VOA标准英语,US,Football

US Communities Rally¹ For High School Football

Football, the American form of the sport, is an iconic part of American high school life, especially in small towns, like Macomb, Illinois, and everyone gets involved.

Musicians cheer the players. And it's the cheerleaders' job to spur² on the crowds.

Jill Kelso says cheerleading is an important part of the game.

"We try to pump up the crowd and try to encourage the boys," she says. "I don't know how much it actually helps but it at least pumps up the atmosphere."

That atmosphere motivates the players. On this Saturday afternoon, Macomb's team, the Bombers³, has a solid win. The team's star player, Quarterback Chris Jackson, says it's always a good time.

"I'm playing football every day with a lot of my best friends. Kids that I have known for years and kids that I have grown up with," he says.

Football has made him something of a celebrity⁴ in Macomb.

"Wherever you go people know you," he explains. "They always shake your hand and they always know what you do so they kind of help you stay out of trouble, too."

And the fans cheer him. But they say they care about more than a win.

"Just the high school spirit: the cheerleaders, the band, the community comes out, especially in small towns - I'm from Chicago but ... I like how the community comes out to support the team," says a fan.

"We have great community here as you can see in the stands - there's lots of fans, lots of parents, so it's part of being in the community," says a woman.

Head coach Kelly Sears says his job is not easy.

"When you deal with high school kids, you really never know who has flunked⁵ a test or who broke up with their girlfriend or what's happened to them during the day and that can trigger⁶ their attitude toward⁷ practice or possibly not even showing up. So the thing is when you start winning some games and you get great tradition, which we have had here at Macomb high, I think that really adds to getting the kids there," coach Sears says.

With more wins in the bag, he says, the community will keep coming back for more.

1 rally   

n.集会，公路汽车赛；v.集合，恢复，振作

参考例句：

• The grand mass rally was held on the square.广场上举行了盛大的群众集会。
• The team captain vainly tried to rally his troops.队长试图振作部队的士气，但没有成功。

2 spur   

n.刺激(物)，激励；vt.激励，鞭策，促进

参考例句：

• Even a small success would spur me on to greater effort.哪怕是微小的成功也会促使我做出更大的努力。
• Such stories serve as a spur to children's imagination.这类故事能激发儿童的想像力。

3 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

5 flunked   

v.( flunk的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）（考试、某学科的成绩等）不及格；评定（某人）不及格；（因不及格而） 退学

参考例句：

• I flunked math in second grade. 我二年级时数学不及格。
• He flunked out (of college) last year. 他去年（从大学）退学了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 trigger   

n.触发器，板机，制滑机；v.触发（事件）

参考例句：

• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again.他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。
• He pulled the trigger but the gun didn't go off.他打了一枪，没有发火。

7 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。