1 . Few people have achieved fame for coming in last place. That is why Michael Edwards, or “Eddie the Eagle”, became a rather unexpected hero. Unlike most athletes, Eddie did not come to the 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games for a medal. He came simply to compete. In doing so, he realized his dream.

At first, Eddie tried to make the British national ski team but failed. Then he chose the riskiest event, ski jumping. No British skier had ever competed in that sport, but having no competitors meant that Eddie had a better chance of qualifying (取得资格) for the 1988 Olympic Games. It also meant there was no support for him. Eddie had no coach, equipment, or financial support, but what he had was determination. Not afraid of what he lacked, Eddie set out to learn his chosen sport, training himself for nearly 2 years. And he managed to meet the qualification for Olympic ski jumping, and landed himself in the 1988 Olympic Games. Eddie was determined to compete, and while he came in last, he did manage to land his jumps, and he still holds the British record in that sport. Coming in last place actually made him the star of the Olympics and the true embodiment (化身) of the Olympic spirit.

Many of us may have experienced similar limitations during our own youth that prevented us from following our dreams. Eddie’s rejection (拒绝) from the British national ski team is a story that many of us can relate to. Rejection can be devastating, but we can struggle to find the courage to put ourselves back out there, or the creativity to find another way.

1. What was Eddie’s dream?

A．To become a hero.	B．To join the national ski team.
C．To take part in the Olympics	D．To develop his ski jumping skills.

2. Why did Eddie choose ski jumping as his event?

A．It was popular among British skiers.

B．It meant a better chance to win a medal.

C．He would get the support he needed in this event.

D．He would be more likely to be included in the Olympics.

3. What made Eddie the star of the Olympics?

A．His caring little for fame.	B．His professional performance.
C．His breaking the British record.	D．His determination to follow his dream.

4. What does the underlined word “devastating” mean in the last paragraph?

A．Unforgettable.

B．Disastrous.

C．Sudden.

D．Confusing.

5. Which is the best title for the article?

A．Bravery.	B．1998 Olympic Games.
C．An unexpected hero.	D．ski jumping.

2 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

Today I will introduce two of the “Living Legends of Sports” to you, One is Lang Ping, and     1    other is Michael Jordan. Lang Ping is     2     (know) to Chinese people as a player and a coach. As a player, Lang Ping brought honour and glory to her country. As a coach, Lang Ping     3     (lead) her volleyball team to Olympic gold in Brazil in 2016.

Michael Jordan is famous as “Air Jordan”,     4    showed great mental     5     (strong) in the games. He says that the secret     6    his success is learning from failures. He also says that he can accept failures,     7    he can’t accept not trying.     8     (lose) games taught him to practise harder and never give     9    . Besides, he has learnt to share his success with others.

Although they are in different sports, they are both     10    (master) and set good examples for others.

3 . He is a lesson to every boy who ever picked up a basketball and dreamed that it would change his life.

The lights were never brighter and the crowds were never bigger for a home-grown sports hero than they were a quarter-century ago for Ray Hall. But his athletic achievements, as impressive as they are, are to my mind not what is most admirable about the man. Known as “Sugar Ray” in his teens, Hall was rated among the country’s top 25 high school basketball players. An inner-city kid from a solid family, Hall took on the challenge of lifting Canisius College—still recovering from its failure—back to respectability, rejecting more favourable offers. His status brought more pressure than any 18-year-old should have to handle. However, I watched him mature into the player who led Canisius back to daylight.

After college Hall played professionally in Italy and Greece for over 10 years until a car accident at 32 ended his basketball career. The news that he would never play again shocked Hall but unlike so many others he was ready for life after basketball. When I met Hall—still fit at 46—for lunch Monday, he wore a cut-sharp gray suit, designer tie and blazing white shirt that screamed Success. “That was always the question—when the cheers end, where do you go? Who do you turn to?” he said. “It starts and ends with that person in the mirror.”

Hall got the concept of academics—first from his parents. He graduated from Canisius a semester early. “No matter how good an athlete you are, you are just one injury away from losing it all,” he said. “But if you take care of things academically, you are prepared until you leave this Earth.”

For the past 14 years, he has been in a computer sales job at Ingram Micro. He married his college sweetheart. They have three kids and a nice house in the suburbs. He figured out early what others learn too late: Athletics is part of a journey, not the destination. Congratulations, Ray, you made it. In more ways than one.

1. According to the writer, which of the following best describes Ray’s success?

A．Unlike other athletes, he was academically superior.

B．He defeated his injury and returned to the playground.

C．He enjoys a successful job and a happy family.

D．He has gained impressive athletic achievements.

2. What’s the right order of the events related to Ray?
a. He was rated among the best high school basketball players.
b. He was in a car accident.
c. He graduated from Canisius College.
d. He started his computer sales job.
e. He gave up his athletic career.

A．a, c, b, e, d	B．a, c, e, b, d
C．c, a, b, d, e	D．c, a, e, b, d

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Ray was from an academic family.

B．Ray was very mature in his teens.

C．Ray was once desperate facing the cruel reality.

D．Athletics was not Ray’s final goal in life.

4. What was the writer’s intention in writing this passage?

A．To describe the difficulties of being a professional athlete.

B．To explain the importance of choosing the right college.

C．To emphasise the need for a good education.

D．To warn against playing professional basketball.

4 . Wang Shuang was just five when her parents divorced, dropped her at her uncle’s and left. Football, as it often is, became an escape.

