EngI Formative 1.9A,C
Some questions (c) 2012 by Region 10 Educational Service Center.
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The Admiral
1) There are bigger men in the NBA, but there may not be any bigger
hearts. In a profession dominated by me, me, and me, David Robinson
stands out as an oddball. He came to the San Antonio Spurs in 1989 and has
remained a fixture there, an anomaly in a world where most players come
and go like cars at a gas station. He is extremely intelligent, soft spoken,
committed to his family, and a lover of classical music and the Bible. He has
never been a trash talker, and those who meet him, marvel at how nice he
is. Basketball
2) David Robinson never had a successful high school basketball career. He
preferred reading and electronics. He even built his own wide­screen TV when
he was fifteen. His senior year, a coach talked him in to trying­out for
basketball. David managed to average a modest 14 points per game, and
then went to the Naval Academy, more for the academics than the
athletics. While there, he grew six inches to a towering 7' 1". This height,
combined with lightning­quickness, dominated the college game and took
Navy to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1966. Because of
obligatory Navy service, his entry into the NBA was deferred for two years.
3) When Robinson joined the Spurs, he instantly turned them from one of
the worst teams in the league to a perennial 50 game winner and playoff
contender. His awards include 1990 Rookie of the Year, 1991 rebounding
title, 1992 Defensive Player of the Year, 1994 NBA scoring title, 1995 NBA
Most Valuable Player and a 1999 NBA championship. The range of these
honors, from rebounding, to scoring, to defense, indicates that Robinson was
a complete player, not just a specialist. 4) Yet despite such accolades, there are those who still feel that Robinson
underachieved. "He's too soft," comes the charge. "Couldn't win a title until
Duncan came." But such charges unfairly judge Robinson by one criterion
only­­winning the "big dance". And the fact remains, that one superstar is not
typically enough to win an NBA championship. Shaq never could get a ring
until Kobe showed up, Michael needed Pippen, Magic had Kareem, and James
Worthy and Larry Bird had Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish. But for most of
Robinson's years, the Spurs were a one­superstar team. When Robinson's
back went out, and he missed the '96/'97 season, the Spurs once again
became so awful that they succeeded in getting the first draft pick. With it,
they chose Tim Duncan, and all of a sudden the Spurs were a two­superstar
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team capable two years later of winning the NBA title. It is true that Robinson
could not have done it without Duncan, but it is equally true that Duncan
could not have done it without Robinson. By any measur e, Robinson's
career has been an overwhelming success. But David Robinson is not about
basketball.
Life
5) Robinson is arguably the one basketball player who has contributed the
most to his community. He promised a class of students in a San Antonio
elementary school that if they graduated from high school, he would fund
their college years. He rented an arena and sponsored summer youth rallies
where he and other players talked about issues like staying off drugs. He set
up a foundation that provided food and clothes to needy people. And he has
funded a private school in an at­risk neighborhood on the East side of San
Antonio. To Robinson, a school was a natural way to make a difference, for
education has always been important to him. He and his wife Valerie wanted
to do something that would keep giving, even after they were gone. David
Robinson has basketball in perspective. It is temporary and not the most
important thing in life. That fresh perspective irks some who would like
basketball to be life, but also marks his true greatness. While David Robinson
may be a big man on the court, he is an even bigger man off the court. And
which is more important?
The Next Jordan?
1) Shaquille O'Neal is possibly the new Michael Jordan, the most dominant
player in basketball today. No one has been able to consistently stop him,
and like Jordan, Shaq has been assembling such an impressive array of rings
and trophies that he can switch them out each day, as if he were changing
his clothes. But Shaq's road to the top has not always been so easy.
2) He was born in Newark, New Jersey, into a military home. His father was
an enlisted soldier in the Army, and the family struggled to make ends
meet. Shaq moved frequently, growing up on army bases in New Jersey,
Georgia, Germany, and San Antonio. He grew fast and at age thirteen was
an intimidating 6' 5". While this guaranteed that he had no enemies, it also
made it difficult to make friends, for he did not exactly fit in. Shaq turned to
pranks for attention and to be seen as "cool," but these only got him in
trouble, so he decided to focus on sports.
Basketball
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3) At first this did not always work. In ninth grade, Shaq was cut from the
basketball team, but his dad was transferred to San Antonio, and Shaq
attended cozy Cole High School where he not only made the team but also
led it to a 68 and 1 record during his season there. His final year at Cole, he
averaged 32 points, 22 rebounds, and 8 blocks per game in leading them to
the state championship. Shaq had found his niche.
