The NBA"s version of the Ming Dynasty is done. After helping pro basketball gain a foothold in the
world"s most populous market, 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, I will be always with you. Thank you."
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."
Yao had played six years with the Chinese national team before joining the Rockets, and was already
a star in his home country. He carried the Olympic torch through Tian"anmen Square and his country"s
flag during the opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He also donated $2 million and set
up a foundation to rebuild schools in the wake of the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan.
B. Chinese great Yao Ming retires from basketball
C. A farewell conference
D. Yao Ming"s personal decision
B. He can"t go to the US because of his retirement.
C. He is welcomed in his motherland.
D. He will return to work with the charity.
B. Responsible.
C. Generous.
D. Cautious.
B. Yao Ming played six years in America.
C. Yao Ming started his playing career in Houston.
D. Yao Ming was once an Olympic torchbearer.
a surprise party(that was an agreement at our marriage).
"How about a small dinner with __2__?" I asked.
"No, " she said, "I hate being the center of __3__."
Still, the milestone had to be marked. __4__ wasn"t going to let her get away with a Stouffer"s frozen
dinner and a movie video, __5__ was all she said she wanted.
I thought and thought, and __6__ making my decision, I sent a letter to her friends, asking them for
photos, poems, and letters. "Carol doesn"t __7__ a party in person…but I"m hoping to __8__ her a
party in a book." I bought a(n)__9__ with a friend"s advice, and what I wanted 10 . For a few minutes
at the end of every workday, I 11 pull out the marking pens and make up the 12 , Carol"s.
Photos of her in junior high, pictures of us 13 the boys, original songs, notes, cards, and poems.
It made me 14 for all the years we had had together. The 15 was more than the album. It was the
friendship and love she had given to me, to our kids and to all her friends and family. You could 16 it
on every page.
I wrapped it up and 17 it home. "Happy birthday, sweetie, " I said. "It"s not a frozen dinner or a
video, but it"s 18 you deserve." She cried. She doesn"t 19 like to cry, but I think she likes the book.
She"s said so many times. And every time I remind her 20 putting it together was a gift to me.
( )1. A. amazing ( )2. A. neighbours ( )3. A. attention ( )4. A. She ( )5. A. for ( )6. A. before ( )7. A. want ( )8. A. make ( )9. A. album ( )10. A. went on ( )11. A. could ( )12. A. decision ( )13. A. for ( )14. A. grateful ( )15. A. meaning ( )16. A. count ( )17. A. took ( )18. A. how ( )19. A. normally ( )20. A. whether | B. clear B. children B. comment B. It B. that B. after B. have B. choose B. novel B. poured in B. should B. story B. around B. worried B. gift B. read B. sent B. why B. merely B. that | C. unusual C. friends C. view C. He C. which C. when C. hold C. find C. mirror C. turned back C. would C. mind C. with C. nervous C. party C. express C. placed C. which C. really C. when | D. important D. classmates D. interest D. I D. when D. once D. attend D. give D. overcoat D. got away D. might D. book D. except D. special D. world D. improve D. packed D. what D. obviously D. who |
阅读理解 | |||
What can help you make a fortune in the future? Graduating from a top university might not be enough. A new study from the University of Essex in Britain has shown that the more friends you have in school, the more money you"ll earn later. The idea that popularity could have a serious impact on one"s earning potential shouldn"t come as too much of a surprise. The researchers noted that if you want to get ahead in life, social skills and networking are easily as powerful as talent and hard work. "If a person has lots of friends, it means that he or she has the ability to get along with others in all kinds of different situations, " said Xu Yanchun, 17, from Nantou High School in Shenzhen, who totally agreed with the recent finding. "Also, friends always help each other. They not only create wider social circles for you but lift your mood when you occasionally feel depressed, " said Xu. She believed that all this helps you "earn a higher salary". Maybe that"s why some people think the younger generations are in the age of friendaholism(交友狂症). A woman even complained that the networking website Facebook"s 5,000friend limit was too low for her large reserve of social contacts. But what does a friend mean? Should friends be regarded as a form of currency? "Call me uncool, but I think of a friend as an actual person with whom I have an actual history and whom I enjoy actually seeing. It seems, however, that this is no longer the definition(定义)of "friend", " said Meghan Daum, who works with The Los Angeles Times in the US. Daum despised(鄙视)the idea that quantity trumps(胜过)quality in the age of friendaholism. She thought the idea of friendship, at least among the growing population of Internet social networkers, was to get as many of notreallyfriends as possible. For example, a friend might be someone you might know personally but who could just as easily be the friend of a friend of some other Facebook friends you don"t actually know. | |||
