When he first rose to stardom in the NBA, Yao Ming could not possibly have known the influence he would have on the American understanding of China.
In the eyes of many Americans, Chinese are short, bookish, and not especially athletic. Yao, 26, has turned that image on its head. A giant at 2.26 metres, he has been the most talked-about player in the league since he topped the NBA draft(选秀)in 2002.
When Yao first joined the Rockets and struggled with an American style of basketball, many were quick to label(标记)Yao “a failure”. But Yao played on. He did not let the criticism affect his performance. Even when former NBA star Charles Barkley bet that Yao could not score more than 19 points in a single game, Yao kept his self-respect. The same cannot be said for Barkley, who was forced to kiss a real donkey's ass(屁股)when Yao passed the 19-point mark early in his first season.
For Americans, Yao's polite and friendly personality is a welcome contrast to the rude behaviour of the NBA's bad boys. Compared with most other NBA players, Yao Ming is a true gentleman. He respects all of his opponents(对手), even those who are not friendly to him.
“He is so wise and humourous that he seems like a diplomat(外交家)rather than a basketball player sometimes,” said Ron Burke, an NBA TV reporter.
In addition, Yao's witty answers have changed the opinion that Chinese people are boring When asked what were his favourite English words, Yao told the press that the five words were “This is the last question.” Yao is winning supporters within the league as well. After a Rockets-Lakers game that Shaquille O'Neal had to sit out with an injury, O'Neal said, “You played pretty good, Yao Ming.” Yao replied, “That's because you weren't there.”
1. What attitude do many people take with Yao Ming when he first joined the Rockets?A.Friendly. | B.Doubtful. |
C.Sincere. | D.Angry. |
A.proved that he was athletic | B.passed the 19-point mark early |
C.showed his politeness and friendliness | D.beat former NBA star Charles Barkley |
A.Yao Ming was respectful and smart | B.Yao Ming was boring and proud |
C.Yao Ming topped the NBA draft | D.Yao Ming wasn't a failure any more |
相似题推荐
A. As we know, the 2008 Olympic Games will be held in Beijing and many people from other countries will come to visit China. The taxi drivers in Dongfeng Taxi Company think the way to show kindness is to be able to greet the foreigners in their languages. They need someone who can teach them languages and the best time is at night when they are not so busy.
B. Tom is so addicted to on-line games that he cannot concentrate on his study like before. Now he often misses school in order to play games, thus telling lies to his teachers and parents again and again. Though he realizes what he does is wrong, he just can’t stop it. How badly he needs someone’s help.
C. Mane, a 44-year-old single mother of three, has to walk two miles to the nearest supermarket twice a week because she doesn’t know which bus to take. What’s worse, since she does not know words, she can not write out a shopping list. Also, she can only recognize items by sight, so if the product has a different label, she will not recognize it as the product she wants.
D. "Helping Hand"Organization will hold an event to help the starving children in Africa. The event starts in August and those taking part in will go without food for 30 hours. In this way, it is expected that money will be raised for the poor children.
E. "Green Earth" cares a lot for the animals in danger. Still many people in the world don’t know much about the importance of animal protecting. This summer vacation a lot of events will be organized to call on people to live in harmony with our earth.
F. A group of young children in a remote village in southwest China are in great need of teachers. Because of the low salary, many teachers came and then went. The villagers hope to have a teacher who can stay for at least a year, because they know knowledge can make a difference to the children’s future.
以下是乐于提供资助的人员信息介绍。请匹配他们与所对应的资助对象。
1. Stephen: Last summer I went through a training program and became a literacy volunteer. When I began to discover what other people’s lives were like because they could not read, I realized the true importance of reading.
2. Ben: After graduation, I don’t want to apply for a job at once Instead, I plan to spare one year to help those who need help most and try my best to improve their lives. You know, education is essential to poverty relief and at the same time I’ll get valuable experience for my future career.
3. Susan: I’m a girl from England and have studied French for years. I’m here in Beijing University studying Chinese. I like China as it is full of mysteries. So I hope the voluntary work will help me to get in touch with Chinese people and get to know about China. Although my study is busy, I can be free at night and at the weekends.
4. Tim: Since I myself have overcome a lot of difficulties in my life, I understand young people’s problems and I know how to listen patiently to others and offer some advice. I’m working now in the daytime so I can only spend two to three hours a day at night helping others.
