外研选修7课文原文(每模块4篇齐全)
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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 inthe NBA, and played for the Chicago Bulls from 1984 to 1993. He was named their most valued player five times. Wearinghis famous number 23 shirt, Michael Jordan became t he 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 f inished his first season (1984-1985) as one of the top scorers inthe league, with an average of 28.2 points per game.In 1987, Jordan became o nly the second player to score more than 3,000 points in a season. He was the top scorerin the NBA for seven consecutive seasons (1987-1993). During this time, the average number of points he scoredwas more than 30 points per game. With him, the Bulls wontheir first NBA championship in1991. During thissuccessful period they won the title again in 1992 and 1993. Jordan was also in the United States Olympic BasketballTeam, known as “the Dream T eam”, which won 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. heplayed again for the Washington Wizards before finallyretiring from sport in 2003 at the age of 40. Millions offans 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 o n a tie. He stepped to the line and made two free throws. Each time he threw 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 alsofound success as an actor in the film Space Jam alongsidethe famous cartoon character Bugs Bunny!There is only one word to describe the best player inthe world – awesome!Wilt the Stilt – the Tower of Power!Michael Jordan was the second player to score more than3,000 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, the only onewho 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 almostdied when he was ten.Chamberlain is the only NBA player who averaged over50 points per game for an entire season. At one point, Chamberlain was so much better than all the other playersthat they changed the rules of the game t o try to stop him! The giant player joined the NBA’s Philadelphia Warriors in the 1959-1960 season and was an immediate success. During 14 seasons with four different teams, Chamberlain was named t he most valued player in the league four times. On 2nd March 1962, he scored 100 points in asingle game – no one has ever done that since! The finalscore was Warriors 169 New York Knicks 147!He ended his career after five amazing seasons withthe Los Angeles Lakers. By the time he retired, Wilt heldmany NBA r ecords: 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, 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. “Let’s put it this way,” he said. “When they ask for the ball, they don’t say ‘please’!”Yao, however, is a selfless and kind person. He hasbeen brought up and trained in this way. It is not in hisnature to be “selfish” and “rude”.When he first arrived in the US, Yao was an instanthit among basketball fans nationwide. They all loved thiskind, gentle but powerful giant. Van Gundy wanted to build his team around the talented Chinese player. To do this,he told Yao to be more aggressive and, if necessary, to be rude to his teammates.“He’s a wonderful guy, he has every physicalbasketball skill and he puts the team first,” Van Gundy said. “But I want him to be a star, not just a great teamplayer. He’s got to think that he’s the best player out there. That way, he can dominate the game.”“At first, I didn’t really understand what the coach wanted,” Yao said. “But now I do. In China, everyone gave me the ball, I didn’t have to ask! Here, I have to be alittle ‘impolite’! I’m not quite used to it yet. If you give me a little time, I can get more used to it. I haveto learn to be l little more ‘selfish’.”Dizzy Heights of School BasketballBasketball is one of the safest sports. Unlike wrestlingor boxing, it’s not usually dangerous. One reason for this is that the players’ energy is partly directed upwards,at a 90-degree angle to the ground, and over the heads ofthe others. So there’s less risk of a collision betweentwo 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 whichgive adequate protection to their heads.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 directionin their energy, from vertical to horizontal, such as when they accelerate 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 andat the interval the score was 50-52. but St Mary had appointed a captain who was not a typical basketball player. Whereas everyone else was tall and slim with short haircuts, Joe Johannsen was short and stout, with long hair and alarge belly. But he was really fast, and when he obtainedcontrol of the ball, he could make a circuit of the courtand reach the opposing team’s boundary within seconds.Anyhow, twelve minutes into the second half, FrankSackler, the Chandler star player, made a controversialpass over Joe’s head. Joe stepped aside and dipped his head down. Sackler bounced off him and committed a foul. Thereferee interrupted the match ,and there was a suspensionof play. But Joe was