Cassius Marcellus Clay was born on January 17th, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. In his younger years he had no interest in sports until an accident happened.
When Cassius was 12, his new bike was missing. Reporting the theft to Policeman Joe Martin, he said that he was going to beat whoever had taken his bike. Martin, who had been coaching youth boxing for decades, asked the boy, “Do you know how to fight?" When Cassius admitted that he didn't, the officer suggested, "You'd better learn!
It was the beginning of his boxing career. Cassius devoted himself to boxing training. Although he wasn't very talented in boxing, he worked harder than anyone else in the gym. He'd rush to the gym every day as soon as school was over and would even train on Saturdays. Outside of the gym, Cassius stayed away from anything that would influence his training. He was showing the kind of determination and discipline that other boxers didn't have.
Under the guidance of Martin and his friend, young Clay began winning games one after another. By the age of 18 he had won 108 games, 6 Kentucky Golden Gloves championships and 2 national AAU titles.
Today he is recognized as the greatest athlete of modern times. He always carried a self confidence and believed in his ability that he can put his competitors off guard before the first round bell had even sounded.
1. How did Cassius feel when he told the policeman his bike was stolen?| A．Disappointed. | B．Confused. |
| C．Amazed. | D．Angry. |
| A．He asked Cassius to train hard. |
| B．He helped Cassius to find his bike. |
| C．He advised Cassius to learn boxing. |
| D．He introduced Cassius to an boxing coach. |
| A．Bad-tempered. | B．Easy-going. |
| C．Cold-hearted. | D．Hard-working. |
| A．To show Cassius' achievements. | B．To express Cassius' determination. |
| C．To express his admiration to Cassius. | D．To show the importance of hard work. |
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【推荐1】Before arriving in China, I had read lots of books about China. Therefore, when I arrived, I was excited to be living in this huge historically and culturally rich country. It was so greatly different from the UK. The food, the landmarks, the big cities and everyday life—I couldn’t wait to explore.
However, learning Chinese hadn’t even entered my mind, not because I was lazy, but because I had no confidence to learn the most difficult language in the world. Besides this, once I moved to China, I lived in Shanghai. It is an international city, with many people speaking English as a second language. So I thought English would be sufficient.
But after a year in China I found many expats(侨民) spoke Chinese. Perhaps it was achievable after all? I felt uncomfortable because so many Chinese people could speak English while I couldn’t even speak the most basic Chinese. To face the challenge, I decided to begin my language journey and my only regret is that I didn’t start earlier.
In the two years since starting to learn I have made great progress. Now, I am able to talk in Chinese on many topics. Learning to speak Chinese isn’t as difficult as I once expected. When I speak to Chinese people in Chinese, they almost always understand me. The most challenging thing is listening since Chinese people talk at such a speed. I can’t always understand what’s been said, but my weekly online language exchanges help with this. Learning Chinese has taken a lot of hard work. But there is still a long way to go before I reach my goal of fluency(流利). Learning Chinese not only helps me in day-to-day life, but deepens my cultural understanding of such a great country. So, to all my non-Chinese friends I say this, don’t be afraid, face the challenge and be confident.
1. What did the writer do after arriving in China?| A．Read a lot of books about China. | B．Couldn’t wait to study Chinese. |
| C．Tried to learn more about China. | D．Missed his life in his home of UK. |
| A．Enough. | B．Important. | C．Necessary. | D．Possible. |
| A．He has a hearing problem. |
| B．Chinese people speak too fast. |
| C．Chinese is the most difficult language. |
| D．He doesn’t know much about many topics. |
| A．A new opinion in learning. |
| B．Exploring the joy of learning Chinese. |
| C．The writer’s journey of learning Chinese. |
| D．The value of learning a new language. |
【推荐2】Many people want to look away from injustice and other troubling issues. But visual artist Siyan Wong has chosen not to look away. Through her art, she helps us see what is right before our eyes.
Wong, who lives in New York City, was born in China. Her art focuses on women, the elderly, people who are experiencing homelessness, and clothing industry workers.
Wong has loved art since she was a child. Her family didn’t have much money, so she and her sister would draw and cut out paper dolls to play with. This early experience provided Wong with a creative outlet for her emotions.
After graduating from Stuyvesant High School, she went on to college and law school. She is now a workers’ rights lawyer, but her belief in the healing (治愈) power of art remains. “Whenever I’m stressed or sad, I draw,” Wong said. “I express my feelings through art. Art is a comfortable way to bring people together to talk about difficult issues.”
