英语听力—环球英语 452：Female Athlete Billy Jean King

　　Voice 1
Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Ruby² Jones.
Voice 2
And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English Method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
When Billy Jean King was a young girl, she loved playing sports. She joined a softball team. She was very good at the game. But Billy’s parents thought that she needed to play a different sport. They did not think softball was a game for girls. They encouraged her to find a more girl–friendly sport. Billy’s father encouraged her to play tennis. Billy looks back at this moment as one that changed her life.
Voice 3
“I knew after my first time learning³ the sport, what I wanted to do with my life.”
Voice 2
Billy saved up her own money to buy a tennis racket. She used it to practice hitting balls as hard as she could. She slept with her racket and dreamed of being the best tennis player in the world. Billy kept improving her skills. Her trainer saw that Billy was very skilled⁴ at tennis. Soon Billy was competing in state and national tournament games. In 1959, she played in her first major competition – the United States Grand Slam⁵ tournament. She was only fifteen years old! She played well. But she was beaten in her first game of the competition. However, she continued to compete. Two years later Billy played in the Wimbledon championship in London. This tennis event is the most famous of all tennis events. Billy played in a doubles match. She played with another woman in game against two other women. Billy and her teammate won the match and people started to see Billy as a star tennis player.
Voice 1
But when Billy was not playing tennis matches, she still had to work a normal job back in California. She worked at a playground where children played outside. She did not make very much money at this job. At that time tennis tournaments were split⁶ between amateurs⁸ and professionals. Amateur⁷ athletes are people who play sports mainly for fun, not for money. Professional athletes play sports as their job. These professionals were managed by groups. But only amateurs were able to play in popular tournaments. Billy was an amateur.
Voice 2
But there was a problem. Billy noticed that some of the amateur tennis players were secretly receiving money for playing games. This meant that even though they were being paid, they were still considered amateurs. Billy believed that this was unfair. So Billy called the press together to discuss this issue. Billy wanted the amateur and professional groups to join together.
Voice 1
Billy did not think that tennis received the respect in America that it deserved⁹. She said that in the United Kingdom, even the queen cheers tennis players. And in Europe, they enjoy widespread public support. But Billy said that in America, people did not care about tennis players. Billy wanted to change this.
Voice 2
Other people and companies also started to encourage tennis organizations to open the game to both amateurs and professionals. In 1968 the tennis authorities¹⁰ declared the game of tennis open to both amateurs and professionals. All tennis players could now make a living for themselves by earning money for playing. This is called the “Open Era” of tennis.
Voice 1
Professionals and amateurs began to play together. When an athlete would win a tennis tournament, they got more than the honor¹¹ of being the winner. They won prize money. But Billy noticed a problem. Male tennis players won more money than female¹² tennis players. Many people saw women’s tennis as humorous. They did not think women’s tennis was a serious sport.
Voice 2
The association¹³ of Tennis Professionals, or ATP, held tournaments through the year. In 1971 the organizers decided¹⁴ to include women in a tournament. The organizers said that the prize for the woman winner would be seventy five hundred dollars [$7,500]. But the men’s prize would be fifty thousand dollars. When Billy heard about this she was very angry. She encouraged other women tennis players to avoid this tournament. Gladys Heldman was the publisher of World Tennis magazine. She agreed with Billy and did something more. She helped to create a separate tournament for women.
Voice 1
Many tennis groups did not approve of this tournament at first. But two years later, the United States Lawn¹⁵ Tennis association took control the women’s tournament. In 1973, the US Open tournament offered equal prize money to both women and men. This was a big step for female athletes.
Voice 2
Billy Jean continued playing tennis and she continued winning tournaments. She became one of the best female tennis players in the world. She became the first female athlete to win one hundred thousand dollars in prize money in one year.
Voice 1
But not all people thought that Billy was so great. Some people still believed that women’s tennis was not as difficult as men’s tennis. One of these people was Bobby Riggs. Bobby Riggs was a tennis star who became famous in the 1940’s. In the 1960’s and 1970’s Bobby made money by betting¹⁶ money on himself. He would ask tennis players to play a game against him. If Bobby won, then he would receive some money.
Voice 2
In 1973, Bobby challenged a female tennis player. He asked to play a game against Margaret court to a match. At that time she was the best female tennis player in the world. Bobby said that even though he was fifty–five years old, he could still beat the best woman tennis player. And he did just that. Bobby beat Margaret Court. But his challenge against women did not stop there. Next he challenged Billy Jean King. Billy agreed to play Bobby.
Voice 1
The media named the match “The Battle of the Sexes”. The game was shown on television and Billy was worried. She knew that this was an important match. She remembers:
Voice 3
“I thought it would return women’s tennis to the state it was in fifty years ago if I did not win It would ruin the women’s tour, and affect all women’s opinion of themselves.”
Voice 2
The match started. The two players battled against each other. Billy won the first round, then the second, and finally the third. The crowd cheered. It was a historical moment. The game meant a lot for Billy but also all women athletes in the world. Billy Jean King had shown the world that women are equal athletes to men and that they deserved equal money.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

