新视野大学英语 读写教程第一册 unit5-b

Section B

The Last Dive at the Olympics

I climbed the ladder, heard my dive announced, and commenced¹ the moves that would thrust² me into the air. Pushing off the diving board with my legs, I lifted my arms and shoulders back, and knew immediately I would be close to the board and might hit my hands. I tried to correct myself as I turned, spreading my hands wide apart. Then I heard a strange sound and my body lost control. Moments later I realized I had hit my head on the board.
Initially⁴, I felt embarrassment⁵. I wanted to hide, to get out of the pool without anyone seeing me. Next I felt intense⁶ fear. Had I cut my head? Was I bleeding? Was there blood in the pool? Swimming to the side, I noticed many shocked faces. People were worried about my head; I was worried about something far more threatening. An official examined my head. In haste⁷, I pushed him away, and everyone else who approached me. "Don't touch me!" I felt like screaming. "Get away from me!"
These were the trials for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea. Until this dive, I had been ahead. But now, something else was more significant⁸ than winning. I might have endangered other divers⁹' lives if I had spilled blood in the pool. For what I knew — that few others knew — was that I was HIV-positive.
According to my mother, my natural parents were Samoan and only teenagers when I was born, so they gave me up for adoption¹⁰. When I was only eighteen months old, I started gym classes. At ten, I explored doing gym exercises off the diving board at the pool.
Because of my dark skin, kids at school called me names; I often got mugged coming home from school. My diving made me feel good about myself when my peers¹¹ made me feel stupid. In the seventh grade, I started taking drugs.
At sixteen, I knew I had a shot at the 1976 Olympics. At the trials, one month prior¹² to the finals, I took first place on the ten-meter platform and on the springboard! This was surprising because I had trained mostly on the platform. In the finals, I won the silver medal for the platform. Unfortunately, I wasn't happy. Instead, I felt I failed because I hadn't won the gold. After that, I started training with Ron O'Brien, a well-known Olympic diving coach. Ron understood me and assisted¹⁴ my working more intensely¹⁵. I soon became the international leader in diving. In the 1984 Olympics, I won two gold medals, one for platform, one for springboard. This was an enjoyable triumph¹⁶.
No one knew then I was gay¹⁷, except Ron and a few friends. I feared being hated if people found out. Four years later, while preparing for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, I learned¹⁸ my partner had AIDS. I had to accept I might be HIV-positive or have AIDS, too. When my HIV test results returned positive, I was shocked and confused. Was I dying¹⁹? Was my shot at the '88 Olympics vaporized? What should I do? During this very difficult time, I couldn't tell anyone for fear I wouldn't be able to compete in the Olympics if people learned I was HIV-positive.
Everyone was alarmed when I hit my head on the board at the trials in Seoul. Regardless, I made it into the finals. When we practiced the next morning, my coach made me start with the dive I'd hit my head on. At first, I was scared, but Ron made me do it six times. With each repetition²¹, I felt more confident.
During my last dive in the finals, I enjoyed for the last time the quietness underwater and then swam to the side of the pool. Afraid to look at the score-board, I watched Ron's face. Suddenly he leaped into the air, the crowd cheered, and I knew I'd won — two gold medals, one for the three-meter springboard, one for the ten-meter platform. None knew how hard it had been, except Ron and the friends I'd told I was HIV-positive.
AIDS forced me to stop diving; I had to quit diving professionally after the Olympics.

Words: 700

NEW WORDS

▲commence
v. begin; start 开始

thrust
v. push with force and suddenly 推，冲

apart
ad. 1. separate by a distance 分开地
2. (from) except for 除了……之外

initial³
a. which is at the beginning of 起初的，开始的

initially
ad. at the beginning 开始地，起先

intense
a. strong (in quality or feeling) 强烈的

bleed
vi. lose blood 流血

haste
n. quick movement or action 匆忙

approach
vt. come near to 靠近，接近
n. 1. [U] the act of coming near 靠近，接近
2. [C] a means or way of entering 途径
3. [C] (to) a way or method of doing sth. 方式，方法

