In the past ten years, America’s National Basketball
Association (NBA) has grown increasingly dependent on the rest of the world to
supply players.
When Michael Jordan and Larry Bird
won gold in Barcelona in 1992, the Americans were praised for teaching the
world how to play basketball. This season, however, 20 percent of NBA rosters(花名冊) will be
filled by non-Americans. NBA commissioner David Stem happily embraces the
trend. On a visit to Paris in October, Stern outlined his vision for the
future, which is likely to see Europe hosting NBA games by 2010.
The NBA is now planning to take China by storm.
“Our experience in China has been that it is going to
be explosive in its growth,” said Stem. The strategy (戰(zhàn)略,策略)in
China is television. “We’ve made 14 deals in China with
local and national networks on cable and satellite.” The success of Chinese
centre Yao Ming has paved the way for the NBA marketing blitz in China. The
NBA, which is broadcasted in more than 200 countries in 42 languages, will put
that to the test in October 2004 when the Houston Rockets play two pre-season
games against the Sacramento Kings in Beijing and Shanghai. The NBA knows that
it needs a global market to condensate for tough times on home soil.
“It doesn’t matter where the players come from,
all the NBA teams now know that they have to scout(尋找,覓得)
internationally,” said Terry Lyons, the NBA’s vice-president of international
public relations. “It has increased the level of competition here.” As
Frenchman Tony Parker and Argentine Emanuel Ginobili showed in winning
championship rings with the San Antonio Spurs last season, many people can earn
the respect of their American peers. Others, such as the Houston Rockets’ Chinese
centre Yao Ming — number one draft pick in 2002 — and
the Detroit Pistons’ 18-year-old Serb Darko Milicic — number
two overall in this year’s draft —
are icons(偶像)in-waiting.
It is the ultimate(最后的,根本的) revolution — the rest of the
world teaching the US how to play basketball.
1.According to the report, .
A. Michael Jordan is still playing a very important
role in NBA
B. the part played by the foreign players in NBA will
be great
C. Yao Ming is to play two pre-season games in NBA
D. European countries will host the 2004 NBA games
2.The underlined phrase “take China by storm” has the
meaning of _______ ___.
A. NBA intends to make China its “marketing center”
B. NBA is planning to set up some training centers in
China
C. there’ll be a big storm when NBA comes to China to
play against the Sacramento Kings
D. the NBA’s live basket games will be broadcasted on
all the TVs in China
3.What seems to be the biggest change that is
happening to NBA?
A. NBA is expecting more foreign players to join the
league.
B. China’s rapid development in sports affects NBA.
C. Yao Ming has taken the place of Michael Jordan.
D. The NBA will stop teaching the world how to play
basketball.
4.When the writer talked of “home soil”, he was
referring to _
_.
A. farms in the
States B. native Americans
C. the NBA training center D.
the USA
5.Which of the following can be used as the best title
for the passage?
A. The Non-American Basketball Players
B. NBA Is Coming to China
C. The Foreign Ties That Bind the NBA
D. NBA Is Making Big Progress