One of Wong’s series is called “Five Cents a Can: Making Visible the Invisible”. I was inspired by the artist’s meetings with an Asian-American woman in her neighborhood. During early morning runs, Wong noticed the woman, who was more than 90 years old, collecting deserted cans and bottles in the dustbins behind her apartment building.
She is currently working on a painting for her “Home and Homeless” series. In the painting, she describes both a person who is homeless and an elderly canner. “The difference between someone who collects cans and someone who is homeless is hope,” Wong said. Her goal is to highlight the difference between the two and bring about questions for the viewer. Why does the elderly canner have hope, while the homeless person doesn’t? How did these individuals end up here?
1. What does Wong’s art focus on?| A．Social problems. | B．Charity projects. |
| C．Natural environment. | D．Her childhood life. |
| A．It can improve her emotions. |
| B．It needs much money to achieve. |
| C．It helps the world present itself clearly. |
| D．It is what people should pay attention to. |
| A．Her profession as a lawyer. | B．Cans and bottles in dustbins. |
| C．Poverty in her neighborhood. | D．An old lady leading a hard life. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Grateful. | C．Favorable. | D．Uncaring. |
【推荐3】Not long ago, few little girls imagined they could grow up to become astronauts. For years in the United States, only men had that opportunity. In 1983, that changed. Sally Ride made history by becoming the first American woman to travel to space.
On Monday, Ride died at the age of 61, “Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model,” President Barack Obama said in a statement. “She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars.”
Ride became interested in space when she was a kid. “If you asked me when I was 12 whether I wanted to be an astronaut, I’m sure I would have said yes,” she said in a 2010 interview. “But I didn’t even think about that as a possible career.”
After studying physics in college, Ride got her chance. She was accepted into NASA’s astronaut training program in 1978, and then chosen to be the first American female in space. In 1983, she blasted into space aboard the Challenger shuttle.
Ride returned to space on the Challenger a second time in 1984. Between the two missions, she spent a total of 343 hours in orbit. After that, she remained involved with the space program and also worked to share her passion for science with kids. She co-authored six science books for children, and started her own science and education company.
Ride knew that she held a unique place in history. “I realized how important it was for a woman to break that barrier and open the door for other women to be able to do the same exciting things that the men had been doing,” she said.
Since Ride’s historic trip, more than 40 other American women have travelled to space. They all had Ride to thank for opening the door to the final frontier.
1. Obama called Ride a national hero because she______.| A．was the first American to travel to space |
| B．became the first American female in space |
| C．was the first to travel on the Challenger shuttle |
| D．opened a door for women to find suitable jobs |
| A．Taking many pictures of the space program. |
| B．Starting a company to teach more astronauts. |
| C．Teaching kids through sharing her thirst for science. |
| D．Teaching woman how to become a successful astronaut. |
| A．Brave and creative. |
| B．Curious and strict. |
| C．Kind and elegant. |
| D．Generous and easy-going. |
| A．Ride studied astronomy when she was in university. |
| B．Americans think Ride was the greatest woman in history. |
| C．There are many women who have become astronauts after Ride. |
| D．Ride wanted to find a job as an astronaut when she was very young. |
After failing to secure a spot in vault final of the Tokyo Olympics, Veteran Oksana Chusovitina left the sport’s biggest stage forever. The 46-year-old called time on her legendary career after competing at a record eighth Olympic Games.
In a sport known for its youthful champions, Chusovitina has become a global fan favourite. She has collected 11 medals at major global championships and 5 gymnastics skills are named after her.
Chusovitina was born on June 19, 1975, in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, and she made her Olympic debut at the 1992 Barcelona Games as part of the gold medal-winning Unified team, consisting of athletes from former Soviet states.
Chusovitina then represented Uzbekistan from 1993 to 2006, and in 1997 she married Uzbek Olympic wrestler Bakhodir Kurbanov. In 1999 they had a son, Alisher. But three years later, however, Alisher was diagnosed with leukemia (白血病). So his parents accepted a generous offer to move to Germany, where Alisher could receive treatment.
Chusovitina obtained German citizenship and competed in various club competitions, which earned prize money to help pay for her son’s care. She also represented her new country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where her silver medal on vault was the only medal for the German women’s team. Chusovitina represented Germany for the final time at the 2012 Olympics, and she has been competing for Uzbekistan ever since. After her son’s recovery, Chusovitina continued to compete, but this time it was her love of gymnastics that kept her going. “There is no secret. I just love gymnastics and no one ever forced me to compete. I do so with pleasure,” she said.