trial
n. 1. (pl.)［体］预赛，选拔赛
2. (an act of) testing to find quality, value, or usefulness 实验，检验
3. (an act of) hearing and judging a person or a case in a court 审判

significant
a. of major importance 重要的

■endanger
vt. cause danger to 危及，使遭受危险

spill
vt. pour out 溅出，溢出

adopt
vt. 1. take into one's family and take on the responsibility as a parent 收养
2. use 采取，采用

adoption
n. 1. the act of adopting 收养
2. the act of using 运用，使用，采用

gym (gymnasium)
n. physical training; a hall for physical training 体操，体育训练；体育馆

explore
vt. 1. travel into or through (a place) for the purpose of discovery 探索，探讨
2. examine carefully 探讨，仔细研究

mug
vt. steal from and/or treat in a rough way 抢劫

prior
a. earlier; coming or planned before 先前的；预先的

platform
n. 1. a raised floor of boards for speakers, performers, etc. 讲台，舞台
2. a board for jumping off to give height to a dive or jump 跳板

spring-board (springboard)
n. （游泳池）跳水板

mostly
ad. mainly; in most cases or most of the time 主要地

unfortunately
ad. with regret or sad feelings 不幸的是；遗憾地

coach
n. a person who trains people in different sports for games, matches, etc. 教练
vt. train or teach; give instruction or advice to 训练； 指导，辅导

assist¹³
v. help or support 帮助，协助

leader
n. a person or a thing that leads or is in advance of others 处于领先地位的人或事物；领袖，领导

triumph
n. a complete victory or success 胜利，成功
vi. (over) win; beat 获胜， 成功；击败

gay
n. a homosexual person, esp. a man （尤指男）同性恋者

partner
n. the person one is married to or having a loving or sexual²² relation with; the person one is doing sth. with 伴侣；伙伴

confuse
vt. cause to be mistaken; fail to tell the difference between 弄错，使困惑；混淆

vapor²⁰
n. a form like a gas which is made up of tiny drops of water or other liquids in the air 蒸气

vaporize
vi. (cause to) change into vapor 变成蒸气

compete
vi. take part in (a game, a match, etc.) 竞争，比赛

scare
vt. cause sudden fear to 吓坏，使惊恐

repetition
n. saying or doing again 重复

confident
a. having belief in one's power or ability 自信的，相信的

score-board
n. a board on which the score of a game is recorded as it is played （体育比赛）记分牌

leap
vi. jump through the air, often landing²³ in a different place 跳跃

quit
vt. stop (doing sth.) and leave 放弃，停止
vi. give up one's job 离职，辞职

professional
a. relating to a person's work, especially work that requires special training 职业的

professionally
ad. 职业地；专业地

PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS

in haste
in a hurry 匆忙

prior to
before 在……之前

make it
succeed in doing sth. 成功地做某事

start with
begin with 从……开始

assist (sb. with) sth.
help sb. do sth. 帮助做某事

PROPER NAMES

Olympics
奥林匹克运动会

Seoul
汉城（韩国首都）

Korea
朝鲜（地名）

Samoan
萨摩亚人

Ron O'Brien
罗恩·布赖恩（人名）

1 commenced   

开始( commence的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The little girl commenced to cry when she saw the snake. 这小女孩一看到蛇就开始哭了起来。
• She commenced her life as an actress in the 1930s. 从30年代她就开始舞台生涯。

2 thrust   

v.延伸，挺伸；猛推，猛塞，把...插入

参考例句：

• They thrust themselves into the house.他们闯进了这间屋子。
• They thrust their way through the dense crowd.他们挤过密集的人群。

3 initial   

adj.最初的，开始的，词首的；n.首字母，姓名的开头字母；vt.标注姓名的首字母于

参考例句：

• After she'd overcome her initial shyness,she became very friendly.她克服了起初的羞怯之后，变得十分友善。
• The experiments have given initial results eventually.那些试验总算初见成效了。

