Talk 2 支持考文垂队
Wors Tips
consecutive adj.连续的，连贯的 relegate v.使（球队）降级
tier n.等级 cement v.粘牢；巩固
commentary n.解说词；评论 outsidechance微乎其微的机会
playoff n.（双方得分相等时的）最后决赛
Listen to the following recording and answer questions 1-3.
1）A.Because Coventry is the place where he grew up.
B.Because he’d rather not follow others’ choice.
C.Because Coventry City was always the champion then.
D.Because he looked down upon glory hunters.
2）A.by learning lessons from big teams like Liverpool
B.by the joint efforts with new teams
C.by employing great players from better league
D.by scoring two goals in the last minute
3）A.the work of a competent manager
B.the support from a big family
C.the risk of relegation during last season
D.the faith of all football fans
听力原文
I wanna talk about supporting Coventry City，the team I’ve supported since I was a young boy at school.Coventry City are a team from the West Midlands near Birmingham where I grew up and just to give a bit of background on the club，it was founded back in 1883 and we were founding members of the Premier League.But in 2001，after thirty-four consecutive years in the top division，we were finally relegated and since that year，we’ve been in the Championship or the second tier of the English Football leagues.
Our only real honor was winning the FA Cup back in 1987.People often ask me why I support Coventry City.Well，in my school，everyone either supported Aston Villa，the local team or Liverpool，the team that won everything at the time.I didn’t really want to support the same as everybody else，so I wanted to choose a different team，so after a school trip to Coventry one day，I felt，well，I’ll support Coventry City then.It was the FA Cup win that cemented my support for them.I remember listening to the radio commentary，listening to them beat，I think Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-final and that was it.I was a city fan then.
Em…people ask why I don’t support one of the big teams.Well，in England，people either support the team that always wins，and we call them“glory hunters”or a team near from where they were born.And there is a lot of joy in not supporting one of the big teams especially when we get to play the big teams.I always remember beating Manchester United one cold Boxing Day when we scored two goals in the last minute to beat them 3-2 and even last season we went to Old Trafford and beat Manchester United 2-nil.Also playing in the Championship is surprisingly a better league I think than playing in the Premier League.Every team can beat each other，it’s much more exciting，every team has got a chance to getting promoted or there is always the threat of relegation.Every season，there’s new teams to visits and it’s much more interesting than the Premier League which is pretty much the same every year.
Supporting a team’s like being part of family，you can’t just choose to leave the family if there’s some disappointments.And being part of that family means that you share the same dreams and the same desires and the same disappointments.This season I think we’ve got a good chance of promotion—we’ve got a good manager，Chris Coleman who used to be in charge of Fulham，and we’ve got an outside chance I think of making the playoffs.Last season we were very nearly relegated but this season I think we’ll have a much better season.
Questions：
1.Why does the speaker support Coventry City？
2.How did the speaker’s team beat Manchester United on one Boxing Day？
3.What is the reason for a good chance of promotion in this season？
参考译文
我想谈谈支持考文垂队，它是从我上学时就支持的球队。考文垂队来自伯明翰附近的西米德兰。我在那里长大，所以我想说点球队的背景情况。球队1883年成立，而我们是超级联赛的创始成员。然而在2001年，在连续34年位居甲级之后，球队被降级了。自那以后，球队就出现在冠军联赛或二级英国足球联赛。
考文垂队唯一真正的荣誉是在1987年赢得英格兰足总杯。人们常常问我为什么我要支持考文垂队。在我的学校，人们要么支持本地球队阿斯顿维拉或当时所向披靡的利物浦队。我确实不想随大流，于是想选择一个与众不同的球队。在一次学校组织去考文垂的旅行之后，我想，好吧，那我就支持考文垂队。足总杯事件使我坚定了对它的支持。我收听电台解说，听他们在球场厮杀，我认为谢菲尔德星期三队会出现在半决赛中，果真如此。我成了它的球迷。
人们问我为什么不选个强队来支持。在英国，人们要么支持总是获胜的球队（这样的人被称为“荣誉猎人”），要么就支持他们出生地的球队。选择不支持强队有很多乐趣，尤其是当我们球队要与强队对战的时候。让我记忆犹新的是在那个寒冷的节礼日，我们对抗曼彻斯特联队，在最后一分钟连进两球从而以3∶2赢得比赛。就在上个赛季，我们在老特拉福德球场以2∶0又一次打败了曼联。出人意料的是，参加冠军联赛比参加超级联赛更有意思。每个队都可能打败对方，这更激动人心。每个球队都有一个晋级机会，也总存在着降级危险。每个赛季都有新的球队加入，这比几乎一成不变的超级联赛有趣得多。
支持一个球队就好比当家庭成员，你不可能因为一点失望就选择离开。作为那个大家庭的成员意味着你与之同梦想、共期盼、分忧愁。这个赛季我们晋级的机会很大，因为我们有一个很棒的主教练克里斯·科尔曼，他曾掌管富勒姆足球队。而且我认为打附加赛的概率不大。上个赛季，我们险些降级，但是这个赛季将会更加精彩。
参考答案
1.B 2.D 3.A