If you were to examine the birth certificates of every soccer player in 2006’s World Cup tournament, you would most likely find a noteworthy quirk: elite soccer players are more likely to have been born in the earlier months of the year than in the later months. If you then examined the European national youth teams that feed the World Cup and professional ranks, you would find this strange phenomenon to be even more pronounced.
What might account for this strange phenomenon Here are a few guesses: a) certain astrological signs confer superior soccer skills; b) winter-born babies tend to have higher oxygen capacity, which increases soccer stamina; c) soccer-mad parents are more likely to conceive children in springtime, at the annual peak of soccer mania; d) none of the above.
Anders Ericsson, a 58-year-old psychology professor at Florida State University, says he believes strongly in "none of the above." Ericsson grew up in Sweden, and studied nuclear engineering until he realized he would have more opportunity to conduct his own research if he switched to psychology. His first experiment, nearly 30 years ago, involved memory: training a person to hear and then repeat a random series of numbers. "With the first subject, after about 20 hours of training, his digit span had risen from 7 to 20," Ericsson recalls. "He kept improving, and after about 200 hours of training he had risen to over 80 numbers."
This success, coupled with later research showing that memory itself is not genetically determined, led Ericsson to conclude that the act of memorizing is more of a cognitive exercise than an intuitive one. In other words, whatever inborn differences two people may exhibit in their abilities to memorize, those differences are swamped by how well each person "encodes" the information. And the best way to learn how to encode information meaningfully, Ericsson determined, was a process known as deliberate practice. Deliberate practice entails more than simply repeating a task, Rather: it involves setting specific goals, obtaining immediate feedback and concentrating as much on technique as on outcome.
Ericsson and his colleagues have thus taken to studying expert performers in a wide range of pursuits, including soccer. They gather all the data they can, not just performance statistics and biographical details but also the results of their own laboratory experiments with high achievers. Their work makes a rather startling assertion: the trait we commonly call talent is highly overrated. Or, put another way, expert performers--whether in memory or surgery, ballet or computer programming-- are nearly always made, not born.
The birthday phenomenon found among soccer players is mentioned to ______.

A:stress the importance of professional training B:spotlight the soccer superstars in the World Cup C:introduce the topic of what makes expert performance D:explain why some soccer teams play better than others

Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but there have only been a few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way--was it through training and practice, or are great players" born, not made" First, these players came from places that have had famous stars in the past--players that a young boy can look up to and try to imitate. In the history of soccer, only six countries have ever won the World Cup--three from South America and three from western Europe. There has never been a great national team--or a really great player--from North America or from Asia. Second, these players have all had years of practice in the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at the age of three or four.
Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighborhood--a poor, crowded area where a boy’s dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer, or businessman, but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer. For example, Liverpool, which produced the Beatles, had one of the best English soccer teams in recent years. Pele practiced in the street with a "ball" made of rags. And George Best learned the tricks that made him famous by bouncing the ball off a wall in the slums of Belfast.
All great players have a lot in common, but that doesn’t explain why they are great. Hundreds of boys played in those Brazilian streets, but only one became Pele. The greatest players are born with some unique quality that sets them apart from all the others.

Liverpool and Brazilian streets are two geographic terms used to illustrate （）

A:where soccer players get their way B:how neighbourhood affects a soccer player's success C:why they can produce the best soccer teams D:what a poor, crowded area will provide a future soccer player with

Passage Two
A hundred years ago, the game we now call football did not exist. American football started during a game between two colleges. The teams had got together to play what they called "football", but each team played by different rules. One team played what we now call soccer. The other played what we now call rugby (橄榄球).
Both games had been invented a thousand years before. In the first kind of football game ever played, all the men from one village tried to kick a ball into another village. The men of the second village tried to kick the ball into the first. Hundreds of people joined in, running everywhere, running crops and knocking down fences. In time, people agreed on some rules to keep order, but many roles were left open to change. Different rules developed in different places.
When the two colleges met to play football, each followed its own rules. They mixed the games together and invented a new game. A hundred years later we call that game American football.
In what ways do you suppose the game we know now will have changed in another hundred years

American football comes from （）

A:soccer B:rugby C:both soccer and rugby D:neither soccer nor rugby

Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, hut there have only been few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way-was it through training and practice, or are great players "born, not made" First, these players came from places that have had famous stars in the past-players that a young boy can look up to and try to imitate. In the history of soccer, only six. countries have ever won the World Cup-three from South America and three from western Europe. There has never been a great national team-or a really great player-from North America or from Asia. Second, these players have all had years of practice in the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at the age of three or four.
Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighborhood-a poor, crowded area where a boy’s dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer, or businessman, but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer. For example, Liverpool, which produced the Beetles, had one of the best English soccer teams in recent years. Pele practiced in the street with a "ball" made of rags. And George Best learned the tricks that made him famous by bouncing the ball off a wall in the slums of Belfast.
All great players have a lot in common, hut that doesn’t explain why they are great. Hundreds of boys played in those Brazilian streets, but only one became Pele. The greatest players are born with some unique quality that sets them apart from all the others.
The Brazilian streets are mentioned to illustrate that ______.

