Question

    Have you ever wondered how your favorite NBA team received its famous name? All NBA teams have an interesting story or a history behind their names. Some of the names reflect the city’s culture or history, others came from previous owners and many were selected through “Name the Team” contests.

For teams like Los Angeles and Utah, the names were not always a reflection of the city. Even though Los Angeles has no lakes, the Laker name has been a city treasure for almost 40 years. Before going to Los Angeles, the team originated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1948, team officials chose the name for its direct relationship to the state’s motto, “The Land of 10,000 Lakes.” The team name went unchanged after moving to Los Angeles in 1960.

Because Utah’s team originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, it was called the Jazz. In 1974, New Orleans club officials chose the name to represent the city for its reputation as the “jazz capital of the world.” The name stayed with the team even after finding a new home in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1979.

The Chicago Bull’s original owner, Richard Klein, named the team the Bulls. He picked the name because a fighting bull is relentless(不屈不挠的), and never quits. Klein, who founded the club in1966, believed these qualities were necessary for a championship team and hoped his Chicago athletes would live up to the team name.

Miami chose the Heat from names such as the Sharks, Beaches, and Barracudas. The name Magic was the winner for the Orlando team because the city’s tourism slogan is “Come to the Magic.”

Tradition played a big part in naming the New York Knicks. Chosen by the club’s founder Ned Irish, the Knicks’name was already important in New York's history. The first organized team in baseball history was named the New York Knickerbockers or the Knickerbockers Nine.

In 1967, the Indian Pacers selected their team name in a different way from most other teams. Their decision was based on what they wanted to accomplish in the NBA. Team officials chose the Pacers name because the organization wanted to set the “pace” in professional basketball.

1.Which of the names reflects the culture of the city New Orleans.

A.The Heat. B.The Indian Pacers.

C.The Jazz. D.The Sharks.

2.According to Paragraph 2, we know      .

A.the Laker team was first set up in Los Angeles

B.Minnesota is a state with a lot of lakes

C.Los Angeles is famous for its lakes

D.the Laker team has been in Los Angeles for less than 40 years

3.Richard Klein named the team the Bulls because he hoped his team would      .

A.be as strong as bulls

B.set the “pace” in professional basketball

C.be Number 1 forever

D.keep fighting and never give up

4.How did the Heat get the name?

A.It came from the names of other teams.

B.It was named after Miami’s motto.

C.It was named by its original owner.

D.Its owner came up with the name by accident.

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.D

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了所有NBA球队的名字背后的有趣的故事或历史，其中一些名字反映了这座城市的文化或历史，另一些来自以前的业主，许多是通过“说出球队名称”比赛选出来的。文章主要列举了一些著名球队名字的来源故事。

1.细节理解题。根据第三段中Because Utah’s team originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, it was called the Jazz.可知因为犹他爵士队起源于路易斯安那州的新奥尔良，所以被称为爵士队。由此可知，爵士反映了新奥尔良市的文化。故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段中Before going to Los Angeles, the team originated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1948, team officials chose the name for its direct relationship to the state’s motto, ”可知在去洛杉矶之前，这个团队起源于明尼苏达州的明尼阿波利斯。1948年，团队官员选择了这个名字，因为它与该州的座右铭“万湖之地”有直接的关系。由此可知，明尼苏达州是一个湖泊众多的州。故选B。

3.细节理解题。根据第四段中He picked the name because a fighting bull is relentless, and never quits.可知他选择这个名字是因为斗牛士是不屈不挠的，永不放弃。由此可知，Richard Klein把这支球队命名为“公牛队”，因为他希望他的球队能继续战斗，永不放弃。故选D。

4.细节理解题。根据倒数第三段中Miami chose the Heat from names such as the Sharks, Beaches, and Barracudas.可知迈阿密从Sharks、Beaches和Barracudas等名字中选择了Heat这个名字。由此可知，Heat这个名字来自其他球队的名字。故选A。