1. What"s the main idea of the passage? | |||
A. Making friends is important. B. Making friends makes you earn more money. C. Friends give you success. D. Social skills are important. | |||
2. Which of the following sentences is TRUE? | |||
A. It is surprising that making more money is popular with people. B. If you want to win in life, social skills are as important as talent and hard work. C. The young now have friendaholism. D. Friends do not create your wider social circles but lift your mood when you occasionally feel depressed. | |||
3. What"s the opinion of Xu Yanchun about making friends? | |||
A. Making friends may help you a lot in your life. B. Making friends can get a lot of money. C. Making friends can make you work hard. D. Making friends can improve your ability to work. | |||
4. What"s the author"s attitude? | |||
A. Objective. B. Subjective. C. Neutral. D. Optimistic. | |||
阅读理解 | |||
A university graduate described as a "respectable and intelligent" woman is seeking professional help after being convicted of (证明有……罪)shoplifting for the second time in six months. Ana Luz, recently studying for her PhD, has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops . Luz ,who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road ,Cambridge ,admitted stealing clothes worth £9.95 from John Lewis in Oxford Street ,London ,on March 9. Phillip Lemoyne ,prosecuting(起诉),said Luz selected some clothes from a display and took them to the ladies" toilet in the store .When she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected ,having taken off the anti-theft security alarms(防盗警报装置). She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying ,Mr Lemoyne said. He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions. Luz,28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October ,but Morag Duff, defending ,said she had never been in trouble with the police before that . "She is ashamed andembarrassed but doesn"t really have any explanation why she did this," Miss Duff said. "She didn"t intend to steal when she went into the store .She is at a loss to explain it. She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady .She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is anything in particular that caused her to do this." Judge David Azan fined Luz £ 50, and warned : "You"ve got a criminal record .If you carry on like this ,you will end up in prison ,which will ruin your bright future you may have." Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain ,went on to a famous university in Berlin , Germany for her master"s degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University ,UK. | |||
1. What is Ana Luz"s nationality? | |||
A. American. B. British. C. Spanish. D. German. | |||
2. What does the underlined sentence "She is at a loss to explain it" mean? | |||
A. In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things . B. She doesn"t have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops . C. She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops. D. Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions. | |||
3. Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word "shoplifting" used in the passage? | |||
A . Carrying goods in a lift for a shop. B. Taking goods to the ladies" toilet . C. Selecting some goods from a display. D. Taking goods from a shop without paying. | |||
4. From the passage we can learn that . | |||
A. Ana Luz is already got her PhD at Cambridge University ,UK B. Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so C. the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more D. Phillip Lemoyne is the "respectable and intelligent" woman"s defense lawyer | |||
5. What would be the best title for the passage ? | |||
A. Shoplifting Shame of a PhD Student B. Apologizing for the Actions in Shops C. Seeking Professional Help from Experts D. Controlling the Desire to Steal from Sho | |||
阅读理解 | |||
