million families in the US. That game might have been a bit of a letdown to Yao’s fans: He played just 11 of the 48 minutes, had two rebounds (抢篮板球) and got no points. Comparing that with his performance on December 19, also against Indiana, Yao won 29 points and 10 rebounds. “This is one of the most exciting games I’ve had,” Yao said after Houston’s 95-83 victory. The NBA has to be excited about his on-count success. In all his games, he’s averaging 12.7 points and 7.7 rebounds, quite good for a new star. “Yao Ming has brought the NBA closer to the Chinese,” said NBA spokeswoman Cheong Sau Ching, “That makes the dream seem practical for other people in China and proud to be Chinese.”

Yao is not the country’s first player in the NBA, but Yao’s combination of modesty and skills makes him a favorite back home.

1.What’s the direct reason for Xing Tao to join the school basketball team?

A. He watched an NBA game.                   

B. He liked basketball.

C. He hoped to play for NBA.

D. He had a dream that he would become a basketball star.

2.How many points did Yao Ming win in his first game in NBA?

A. 0.                            B. 2.              C. 29.                          D. 10.

3.What does the underlined word “letdown” in the second paragraph mean?

A. failure       B. surprise            C. disappointment         D. sadness

4. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A. Middle school students want to play basketball.

B. Yao Ming makes NBA closer to China.

C. There’ll be no Americans left in the NBA.

D. There are many new stars from China in the NBA.

 

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