At seven, she was spotted by coach Xu Yilong, who found Wang quick in her playful behaviour. As the only girl in the boys’ team, Wang’s performances were impressive, earning her the nickname “Iron Girl.” And soon, she sensed the sport’s power. Football allowed her to “release herself” and realize “whatever happens, football never leaves you alone.”

However, life was never smooth sailing. The constant jibes (嘲讽) from some people, who always tried to push her down and destroy her hopes, affected her so deeply that she lost confidence.” They were saying I had no talent at all. Gradually, I felt really so. “Wang once wrote. But never did she stop playing. When she was called up to the national team, aged 17,Wang thought, “Me? Are you sure?” When a world-famous club wanted to sign her, she was “excited that an excellent coach thought I was good.” It was only then that she felt confident in her abilities. “I felt recognized. Perhaps I had a bit of talent after all.”

Not any “bit of talent”; the genius is praised as China’s once-in-a-generation player.

China is a pioneer of women’s football in Asia and has won the continental championship eight times, including seven straight titles between 1986 and 1999.That was their golden age. Gradually, though, the dynasty declined. It is hoped that Wang will inspire the women’s football of the country to its former height.

Coaches are almost always hesitant to speak about individual players. But when coach Shui was asked about Wang before the match against Vietnam, she couldn’t stop mentioning her influence on the team. Unfailingly performing on the big stage, Wang did not let her team down. When they lacked a quality ball, she delivered two high assists that finally led her team into the last-four clash (交锋).

“Nobody knows how hard it was,“ declared Wang after the match. “We overcame difficulties. We also showed our strong spiritual power. I am proud of my team.”

1. What can we infer about Wang from the second paragraph?

A．She earned a living on her own.	B．She felt the power of sports.
C．She was laughed at by the boys.	D．She found a sense of belonging

2. How did Wang regain faith in her abilities?

A．By winning recognition.	B．By getting encouragement.
C．By playing in the national team.	D．By ignoring other people’s jibes.

3. Which would best describe coach Shui’s attitude to Wang?

A．Caring.

B．Unwilling.

C．Favorable.

D．Demanding

4. What’s the best title for the text?

A．Wang Shuang: A Steel Rose	B．Wang Shuang: A Child Genius
C．Wang Shuang: A Football Pioneer	D．Wang Shuang: A Golden Age Successor·

5 . Lionel Messi was born on June 24, 1987, in Argentina. He was nicknamed “Leo”. He was the third child in a middle-class family who loved football. ________, young Leo developed a passion for football himself.

At four years old, Leo joined the Grandoli local club, where he was ________ by his father. Leo practiced day in and day out, ________ outings with his friends before a game. His father continued Leo’s ________ even though he battled with money and struggled to make the best of his child. Football made Leo happy and ________ him. He began to dream of becoming a professional footballer.

His grandmother used to ________ accompany Leo to training sessions as a child. When he was 10, his grandmother passed away. The family was shocked and her ________ affected Messi beyond description. He didn’t ________ a football for weeks, but his father encouraged him to carry on. He returned, aiming to make his grandmother ________. After every goal, he would point two fingers towards the sky, dedicating the ________ to his grandmother.

But as he grew older, his height remained the same. He was ________ with an inability to grow. This meant he ________ being a dwarf unless he received special treatment, which would cost $1,500 per month.

Despite all of these ________, Messi remained positive and hopeful. Hard effort paid off. F. C Barcelona hired Messi and signed a (n) ________ with him on a napkin.

As the seasons went on, the talented football player kept improving and breaking his own records. Now he has ________ his goal of bringing home a world cup and made history.

1.

A．Surprisingly

B．Personally

C．Naturally

D．Eventually

2.

A．coached

B．pushed

C．raised

D．scolded

3.

A．considering

B．skipping

C．blocking

D．arranging

4.

A．description

B．expectation

C．motivation

D．instruction

5.

A．motivated

B．benefited

C．comforted

D．affected

6.

A．entirely

B．routinely

C．sincerely

D．properly

7.

A．company

B．attention

C．absence

D．presence

8.

A．touch

B．pick

C．grab

D．tackle

9.

A．amazed

B．unique

C．sacred

D．proud

10.

A．outcome

B．victory

C．credit

D．wonder

11.

A．diagnosed

B．infected

C．surrounded

D．associated

12.

A．turned out

B．ended up

C．kept up

D．stood out

13.

A．changes

B．crises

C．losses

D．obstacles

14.

A．file

B．signature

C．contract

D．initiative

15.

A．pursued

B．challenged

C．scored

D．achieved

7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

It’s never easy for    1    Asian athlete to shine in track and field events. But Su Bingtian, 28,    2     (know) as the “Chinese flying man”, became the first male Chinese sprinter (短跑运动员) to win a    3    (globe) medal in an individual event.    4    March 3, he took the silver in the men’s 60m final at the World Indoor Championships in the UK. In the final, Su Bingtian ran his personal best of 6.42 seconds,    5    (break) the Asian record of 6.43, which he also set last month in Germany.

More impressively, a Chinese athlete    6    (achieve) a milestone in 2004,    7    Liu Xiang won a gold medal in Athens in the 110m hurdles. Inevitably (不可避免地), Su is compared to Liu. “Liu Xiang is my idol and also my friend.” Su told Xinhua News Agency.

As a matter of fact, Su had expected    8    (win) a bronze during the final. “There is no difference between silver    9    bronze. Even a bronze could prove that Chinese sprinters have made breakthroughs in many major world    10    (competition)” he said.