VOA新闻杂志2024--Kansas City Chiefs, Usher, Taylor Swift Win at Super Bowl

Kansas City Chiefs, Usher¹, Taylor Swift² Win at Super Bowl

The Kansas City Chiefs needed extra time on Sunday to win the American football championship called the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is the National Football League's championship game.

Football experts say the Kansas City Chiefs are now one of the best teams to have ever played the sport.

The Chiefs scored a touchdown late in the extra period to defeat the San Francisco 49ers 25 to 22. The team has now won three Super Bowls in five seasons and appeared in four of the championship games since 2020.

Patrick Mahomes is the quarterback and the team's most important player. He has won three Super Bowls. Only three other quarterbacks have won more championships. Mahomes, is only 28. He was voted the top player, or MVP, of the game.

But for many people watching the game on television, Kansas City's win was only part of the story in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For a while, it seemed as if the halftime show, featuring the music performer³ Usher, was going to be the most exciting part of the game. At that point, San Francisco was ahead 10 to 3.

Usher, a singer who became well-known about 20 years ago, came out in sparkling⁴, white clothes and performed along with a marching band and other musicians. He was joined during his show by Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, Lil' Jon and Ludacris. Usher performed parts of 12 of his most popular songs.

Throughout⁵ the game, cameras cut to another famous singer, Taylor Swift. Swift is the girlfriend of Travis Kelce, one of the Kansas City players.

Swift performed the last of four concerts in Japan on Saturday and flew to Las Vegas to attend Sunday's game.

Kansas City, in the central state of Missouri, will celebrate the Chiefs during a parade⁶ on Wednesday.

The game changed at the start of the fourth quarter, when San Francisco scored a touchdown to take a 16 to 13 lead. However, the 49ers kicker, Jake Moody⁷, had his extra point attempt blocked.

The failed play permitted⁸ Kansas City to kick a field goal, worth three points, to tie the game at 16 and then again at 19 in order to force overtime⁹. It was only the second Super Bowl to require extra time.

In the overtime period, San Francisco only scored a field goal to take the lead 22 to 19. However, under NFL rules, both teams have at least one chance to score in extra time.

That meant Kansas City could win the game with a touchdown. That is exactly what happened, when Mahomes threw a short touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman to end the game with only six seconds remaining.

Kelce is one of the league's best players at his position. He had a slow start but caught nine passes from Mahomes.

Swift joined Kelce for the Super Bowl celebration¹⁰ after the game. After getting a kiss from Swift, Kelce said "the goal has always been to get three (Super Bowls)." He went on to say the team wants to win again next year, to make it three in a row.

The Chiefs are the first team to win two Super Bowls one after the other, since the New England Patriots¹¹ did it 19 years ago.

Mahomes said, "I'm proud of the guys" as he accepted his MVP award. "This is awesome¹². Legendary¹³."

Words in This Story

touchdown –n. the biggest score in American football given for reaching the "end zone" and which is awarded six points with the possibility of one or two extra points after

feature –v. to be offered as a main star or attraction¹⁴ in a performance

marching band –n. a large musical group usually linked to a high school or college, that has mostly brass¹⁵ instruments and which marches as it plays songs

proud –adj. to be very pleased and happy with something you have done

legendary –adj. very impressive and worth people's attention

1 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

2 swift   

n.雨燕，大滚筒；adj.迅速的，快的，敏捷的，立刻的；adv.迅速地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He is swift to hear,but slow to speak.他听力敏锐，但不善言辞。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery.他康复得相当快。

3 performer   

n.执行者，表演者

参考例句：

• He was the greatest performer we have ever seen.他是我们所见过的最伟大表演者。
• He is a good performer on the cricket field.他是个出色的板球手。

4 sparkling   

adj.发火花的，闪亮的；灿烂的，活泼的；闪闪发光的，闪烁的；起泡沫的v.闪光，闪耀(sparkle的现在分词)

参考例句：

• the calm and sparkling waters of the lake 平静的波光粼粼的湖水
• Other sparkling wines are often considered the poor relations of champagne. 其他起泡的葡萄酒通常被认为较香槟酒为次。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 throughout   

adv.到处，自始至终；prep.遍及，贯穿

参考例句：

• These magazines are sold at bookstores throughout the country.这些杂志在全国各地书店均有发售。
• Guilin is known throughout the world for its scenery.桂林以山水著称于世。

6 parade   

n.游行，炫耀，阅兵，检阅，阅兵场；v.游行，炫耀，夸耀，（使）列队行进

参考例句：

• She is on parade in her new dress in the street.她穿着新衣服在大街上走来走去。
• The boys loved watching the soldiers on parade.男孩子们爱看士兵们列队行进。

7 moody   

adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的

参考例句：

• He relapsed into a moody silence.他又重新陷于忧郁的沉默中。
• I'd never marry that girl.She's so moody.我决不会和那女孩结婚的。她太易怒了。

8 permitted   

允许( permit的过去式和过去分词 )； 许可； 许用

参考例句：

• Radios are not permitted in the library. 图书馆内不许使用收音机。
• Entrance is permitted only on production of a ticket. 出示门票才可进入。

9 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

10 celebration   

n.庆祝，庆祝会；典礼

参考例句：

• The celebration passed off successfully.庆祝活动圆满结束。
• The celebration of Christmas is a custom.庆祝圣诞节是一种习俗。

11 patriots   

爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Abraham Lincoln was a fine type of the American patriots. 亚伯拉罕·林肯是美国爱国者的优秀典型。
• These patriots would fight to death before they surrendered. 这些爱国者宁愿战斗到死，也不愿投降。

12 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

13 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。

14 attraction   

n.吸引人的事物；吸引；吸引力

参考例句：

• The main attraction of the place is the nightlife.这个地方最具吸引力的是夜生活。
• Amy is always the centre of attraction at parties.艾米总是聚会上的中心人物。

15 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。