The Daytona 500

Get ready for one of America’s biggest racing events!
極速賽車代托納五百
準備好迎接美國最盛大的賽車活動之一！

On this day in 1948, William France and his friends officially formed NASCAR, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. Over 200,000 fans will gather this coming Sunday in Daytona Beach, Florida, to watch the 55th Daytona 500, NASCAR's biggest racing event.

Visitors will hear roaring engines, smell smoking tires and witness high-speed crashes. Top drivers compete in this 500-mile-long race, reaching speeds of nearly 200 miles per hour.

A Close Finish
In 1959, in the first Daytona 500 three cars were neck and neck as they flew past the checkered flag. Since race officials didn't have their own camera, they asked reproters for photos to determine the winner. The photos showed that Lee Petty had won the race by a few feet! He was declared the winner three days after the race. Ever since, cameras have been installed at the finish line.

Gaining Popularity
The race was first broadcast on national TV in 1979, giving many Americans their first exposure to stock car racing. Thousands of new fans quickly became hooked on this fast, loud and dangerous sport.

The 55th Daytona 500 is about to start. Drivers and fans alike are eager to hear the race's famous starting line: "Gentlemen, start your engines!"

Info Cloud
prohibition n. 禁止, 被禁
1 [noncount] : the act of not allowing something to be used or done
* the city's prohibition of smoking in restaurants
2 [count] : a law or order that stops something from being used or done
* a prohibition against parking on the street
3 Prohibition [noncount] : the period of time from 1920 to 1933 in the U.S. when it was illegal to make or sell alcohol
prohibit v. (以法令, 規定等)禁止

課文提到 NASCAR是1948年成立,
但其實 NASCAR 要追溯到更早期的禁止令 prohibition
1920年代的禁酒令, 人們為了走私酒, 也避免被警察抓到,
就把車子改裝成跑車, 因速度較快,
1933 取消禁酒令之後, 但是還要課稅, 所以還是用改裝車走私酒,
一直到1948年跑車正式的誔生

Grammar Gym
first exposure to: first time to experience
* Sarah's concert last night was her first exposure to performing in public.
* Jason's first exposure to cross-cultural communication was when he went on a study-aroad program.


Language Lab
stock car n. 用舊車改裝成的賽車
plural ∼ cars
[count] : a car used for racing that has the same basic structure as a car normally sold to the public but has a more powerful engine, a stronger frame, etc. — often used before another noun ▪ stock car racing
stock adj. 成就的, 老套的
* Hundreds of people gathered at the finish line, waiting for the champion of the stock car race.
幾百名觀眾在終點等候拼裝車的冠軍

witness v.目睹, 親眼看見
* Several people witnessed the accident.
幾位名眾目睹了這場車禍
witness n. 證人, 目擊者
* The witness identified the suspect at the police station.
證人在警局指認了這名嫌犯

neck and neck 並駕齊區
extremely close together in a race or contest
* The two horses were running neck and neck during the race.
二匹馬在比賽中並駕齊區
* The two candidates were neck and neck during the election campaign.
這二位候選人在選舉中並駕齊區

hook v. 勾住, 使動彈不得
become hooked on something 被某件事情吸引住了, 迷住了
* I got hooked on the music of this famous band.


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