英语听力精选进阶版 6344

The pundits¹ are running out of superlatives to describe the Spanish football team after they lifted the Euro 2012 trophy² on Sunday.

They are the first football team in history to retain their crown in the European Championships having also won the competition in 2008. With their World Cup victory in South Africa in 2010 this makes Spain the only international team ever to win three major tournaments back-to-back.

The margin³ of victory was also record-breaking. The Spaniards routed their opponents Italy four-nil, which was the most one-sided result in the tournament's history. It was a masterclass in the passing style of football for which they have become known. Some experts are describing their scintillating⁴ performance as one of the greatest in history, comparing the team to such legendary⁵ sides of the past as Brazil in 1970 and France from 1998-2002.

So what makes this Spanish team so special? There is the individual brilliance⁶ of players such as man-of-the-match Andres Iniesta. But it's their artistry as a unit which has been most impressive. One statistic⁷ alone indicates why Spain have such a stranglehold on the world game: this team has not conceded a single goal in a knock-out game since 2006. That's over 17 hours of football. The fact of the matter is that their opponents simply can't get the ball long enough to play.

They also have the courage to follow their convictions. It might seem ridiculous now but the team were getting criticised for being 'boring' earlier in the competition. But the coach, Vicente del Bosque, stuck to his guns and continued to play in an unorthodox formation which contained no striker. The coach was vindicated⁸ by a display of such magnificence that one BBC expert claimed the match will still be talked about in 40 years' time.

Quiz 测验

1. Who won Euro 2008?

(Spain) are the first football team in history to retain their crown in the European Championships...

2. Has any country won three major international football competitions in a row before?

No... this makes Spain the only international team to win three major tournaments back-to-back.

3. What word is used to describe a demonstration⁹ given by an expert?

Masterclass. It was a masterclass in the passing style of football.

4. Do Spain use a normal formation?

No... an unorthodox formation which contained no striker.

5. According to a BBC expert, will the game be memorable¹⁰?

Yes... the match will be talked about in 40 years' time.

Glossary 词汇表

superlatives 最高级的

to retain their crown 保住了皇冠

back-to-back 连续，紧接

the margin of victory 胜利的系数

record-breaking 创纪录的

routed 彻底击败

one-sided 一边倒的

a masterclass 大师级的表现

scintillating 才气横溢的

legendary 传奇的

brilliance 才华，光辉

man-of-the-match 场上最佳球员

artistry 艺术技巧

stranglehold 束缚

knock-out game 淘汰赛

the courage to follow their convictions 有追求他们信念的勇气

stuck to his guns 坚持己见

striker 前锋

vindicated 证明正确的

magnificence 宏伟，精彩

1 pundits   

n.某一学科的权威，专家( pundit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The pundits disagree on the best way of dealing with the problem. 如何妥善处理这一问题，专家众说纷纭。 来自辞典例句
• That did not stop Chinese pundits from making a fuss over it. 这并没有阻止中国的博学之士对此大惊小怪。 来自互联网

2 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

3 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

4 scintillating   

adj．才气横溢的,闪闪发光的; 闪烁的

参考例句：

• Statistics on unemployment levels hardly make for scintillating reading. 失业统计数据读来不大会有趣味。
• You were scintillating on TV last night. 您昨晚在电视上妙语如珠。

5 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

6 brilliance   

n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智

参考例句：

• I was totally amazed by the brilliance of her paintings.她的绘画才能令我惊歎不已。
• The gorgeous costume added to the brilliance of the dance.华丽的服装使舞蹈更加光彩夺目。

7 statistic   

n.统计量；adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• Official statistics show real wages declining by 24%.官方统计数字表明实际工资下降了24%。
• There are no reliable statistics for the number of deaths in the battle.关于阵亡人数没有可靠的统计数字。

8 vindicated   

v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护

参考例句：

• I have every confidence that this decision will be fully vindicated. 我完全相信这一决定的正确性将得到充分证明。
• Subsequent events vindicated the policy. 后来的事实证明那政策是对的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

10 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。