2007年VOA标准英语-Soccer Star David Beckham Receives Rousing Welc

By Mike O'Sullivan
Los Angeles
13 July 2007

English soccer star David Beckham has arrived in Los Angeles to join the city's Major League Soccer team, the Galaxy¹. Mike O'Sullivan reports, Beckham was welcomed Friday to his new home arena² in the Los Angeles suburb³ of Carson.

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David Beckham with LA Galaxy jersey

Thousands of cheering fans and hundreds of journalists gave Beckham a rock star welcome, as he was handed his new LA Galaxy jersey.

The former captain of the English national team called his move to Los Angeles one of the biggest challenges of his career, a move to a different country on the other side of the world, but he says it a challenge that he welcomes. "My family have now moved to Los Angeles, something we are looking forward to, something we are very proud of. And in our life, everything is perfect," he said.

Beckham's wife, Victoria, also got an excited welcome. Known as Posh, she was once part of the pop group the Spice Girls. The couple and their three children will live in a sprawling⁵ Beverly Hills mansion⁶.

Beckham's five-year contract with the Galaxy will pay him more than five million dollars a year, plus tens of millions more in commercial endorsements⁷. The Galaxy hope their star mid-fielder will help popularize soccer in the United States. Beckham has played for England's Manchester United and Spain's Real Madrid, and he says soccer can potentially be as big in the United States as it is in other countries.

In the audience to greet the new Galaxy star was Michael Wadley, a visitor from Alabama in the southeastern United States. His son is taking part in a summer soccer camp, and he says the sport is getting popular in his state. "Soccer is probably a bigger sport now than (American) football used to be back about 20 years ago," he said.

Beckham is expected to draw a sellout crowd for his first Major League Soccer match in Los Angeles July 21, when the Galaxy will face the visiting English football league's Chelsea club.

1 galaxy   

n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物)

参考例句：

• The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
• The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。

2 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

3 suburb   

n.郊区，郊外，近郊

参考例句：

• Toward the suburb the houses begin to thin out.靠近市郊的地方房屋渐渐稀少。
• Disneyland is in Los Angeles suburb.迪斯尼游乐场在洛杉矶的近郊。

4 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

5 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

6 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。

7 endorsements   

n.背书( endorsement的名词复数 )；（驾驶执照上的）违章记录；（公开的）赞同；（通常为名人在广告中对某一产品的）宣传

参考例句：

• He must make much money on those tennis shoe endorsements he does. 他替那些网球鞋珍重广告，就赚了不少钱。 来自互联网
• But celebrity endorsements remain an important promotional tool for marketers. 尽管如此，邀明星助阵仍是营销人员重要的推广手段之一。 来自互联网