unhurt, short the penalty, and thescore 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, whohowled loudly in pain and fell, with his nose bleeding and a cut on his left cheek. For a moment, he lay very still ,and the referee even checked his pulse, but soon confirmed hewas 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. Joewas a considerate guy, and apologized as Sackler left,sniffing and 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. The game was played with a round ball that players kickedbut could not carry. There were two teams, but there wereoften a hundred players on each team!However, in 1823, William Webb E llis, a pupil at RugbySchool in England, picked up the ball during a soccer game and ran with it. Teachers at the school were shocked andangry but Webb E llis’s schoolmates enjoyed this new game, which they named after the school. Eventually, rugby wasplayed with an oval ball that could be both carried andthrown.Rugby was exported to the United States, changed a lot and became the sport that Americans now call football.During a game o f 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 agame t hat would provide exercise for a noisy class through the clod winter months. Naismith attached two baskets totwo tall poles at each end of the gymnasium and gave theplayers a soccer ball and told them to try to throw the ball into the baskets. Naismith later wrote 13 rules which arethe basis of modern basketball rules.How did baseball start?The exact origin of baseball is unknown, but it is probablybased 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. Cartwright 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 I’ve received my high school diploma at last. It’s a good thing that the examsare finished. I feel too excited to think clearly. It seems strange to think that in a few days’ time I’ll be walking out of the school gates forever. The first thing I’m going to do is to take a long vacation!Meanwhile, I find myself looking back at my senioryear, and thinking about all the wonderful things that have happened. I’ve decided to write them down so that one day, years from now, when I reread them ,the memories will come back.There’s so much to remember. One of the best thingsabout this year has been working as an arts editor for this newspaper. I’ve so enjoyed it I love writing, and working on this paper is my f irst step towards becoming a journalist,so this has been a real success for me.Something else I’ve greatly enjoyed is working as apeer mediator, someone who helps students to settle problems that they have with other students. At the startof the school year, we were given training in how to do this, and it’s clear that this kind of work can really help people.I think I’ll continue to work as a mediator when I go to college.During the Easter vacation, I went on a short schoolskiing trip to the Rocky Mountains. I’ve been skiing quite a few times, but never with the school, and since two good friends came o n the trip, we had great fun racing each other down the ski slopes. It’s well-known that Americans are competitive, and I did enjoy it whenever I won our races!Other things I’m p leased about – getting good grades on my final exams, and receiving the senior prize for English Literature. I was given a car by my parents so I’ve been able to drive to school, which is brilliant. Andof course, I’ll never forget being elected to the student council. I really enjoyed meeting the teachers and telling them how we, the students, feel about thing, and what wethink should happen in the school!All these things have been wonderful. But I have tosay, the highlight of the year was the senior prom. For an American girl, it’s so important that you have a good time at the prom. Well, I did Daniel, a boy in my English class, asked me to go to the prom with him, and I was so pleased– I’d been hoping he would ask me. I found a dress thatsuited me perfectly, and had my hair specially done on the day of the prom. It took two hours but it was worth it, aseveryone told me I looked very elegant! A group of us rented a nice car to take us to the prom. The food was deliciousand I ate so much that I had to stop dancing for a while!We shared a table with some good friends, and laughed andtold jokes all evening. It’s a great pity that it’s probably the last time this will happen.Daniel and I danced most of the dances together. Butthe big surprise of the evening was when I was elected prom queen! This was so unexpected, and I can’t tell you how good this made m e f eel! After the prom, a group of us drovedown to the coast, and sat on the beach in our long dresses and dinner jackets. I shall never forget watching the sunrise over the sea – it was unforgettable! Afterwards, we went and had an enormous breakfast in a nearby hotel –it was a perfect ending to a perfect school year.After-school ActivitiesIn America, the development of social skills is considered as important as the development of