3.Use one
sentence to sum up the whole story.
(C)Whole new ball game
LAST week, millions of Chinese
viewers tuned into CCTV 5 to watch two teams of men in colourful
clothing chase a ball around a field.
But the New England Patriots (爱国者队) and Carolina Panthers (黑豹队) were not playing soccer--they were
competing for American football's greatest prize, the Super Bowl.
The first recorded game of
American football was played between a Canadian and an American university more
than 100 years ago, using a mixture of soccer and rugby (英式橄榄球) rules. The Super Bowl itself was first
contested in 1967, but 2004 was the first time the game reached Chinese TV
screens.
In American football, teams score
points by carrying a leather ball into the other team's goal area, known as the
end zone. When a team carries the ball into the other side's end zone, this is
called a touchdown (达阵).
Players on one team can throw the
ball forward to each other or pass it from hand to hand to move up the field,
while the other team tries to stop them. Players are allowed to tackle (绊倒) each other to stop the ball from moving.
Sometimes this is quite physical so padding (衬垫)
and helmets are worn to prevent injury. A touchdown is worth six points, and a
further point can be won by kicking the ball between two upright posts. Teams
can also kick a field goal (射门得分)
during the game for three points. A game is made up of four quarters (节) each lasting 15 minutes.
American football is very popular
because it exhibits a number of athletic skills, such as running, jumping,
catching, throwing and kicking. There is also hitting and tackling, which can
appear violent sometimes!
The best-known league in the United States
is the National Football League (NFL), which is made up of 30 teams, and the
Super Bowl is its championship game. One of the most famous players is New
England star Tom Brady, who was named the Most Valuable Player as his team won
the Super Bowl last week. Brady plays in the quarterback (四分卫) position, and is the player responsible for
throwing the ball to his teammates.
Now the Super Bowl has arrived in China, maybe
the game will become just as popular as basketball or soccer!