She had to pack up her bedroom in Virginia Beach, where she lived with her mother, two sisters and brother. She had to say goodbye to her two dogs, who used to sleep in her bed, and to the beach, where she loved to ride waves on her boogie board.
But it was time to take the leap, however heartbreaking and awkward it would be. Even at 14, Douglas knew that.
So off she went about 1,200 miles to West Des Moines, Iowa, to train with a coach from China and live with a white family she had never been met. When she arrived, Douglas thought that she must be the only black person in the state. When she woke up, she always said, “This isn’t my bed set. Where am I?”
Liang Chow, who had coached the Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, transformed Douglas into one of the best gymnasts in the world, helping her skyrocket from an average member of the national team to the top of the sport. And a couple with four young daughters became her second family, nurturing her in Iowan while her real family supported her from afar.
That move also was important in Douglas’s making history. By winning the Olympic all-round title, she became the first black woman to do so. She also became the fourth American woman to win the all-round, following Mary Lou Retton in 1984, Carly Patterson in 2004 and Nastia Liukin in 2008.
Douglas won, scoring 62.232 points, and led the competition from beginning to the end. Viktoria Komova, who sobbed into her coach’s chest when she learned she had lost, won the silver, with 61.973 points. Aliya Mustafina, the 2010 world all-round champion, won the bronze with 59.566 points. The other American in the competition, Aly Raisman finished fourth after losing a tiebreaker (决胜局) to Mustafina.
Douglas said she had felt confident all along that she would win. “It was just an amazing feeling.” she said, giggling (咯咯笑). “I was just like, believe, don’t fear, believe.” After sacrificing so much, she had no other choice but to push forward, she said.
1. Why did Douglas leave her home at 14? (no more than 10 words2. How did she feel when Douglas first arrived at the new home? (no more than 5 words)
3. What does the underlined word “skyrocket” in Paragraph 4 most probably mean? (no more than 3 words)
4. According to Para. 5, what achievement did Douglas make? (no more than 15 words)
5. What do you think of Douglas from the story? Give your reasons. (no more than 20 words)
2 . 
For Mao Zhongwu, who was paralyzed (瘫痪) from the waist down in an accidental fall 16 years ago, sports have opened up a new world. The 37-year-old cross-country “sit-skier” collected one gold and two silver medals at the Beijing Winter Paralympic Games — in men’s middle-distance, men’s sprint (短距离) and men’s long distance, respectively. “It was sports that made me come out of the lowest point in my life and changed me physically, mentally and spiritually,” Mao said.
Born and raised in Dalian, Liaoning province, Mao has been fond of sports since childhood. The accident changed everything. Paralysis ended his functional independence. He had to live under his mother’s care. For a long time, he felt ashamed and was unwilling to go out. In 2017, persuaded by his mother, he started to learn table tennis. Ten days later, he took part in a citywide competition and performed well.
Fan Yi, a coach from the sports department of Dalian’s service center for the disabled, picked Mao and brought him to the wheelchair racing team. Fan recalled that in the beginning Mao didn’t dare to talk with other people. But he gradually became cheerful and confident in training. Three years ago, Mao shifted to train for cross-country skiing. “As an older athlete, he recovers slowly. He persevered through willpower,” Fan said.
Mao said that when he decided to be a professional athlete, he told himself there was no turning back. “I have experienced the bitterness of life, and I know this is a rare opportunity that I must seize,” he said. Everyone’s body has its limits. When he was suffering through the period of tiredness caused by overtraining, he thought he was too old to compete in the Olympics. “But I never gave up. With the support of my team, I stepped toward my goals one by one,” he said. “Although I’m not young now, I will keep training and eye on more gold medals as long as I can.”
1. What can be inferred about Mao Zhongwu from the passage?| A．He was paralyzed at the age of 16. |
| B．He won the gold medal in men’s sprint. |
| C．He was grateful for the accident. |
| D．He found new life in sports after the accident. |
| A．Because he felt embarrassed by his disability. |
| B．Because he preferred doing sports indoors. |
| C．Because he couldn’t go out without any assistance. |
| D．Because he suffered from depression and anxiety. |
| A．his age |
| B．his poor mental state |
| C．the lack of confidence |
| D．the bitterness of his life |
| A．Adventurous and creative. |
| B．Passionate and sympathetic. |
| C．Determined and persistent. |
| D．Intelligent and communicative. |
| A．All good things come to an end. |
| B．Every man is the master of his fate. |
| C．One shouldn’t miss forest for the trees. |
| D．One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. |
