1 . Torsongan Bullik is a 28-year-old cross-country skier. When he was a freshman in junior high school in 2009, he excelled at long-distance running. As an amateur in 2016, he finished third in the Xinjiang Wusu International Marathon. And then a passion for cycling revealed itself as his hometown hosted the Tour of Sayram Lake, a national road race for amateur cyclists.
“The high-spirited cyclists, their flashy costumes and helmets fascinated me,” he recalls. “I felt that cycling was really cool.”
In 2012, Torsongan’s father gave him a mountain bike that cost 5,000 yuan ($695), which was a lot of money for his family. He loved the bicycle so much that he used it at every opportunity. Two years later, he entered his first competition, although there was no fairy-tale ending as he lost his balance on a steep slope. But he was determined and kept testing his limits. This paid off as he has won medals at all levels of the sport in China.
On Oct 18, 2018, Torsongan was the first to cross the finish line during a high-altitude bike race in the Xizang autonomous region. But surprisingly, it was the national cross-country skiing team that he impressed with his endurance (耐力). They were in search of new talented athletes for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Accepting the invitation from the team marked a turning point for Torsongan’s career, but challenges remained. “After training with the team during the day, I had to go to the gym to level up my upper-body strength in the evening,” Torsongan said in an earlier interview.
He didn’t make the final list, but worked as a technician assisting (帮助) in the operations of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Regardless of the outcome of the 14th National Winter Games, Torsongan enjoyed the challenge of competing, and has his eyes set on the next race.
“I will continue with my efforts. As long as I don’t give up, I still have a chance to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics,” he says.
1. What set Torsongan on the cross-country skiing road?| A．He felt that skiing was really cool. |
| B．He studied on cross-country skiing. |
| C．A professional team looked for someone with talent. |
| D．He hoped to fulfill his father’s expectations. |
| A．Determined and hard-working. | B．Cautious and responsible. |
| C．Strong and humorous. | D．Talented and productive. |
| A．He used to be a professional long-distance runner. |
| B．His hard work of bike training didn’t paid off. |
| C．He didn’t accept the invitation from the team. |
| D．He was a technician in the Beijing Winter Olympics. |
| A．Encouraging others to join in his activity. |
| B．Becoming a technician assistant in his hometown. |
| C．Continuing his dream at the next Winter Olympics. |
| D．Becoming a long-distance running player. |
2 . When 36-year-old Andy Duran decided to return to his favorite high school hobby-skateboarding— in January 2021，the only problem he expected to run into was his own ability to get back into the sport after the long break. However, the 340-pound skateboarder from Oakland, California, soon realized that was the least of his problems.
Duran’s problems began before he even stepped on a skateboard. “I couldn’t find any resources (资源) for fat skaters, what types of boards to try, or where to buy branded (名牌的) shirts in sizes 2XL or 3XL,” he says.
What Duran did find instead was an unfounded belief that fat people should not be skating. “I started to find people who were saying that if you’ re over 190 pounds you shouldn’t be on a skateboard, or that the board won’t support you,” he says.
Determined to do something to change that, Duran founded Chub Rollz— a skating and skateboarding community for overweight skaters. “If you feel like your size makes you feel uncomfortable about skating with others, you are welcome to skate with us,” Duran says.
Duran created a list of recommended (推荐的) products for fat skaters. He also held skating and skateboarding classes to teach beginners. He received a lot of messages from strangers expressing gratitude. “This means so much to me; I didn’t think I could skate,” said one. “A person at the skate shop laughed at me, but this club makes me feel like I can still do it,” wrote another.
Though encouraged, Duran believes a lot more needs to be done to change the idea that fat bodies can’t do and aren’t interested in the activity. He thinks that is simply not true. “I want to see more changes in communities. Maybe skate shops have more training for creating a more welcoming environment for all types of skaters or boards to be made in different sizes,” he explains.
1. What difficulty did Duran have when he decided to start skateboarding again?| A．He couldn’t afford a branded skateboard. |
| B．He couldn’t find proper products for him. |
| C．He realized the board couldn’t support him. |
| D．He found it hard for him to step on a skateboard. |
| A．He wrote them encouraging messages. |
| B．He found them excellent teachers. |
| C．He raised money for them. |
| D．He started a club for them. |
| A．Worries. | B．Thanks. | C．Pride. | D．Doubt. |
| A．More members will join Chub Rollz. |
| B．More support will be given to fat skaters. |
| C．Skate shops will provide more affordable boards. |
| D．There will be more communities like Chub Rollz. |
3 . Races
Virtual(虚拟的）races-but the running is real! Here are some of the best online races.
RAINBOWS VIRTUAL 5K
This is a fun run designed to be completed in any way that is proper for you-whether you run or walk in the garden,dance and walk fast along with your dog. All the organisers ask is that you complete 5K—in one go or over several days of your choice.
￡20,rainbows.co,uk/events/rainbows-virtual-5k
MILTON KEYNES MARATHON WEEKEND VIRTUAL 5K
Part of the yearly September Milton Keynes running festival, this year you can complete the 5Kvirtually. Complete it in your own time—in the garden or on an exercise machine if need be. You can also complete it in smaller runs.
From ￡18,mkmarathon. com/virtual-race
10K GARDEN CHALLENGE
A virtual race you can complete in your garden or at a local open space or park. Put on your shoes and complete 10K as speedily as you can. The event helps raise money for mental(精神的)health,with 15% of the entry fee being given to Bath Mind.By the way,the medal(奖牌)is environment-friendly.
￡15,womensrunning.co. uk/ neus/ keep-motivated-with-our-womens-runing-virtual-challenges
ROCK 'N' ROLL VIRTUAL
Sign up with the virtual running club and compete in weekly events alongside runners from around the world. Challenges include running an 8K and 15K in one weekend or running a l5Kwithin a 30-hour time window. Running challenges are all free to enter, but you can buy merchandise(商品）and medals if you want to add to your wall.
Free to join,buy your medals from ￡20,runrocknrollvr.com
1. If Mary wants to run just for fun,she will most likely visit________.| A．womensrunning.co.uk/news /keep-motivated-with-our-womens-running-virtual-challenges |
| B．rainbows.co.uk/events/rainbows-virtual-5k |
| C．mkmarathon.com/virtual-race |
| D．runrocknrollvr.com |
| A．10K GARDEN CHALLENGE. |
| B．RAINBOWS VIRTUAL 5K. |
| C．ROCK ' N' ROLL VIRTUAL. |
| D．MILTON KEYNES MARATHON WEEKEND VIRTUAL 5K. |
| A．It is held once a year. |
| B．It welcomes local runners only. |
| C．It offers different choices to people. |
| D．It requires people to pay the entry fee. |
