In the past 10 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 (花名册) will be filled by non-Americans. NBA commissioner David Stern 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 Stern. The strategy in China is TV. “We’ve made 14 deals in China with local and national networks on cable and satellite.” The success 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 market to compensate 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 (寻找)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 America peers. Others, such as Houston Rockets’ Chinese centre Yao Ming—No.1 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 (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 a China to play against the Sacramento Kings

　　D. the NBA’s live basketball 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 NBA league.

　　B. China’s rapid development in sports affects NBA.

　　C. Yao Ming has taken the place of 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 to coming to China

　　C. The foreign ties that bind the NBA

　　D. NBA is making big progress

　　答案与解析：

　　1.B 根据第2段20 percent of NBA rosters (花名册) will be filled by non-Americans. 和文章后半部分Terry说的话It has increased the level of competition here.可判断出外国球员将在NBA 起到举足轻重的作用。

　　2.A 根据文章中间Stern 所说的话，及下一段The success Chinese centre Yao Ming has paved the way for the NBA marketing blitz in China.可判断出NBA将把中国看作一个重要的市场。

　　3.A 通读全文，可得出：NBA的球员组成将发生重大变化，外国球员将占相当的比例。

　　4.D 从文章后半部分It doesn’t matter where the players come from 可判断 home soil 指美国本土。

　　5.C tie在这里比喻外国球员，意思是NBA 需要借助外国球员的力量。