This weekend a marathon took place in Salzburg, the city in     1     I’m currently living. I’ve never run for more than half an hour so I’m     2     (amaze) that some people manage to keep going for over four hours!

Running is     3     (difficulty) because you have to motivate yourself to keep going—it’s more solitary than a team sport. I used to get really out of     4     (breathe) while running and it didn’t feel good at all! Now I     5     (actual) enjoy going for a jog along the river in Salzburg,     6     (feel) my muscles working and breathing in the fresh air.

    7     (challenge) exercise is always rewarding. Hiking is fun because all     8     hard work, walking uphill, comes at the beginning of the day. Then at the top of the mountain you can enjoy the view and some well-earned chocolate! At the end of the day, you feel like you     9     (achieve) something.

This just shows that perseverance pays off —     10     you work hard, you can succeed.

China’s women’s basketball team won respect and encouragement from Chinese netizens for their sportsmanship     1     (display) in the gold-medal game against Team US in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup on Saturday, after finishing in second place.

In Friday’s semi-final, China defeated host Australia 61-59 and entered the World Cup final for the second time in almost three decades. This is a significant     2     (achieve) for a team with an average age of less than 26 years old. The Chinese team won six times in this year’s World Cup before Saturday’s final. The only defeat was that it     3     (lose) 63-77 to the US during the group stages.

When     4     (face) the world’s top-ranked Team USA, the reigning champions, the Chinese players showed a strong desire     5     (fight) until the end.     6    the Chinese players failed to conjure a miracle in the final, their progress is     7     (definite) worth being proud of. Cheryl Reeve, coach of Team USA,     8    claimed their fourth FIBA World Cup title in     9     row, said she saw the growth of their Chinese rivals. “This is a great time for the Chinese women’s national team. It’s a very, very good team,” she told the press conference.

After the game, the Chinese Basketball Association on Sina Weibo congratulated China’s women’s national basketball team     10    finishing runners up again after 28 years. It also expressed gratitude to every athlete, coach, and staff member in the team for their dedication.

At the age of 21, Chris Nikic became the first person with Down syndrome to complete the Ironman triathlon, which consisted of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. The very thought would be enough     1    (put) off those in the greatest physical condition. However, by completing    2    challenge in 14 minutes under the official cut-off time, this sporting hero set a Guinness World Record.

This    3    (impress) accomplishment was made possible thanks to the loving guidance of Nikic’s father, Nik. While     4    (raise) Nikic, Nik was worried about his son’s inactive lifestyle, thus giving him the task of becoming 1%     5    (fit) every day. And the first step    6     (achieve) with a single push-up.

Now, three years later, Nikic has gathered much    7    (strong) and determination to really push his body to the limits. Considering those with Down syndrome have to fight varying physical and learning disabilities, Nikic’s accomplishment is another example of    8    people with this condition overcome barriers and achieve success. The key for him is resilience.

Nikic isn’t stopping there. He has set new goals for 2021, including the plan to participate    9    the special Olympics in Orlando, Florida in 2022. Undoubtedly, with his family, friends and followers by his side, Nikic     10    (continue) to set new records.