VOA常速英语2008年-Memphis, Kansas Advance to NCAA Basketball Nati

By David Byrd
San Antonio, Texas
06 April 2008

The University of Memphis Tigers and the Kansas Jayhawks have advanced to the finals of the men's collegeMemphis defeated the University of California at Los Angeles, 78-63, and Kansas beat North Carolina, 84-66 basketball tournament in San Antonio, Texas. As VOA's David Byrd reports, Memphis defeated the University of California at Los Angeles, 78-63, and Kansas beat North Carolina, 84-66.

UCLA scored the first points of the game, but Memphis was not intimidated¹. The Tigers had lost only once this season and the team was able to take the lead and hold it for most of the game.

Chris Douglas-Roberts led the Tigers with 28 points. Memphis coach John Calipari says his team made some mistakes, but it was able to take all UCLA could throw at it and still win.

"I'm really proud of them; we defended, made it hard on a team that shoots a high percentage," said Calipari. 'But I was proud of our guys, right up and down the line. But the reality of it is that I have a good team. They are a good team of players that play well together, take care of the ball, rebound² - got a good team."

Chris Douglas Roberts says that his team plays every game unselfishly, and that helped the Tigers win their semifinal.

"Every game we expect to play really well. We talk to each other, you know, before the game. And we play off each other. No selfishness anywhere. Whoever has it going has it going. And that's why we played so well together," said Roberts. "Today, we just carried over from the Michigan State and Texas Game. We played really well together."

For UCLA, this marks the third straight time the Bruins have been to the final four only to lose. Memphis last went to the title game in 1973, when it lost to UCLA in the final.

In the second semifinal game, Kansas took the lead with the first basket of the game and expanded it to 28 points before halftime. The Jayhawks led by 17 at the break. But North Carolina was able to come within four points, but Kansas never surrendered³ the lead.

Kansas Coach Bill Self says the semifinal was almost like three games.

"First game we were great and the second game we were not very good and they were great. The last game obviously⁴ we played super down the stretch. Guys were in attack mode⁵ right for the outset⁶, and I thought we just did a really good job of being the aggressor and that set the tone⁷ for the game," said Self. 

Brandon Rush led the Jayhawks with 25 points.

Darnell Jackson of Kansas says that his team knows playing Memphis will be tough.

"A lot of guys were talking about this and Coach Self has been doing a great job in helping⁸ us to stay focused and telling us not to be satisfied. And we have been playing so hard as a team together and not playing selfishly and now we got an opportunity to make history at Kansas," said Jackson. 

Kansas last went to the final in 2003, but the Jayhawks lost to Syracuse. Kansas and Memphis meet for the national title Monday night at the Alamodome. 

1 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。

3 surrendered   

n.电子放单；Telex releasedv.投降( surrender的过去式和过去分词 )；放弃，抛弃

参考例句：

• The bandit chief surrendered himself to despair and took his own life. 匪首在绝望中自杀了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She gradually surrendered her dream of becoming an actress. 她渐渐放弃了当演员的梦想。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 obviously   

adv.显然；明白地

参考例句：

• Obviously they were putting him to a severe test.显然他们是在给他以严峻的考验。
• Obviously he was lying.显然他是在撒谎。

5 mode   

n.方式，样式，模式，风格，时兴；[音乐]调式

参考例句：

• Wearing jeans is out of mode at present.现在穿牛仔裤过时了。
• His mode of doing business is offensive to me.他干事情的方式叫我很不喜欢。

6 outset   

n.开始，开端

参考例句：

• He was not here at the outset of the experiment.实验开始时他不在这里。
• The novel fascinates the reader from the outset.这部小说一开头就把读者迷住了。

7 tone   

n.语气，音调，气度，色调；vt.（up）增强

参考例句：

• There was a tone of mockery in his voice.他说话的语气含有嘲笑的意味。
• Holmes used an informal,chatty tone in his essays.霍姆斯在文章中语气轻松随便。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。