1. What does the underlined part in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Stuck to. | B．Took pride in. |
| C．Put an end to. | D．Made a summary of. |
| A．She collected 13 medals at eight Olympic Games. |
| B．She won a gold medal for German at the Beijing Olympics. |
| C．She took part in the 2004 Olympic Games despite of leukemia. |
| D．She represented different nations at the Olympic Games. |
| A．Her son’s medical bills. | B．Her strong interest in gymnastics. |
| C．Her devotion to her motherland. | D．Her desire for German citizenship. |
| A．Outgoing. | B．Determined. | C．Humorous. | D．Generous. |
【推荐2】“Tennis一I'm saying goodbye." With these words, Russian tennis superstar Maria Sharapova, 32, has announced her retirement.
“How do you leave behind the only life you've ever known?" she asked herself. Several reasons played a role in Sharapova leaving the tennis court for good.
Over the last couple of years, she's dealt with an injury in her right shoulder and inflammation (炎症) in her forearms that may have prevented her from returning to top form. In more recent news, the death of her longtime friend, US basketball legend Kobe Bryant, also played a factor in her decision to retire.
“As I think you've seen throughout my career, my perseverance has been my greatest tool, my greatest strength," Sharapova said in an interview.“But I've started feeling like it was becoming a weakness, because the stubbornness that was keeping me going was keeping me going for wrong reasons."
Sharapova rose to fame at age 17 when she won Wimbledon in 2004. She won a total of four Grand Slam singles titles; the 2006 US Open, the 2008 Australian Open, and the 2012 and 2014 French Open. She also earned the Fed Cup title in Russia in 2008 and an Olympic silver medal in singles in 2012, among many other accomplishments. For 16 straight years from 2004, Sharapova was the world's highest-earning female athlete, according to Forbes. Off the court, she made millions of dollars from companies such as Evian and Nike, as well as starting her own candy company.
"Tennis showed me the world - - and it showed me what I was made of," Sharapova wrote on Facebook on Feb 26, alongside a photo of herself as a young girl with a tennis racquet, “It's how I tested myself and how I measured my growth. And so in whatever I might choose for my next chapter, my next mountain, I’ll still be pushing. I'll still be climbing. I'll still be growing.”
1. What contributed to Sharapova' s retirement?| A．Her stubbornness. | B．Her friend's suggestions. | C．Her injuries. | D．Her growing age. |
| A．Tool. | B．Perseverance. | C．Strength. | D．Reason. |
| A．Sharapova is the highest-earning female. | B．Sharapova donated a lot to Evian and Nike. |
| C．Sharapova's companies run successfully. | D．Sharapova is a woman of many achievements. |
| A．Playing tennis taught Sharapova how to advance in life. |
| B．Sharapova will continue pushing herself as a tennis player: |
| C．Climbing mountains is Sharapova's new interest. |
| D．A picture posted online showed Sharapova's growth. |
【推荐3】Argentina soccer legend Diego Maradona has died aged 60 of heart failure on Wednesday. Heart failure is a chronic condition that gradually damages the heart's ability to pump blood. Fluid can build up in the lungs as a result — a condition known as pulmonary edema. It is an increasingly common problem that can be fatal.
Regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game, Maradona became a household name after inspiring his country to World Cup glory in 1986. He took center stage at the tournament with a memorable performance against England where he scored a symbolic goal that he later described as the "Hand of God".
The small forward out-jumped legendary keeper Peter Shilton and knocked the ball into the net. The goal was allowed to stand, though it was claimed to be a handball. Later in the very game he scored one of the best goals in history after weaving his way past seven English defenders.
His impressive career was also marked by numerous controversies and his notorious lifestyle led to alcoholism and addiction.
Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez announced three days of national mourning for the passing of the superstar, and posted a tribute to Maradona on Twitter. "You took us to the top of the world. You made us feel incredibly happy. You were the greatest of all. Thank you for having existed," it read.
Maradona will lie in honor for public viewing at Argentina's presidential palace. Fans headed to the streets across Argentina and in Naples on Wednesday to pay tribute to（悼念） their hero. Meanwhile, a minute's silence would be observed ahead of all European matches this week in honor of the Argentine.
"He will go down in history as someone who set football alight and thrilled global fans young and old with his brilliance and skill."
1. Why did the famous football player Maradona die?| A．Old age. | B．Heart illness. | C．Loss of blood. | D．Lung cancer. |
| A．His achievements in life. | B．His "Hand of God". |
| C．His great performance in 1986. | D．His legendary life. |
| A．good | B．bad | C．common | D．healthy |
| A．Respectful. | B．Unkind. | C．Impolite. | D．Friendly. |
