英语PK台 第251期:姚明入选2016年美国篮球名人堂

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　　Former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2016 on Monday for his role to help spread the NBA's popularity to China. The induction¹ ceremony will be held in Springfield, Massachusetts on September 9, 2016.

　　As a member for the Houston Rockets, he earned All-Rookie honors (2003) and was named to the All-NBA Team five times (2004, 2006-2009). As an eight-time NBA All-Star (2003-2009, 2011), he broke the record for most All-Star votes, previously² held by Michael Jordan in 2005. As the anchor of the Chinese National Team, Yao was named a three-time FIBA Asian Championship MVP, " the announcement said.

　　The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as the sport's most complete library, in addition to promoting and preserving the history of basketball. The Basketball Hall of Fame had honored 345 individuals and 10 teams.

　　Vocabulary:

　　Induction, anchor

　　Should cities be car-free zones?

　　Last week, Mexico City took a decisive step toward improving air quality by enacting³ a temporary periodic ban on private and federal vehicles in the city. The rule prohibits driving in the city one day each week and one Saturday each month. Hybrid⁴ and electric vehicles are exempt⁵ from the ban, as are government service vehicles, public transport options and school buses. Mexico City's ban is more than an awareness-raiser; the ban was enacted⁶ with the direct aim of mitigating⁷ air pollution.

　　Mexico City's temporary vehicle ban and events like those in Paris and Brussels raise questions about the best ways to improve urban air quality. India, whose urban dwellers⁸ breathe some of the world's dirtiest air, has tried a variety of solutions. Last year, Delhi officials unveiled a plan that would allow vehicles with license⁹ plates ending in odd and even numbers to operate only on alternate days — this following a decision to ban diesel¹⁰ vehicles older than 10 years.

　　Thanks to strict limits on car use, Beijing saw blue skies for the Victory Day military parade on 3 September 2015. The Victory Day event's dazzling skies earned the nickname "parade blue". The day after, the vehicle-use restrictions¹¹ were lifted and the blue faded back to gray. And then there is London's oft-derided congestion¹² charge, instituted in 2003. Within a year of congestion-charge implementation¹³, Transport for London reported that nitrous oxide¹⁴, carbon dioxide and particulate¹⁵ matter levels fell by more than 13%.

　　Vocabulary:

　　Decisive, enacting, exempt from, mitigating, unveiled, oft-derided, congestion,

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