时间:2018-12-08 作者:英语课 分类:2017年VOA慢速英语(十)月


英语课

 


Before last season, the National Basketball Association 1 (or NBA) announced it had more international players than ever before.


And that number only continues to grow.


When the 2016-2017 season started, the NBA said it had 113 international players. They represented 41 countries and territories.


Many of the international players are European, African or Canadian. Some players are from South American countries such as Brazil and Argentina.


The Utah Jazz had the most international players, with seven.


It is possible that the NBA will build on those numbers in the 2017-2018 season. For example, Lauri Markkanen of Finland and Frank 2 Ntilikina of France were among the first 10 players chosen in the NBA draft 3. Players from Latvia, Germany and Slovenia were chosen later on.


The Washington Wizards are the NBA team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards are no different than the other teams. They have players from France, Czech Republic and Poland. Another player was born to Nigerian parents in the American state of Maryland.


Ian Mahinmi of France plays center for the Wizards. His parents are from Jamaica and the West African nation of Benin.


As a boy, Mahinmi wanted to play soccer like Patrick Vieira, a member of the French national team. Vieira was born in Senegal and helped France win the World Cup championship in 1998.


But Ian Mahinmi grew too tall for soccer, so he gave basketball a try. Now, he is in his 10th season in the NBA.


“The next thing you know, I am here,” he said. Mahinmi is 2.1-meters tall.


He says, now, many young people in Europe and Africa dream of basketball. In the past, it was only soccer.


“It’s not only soccer now. Basketball definitely 4 took a big part in people’s heart. I feel like there is more and more young folks that grow up to be basketball player(s). There is more and more African players in the NBA, so it’s been a big growth since I got in the league.”


The NBA is doing its part to interest young people with exhibition games in Africa and China.


Starting October 5, the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors 5 will play two preseason games against the Minnesota Timberwolves in China.


Mahinmi is working to spread the word about basketball, too. Last summer, he went to Benin and demonstrated 6 basketball skills to 55 young players during a three-day event.


Mahinmi enjoyed the visit.


“The love that they showed me and the welcoming from the minute we got out [of] the plane until the last minute was tremendous 7. You know, this was probably the trip of the summer for me, my dad, probably the trip [of] our lives. So, you know, it’s something we want to do every summer.”


The visit to Africa was important for Mahinmi. But now that the Wizards are back together, preparing for the new season, he wants to help his team improve. Last year, the Wizards won 49 games, their best total since the late 1970s.


“I really feel like we are ready for the challenge,” Mahinmi said. “It’s going to be an exciting time.”


I’m Dan Friedell.


Words in This Story


draft – n. a system by which professional sports teams choose players from college or high school teams — usually singular 8


center – n. someone who plays a middle position on a team in sports like basketball, hockey, football, and soccer


tremendous – adj. very good or excellent


exhibition – n. a demonstration; a public showing



1 association
n.联盟,协会,社团;交往,联合;联想
  • Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
  • I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。
2 frank
adj.坦白的,直率的,真诚的
  • A frank discussion can help to clear the air.坦率的谈论有助于消除隔阂。
  • She is frank and outgoing.她很爽朗。
3 draft
vt.起草,作...的草稿;n.草稿,草图,草案
  • He's now revising the first draft of his essay.他目前正修改他的文章初稿。
  • The draft of this article has been done。这篇文章已经定稿。
4 definitely
adv.一定地,肯定地;明确地,确切地
  • The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛,这个队肯定会输。
  • I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前,我一定回家。
5 warriors
武士,勇士,战士( warrior的名词复数 )
  • I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
  • The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。
6 demonstrated
举行示威游行(或集会)( demonstrate的过去式和过去分词 ); 示范。展示; 显示; 论证
  • All of those demonstrated the correctness of his analysis. 这一切都证明了他分析的正确性。
  • The fireman demonstrated great courage in saving the child. 那位消防队员在抢救孩子的过程中,表现了极大的勇气。
7 tremendous
adj.巨大的,极大的;很好的,非常好的
  • This book was the outcome of a tremendous amount of scientific work.这本书是大量科学研究工作的成果。
  • There is a tremendous difference between them.他们之间有着极大的差别。
8 singular
adj.个人的,单数的,独一的,唯一的,非凡的;n.单数
  • The young man has a singular ear for music.这个年轻人对音乐有非凡的欣赏力。
  • The noun is in the singular.这个名词是单数形式。
标签:
学英语单词
abnormal polarization
adherence
allosteric interaction
ashburtonite
assistant pilot
asyndetic, asyndetical
attention key
Belphegor
bracket cap
bubble ladder
bulk sth out
bulk-channel charge-coupled device
bureaucratic capitalism
Caesarea Philippi
centering rod
chaloub
chart system
chlroacetophenone
cloudish
cold-brittleness
collaborative CRM
cronizing
crude oil storage
Cyclobalanopsis pinbianensis
dahanu
Daledan
dark-siding
deep space
design of experiment
detachment
devil's pudding
differential photo-electronic spectrometer
finitor
flexible conductor
genus Pelargonium
graminose
graphite wool
hatching trough
hauling equipment
heavy consumption
humourousness
hydrofoil lift
infinite multiplets
inventory cutoff date
ithiel
ixcer
judicial cognizance
kick something into touch
linomat
little-ease
lobelia erinus
Lord Bishop
love scene
masons level
meningioma of cerebello-pontine angle
Millstone Point
mixogram
mungers
musquaro l. (muskwaro l.)
nationalism of banks
nerve nucleus
non-metal gitology
of a surety
ordovicians
overcompounded
particolour
plain bearing pillow block
pluriliteracy
pneumatic single-pen recorder
populin
receive us
recessus metathalamicus
registered design
rose-hip
rotor-tip speed
runoff retardance coefficient
Samern
satellite(SAT)
scrap dealers
self-heal
semi-skimmed milk
Shasta L
shin pad
society of dyers and colourists(sdc)
solar time
Sorbus wallichii
spring carrier arm
stink bell
Sverker
SwiftKey
Thermo colour
three-parameter solid
tooth fundament
triplopia
underimagined
understerilization
Vaticanologists
veneration
Viansin
wilderman
with a capital letter
wodman