高中年级英语课外阅读文章材料
高中，说长也长说短也短，在这个阶段，我们可以吸收很多知识，甚至是英语课外阅读知识也不例外。这里与大家分享，有时间我们不妨学习一下高中年级英语课外阅读文章，看看自己能够做到何种程度。
高中年级英语课外阅读文章(一)
Do you want a cupcake?
YOUR mom might cook a bowl of noodles for you on your birthday. But in the US, a mom makes a cupcake (杯形蛋糕) for her children on their birthday.
Cupcakes are small, round cakes topped with frosting (糖霜). It has been an American tradition that moms bring cupcakes to the classroom to celebrate their child’s birthday.
But recently some doctors have called for this to be banned (禁止). They believe cupcakes contribute to child obesity (肥胖).
Despite their good intentions, however, some people believe that experts are interfering (妨癨-) with American culture. The cupcake is seen as American as apple pie — only prettier.
According to Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, the cupcake is the most democratic (民主的) of desserts. As they are small enough for one person, you don’t have to share your cupcake with anyone — it’s all yours. They are also all the same size, so there can’t be any cries of “she got the bigger piece!”
Each bite can taste different depending on how much icing you have. It is a lesson in self-determination (自主). Some people eat only a little of the frosting every time, others have it all in just one bite.
In recent years, eating a cupcake has become as trendy as having a cup of Starbucks coffee.
Democratic presidential candidate (候选人) Hillary Clinton jokingly promised on a talk show that if she was elected president, she would give everyone a cupcake on her birthday.
Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief (主编) of Gourmet magazine, explains that the rise of the cupcake is very much about going back to American national identity (认同感) in food, which is all about comfort. “People want to think about when they and their country were innocent (纯真的),” she said.
高中年级英语课外阅读文章(二)
Mourinho: I'm still the special one
UPON landing in the English Premier League (英超) three years ago, Jose Mourinho declared (宣称) he was the special one. “Please don’t call me arrogant (傲慢的), but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one.”
He was definitely different from other managers. Never before had a football manager entertained the world both on and off the pitch (球场). The 44-year-old Portuguese manager is arrogant, witty and brilliant, but never dull.
Two league titles in two seasons suggested he was indeed special. Under Mourinho, Chelsea never lost a Premier League match at their home stadium, Stamford Bridge.
But despite these achievements, Mourinho’s relationship with the club’s owner Roman Abramovich become fractured (破裂) beyond repair.
Abramovich decided to buy players like Andri Shevchenko and Michael Ballack. But Mourinho did not always play them.
Abramovich wanted Chelsea to play an aggressive, attacking style of football, but Mourinho also refused. When Mourinho found his authority was being weakened, he walked away.
Off the pitch, Mourinho was arrested (逮捕) after an angry quarrel with police officers about his dog. But he was also the manager who would run off from an interview to open the door for an elderly woman who was struggling with it.
Mourinho was born into a family with football tradition. Despite an academic record that could have opened many other doors, he never considered a career outside of football.
When it became clear he didn’t have enough talent to be a great player, he began working towards a career in coaching. And he has built a great one.
“I think I’m still special. I achieved good things and it was a fantastic period in my career. I’ll try to forget the bad things and remember the good ones,” he said.