4 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

5 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

6 intense   

adj.认真的，专注的；强烈的；紧张的；热情的

参考例句：

• Susan was an intense young lady.苏珊是一个热情的年轻姑娘。
• The quarrel caused her intense unhappiness.争吵令她极其不快。

7 haste   

n.匆忙，急速；草率；v.赶快；匆忙

参考例句：

• In his blind haste he almost ran into the river.他匆匆忙忙地几乎跑到河里去了。
• The contract says the work must be completed with all possible haste.合同上写明这项工作必须尽快完成。

8 significant   

adj.相当数量的；意义重大的；意味深长的

参考例句：

• Your success today may be significant for your whole future.你今天的成功对你的整个未来可能是重要的。
• She cast him a significant smile.她向他投去意味深长的一笑。

9 divers   

adj.不同的；种种的

参考例句：

• He chose divers of them,who were asked to accompany him.他选择他们当中的几个人，要他们和他作伴。
• Two divers work together while a standby diver remains on the surface.两名潜水员协同工作，同时有一名候补潜水员留在水面上。

10 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

11 peers   

n.同等的人，贵族vi.凝视，窥视vt.与…同等，封为贵族v.凝视( peer的第三人称单数 )；盯着看；同等；比得上

参考例句：

• She enjoys the respect of her peers. 她受到同侪的尊敬。
• She peers into my eyes. 她盯着我的眼睛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 prior   

adj.更重要的，较早的，在先的；adv.居先；n.小修道院院长；大修道院副院长

参考例句：

• The duty to protect my sister is prior to all others.保护我的妹妹是我最重要的责任。
• I took up one-year prior course in German in this college.我在这所大学读了一年的德语预科。

13 assist   

vt.协助，帮助，促进；vi.帮忙，参加

参考例句：

• He asked us to assist him in carrying through their plan.他要我们帮助他实施他们的计划。
• We'll assist at your wedding.我们将出席你们的婚礼。

14 assisted   

adj.[计]辅助的v.帮助，促进( assist的过去式和过去分词 )；为…的助手；为…当帮手；辅助

参考例句：

• We were ably assisted by a team of volunteers. 我们得到一批志愿者的大力协助。
• The nurse assisted with the preparation of the medicine. 护士帮助准备药品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 intensely   

adv.强烈地

参考例句：

• I was intensely curious to know more about him. 我迫不及待地想更多地了解他的情况。
• Her parents were intensely ambitious for her and her younger sister. 她的父母对她和她妹妹有着很高的期望。

16 triumph   

n.胜利，成功；vi.获胜，成功；击败

参考例句：

• The victorious army returned in triumph.获胜的部队凯旋而归。
• I could detect no triumph in his eye.我不能在他的眼里看出胜利的喜悦。

17 gay   

adj.同性恋的；色彩鲜艳的；n.(男)同性恋者

参考例句：

• I don't know he was a gay person.我不知道他是同性恋者。
• Spring comes round to the earth again and everything looks fresh and gay.春回大地，万象更新。

18 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

19 dying   

adj.垂死的，临终的

参考例句：

• He was put in charge of the group by the dying leader.他被临终的领导人任命为集团负责人。
• She was shown into a small room,where there was a dying man.她被领进了一间小屋子，那里有一个垂死的人。

20 vapor   

n.蒸汽，雾气

参考例句：

• The cold wind condenses vapor into rain.冷风使水蒸气凝结成雨。
• This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor.这部机器有时排出大量的热气。

21 repetition   

n.重复；反复

参考例句：

• The perfomance improved with each repetition.演出每演一场都有改进。
• This degree of repetition is not found in any known language.这种重复程度在任何已知语言中都不曾出现。

22 sexual   

adj.性的，两性的，性别的

参考例句：

• He was a person of gross sexual appetites.他是个性欲旺盛的人。
• It is socially irresponsible to refuse young people advice on sexual matters.拒绝向年轻人提供性方面的建议是对社会不负责任。

23 landing   

n.登陆；着陆；楼梯平台

参考例句：

• Owing to engine trouble,the plane had to make a forced landing.由于发动机出了毛病，飞机不得不进行迫降。
• When are we landing?我们什么时候着陆？