3 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

4 skilled   

adj.(in)熟练的，有技能的；需要技能的

参考例句：

• Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
• She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟，足以翻译小说。

5 slam   

v.猛力地推、放或扔；砰地关上

参考例句：

• They were surprised by the slam of a car door.关汽车门时发出的声音使他们很吃惊。
• Why should you slam the window?你干吗要使劲关窗户呢？

6 split   

n.劈开，裂片，裂口；adj.分散的；v.分离，分开，劈开

参考例句：

• Who told you that Mary and I had split up?谁告诉你玛丽和我已经离婚了？
• The teacher split the class up into six groups.老师把班级分成6个小组。

7 amateur   

adj.业余的，非专业的；n.业余爱好者

参考例句：

• He made an amateur attempt to build a cupboard.他很外行地试做了一个碗柜。
• Although Tom's only an amateur he's a first-class player.虽然汤姆只是个业余爱好者，但却是一流的高手。

8 amateurs   

n.业余爱好者( amateur的名词复数 )；外行，生手

参考例句：

• The tournament is open to both amateurs and professionals. 这次锦标赛业余选手和职业选手均可参加。
• The boss kissed the other performers off as mere amateurs. 老板认为其他的演员只有业余水平而把他们打发掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 deserved   

adj.应得的，当然的v.应受，应得，值得( deserve的过去式和过去分词 )；应受报答；应得报酬；应得赔偿

参考例句：

• Some of you deserved to succeed and others only scraped through. 你们当中有些人成功是理所当然，而有些人只是勉强及格。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Don't glare at me like that, you deserved the scolding. 不要那么瞪着我，你本该受到训斥的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 authorities   

n.当局，权力，权威；权威( authority的名词复数 )；权力；学术权威；[复数]当权者

参考例句：

• They interceded with the authorities on behalf of the detainees. 他们为被拘留者向当局求情。
• At his instigation we conceal the fact from the authorities. 我们受他的怂恿向当局隐瞒了事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 honor   

n.光荣；敬意；荣幸；vt.给…以荣誉；尊敬

参考例句：

• I take your visit as a great honor.您的来访是我莫大的光荣。
• It is a great honor to receive that prize.能拿到那个奖是无上的光荣。

12 female   

adj.雌的，女(性)的；n.雌性的动物，女子

参考例句：

• We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
• The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。

13 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

14 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

15 lawn   

n.草地，草坪，上等细麻布

参考例句：

• The lawn was crawling with ants.草坪上爬满了蚂蚁。
• They are lying on a grassy lawn.他们躺在绿草如茵的草坪上。

16 betting   

n. 打赌; 动词bet的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• If you are only betting two dollars, I'll book you myself. 如果你只下两元赌注，我可以和你赌。
• Some people are fond of betting. 有些人喜欢打赌。