While in Banff ,make time for a walk around town. A special treat is to go up the mountainside on the Banff Gondola for a surprising view of the valley below .Here is The Pines ,whose cook has developed a special way of mixing foreign food such as caribou ,wild boar ,and reindeer with surprising sauces . Best time to visit is during the off-season ,from early May to mid-June ,or in October .This way you can avoid sharing the high way with mobile(移动的)homes which can be pulled by cars .But whatever the season ,take some lunch with you from Banff ,because there are only a few food stops on the road. Forty minutes north of Banff ,side by side with the Banff National Park ,sits world-famous Lake Louise .This surprisingly small body of water is attractive with towering mountains around it .Glaciers , huge masses of ice ,moving very slowly against rocks ,produce what is called glacier rock flour ,making its water dark to see .It is worth taking a walk around the grounds of the Chateau Lake Louise ,another beauty ,proud of its early 20th century history. Back on the road , and it"s time to continue north past the astonishing Columbia Icefield ,then turn off the highway and take the short road to the base of the Athabaska Glacier .You can rent ice cleats(夹板) and do some climbing or do a more pleasant snowmobile tour .Either way ,you can enjoy endless beautiful sights. Finally you"ll reach Jasper ,the usual turning around the place for the Banff-Jasper loop(回路).It"s worth riding the Jasper Skytram ,and be sure to visit the wonderful Jasper Park Lodge ,also dating back to the 1920s.If you can have lunch there ,do it .The restaurant has an adventurous menu and their wine list would put a smile on any visitor"s face. | |||
1. According the passage ,The Pines is a ________. | |||
A. place in which you can see many mobile homes B. mountain where you can get a good view of the valley C. town which happens to be near the Banff National Park D. restaurant where you can ask for some special kinds of food | |||
2. What will probably happen when visitors come at the end of June? | |||
A. They may have trouble finding a restaurant. B. They may come across traffic jams. C. They may travel more easily with cars. D. They may do much more sightseeing. | |||
3. Similar to the Chateau Lake Louise,________. | |||
A. the Banff National Park is to the west of Banff B. the Columbia Icefield lies between Lake Louise and the Banff National Park C. the Jasper Skytram has a history of more than 80 years D. the Jasper Park Lodge was built in the 1920s | |||
4. Besides the beautiful sights in Jasper Park Lodge ,visitors to Jasper can enjoy themselves by _____. | |||
A. taking the Jasper Skytram and eating in the restaurant B. taking the Banff-Jasper loop and Jasper Skytram C. having a lot of food to order in the restaurant D. taking the Jasper Skytram back to Banff | |||
完形填空. | |||
A true apology is more than just acknowledgement of a mistake.It"s recognition that something you"ve said or__1__has damaged a relationship-and that you__2__enough about that relationship to want it__3__. It"s never__4__to acknowledge you are in the wrong.Being human,we all need the art of apology.Look back and think how __5__you"ve judged roughly,said__6__things, pushed yourself__7__at the expense of a friend.Some deep thought in us know that when__8__a small mistake has been made,your__9__will stay out of balance until the mistake is acknowledged and your regret is__10__. I remember a doctor friend,__11__me about a man who came to him with__12__ illnesses: headache,insomnia (失眠),stomachaches and so on.No physical__13__could be found.Finally the doctor said to the man,"__14__you tell me what"s on your conscience,I can"t help you." After a short silence,the man told the doctor that he__15__all the money that his father gave to his brother,who was__16__.His father had died,so only he himself knew the matter.The old doctor made the man write to his brother making an__17__and enclosing (附寄) a__18__.In the post office,the man dropped the letter into the mail box.As the letter disappeared,the man__19__into tears. "Thank you,doctor,"he said,"I think I"m all right now."And he__20__. | |||
( )1. A.done ( )2.A.lost ( )3.A.built ( )4.A.difficult ( )5.A.long ( )6.A.unusual ( )7.A.ahead ( )8.A.still ( )9.A.sense ( )10.A.shown ( )11.A.asking ( )12.A.strange ( )13.A.signs ( )14.A.Whenever ( )15.A.stole ( )16.A.mad ( )17.A.order ( )18.A.note ( )19.A.broke ( )20.A.should | B.thought B.care B.formed B.easy B.often B.harmful B.away B.even B.brain B.explained B.telling B.serious B.reason B.Unless B.accepted B.lost B.excuse B.card B.burst B.did | C.announced C.advise C.repaired C.foolish C.much C.precious C.down C.only C.weigh t C.offered C.requiring C.various C.cause C.Suppose C.seized C.abroad C.agreement C.check C.laughed C.had | D.ex pected D.heard D.damaged D.shy D.soon D.unkind D.off D.such D.feeling D.expressed D.setting D.much D.marks D.Although D.wasted D.dead D.apology D.photo D.cried D.was |