1、外研社选修 7 课文原文（每个模块 4 篇）Module 1 BasketballMichael Jordan Head and Shoulders Above the Rest!During the 1990s, Michael Jordan was probably the best-known athlete in the world. He was the top scorer in the NBA, and played for the Chicago Bulls from 1984 to 1993. He was named their most valued player fiv
2、e times. Wearing his famous number 23 shirt, Michael Jordan became the most successful basketball player in the history of the game.Jordan was born in New York and grew up in North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina for a year before leaving to join the Chicago Bulls. He finished
3、 his first season (1984-1985) as one of the top scorers in the league, with an average of 28.2 points per game. In 1987, Jordan became only the second player to score more than 3,000 points in a season. He was the top scorer in the NBA for seven consecutive seasons (1987-1993). During this time, the
4、 average number of points he scored was more than 30 points per game. With him, the Bulls won their first NBA championship in1991. During this successful period they won the title again in 1992 and 1993. Jordan was also in the United States Olympic Basketball Team, known as “the Dream Team”, which w
5、on the gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Jordan surprised everyone when he retired before the 1993-1994 season, but he rejoined the Chicago Bulls and won three more championships with them from 1996 to 1998. he played again for the Washington Wizards before finally retiring from s
6、port in 2003 at the age of 40. Millions of fans admire his athletic ability, motivation and confidence. They have fantastic stories to tell about Michael Jordan, such as the time when he rescued the Bulls from ending a game on a tie. He stepped to the line and made two free throws. Each time he thre
7、w the ball straight through the basket and each time he had his eyes closed. Off the basketball court, Michael Jordan opened his own steak restaurant because he loves steak so much. He also found success as an actor in the film Space Jam alongside the famous cartoon character Bugs Bunny!There is onl
8、y one word to describe the best player in the world awesome!Wilt the Stilt the Tower of Power!Michael Jordan was the second player to score more than 3,000 points in a season but the first was Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain was born in Philadelphia on 21st August 1936. He was one of the 11 children,
9、the only one who was very tall. His father William worked in a shipyard and his mother Olivia was a cleaner. As a child, Chamberlain had various health problems. He had pneumonia and almost died when he was ten.Chamberlain is the only NBA player who averaged over 50 points per game for an entire sea
10、son. At one point, Chamberlain was so much better than all the other players that they changed the rules of the game to try to stop him! The giant player joined the NBAs Philadelphia Warriors in the 1959-1960 season and was an immediate success. During 14 seasons with four different teams, Chamberla
11、in was named the most valued player in the league four times. On 2nd March 1962, he scored 100 points in a single game no one has ever done that since! The final score was Warriors 169 New York Knicks 147!He ended his career after five amazing seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. By the time he reti
12、red, Wilt held many NBA records: he scored 50 or more points 118 times and 60 or more points 32 times.Was Wilt Chamberlain better than Michael Jordan? Who knows? But there is no doubt that he deserves the title “outstanding player of his generation”.Is Yao Ming Too Nice to Be a Star?Jeff Van Gundy,
13、the head coach of the Houston Rockets, has a dream. He wants Yao Ming to be like other players. Star players, says Gundy, are “selfish” and want the ball all the time. “Lets put it this way,” he said. “When they ask for the ball, they dont say please!”Yao, however, is a selfless and kind person. He
14、has been brought up and trained in this way. It is not in his nature to be “selfish” and “rude”.When he first arrived in the US, Yao was an instant hit among basketball fans nationwide. They all loved this kind, gentle but powerful giant. Van Gundy wanted to build his team around the talented Chines
15、e player. To do this, he told Yao to be more aggressive and, if necessary, to be rude to his teammates.“Hes a wonderful guy, he has every physical basketball skill and he puts the team first,” Van Gundy said. “But I want him to be a star, not just a great team player. Hes got to think that hes the b
16、est player out there. That way, he can dominate the game.”“At first, I didnt really understand what the coach wanted,” Yao said. “But now I do. In China, everyone gave me the ball, I didnt have to ask! Here, I have to be a little impolite! Im not quite used to it yet. If you give me a little time, I
17、 can get more used to it. I have to learn to be l little more selfish.”Dizzy Heights of School BasketballBasketball is one of the safest sports. Unlike wrestling or boxing, its not usually dangerous. One reason for this is that the players energy is partly directed upwards, at a 90-degree angle to t
18、he ground, and over the heads of the others. So theres less risk of a collision between two players.In other sports, such as baseball and American football, the player energy moves parallel to the ground and towards their opponents, so they wear helmets which give adequate protection to their heads.
