阅读理解。
Can a star basketball player also be a star hip-hop singer? If you ask Shaquille O'Neal and some of his
NBA fellows, they'll say "Sure".
In the NBA, hip-hop music is as common as the jump shot. Hip-hop is similar (相似的) to rap (说唱)
music and is especially popular with young African Americans. This music is played before basketball games
or during halftime. Many of the players, like Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers, write rap rhymes
when they travel on airplanes from one city to another.
The NBA has a closer connection to hip-hop than any other sports league. This is partly because of the
large number of African-American players, but also because the basketball league just loves hip-hop. Every
February, the NBA invites popular rap singers to perform (表演) at its All-Star weekend.
When they play basketball, some of the younger stars even try to look like hip-hop singers. Like rap
stars, they don't smile in photographs and videos. They try to trouble the players on the other team by looking
tough(凶). "Hip-hop is just part of many players'culture (文化) ," says Kerry Kittles, a player on the New
Jersey Neis
team. "All of us grew up listening to rap and playing basketball, and the rappers grew up doing the same thing.
A lot of players want to be rappers, and a lot of rappers would like to be players."
Master P. is a famous rap star who wants to be a basketball player. The Charlotte Homets and the
Toronto Raptors have invited him to their training camps. They enjoy listening to his music, but many people
think that he is not good enough at basketball to be on an NBA team.
Shaquille O'Neal, whose nickname is Shaq, is the greatest example of an NBA player who became a
rapper. He has made four successful rap albums. One of his rap songs, "It Was All a Dream," tells how he
felt when he became successful.
1. Why don't some younger players try to smile or look friendly in photos?
[ ]
A. They try to trouble the players on the other team.
B. They try to look like hip-hop singers.
C. They try to be successful in their playing.
D. They try to pretend (假装) to be famous.
2. The song "It Was All a Dream" expresses ___________.
[ ]
A. O'Neal's feelings when he became a success
B. a player's interest in rap music
C. people's wish to become a player
D. people's dream to be a rapper
3. The best title of the text is "___________".
[ ]
A. The NBA All-Star Weekend in America
B. A Successful Player ——O'Neal
C. Basketball Stars Become Hip-Hop Singers
D. Popular Music and Sports in U. S
4. What do you know about the Charlotte Hornets and the Toronto Raptors?
[ ]
A. They are famous basketball players.
B. They are famous basketball teams.
C. They are well-known hip-hop singers.
D. They are two training places