“NBA player” is more general than "Kobe Bryant".

est player in basketball history. The 6 feet 6 inches shooting guard first became known as an【61】individual scorer, but as he matured as a player he【62】a more team-oriented approach to the game. Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six National Basketball Association (NBA) championships. His widespread【63】fans helped make basketball one of the world's most popular【64】sports.

Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, the fourth of five children born to the family. Long before his basketball【65】emerged, young Michael liked to play baseball with his father. As a teenager, Jordan became【66】in North Carolina for his baseball skills, and he was named most【67】player after his team won the state championship.

When Jordan joined the NBA in 1984, basketball's popularity was already【68】. But observers believe that Jordan was the【69】force that kept basketball's appeal fresh. The Bulls'【70】of the NBA under Jordan's leadership captured the imagination of many people, and his athletic skills, and【71】drive created new basketball fans as few other players have.

Jordan's popularity has spread well【72】scoring titles, championships, and other aspects of the NBA. He has become one of the most-recognized individuals in the world. Jordan has been especially【73】in the sportswear industry,【74】Nike's introduction of the famous line of Air Jordan basketball shoes in 1984. The partnership between Jordan and Nike became【75】successful that, before the 1997-98 season, Nike created a separate business unit known as the JORDAN brand to market footwear and apparel that Jordan himself helped design.

(61)

A．excessive

B．expensive

C．explosive

D．explicit

What can we learn about miniature golf from the second paragraph？

A．The more advanced the game is, the longer time the player can play.

B．The more advanced the game is, the more holes the player can play.

C．The better the player plays, the shorter time the game lasts.

D．The better the player plays, the less he pays for the game.

d in the NBA only to Wilt Chamberlain's seven. He also now is tied with Michael Jordan for second with four behind Chamberlain's 32 in most 60-point games.

"He's doing something I've never seen", Lakers coach Phil Jackson said in an e-mail Saturday. "This has been historic". He should know because he coached Jordan and played against Chamberlain. Bryant is not going to win the MVP award, which likely will go to Dirk Nowitzki or Steve Nash. But his scoring brilliance again seems to answer the question of who's the best player in the league and it also provides more evidence in the similarity of Bryant and Jordan in their talent and approach to the game.

In any ease, Bryant is the player now firmly holding that mythical torch of greatness, sporting celebrity and creativity that Jordan once took from Julius "Dr. J" Erring. "Kobe has the verdant green light to hoist it up until he cools down", Jackson said. "Wonders never cease in this game". Certainly, Bryant has been wonderful in the four games, averaging 56.3 points with two games of at least 60. Moreover, he hardly has been selfish or working outside the offense because most of his field goals have come on long jumpers, including 17 of 33 on three-pointers. Bryant is shooting 54 percent.

"It's phenomenal. It's incredible", Jackson told Los Angeles reporters. "He's shooting [outside] more than Michael was. Michael was probably doing more post-up, more penetration, more at-the-basket kind of stuff. But Kobe's doing a whole range of things. I think his shooting has just been remarkable, the way he is raising up over people and knocking the ball down".

It's still a long way off, but because he started in the NBA when he was 18, Bryant, 28, can pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league's all-time scorer if he can stay healthy and average 25 points until he is 38. "The best part of it all is that we're winning", Bryant said. "The second is that this generation of players who might not have ever heard of the Elgin [Baylors] or Wilts [and their] greatness will now take notice so the legacy of their brilliance will live on.

"As far as myself, I can't explain it. All is in slow motion all the time. I don't know why or how, but it's trippy". That's probably what Chamberlain said during his record run.

Which of the following statements is true according to the author？

A．Kobe Bryant is the second in the NBA for what he got 50 or more points in four games.

B．Wilt Chamberlain used to get 60 or more points in seven straight games, first in the NBA.

C．Michael Jordan is in the third place with four behind Chamberlain's 32 in most 60-point games.

D．Michael Jordan is equal to Kobe Bryant in most 60-point games.

A.a

B.an

C.the

D./

A.分号

B.冒号

C.句号

D.逗号

When is it harder for an NBA player to hold onto a synthetic ball？

A．When sweating sticks to the ball.

B．When the ball is wetted by water.

C．When tests are done on the ball.

D．When the ball is dried with a towel.

A.continuously

B.consecutively

C.constantly

D.conditionally

Kobe Bryant

After 10 seasons wearing the No. 8 on his back, Kobe Bryant will become No. 24 next season. The reason for the surprising decision by the Los Angeles Lakers super guard last week has become a hot topic for debate.

Bryant wore No. 24 when he was in early high school, but he changed to No. 33 in his senior year. He switched to No. 8 when he was selected by the Lakers in 1996, and has not been changed since.

Bryant has refused to explain the decision until the end of the play-offs (季后赛). So guessing Bryant's motive has become a popular game among NBA fans and newspaper columnists(专栏作家).

There are all kinds of speculations. Many say that Bryant wants to leave the past behind and have a fresh start. He has often been criticized for playing to benefit himself and not the team as a whole. Others say that he may be trying to compare himself to Michael Jordan. Jordan was famous for his No. 23 jersey(运动衫). Some, such as NBA Sport columnist Michael Venter, argue that it is "all about money". Bryant will make more money by selling new jerseys to his fans.

Some speculations are more about fun. For example, there is an opinion that Kobe is actually just a diehard(非常执著的) fan of the popular TV drama"24".

All this talk has turned the number change into a major issue. It seems that there is a lot of fuss (大惊小怪) over something that should be pretty simple.

Jersey numbers have their own special significance in American sports, especially basketball. Players choose their number when they join a team and they usually stick with that number for the rest of their career. When a great player retires, his team will honor him by retiring his number.

To some extent, the jersey is the player, and the player is the jersey. Thus, when you see the famous No. 23 for the Chicago Bulls, you immediately think about Michael Jordan. A No. 32 Miami Heats jersey recalls the image of Shaquille O'Neal, and the Houston Rockets No. 11 belongs only to Yao Ming.

Lots of stories are behind players' jersey number selections. Jordan said that he chose No. 23 because it was roughly half of 45．Jordan's elder brother wore the No. 45 in college. Yao Ming once revealed that the No. 11 stands for two people in love—meaning him and his girlfriend Ye Li.

Which team has Bryant played for？

A．The Los Angeles Lakers.

B．The Houston Rockets.

C．The Chicago Bulls.

D．The Miami Heats.