1 . The greatest sports moments often have a wonderful flow state behind the victories or performances. Being in flow refers to the moments where distraction reduces, and concentration ________.

It was a ________ summer camp ping pong tournament where I was not only down 1 set, but 7 points behind my opponent, who had only 3 points left to ________ the set, and the tournament. For a comeback, I had to win at least 10 points, without making ________!

Facing the ________ situation, I could call it a day and let my opponent win. Perhaps my opponent had already focused on the ________, but failure wasn’t an option! ________, I stuck it out, hoping for the best. I told myself, “Let’s just try and win the next point, nothing else.” ________ deep, I stared at the ball with a clear mindset and keen ________. I took it, hit it back and scored!

5 points to go, 4 points to go... My opponent started getting visibly ________ and made mistakes. Point by point I was getting closer to being even 7-8. I was one point away from doing the ________. My mouth was shut and my eyes stayed sharp the entire set. He made another ________ 8-8. The comeback was complete. The crowd went ________! Winning the next 3 points, I managed to win that set. In the last set, my opponent turned restless again. ________ the flow, I ended up winning the final set, and the tournament.

Despite a small game, it inspired me a lot. Not being able to control how our opponent plays, we can ________ how to react. Don’t be there, where you are not. Instead, be here and now! Stay in flow! Be concentrated!

5 . I have grown up in a football-loving family. My dad played until injury _________ him out. My elder sister Stevie _________ with Crewe Alexandra Girls for a year or two as a left back (后卫), just like our hero Jamie Carragher.

I remember the exact moment when I told my dad I was _________ in doing what my big sister did. I was watching the game with him in the living room and it just came out: “It makes me _________ that I can’t be a footballer.” He asked why not, and I answered, “Because I’m not a boy.”

He _________ responded by telling me that women’s football was “great” and that I could play if I wanted to. “Yeah, I suppose so,” I responded, “but no one _________ women’s football.” Looking back, I can see exactly why I felt like that.

At school, there was an unwritten _________ that sports like rugby and football were for the boys. I’d never seen a women’s football match on TV and the only _________ athletes I’d heard of were in the Olympics.

Today, the England Lionesses (母狮队) will _________ Scotland in the World Cup, and people across the world will watch it. __________ women’s football has turned out to be one of FIFA’s investments, the majority of female players in top tiers are earning under what anyone would consider a fair __________, and only £24 million prize money was awarded to the women’s World Cup victors in __________ with £315 million to the men’s. That’s a vast __________.

Maybe, the truth is: Investment is needed for female football to become more visible and become a(n) __________ respected game. It’ll mean talented, skillful female footballers being __________ by millions of homes and maybe, just maybe, a little girl believing that she can also be a Lioness one day.

6 . After graduation, I decided to take the gym seriously. Accompanied by a friend, I________a routine of walking on the treadmill (跑步机). I was ________with our routine in the gym. My friend, however, became bored.

One day, he suggested that we ________an outdoor sport. I was an uncoordinated (动作不协调的) person, so I_______his idea.

But several weeks later, he managed to ________me to step on to an outdoor racquetball (美式壁球) court. When I hit the ball, I sent it flying in every direction except the direction that I had __________Still, somehow, I tried hard to learn it and became ________after constantly practicing.

“We’re not getting enough________on the treadmill. Why not play tennis to build up our body?” suggested my friend.

“Tennis? I can’t play tennis! That ________real skills!” I firmly resisted (抵制) his new ________.

However, weeks later, I started playing tennis. After several months of________practice, one day, as the ball came flying towards me, my racket and the ball met in what tennis players viewed as the “sweet spot”. I had ________learned how to play tennis properly!

I learned a valuable ________from these experiences：I can do whatever I set my mind on. I just need to put in efforts, and the results will ________. And I become quite________about trying new things and I’m always filled with a sense of excitement.

8 . It was my first year teaching in a special needs classroom. I wasn’t sure what to________at our annual Special Olympics. My students had a range of________, from mild learning disabilities to severe brain diseases.

Mark was one with the latter,________to a wheelchair. However, he always greeted everyone with________smiles. His classmates loved him and often took their time to________ his participation in group activities, especially Mike, Andy and Lucas, all________at sports.

Mark imagined being like them. Watching and cheering for their elegant________on the playground seemed to fill him with________.

The big day came at last and the final________was the 400-meter race. Everyone was invited to________according to their own ability. Mike, Andy and Lucas________to prove who the best athlete was. But when the exhausted three reached the finish line they ________and turned to look behind them. At the back of the crowd, determined not to be left behind, was Mark, alone on the________in his wheelchair with half the distance left to ________— all his classmates were________him. Looking at each other, a________thought passed between them. Slowly, they jogged back towards their friend, surrounded Mark and kept pace,________him on as he had done for them before.

The progress was________, but eventually they crossed the finish line together to the ________cries of their teachers and classmates. I came to understand what makes the Special Olympics so________. Years later, I’m still cheering them on.

9 . Beginning to learn gymnastics even before she could barely walk, Svetlana had always dreamed to enter the Olympics scene some day.

However, her ________ ended in the car on the winding road when a lorry appeared out of nowhere. The last thing she ________ was a blinding flash of light. In hospital, when told she would never ________ again, she couldn’t believe it. Three months later, she was ________ out of hospital on a wheelchair. Then a friend came to her house to visit her with an old Child’s storybook. A bookmark in it made her ________ to page 117. The name of the ________ was ‘The Day Clara walked’. She was determined to return to stage whatever it might cost.

________, after a year’s hard exercise, Svetlana ________ and was able to display her gymnastics. While she was sitting on the green bench ________ the Athens Stadium, memories ________: first, the pain and the tears, the book under her pillow, the words of relatives full of advice and comfort, and the pity in those eyes that had once held ________ for her talent. Then followed the trips to the gym where everyone looked on   ________, their disbelief transforming slowly to wonder, ________ she could balance the hoop (健身圈) as well as her teammates. She registered for the Olympic Games and finally she received ________ from the Olympic Committee.

Her ________ was interrupted by the attendant who said, “It’s time”, two words that she had been ________ to hear for so long. Smoothing her dress, she walked into the stadium, each________ firm and steady. Everything was ________, and the applause rang loud in her ears, her heart hammering violently against her chest.

Later that night, Svetlana pulled the gold medal out of her pocket and placed it on the old ________ on the shelf, which opened to page 117, to the chapter ‘The Day Clara Walked’, tears ________ her vision.

10 . When I was younger, I was very sporty. My dad is a runner who greatly ______ me. My great hobby between the ages 11 and 14 was cross-country ______. However, when my family ______, my new school didn’t pay attention to ______, and had no after-school activities like football or running.

Over the next few years, I ______ exercising except during P. E. lessons at school. I was ______ that I could eat what I wanted and didn’t put on any weight, so it looked like I was healthy, but in reality I was very ______.

When I started university, I decided that I would try and get fit, but by then I was worried about ______ myself in front of other people. So I gave it up. ______, this year, one of my New Year’s promises has been to try to be healthy. This ______ came after I was late for a bus, and tried to run after it and was very out of ______ in under a minute! I considered ______ running again, yet my housemate wanted me to practice yoga together with her, so my New Year’s resolve was ______.

Finally, one of my friends ______ a swimming pool close to my house that she had gone to a few times. Now, I love ______, and I find doing laps in the pool very relaxing. Experts say everyone should do 30 minutes of proper ______ every day, so I’m starting with an hour three times a week and ______ every day. I hope that I will soon start to feel the ______ of regular exercise, and will become fitter and ______. In the long term, I know it will be very good for me, and will ______ all sorts of health problems that often occur in later life.