Take Away English-A New Formula One Star F1方程式赛车的一颗新星

Lewis Hamilton could be a British champion

A young British Formula One racing¹ driver has made history by breaking records for the best ever debut² for a newcomer to the F1 drivers’ championship.

Lewis Hamilton is just 22 years old and has competed in only five F1 Grand Prix races, but is the only driver ever to finish in the top three in all five of his first races. He is also the youngest driver ever to lead the championship, breaking the record set in 1960 by Bruce McClaren.

Lewis is remarkable³ in other ways too. He is the first driver of Caribbean descent⁴ to compete in F1. Although he was born in Stevenage, England, his father’s parents came from the island of Grenada in the Caribbean.

His ambition and professional approach to racing from the earliest age is also the stuff of legend. He began racing go-karts at the age of six, quickly winning races and championships.

In 1995, at the age of ten, Lewis met Ron Dennis, the boss of the McClaren-Mercedes F1 racing team at an awards ceremony. Mr Dennis later said: "When I first met Lewis he was asking for my autograph. Without breaking eye contact, he told me how he was going to go about his career."

It really impressed him, and within a couple of years Lewis had joined the McClaren development programme and his journey to F1 stardom had begun.

Former F1 legends have been quick to spot the young racer’s potential. Triple⁵ world champion Niki Lauda said he had been "stunned⁶" by Lewis’s first season in world championship competition.

Lauda, who raced in F1 for three decades, told a British newspaper that Lewis had "a clear mind to face the challenge of F1".

"It may seem absolutely amazing, but, yes, I can see Lewis winning the championship at the first attempt," said Niki Lauda.

GLOSSARY 词汇表
Formula One racing driver F1方程式赛车手 debut 首次露面 Grand Prix 国际汽车大奖赛 lead the championship 在冠军赛中领先 stuff of legend 象神话一般的 F1 racing team F1方程式赛车队 autograph 签名 impressed 给…留下印象 Former F1 legends F1方程式赛事的传奇伟人 stunned 惊讶	breaking records 打破纪录 newcomer 新选手 top three 前三名 Caribbean descent 加勒比人的后裔 go-karts 卡丁车 awards ceremony 颁奖仪式 eye contact 双目对视 development programme 训练计划 spot the young racer’s potential 发现年轻选手的潜能 at the first attempt 初次尝试

 

1 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

2 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

3 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

4 descent   

n.下降，下倾，斜坡，坡道，血统，世系

参考例句：

• We watched anxiously during her descent from the tree.我们焦急地看着她从树上爬下来。
• Many Americans are of English descent.许多美国人的祖籍是英国。

5 triple   

n.三倍之数，三个一组；adj.三倍的

参考例句：

• Twelve is the triple of four.十二是四的三倍数。
• He received triple wages for all his extra work.由于额外的工作他领取了三倍的工资。

6 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。