intellectual skills. To help students develop these social skills, schools offersa large number of after-school activities, in other words, activities that take place outside classroom lessons. When deciding which students to accept, employers and colleges look for students who have skills in several areas. Examgrades are very important, but so are the after-schoolactivities. By taking part in these activities, studentsshow their special talents, their ability to lead, andtheir ability to get on with others.Competitive sports, for example, baseball, are probably the most popular of all the after-school activities. This is because, for many American parents, it is important that their children, particularly boys, learnhow to compete successfully. Young people are encouragedto take part in team sports such as football and basketball, since these games t each to have the “winning spirit”. For some students and their parents, high school sport is considered more important than academic achievements.During the long summer holidays, it is a custom forAmerican children to spend several weeks at summer camps. There are thousands of camps, and they can be found all over the country. What these camps offer is an opportunity totake part in many different kinds of outdoor activities,for example, horse riding and water skiing. Older teenagers are more likely to get summer j obs or go camping with a group of friends. Many go backpacking in the mountains of thewest.My SchooldaysThey say that schooldays are the happiest days of your life, but not for me! My father worked abroad, so I was sent toa boarding school when I was seven. Like most schoolchildren, I had already been to nursery school. Icould recite the alphabet, and read some simple books, but this was my first experience of the institution my parentscalled “big school’. In fact, the only preparation I had for this adventure was watching as my mother sewed my name tag into my shirts, trousers and woolen sweaters.I arrived with one suitcase, my o nly luggage for a term.I was shown to the dormitory where I would sleep with fiveother innocent boys. The bedding was a pillow, a sheet and a thin quilt. There were two worn armchairs, a few shabby cushions, an electric kettle to heat water for tea, someposters for decoration but no curtains. The washroom hada basin and a bathtub, but no heating. I’m a shamed t o admit that I sobbed as I fell asleep that night.I remember that my first lesson was arithmetic. Myfirst task was to multiply seven by three. No one explained why. It took me years to understand the greater mystery of algebra, geometry, and concepts such as cubic metres, acres and grams.We had a dynamic English teacher, a bachelor who hadplenty of time for us boys and inspired my life-long loveof literature. There was also a teacher of botanical science, who introduced me to my passion for flowers andplants. We spent hours studying the structure of leavesunder the microscope.School regulations were strict. Being punctual forclasses was essential, no one was allowed to be late. Sport was compulsory, and every week we had to go for a five-kilometre run, wearing just a T-shirt and a pair ofshorts even on freezing cold November days. We all had toattend morning assembly, every weekday, except for boys of other faiths, who were allowed to stay in their classrooms.I wanted to become a Catholic simply so I could stay withmy books!But there were also so many silly rules to follow,which irritated or even upset me. For example, everyone had to polish their shoes every day, and no one was allowedtrousers with zippers, only buttons! On Sundays, it was compulsory to write home. Every day I would check my m ailbox, looking forward to my mummy’s airmail letter. But my parents lived in Asia and to my g reat disappointment, I only got a reply once a fortnight.I left eleven years later, with my school leavingcertificate, and a scholarship to study at Oxford University. Many people talk about their happiness at school, but for me, at eighteen, all I felt was a sense ofliberation.The American Art of CheerleadingWhat is a cheerleader?A cheerleader is a member of a team that dances and does gymnastics before and during competitive games such as baseball. They do this in order to encourage crowds to cheer their sports teams. The team is called cheerleading squad. Cheerleading only exists in America, and today it is mostly girl that do it.What is the history of cheerleading?Cheerleading began in all men colleges in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As time passed, more and more colleges started cheerleading, and more women started doing it than men. It was not until the 1920s that pompoms began to play an important part in cheerleading.At about the same time, cheerleaders began to include gymnastics in their routines. By the 1950s, most Americanhigh schools had cheerleading squads. In 1978, the National Cheerleading Championships were shown on television, and universities