文章大意:本文是一篇记叙文。牙买加知名音乐人Marley自小热爱足球,偶然得知牙买加足联急需资金重建国家女子足球队时,她毅然伸出援手。该队不负众望,成为加勒比海地区第一个获得女子世界杯参赛资格的国家队。
Though Marley has loved soccer for as long as she can remember, her involvement in the game didn’t extend beyond kickabouts with her father and brothers. But that all changed in 2014 when one day her son came home from school and handed her a flier (传单), saying that his soccer coach had asked him to deliver it to her. “I’m reading it... like ‘Wait, Jamaica has a women’s football team? Where did this come from?’” she said.
Six years earlier, in 2008, underfunding had led to the Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) disbanding the women’s national team program. The flier Marley’s son brought home was a fundraising request from the JFF to help restart the program. Marley got to work almost immediately, calling the JFF the following morning to ask what it needed.
“The needs were many,” Marley said, repeating the sentence as if to stress how dire the situation was. From travel and nutrition to accommodation and training camps, every area of the national team’s setup was in need of funding.
A skilled musician and multiple Grammy award-winning artist, Marley put her considerable musical talents to work. “My family came together with me. We recorded a song Strike Hard to raise funds,” she said.
Her efforts—and the work of countless others who were equally as committed to the cause—paid off as the women’s national team became the first Caribbean country to qualify for the Women’s World Cup.
Marley’s work has helped not only improve standards and conditions for players, but also shift the country’s attitude towards the women’s national team. “These girls have been told for a long time that women in sports, especially football in Jamaica, really weren’t that important,” Marley said. “Nobody wants to give us brand deals because it’s the female team. It’s so good now to see how all of that has changed dramatically, not just for our women, but around the world... and that makes me excited.”
4. How did Marley probably feel while reading the flier?
A.Astonished. | B.Disappointed. | C.Grateful. | D.Regretful. |
5. Why did the women’s national team of Jamaica stop operating in 2008?
A.Its coaches left the team. | B.Its players were unskilled. |
C.It failed the football fans. | D.It lacked sufficient funds. |
6. What does the underlined word “dire” probably mean in paragraph 3?
A.Amazing. | B.Terrible. | C.Fresh. | D.Stable. |
7. Which can best describe the impact of Marley’s efforts?
A.Short-lived. | B.Negative. | C.Far-reaching. | D.Unidentifiable. |