5. Lisa: I burst into tears when I saw those children in a TV program. What a sight. They are only bone and skin left. What’s worse, every day the children are dying because of lack of food. I realized how lucky I am with enough food and a good chance to get education. The summer vacation is coming and I hope I can do something for them.
【推荐2】The star here is 70-year-old Chen Jifang, who used to be a saleswoman in a local food company before retirement, with 3 million likes on her Douyin videos.
“The main group that I wanted to encourage was people aged 30 to 50," says Chen, “They will be motivated to work out in the gym after seeing that a granny like me can. The message I want to convey is that it is never too late to pursue good health. In the past, whenever I felt uncomfortable, I would lie at home for an entire day.”
Chen had been in a poor physical condition since she was a child. She even had to give up her job after giving birth to her daughter because her health was severely affected by the pregnancy. Her husband shows his approval by doing most of the household chores.
An overweight Chen started with light jogging, but a fitness coach later advised her to rehabilitate her knee before running. Because of this, Chen entered a gym for the first time on Dec 29,2018.
“Everyone in the gym was young. They were giving me weird looks," recalls Chen, who made it a point to walk 3. 5 kilometers to the gym every day.
Her daily training started at 8 am with 50 pushups, mountain-climbing workouts, running and weightlifting. After a short break at 9 am, Chen continued working put until 3 pm. She hit the gym every day in 2019. For Chen, her passion for exercising was born out of a need instead of desire to become famous.
When her health and fitness improved, Chen embarked on high-intensity training sessions and dealt with the more challenging workouts like kettlebell swings, battle ropes and deadlifts. Three months later, she lost a whopping 28 kilograms. Her body mass index also returned to normal.
1. Which words best describe Chen Jifang?A.Elegant and resistant | B.Ambitious and tough |
C.Independent and considerate | D.Passionate and dutiful |
A.survive | B.restore |
C.revive | D.protect |
A.Chen was poor when she was young. |
B.Chen, as a saleswoman, gained 3 million fans. |
C.Chen's decision largely comes from her husband. |
D.Chen managed to sustain her workouts for about 6 hours per day. |
A.A granny can lift | B.An idle youth, a needy age |
C.A fall in a pit, a gain in your wit | D.Good health is the best wealth |
【推荐3】A child prodigy (奇才)from Belgium is on course to gain a bachelor's degree at the age of nine. Laurent Simons is studying electrical engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE)—a tough course even for students of an average graduate age. Described by staff as “simply extraordinary” Laurent is on course to finish his degree in December. He then plans to work on a PhD program in electrical engineering while also studying for a medicine degree, his father told CNN.
His parents, Lydia and Alexander Simons, said they thought Laurent’s grandparents were overstating (夸大其词)when they said Laurent had a gift, but his teachers soon agreed. "They noticed something very special about Laurent." said Lydia.
Laurent was given test after test as teachers tried to work out the degree of his talents. "They told us he is like a sponge (海绵)said Alexander. While Laurent comes from a family of doctors, his parents have so far not received any explanation as to why their child prodigy has the ability to learn so quickly. But Lydia has her own theory. “I ate a lot of fish during the pregnancy (怀孕)," she joked.
The TUE has allowed Laurent to complete his course faster than other students. “That is not unusual. “said Sjoerd Hulshof education director of the TUE bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, in a statement. ''Special students that have good reasons for doing so can arrange an adjusted schedule. In much the same way we help students who participate in top sport."
1. Who first found Laurent Simons’s talent for studying?A.Alexander. | B.His teacher. |
C.His parents. | D.His grandparents. |
A.Brilliant and talented. | B.Hardworking but childish. |
C.Helpful and friendly. | D.Average but clever. |
A.It gave Laurent a sport course. |
B.It offered Laurent flexible schedule. |
C.It stopped Laurent studying further. |
D.It treated Laurent as a usual student. |
A.An Important Test | B.A Careful Teacher |
C.A Gifted Child | D.A Vital Course |
Just before dawn, there was further trouble. Amelia noticed flames (火焰) coming from the engine. Would she be able to reach land? There was nothing to do except to keep going and to hope. In the end, Amelia Earhart did reach Ireland, and for the courage she had shown, she was warmly welcomed in England and Europe. When she returned to the United States, she was honored by President Hoover at a special dinner in the White House. From that time on, Amelia Earhart was famous.