began offering courses in cheerleading. Today, cheerleading competitions are an important part of school and college life and for many s quads, cheerleading is a veryserious activity. Cheerleading squads, can be fund at most athletic events.How do Americans feel about cheerleading?For cheerleaders, their sport is just as serious as baseball or football. However, many Americans are amusedby cheerleading and see it as rather a stupid activity.Cheerleaders reply that a lot of training is needed to dothe dance and gym routines. Many girls try to become cheerleaders but very few are accepted. To be a cheerleader is to play a very important part in your school. In fact,cheerleading is considered so important in American thatseveral movies have been made about it!Module 3 LiteratureOliver Asks for MoreThe room in which the boys were fed was a large stone hall, with a large pot at one end. The warden, helped by two women, served the soup from this pot at meal times. Each boy wasallowed one bowl of soup and no more, except on specialholidays when he was given another 60 grams of bread. Thebowls never needed washing, as the boys cleaned them withtheir spoons, trying to eat every bit of soup. This nevertook very long, as the spoons were almost as large as thebowls. When t hey had cleaned their bowls in this way, they would sit staring at the pot with eager eyes, as if theywanted to eat it. Boys usually have excellent appetites.Oliver Twist and his companions slowly starved for threemonths until finally, they became quite wild with hunger.There was one boy who was tall for his age, and wasnot used to being hungry all the time, as his father hadkept a small cook shop. This boy told his friends that hehad to have another bowl of soup each day. If he did not,he was afraid that one night he might eat the small youngboy who slept next to him. The tall boy had a wild, hungrylook in his eye and everyone believed him. The boys had a meeting. They decided that one of them should walk up tothe warden after supper that evening and ask for more food. They wrote their names on pieces of paper and picked oneout. It was Oliver Twist who was chosen.The evening arrived and the boys went to their places. The warden stood by the pot with his assistants in a linebehind him. The soup was served and disappeared down theboy's throats. The boys whispered to each other, and those next to Oliver nudged him. Oliver, who was desperate withhunger and misery, rose from the table and walked towardthe master with his bowl and spoon in his hand. Frightened by his own courage, he said, "please sir, i want some more."The warden was a fat, healthy man, but his face became very pale. He stared in complete astonishment at the child and held on to the pot for support. Not until at least thirty seconds had passed, was the man able to speak. "What?" hesaid finally, in a weak voice."Please, sir," replied Oliver, "i want some more." no sooner had the boy spoken these words than the warden hithim on the head with the soup spoon. Then he seized Oliver arms and held him, while he shouted for Mr. Bumble.The managers of the workhouse were having a meetingwhen Mr Bumble rushed into the room in great excitement. Speaking to the leader of the meeting, he said, "Mr. Limbkins, i am s orry, sir! Oliver Twist has asked for more!"The faces of everyone in the room showed complete astonishment. "For more!" said Mr Limbkins. "Think carefully, Mr Bumble, and answer me clearly. Do I understand that he asked for more, after he had eaten hisbowl of soup?""He did, sir," replied Bumble."Never have I heard anything like it!" said Mr Limbkins."They will hang that boy," said a gentleman in a white jacket. "i know that they will hang him."Nobody disagreed with the gentleman's opinion. A lively discussion took place. Oliver was immediately locked in a room. The next morning a notice was put up onthe door of the workhouse, offering a reward to anybody who would employ Oliver Twist."I never was more sure of anything in my life," saidthe gentleman in the white jacket, as he knocked at the door and read the notice the next morning. "I never was more sure of anything in my life —— that boy will be hanged."Great ExpectationsPhilip Pirrip, known as Pip, is an orphan who lives withhis sister and her husband. The family is poor and Pip’s sister does not treat him very well. One day the boy helps a starving convict called Abel Magwitch. Magwitch has escaped from prison but is soon caught again and sent toAustralia in a prison ship.Some months later, Pip is invited to visit a lonelybut wealthy old lady called Miss Havisham. At her house,Pip meets and becomes very fond of a beautiful girl called Estella, who live there. However, Estella is cold and cruel to him, always telling him that she is “better” than him. She is encouraged in this by Miss Havisham, whose fiancé left her on her wedding day, and who, as a result, hatesall men.Some years later, Pip learns that an unknown personintends