Twenty-three-year-old Michael Phelps has
become a phenomenon (神话) in swimming.
At the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, he won eight gold
medals. That was more than the whole Australian team could put together. He beat (打败) Mark
Spitz’s 1972 record of seven wins in the pool at the one Olympics. Phelps has
put his name next to seven world records.
Nine days, 17 games,
morning and night he competed and won. He had to beat former (从前的) world record-holders and gold medalists. He had to
turn their wins into old news.
In American schools there is something
called Home-coming Day. Many high schools and colleges with a football team
have a home-coming game. This can be the most important event of the year
except graduation (毕业) day. Students plan Home-coming Day for
many weeks in advance.
Several days before Home-coming ,students start to
decorate (装饰)the school. There are signs to wish luck
to the team, and many other signs to welcome all the graduates. Many people
still come to Home-coming twenty or thirty years after their graduation.
The members of school clubs build booths (摊位) and sell lemonade, apples and sandwiches. Some clubs
help to welcome visitors.
During the day people like to look for teachers that
they remember from long ago. Often they see old friends and they talk together
about those happy years in school.
Everyone soon comes to watch the football game. When
the game is half over, the band (乐队)comes
onto the field and plays school songs. Another important moment is when the
Home-coming Queen or King appears. All the students vote a most popular student
Home-coming Queen or King. It is a great honor to be chosen.
Home-coming is a happy day, but it is not perfect
unless the football team wins the game. Even if the team loses, the students
still enjoy Home-coming. Some stay at the school to dance, and others go to a
party. For everyone it is a day worth remembering.