4) He left Cole for Louisiana State University and was an instant success,
ultimately being named college basketball's player of the year his junior
year. After leaving college a year early, he was drafted in the first round by
Orlando. Shaq wasted no time making a splash in the NBA. He is the only
player ever to have been named NBA player of the week after his first week
in the league, and his growing resume' of on­court achievements puts him in
elite company: perennial All­NBA selection, 1993 Rookie of the Year, 1995
and 2000 scoring titles, 2000 NBA Most Valuable Player, and, at this writing,
three NBA championships and three finals MVP awards. He can terrorize
other teams, but his dominance inside also frequently opens shots or lanes
for Kobe Bryant and the other Laker teammates. His one weakness is the
free throw line, and many teams have tried to exploit that weakness by
pounding him when he gets the ball. As a young player, he has handled the
pounding quite well, but as he gets older, that may be somethin g to
watch. Old bodies cannot take what young ones can, and the way Shaq is
going, only injury will stop him.
Life 5) Basketball is what Shaq does best, and it is what has made his face
recognizable, but off the court he has become known as well. He always
wanted to rap and act, and after hitting the NBA, rap and act he did. He
currently has five CDs and has starred in three movies and made a cameo in
a fourth. But Shaq understands that there is a business to the arts and that
the millions he makes with the Lakers is just for a short time, so he has
wisely invested in the business side of things as well. He owns his own record
label and clothing line and recently sold to a larger, nationally known
recording label the rights to market whatever his label puts out. This move
will bring greater publicity to future CDs. In addition, he has opened his own
clothing and marketing business that employs about forty people and is
capable of printing 15 to 20,000 T­shirts daily.
6) Shaq has also given back to his community through Shaq­a­Claus
programs, in which he gave toys to Central Florida youths, and through
involvement in various foundations. Recently he has donated one million
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dollars to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to establish technology centers
nationwide. Whether on the court or off, that misfit kid has grown up, and he
has achieved much in what he has put his hand to.
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1
Which is the BEST summary of this selection?
A
David Robinson is an NBA player that is an ideal role model. His academic
accomplishments and dedicated naval service are as impressive as his successful
basketball career. As the superstar of the San Antonio Spurs, he and Tim Duncan
led the team to win the 1999 NBA championship. As an upstanding citizen and
family man, Robinson believes in serving his community and has funded many
academic endeavors in the San Antonio area.
B
David Robinson, an NBA player for the San Antonio Spurs is a dedicated
community volunteer. He works tirelessly with school children in the San Antonio
Area. He is responsible for paying the college tuition of countless disadvantaged
students, and has funded a private school in San Antonio. He believes that helping
others is more important than being a basketball superstar.
C
In high school, David Robinson was more interested in academics and music than
in sports. He began his basketball career with the San Antonio Spurs two years
after graduating from the Naval Academy. Despite his limited basketball
experience, he soon demonstrated his athletic talents by winning many awards
including Most Valuable Player in 1995, and leading his team to the NBA
championship in 1999.
D David Robinson is a very talented basketball player who also enjoys his life as a
family man. Due to his extraordinary athletic ability, David Robinson turned the San
Antonio Spurs from one of the worst teams in the NBA to one of the best winning
teams in the league. It is argued, however, that although his talent is indisputable,
his team would not have won the NBA championship without Tim Duncan.
2
Write a one­paragraph summary of The Admiral and a one­paragraph summary of
The Next Jordan? Be sure to include all main ideas and significant supporting details in
each paragraph.
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3
Which of the following excerpts from
5
Which of the following BEST
the passage The Next Jordan? BEST
represents the logic the author uses in
represents the main idea?
paragraph 4 of The Admiral?
A
A
B
Shaq's road to the top has not
always been so easy.
that he has been a successful
. . . he has achieved much in what
player.
he has put his hand to.
C
Robinson's awards demonstrate
B
him from accomplishing more.
His one weakness is the free
throw line. . . .
D . . . but off the court he has
become known as well.
Robinson's bad back prevented
C
Other superstars can not do what
Robinson is criticized for not
accomplishing.
D The NBA title is not the most
important thing in basketball.
4
The structure of both passages —
F
emphasizes basketball as a
priority
G organizes information into useful
categories
H shows the effects of childhood
influences
J
relates a story from beginning to
end
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