新西兰英语 249 Sports Teams Going to India

　　A terrorist¹ threat to sports teams going to India is worrying players, our government and the Indian government. A group connected to al-Qaida warned sportsmen and women not to take part in the World Cup Hockey, the Indian Premier² League (IPL) cricket³ or the Commonwealth⁴ Games in October. The group said there could be “consequences” if any players decide to take part. It is not clear what these consequences would be but people remember the bombing of hotels in Mumbai in 2008 which killed 173 people. They also remember the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan last March, and this happened after Pakistan promised high security. The Indian government has promised high security too for these three events.
The World Cup Hockey starts in a week’s time in Delhi. The New Zealand men’s team is in Perth, Australia at the moment. They will stay there for a little longer while deciding whether to go to India. Cricket players also have to make up their minds about the dangers of taking part in the IPL. Last year the IPL was moved to South Africa because of worries about security.
The Commonwealth Games would be hard to move to another country. Delhi is building new facilities for the athletes. They have to provide a number of buildings for indoor sports like boxing and gymnastics, a stadium for athletics⁵, a 50m swimming pool, and accommodation for hundreds of athletes. Athletes who train hard in preparation for the Commonwealth Games would be very disappointed if the Games were cancelled.
Question to think about
An athlete, Rebecca Wardell, said, “If we don’t go to the Commonwealth Games, the terrorists⁶ win.” What do you think?
Could this be the end of international sports in countries that have had bombings?
Is it possible for India to provide 100% security?

1 terrorist   

n.恐怖主义者，恐怖分子

参考例句：

• Without the gun,I'm a sitting duck for any terrorist.没有这支枪，我就成了恐怖分子下手的目标了。
• The district was put on red alert during a terrorist's bomb scare.这个地区在得到恐怖分子炸弹恐吓后作了应急准备。

2 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

3 cricket   

n.蟋蟀，板球运动；adj.公平的

参考例句：

• The England cricket team scored quite a useful total.英格兰板球队得分总数令人满意。
• We could hear the shrill of the midsummer cricket.我们可以听到仲夏时节蟋蟀的尖叫声。
• Your behaviour isn't cricket.你的行为不光彩。

4 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

5 athletics   

n.运动，体育，田径运动

参考例句：

• When I was at school I was always hopeless at athletics.我上学的时候体育十分糟糕。
• Our team tied with theirs in athletics.在田径比赛中，我们队与他们队旗鼓相当。

6 terrorists   

n.恐怖主义者，恐怖分子( terrorist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The terrorists have halted their bloody campaign of violence. 恐怖分子已经停止了他们凶残的暴力活动。
• They were finally forced to capitulate to the terrorists' demands. 他们最后被迫屈从恐怖分子的要求。