to give him money every month. Pip believes thatit is Miss Havisham who has done this for him. With thismoney, he goes to London, becomes educated and is able tolive very comfortably.Magwitch returns to England illegally, having made a lot of money in Australia. He finds Pip and tells him that it is he, Magwitch, who has been giving Pip the money. Hehas been doing this in order to repay the boy’s kindness. Sadly, Magwitch is caught by the police and dies. We l earn that Estella is in fact Magwitch’s daughter. She marries Bentley Drummle, a wealthy man who treats her very badly,but dies when he is quite young.Meanwhile, Pip leaves England and has a successfulcareer. He returns and meets Estella, who h as at last learnt the meaning of love. The two marry.Dickens’ LondonDickens’ cast of characters lived in London, the largest and richest city in the world. But its wealth was distributed unfairly among the population. Every chapterof his novels describes the sights, sounds, and smells ofthe city, and provides a social commentary of London life.In the middle of the 19th century, London was a filthy city for rich and poor people alike. Although on clear days, the air was filled with sparrows and seagulls flying highabove, more often the smoking chimney pipes created smogwhich was so strong that it choked the inhabitants. TheRiver Thames was polluted, causing disease and death everywhere, and if you fell in, it was dangerous to swallow the water.The East End was London’s poorest district, where children wore rags for clothes and the women searched industbins for food. Few people could ever hope to attain an acceptable standard of living. Many people suffered fromthe effects of poor nutrition and even starvation becauseof a lack of food, yet their welfare was of no concern tothe taxpayers of London. Ships from all points of the compass would drop anchor here at the main port of London. South of the river lies Southwark, another poor district.The George Inn was a busy coaching stop with food and accommodation for travelers leaving London, and for carriers taking goods into the city.But some Londoners had accumulated enormous wealththrough trade. In the old City of London are housed the many banks and corporations which Dickens mentions. Furtherwest and opposite Southwark stands Somerset House, where Dickens’ father worked for the navy. Close by are the law courts, where lawyers and their clerks, carrying piles of paperwork, would hurry to the trials. There were many squares and gardens with water pumps a nd fountains, as well as smart restaurants and pubs.Servants would buy fruit and vegetables at CoventGarden market for their rich families, and maids would buy bunches of flowers to decorate their mistresses’ rooms. The West End is the theatre district where Dickensfelt at home because, surprisingly ,he thought he wouldaccomplish more with his drama than with his novels. It is also the London of government, where politicians, ministers, ambassadors as well as more humble pedestrians walked home a t night through streets lit with gas lanterns. London is very different today, and few people mournthe passing of the old city. But you can still see many ofthe sights which Dickens saw and wrote about in his novels.Charles DickensCharles Dickens (1812-1870) was born in London. His father was put in prison because he could not pay his bills, andtwo days after his 13th birthday, Dickens started work ina factory, experiencing real poverty. He was very unhappy, but later in life, he was able to write very well aboutpoverty because he had actually experienced it himself.Dickens always had a huge amount of energy. As a young man, he worked for newspapers; and as a political journalist, he met all kinds of people. He used all these experiences in his writing. Dickens started writing novels in his early thirties and became successful almost immediately. Oliver Twist, his second novel, was published in 1838 and was hugely successful. It told the story of ayoung orphan alone in the dangerous streets of London. The story ends happily – the young boy discovers who his real parents are and finds a loving home. However, it broughtchild poverty to the attention of the public, and for this reason alone it is a very important novel.Over the next 25 years, Dickens wrote a large numberof popular novels that are still read today. Among the most famous are David Copperfield(1849-1850), A Tale of TwoCities (1859) and Great Expectations (1860-1861). Dickens often wrote about the problems of poor people, and as aresult of his work, the lives of the poor were improved.Dickens’ books were popular in both American and England, and the novelist traveled round both countries,reading from his novels. He often became very excited during these readings. Some people believe that he had aheart attack as a result of his excitement during the reading of the final part of Oliver Twist.Module 4 Music Born in AmericaAll You Need to Know About Hip HOPPART1。