What was so important about her flight? Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean alone, and she had set a record of fourteen hours and fifty-six minutes. In the years that followed, Amelia Earhart made several flights across the United States, and on each occasion (时刻) she set a new record for flying time. Amelia Earhart made these flights to show that women had a place in aviation (航空) and that air travel was useful.
1. When Amelia Earhart saw flames coming from the engine, what did she do?A.She did nothing but pray for herself. |
B.She continued flying. |
C.She changed her direction and landed in Ireland. |
D.She lost hope of reaching land. |
A.To show that aviation was not just for men. |
B.To set a new record for flying time. |
C.To be the first woman to fly around the world. |
D.To become famous in the world. |
A.She was the first woman who succeeded in flying across the Atlantic Ocean alone. |
B.She showed great courage in overcoming the difficulties during the flight. |
C.She was warmly welcomed in England, Europe and the United States. |
D.She made plans to fly around the world. |
A.Amelia Earhart — First Across the Atlantic. |
B.A New Record for Flying Time. |
C.Amelia Earhart — Pioneer in Women’s Aviation. |
D.A Dangerous Flight from North America to England. |
【推荐2】In our meditation (冥想) group on Monday morning, one of the ladies asked if the group leader could take us through meditation to ease worries.
Later that day, I thought that I would reach out to her just to let her know that I was there for her. I must admit all sorts of reasons why I shouldn’t reach out came to mind, but I allowed myself to get rid of my weakness and sent an email anyway.
It was through one of those messaging type things that I could see the other person was reacting. I could see that quite soon after, the lady was writing a reply. However, she must have changed her mind and decided to give it up and not send it after all.
Anyway, 2 days later, this morning, she sent me a nice message which opened up a short talk about our past and present experiences and we found a common connection. In the end, I invited her to an online group where we could meet every Sunday just to connect and chat. She promised to join us. I knew that she was glad that I had reached out.
Afterwards, I realized that I did have a new friend. When I learned about her difficult life, I offered to help her get through difficulty. When I had problems, she was always there. What a real lucky thing is to step into someone’s life situation and come together with them on their journey. I always think it is the most pleasant thing in the world! I’m so thankful to have had a new friend today!
1. What can we learn about the lady on Monday morning?A.She felt anxious then. |
B.She was unfit for the group. |
C.She turned to the author for help. |
D.She was eager to have a new friend. |
A.She ignored it completely. |
B.She quit answering it halfway. |
C.She took back the email she had sent. |
D.She directly refused to answer the author. |
A.To communicate regularly. |
B.To replace the former activity. |
C.To set up a commercial project. |
D.To join the same meditation group. |
A.A friend is easier lost than found. |
B.A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
C.A friend without faults will never be found. |
D.A friend to everybody is a friend to nobody. |
【推荐3】Have you heard of the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are? In one programme in the series, model Jodie Kidd learns that she is the great-granddaughter of the newspaper owner Lord Beaverbrook, who was a politician during both world wars. Jodie also discovers that her great-grandfather on her mother’s side of the family built ships during World War I and received letters from the King of England and Winston Churchill. And on the subject of kings, Olympic athlete Matthew Pinsent finds that he is related to Edward I, one of the most famous kings in British history.
Davina McCall, presenter of Big Brother, knows her mother’s side of the family is from France. She goes to Paris and finds out that her great-grandfather, Celestin Hennion, was famous throughout France as head of the French police. He once received a medal from King George V for organising security for the king’s trip to France in 1914.
However, Jerry Springer learns that his parents escaped from Nazi Germany three days before the start of World War II but other family members died in the war. And actress Kim Cattrall discovers that her grandfather, from Liverpool, the UK, left his family including three young daughters. He didn’t go far. Forty miles down the road in Manchester, he started another family.
Finally, Nigella Lawson, a famous cook whose father was a British politician, discovers that her grandfather was a thief from the Netherlands. After being sentenced to prison, he escaped to England, which is how the Lawsons ended up in London.
1. Which of the following persons makes a living by playing sports?A.Jodie Kidd. | B.Lord Beaverbrook. | C.Matthew Pinsent. | D.Davina McCall. |
A.Come on! Try again! | B.I am sorry to hear that. |
C.Why are you late again? | D.Thanks! You did a good job. |
A.were told that their parents died in a war | B.learned something about their grandfathers |
C.are very popular actresses | D.live in the Netherlands |
A.deals with family histories | B.talks about the life of famous stars |
C.helps people improve themselves | D.shows you how to succeed |