Scoring goals and writing books

陜西 朱聲懷

What does it mean to be a superstar? For many people,it's about being great at one thing,whether it's sports,music,or something else.When a reporter interviewed Frank Lampard at Yankee Stadium recently,a different definition appeared.Lampard excels at both sports and writing.Not only does he score goals for New York City FC (a professional soccer team),he also writes children's books.

Lampard has written three books for a series called Frankie's Magic Soccer Ball,with more titles on the way.Before a match between New York City FC and the San Jose Earthquakes at Yankee Stadium,the superstar took time to share his story.

Lampard began his soccer career in his native England,where the sport is called football.As a midfielder for Chelsea Football Club for 13 years,he has scored more goals than anyone in the team's history.Whether winning or losing,Lampard said,“Good sportsmanship and respecting your opponent are essential (必要的).”

Last summer,Lampard moved to the United States to play for New York City FC,a Major League Soccer (MLS) team.He loves the city,saying,“I enjoy how friendly everybody is.”Having long watched MLS games,he often dreamed of coming to the US and“was quite inspired when David Beckham came here and did so well”.

But a star athletic career was not enough for Lampard.So he turned to writing children's books.“I wanted to do something constructive,fun,and different from football,”he said.In the popular series that Lampard created,a magic soccer ball helps Frankie,the main character,and his friends journey back in time.They play soccer matches against ancient Romans,pirates,and even cowboys.Can you imagine playing soccer at the Roman Colosseum (羅馬圓形大劇場)?

The series combines sports,history,and friendship—plus a talking dog.Thirteen books have been published in England,where the series is calledFrankie's Magic Football.As for the secret to Lampard's own success,this reporter found no magic.“To be successful in anything,”Lampard said,“the idea is the same for everything you do—hard work and practice.”

Reading Check

1.What's the function of the first paragraph?

A.To clarify people's misunderstanding about Lampard.

B.To explain the criteria for being a superstar.

C.To lead to the main topic about Lampard.

D.To discuss what influences superstars most.

2.Which of the following may be Lampard's strengths according to the text?

A.Music and performance.B.Soccer and writing.

C.Reading and reciting.D.Dancing and composing.

3.What can be inferred about Frankie's Magic Soccer Ball?

A.It is mainly about Lampard's career.

B.It describes the development of Rome.

C.It shows the relationship between winning and losing.

D.It has something to do with sports,history and friendship.

4.What is the key to success according to Lampard?

A.Practicing hard.B.Having a good rest.

C.Making right choices.D.Forming an unusual habit.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

Lampard began his soccer career in his native England,where the sport is called football.蘭帕德在他的家鄉英格蘭開始了他的足球職業生涯，在那里這項運動被稱為“football”。

【點石成金】該句中Lampard began his soccer career in his native England為主句，where引導一個非限制性定語從句，England為先行詞。

Cultural Background

《弗蘭克的魔幻足球》

《弗蘭克的魔幻足球》為一套系列兒童讀物，書中的人物或多或少是基于蘭帕德在切爾西和英格蘭國家隊的隊友或朋友來塑造的。此書的主人公為一個名為弗蘭克的孩子以及他心愛的寵物狗馬克斯，蘭帕德結合近些年來他在球場上經歷的趣事，編寫出一系列因足球引發的魔幻故事。

蘭帕德表示：“當我給自己的孩子講故事的時候，我萌生了寫故事書的念頭。運動和讀書是我在家最常做的事情，我希望這本書能讓孩子們愛上閱讀，熱衷運動。當然，書中的一些人物大部分是根據平時接觸的隊員或者朋友來塑造的，他們給了我很多靈感。”