19

I promised Michael Jordan I wouldnt mention this until the season was over. Now l think its time.

Early last season, I wrote a column about an art of kindness I had seen Jordan do to a disabled child outside the stadium. After it ran, I got a call from a man in the western suburbs. He said, “I read what you wrote about Jordan, but I thought I should tell you another thing I saw.”

Here it comes, I thought. It always does. Write something nice about a person, and people call you up to say that the person is not so nice.

A few weeks later Jordan and I were talking about something else before a game, and I brought up what the man had said. Was the man right? Had Jordan really been talking to those two boys in that poor and dirty neighborhood?

“Not two boys,” Jordan said. “But four.”

And he named them. He said four names. And what did they talk about?

“Everything,” Jordan said. “Anything. Ive asked to see their grades so that I can check to see if theyre paying attention to their study. If it turns out that one or two of them may need teaching, I make sure they get it.”

Its just one more part of Michael Jordans life, one more thing that no one knows about, and one more thing Jordan does fight for. The NBA season is over now, and those boys have their memories. So do I! When the expert reviewers begin to turn against Jordan as they surely will, Ill think about those boys under the streetlight, waiting for the man they know to come. For someone they can depend on.

1. Why does the writer write the story about Jordan?

A. He thought highly of Jordans deeds. B. He hated to see Jordan do something bad.

C. He believed it was time to help the disabled. D. He felt sure he neednt keep the promise then.

2. A man in the western suburbs made a call to ＿＿＿ .

A. argue with the writer B. know why Jordan stopped in a bad area

C. let the writer know Jordan was not that nice D. offer an example to show how Jordan helped others

3. Why did Jordan talk with the boys?

A. He needed their support. B. He had promised to do so.

C. He liked to teach them to play basketball. D. He wanted to make sure they all studied well.

4. The text implies that Jordan is ＿＿＿ .

A. an excellent basketball player B. good at dealing with problems of life

C. always ready to make friends with young people D. willing to do whatever he can for the good of society