Passage (1)
1 On a cold spring afternoon , while walking home from school , I detoured through
the playground at the end of our alley . I saw a group of old men , tow seated across
a folding table playing a game of chess, other smoking pipes , eating peanuts , and
watching . I ran home and grabbed Vincent's chess set, which was bound in a
cardboard box with rubber bands. I also carefully selected two prized rolls of Life
Savers . I came back to the park and approached a man who was observing the
game.
2 "want to play?" I asked him . His face widened with surprise and he grinned as he
looked at the box under my arm .
3 "little sister , been a long time since I play with dolls," he said, smiling
benevolently . I quickly put the box down next to him on the bench and displayed my
retort.
4 Lau Po, as he allowed me to call him , turned out to be a much better player
than my brother s. I lost many games and many life Savers. But over the weeks , with
each diminishing roll of candies , I added new secrets . Lau Po gave me the names .
The Humble Servant Who kills the King and more .
5 there were also the fine points of chess etiquette. Keep captured men in near
rows, as well-tended prisoners. Never announce "check" with vanity , lest someone
with an unseen sword slit your throat. Never hurl pieces into the sandbox after you
have lost a game , because then you must find them again, by yourself , after
apologizing to all around you. By the end of the summer, Lau Po had taught me all he
knew, and I had become a better chess player .
6 A small weekend crowd of Chinese people and tourists would gather as I
played and defeated my opponents one by one . My mother would join crowds
during these outdoor exhibition games . She sat proudly an the bench telling my
admirers with proper Chinese humility, "Is luck."
7 A man who watched me play in the park suggested that my mother allow me to
play in local chess tournaments. My mother smiled graciously , an answer that
meant nothing. I desperately wanted to go , but I bit back my tongue. I knew she
would not let me play among strangers. So as we walked home I said in a small voice
that I didn't want to play in the local tournament. They would have American rules. If
I lost , I would bring shame on my family.
8 During my first tournament, my mother sat with me in the front row as I
waited for my turn . I frequently bounced my legs to unstick them from the cold
metal seat of the folding chair . when my name was called, I leapt up. My mother
unwrapped something in her lap. It was her chang , a small tablet of red jade which
held the sun's fire. "Is luck ," she whispered , and tucked it into my dress pocket. I
turned to my opponent , a fifteen-year-old boy from Oakland.
9 As I began to play , the boy disappeared , the color ran out of the room , and I
saw only my white pieces and his black ones waiting on the other side . "Blow from
the South," it murmured . "The wind leaves no trail." I saw a clear path, the traps to
avoid . The wind blew stronger . "Throw sand from the East to distract him .
"check," I said


Passage (2)
1 The game of basketball is enjoyed by many people around the world . It is
perhaps the most popular indoor sport in the united states. The object of the
game is to score points by shooting a ball through a hoop. The game is played
by two teams, each consisting of 12 players and a coach , with five players
from each team on the court at one time .
2 In the past, people with disabilities were not able to play basketball , but in
the late 1930s, modifications were made to the game so that paraplegics could
play as well. Most paraplegics depend on wheelchairs to be able to move
around . since paraplegics still have use of their arms , they are able to go up
and down the length of the basketball court in their wheelchairs and shoot
baskets.
3 in ordinary basketball, the ball can be moved by "passing" it from one
player to another , or by "drilling", in which the player bounces the ball as he or
she moves. The ball may not be held for more than one pace . there are several
modifications to this in wheelchair basketball . A wheelchair player can
dribble by placing the ball on his or her lap. The player then pushes the wheels
of the chair once or twice to move forward. After two pushes, the player must
then bounce the ball on the floor. If the player moves the wheel three times in a
row without dribbling , the player breaks the rules of the game in what is
known as a traveling violation. Another way a wheelchair player can dribble is
by bouncing the ball with one hand while pushing the wheels of the chair with
the other . In this way , the player can move and bounce the ball at the same
time.
4 Another modification to the rules of ordinary basketball involves lane
violation s. A player with the ball is ordinarily allowed to stay in the dark,
rectangle-shaped lane in front of the basket for only three seconds. In
wheelchair basketball ,players are given an extra second. This extra second
gives them a little more time to move around other wheelchairs. If a player
stays in the lane for more than four seconds, he or she incurs a lane violation
and the ball is given to the other team.
5 Other violations include the out-of-bounds violation and a physical
advantage violation. In an out-of-bounds violation , a player's wheelchair
touches the boundary lines around the outside of the basketball court. A
physical advantage violation is one in which a player rises from his or her
chair. In this case, the opposing team is awarded two free throws.
6 perhaps the biggest difference in wheelchair basketball is the wheelchair
itself. These wheelchairs are designed especially for basketball. The rear
wheels are about the size of a bicycle's wheels, and there are one or two small
front wheels called casters. Basketball wheelchairs are made from material's
that are lightweight but strong . Because they are specially designed , they can
be quite expensive .
7 wheelchair players must train and practice as hard as any other player
does. When they arrive at a training session, basketball players first put their
feet on the rests at the front of the chairs, then strap their legs in place . they
will probably begin a training session by taking several laps around the
basketball court. After ward, they will practice passing , dribbling shooting
baskets.
8 the game of wheelchair basketball can be exciting to watch. Since they use
their upper bodies so much, wheelchair basketball players often develop into
powerful shooters, and they are capable of some amazing shots.