A:famous soccer players live in slum areas. B:people in poor areas are born with some unique quality C:children in poor areas start playing football at the age of three or four. D:a great soccer player may be born in a slum are

What Makes a Soccer Player Great
Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but there have only been few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way—was it through training and practice, or are great players "born, not made" First, these players came from places that have had famous stars in the past—players that a young boy can look up to and try to imitate (效仿). In the history of soccer, only six countries have ever won the World Cup—three from South America and three from Western Europe. There has never been a great national team—or a really great player from North America or from Asia. Second, these players have all had years of practice in’ the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at the age of three or four.
Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighbourhood (聚居区)—a poor, crowded area where a boy’s dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer, or businessman, but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer. For example, Liverpool, which produced the Beatles (甲壳虫乐队.), had one of the best English soccer teams in recent years. Pele practiced in the street with a "ball" made of rags (破布). And George Best learned the tricks that made him famous by bouncing the ball off a wall in the slums (贫民窟) of Belfast.
All great players have a lot in common, but that doesn’t explain why they are great. Hundreds of boys played in those Brazilian streets, but only one became Pele. The greatest players are born with some unique quality that sets them apart from all the ethers.

According to the author, which of the following statements is true（　）.

A:Great soccer players are born, not made. B:Truly great players are rare. C:Only six countries have ever had famous soccer stars. D:Soccer is the least popular sport in North America and Asia.

Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but there have only been few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way—was it through training and practice, or are great players’ born, not made" First, these players came from places that have had famous stars in the past---players that a young boy can look up to and try to imitate(效仿). In the history of soccer, only six countries have ever won the World Cup—three from South America and three from Western Europe. There has never been a great national team—or a really great player—from North America or from Asia. Second, these players have all had years of practice in the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at game at the age of three or four.
Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighbourhood(聚居区)—a poor, crowded area where a boy’s dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer, or businessman, but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer. For example, Liverpool which produced the Beatles(甲壳虫乐队)，had one of the best English soccer teams in recent years. Pele practiced in the street with a "ball" made of rags(破布). And George Best learned the tricks that made him famous by bouncing the ball off a wall in the slums(贫民窟)of Belfast.
All great players have a lot in common, but that doesn’t explain why they are great. Hundreds of boys played in those Brazilian streets, but only one became Pele. The greatest players are born with some unique quality that sets them apart from all the others.
According to the author, which of the following statements is true

A:Great soccer players are born, not made. B:Truly great players are rare. C:Only six countries have ever had famous soccer stars. D:Soccer is the least popular sport in North America and Asia

? ?下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题，每道题后面有4个选项。请根据文章的内容，从每题所给的4个选项中选择1个最佳答案。
{{B}}第一篇{{/B}}

According to the author, which of the following statements is true?

A:Great soccer players are born, not made. B:Truly great players are rare. C:Only six countries have ever had famous soccer stars. D:Soccer is the least popular sport in North America and Asia.

第一篇 what Makes a Soccer Player Great? Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but there have only been few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way-was it through training and practice, or are great players’ born, not made"? First, these players came from places that have had famous stars in the past---players that a young boy can look up to and try to imitate（效仿）.In the history of soccer, only six countries have ever won the World Cup-three from South America and three from Western Europe. There has never been a great national team-or a really great player-from North America or from Asia. Second, these players have all had years of practice in the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at game at the age of three or four. Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighbourhood(聚居区)-a poor, crowded area where a boy’s dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer, or businessman, but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer. For example, Liverpool which produced the Beatles(甲壳虫乐队)，had one of the best English soccer teams in recent years. Pele practiced in the street with a "ball" made of rags(破布). And George Best learned the tricks that made him famous by bouncing the ball off a wall in the slums(贫民窟)of Belfast. All great players have a lot in common, but that doesn’t explain why they are great. Hundreds of boys played in those Brazilian streets, but only one became Pele. The greatest players are born with some unique quality that sets them apart from all the others. According to the author, which of the following statements is true?

A:Great soccer players are born, not made. B:Truly great players are rare. C:Only six countries have ever had famous soccer stars. D:Soccer is the least popular sport in North America and Asia