19、But although basketball players wear socks and sneakers which are specially designed to absorb energy when they bound into the air, they war no other protection, just a vest and shorts. If there is an abrupt change of direction in their energy, from vertical to horizontal, such as when they accelera
20、te across the court, bouncing the ball, there is a real danger of personal injury.For example, in the Kent State High School Basketball tournament, Chandler High was playing St Mary Central and at the interval the score was 50-52. but St Mary had appointed a captain who was not a typical basketball
21、player. Whereas everyone else was tall and slim with short haircuts, Joe Johannsen was short and stout, with long hair and a large belly. But he was really fast, and when he obtained control of the ball, he could make a circuit of the court and reach the opposing teams boundary within seconds.Anyhow
22、, twelve minutes into the second half, Frank Sackler, the Chandler star player, made a controversial pass over Joes head. Joe stepped aside and dipped his head down. Sackler bounced off him and committed a foul. The referee interrupted the match ,and there was a suspension of play. But Joe was unhur
23、t, short the penalty, and the score was 88-90. there were three minutes to go.Joe immediately took possession of the ball and ran, and suddenly 80 kilos hit the Chandler star, who howled loudly in pain and fell, with his nose bleeding and a cut on his left cheek. For a moment, he lay very still ,and
24、 the referee even checked his pulse, but soon confirmed he was OK. But when Sackler stood up he was dizzy, so they put a bandage round his head, a blanket round his shoulders, and called an ambulance to take him to the hospital. Joe was a considerate guy, and apologized as Sackler left, sniffing and
25、 weeping, either in pain or in frustration.Chandler scored with the penalty, and their teamwork had won the match. But Frank Sackler still has the scar on his face as a souvenir of the tournament.How Did They Start?How did American football start?Football or soccer started in England 800 years ago.
26、The game was played with a round ball that players kicked but could not carry. There were two teams, but there were often a hundred players on each team!However, in 1823, William Webb Ellis, a pupil at Rugby School in England, picked up the ball during a soccer game and ran with it. Teachers at the
27、school were shocked and angry but Webb Elliss schoolmates enjoyed this new game, which they named after the school. Eventually, rugby was played with an oval ball that could be both carried and thrown.Rugby was exported to the United States, changed a lot and became the sport that Americans now call
28、 football. During a game of American football, the ball can be kicked, thrown or carried.How did basketball start?Basketball was invented in 1891 in a gymnasium in Springfield, Massachusetts by Dr James Naismith, a physical education teacher. Naismith wanted to create a game that would provide exerc
29、ise for a noisy class through the clod winter months. Naismith attached two baskets to two tall poles at each end of the gymnasium and gave the players a soccer ball and told them to try to throw the ball into the baskets. Naismith later wrote 13 rules which are the basis of modern basketball rules.
30、How did baseball start?The exact origin of baseball is unknown, but it is probably based on an old English game called rounders. In the USA, a version of the game became popular in the early 19th century and eventually, a man called Alexander Cartwright wrote the rules or baseball in 1845. Cartwrigh
31、t I called “the father of baseball” because the modern rules of the game are very similar to his original rules.Module 2 Highlights of My Senior YearHighlights of My Senior YearI can hardly believe it, but my school life is almost over. Prom night has come and gone, and Ive received my high school d
32、iploma at last. Its a good thing that the exams are finished. I feel too excited to think clearly. It seems strange to think that in a few days time Ill be walking out of the school gates forever. The first thing Im going to do is to take a long vacation!Meanwhile, I find myself looking back at my s
33、enior year, and thinking about all the wonderful things that have happened. Ive decided to write them down so that one day, years from now, when I reread them ,the memories will come back.Theres so much to remember. One of the best things about this year has been working as an arts editor for this n
34、ewspaper. Ive so enjoyed it I love writing, and working on this paper is my first step towards becoming a journalist, so this has been a real success for me.Something else Ive greatly enjoyed is working as a peer mediator, someone who helps students to settle problems that they have with other stude
35、nts. At the start of the school year, we were given training in how to do this, and its clear that this kind of work can really help people. I think Ill continue to work as a mediator when I go to college.During the Easter vacation, I went on a short school skiing trip to the Rocky Mountains. Ive be
36、en skiing quite a few times, but never with the school, and since two good friends came on the trip, we had great fun racing each other down the ski slopes. Its well-known that Americans are competitive, and I did enjoy it whenever I won our races!Other things Im pleased about getting good grades on
37、 my final exams, and receiving the senior prize for English Literature. I was given a car by my parents so Ive been able to drive to school, which is brilliant. And of course, Ill never forget being elected to the student council. I really enjoyed meeting the teachers and telling them how we, the st
38、udents, feel about thing, and what we think should happen in the school!All these things have been wonderful. But I have to say, the highlight of the year was the senior prom. For an American girl, its so important that you have a good time at the prom. Well, I did Daniel, a boy in my English class,
39、 asked me to go to the prom with him, and I was so pleased Id been hoping he would ask me. I found a dress that suited me perfectly, and had my hair specially done on the day of the prom. It took two hours but it was worth it, as everyone told me I looked very elegant! A group of us rented a nice ca
40、r to take us to the prom. The food was delicious and I ate so much that I had to stop dancing for a while! We shared a table with some good friends, and laughed and told jokes all evening. Its a great pity that its probably the last time this will happen.Daniel and I danced most of the dances together. But the big surprise of the evening was when I was elected prom queen! This was so unexpected, and I cant tell you how good this made me feel!
