1 . Argentina soccer legend Diego Maradona has died aged 60 of heart failure on Wednesday. Heart failure is a chronic condition that gradually damages the heart's ability to pump blood. Fluid can build up in the lungs as a result — a condition known as pulmonary edema. It is an increasingly common problem that can be fatal.
Regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game, Maradona became a household name after inspiring his country to World Cup glory in 1986. He took center stage at the tournament with a memorable performance against England where he scored a symbolic goal that he later described as the "Hand of God".
The small forward out-jumped legendary keeper Peter Shilton and knocked the ball into the net. The goal was allowed to stand, though it was claimed to be a handball. Later in the very game he scored one of the best goals in history after weaving his way past seven English defenders.
His impressive career was also marked by numerous controversies and his notorious lifestyle led to alcoholism and addiction.
Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez announced three days of national mourning for the passing of the superstar, and posted a tribute to Maradona on Twitter. "You took us to the top of the world. You made us feel incredibly happy. You were the greatest of all. Thank you for having existed," it read.
Maradona will lie in honor for public viewing at Argentina's presidential palace. Fans headed to the streets across Argentina and in Naples on Wednesday to pay tribute to(悼念) their hero. Meanwhile, a minute's silence would be observed ahead of all European matches this week in honor of the Argentine.
"He will go down in history as someone who set football alight and thrilled global fans young and old with his brilliance and skill."
1. Why did the famous football player Maradona die?A.Old age. | B.Heart illness. | C.Loss of blood. | D.Lung cancer. |
A.His achievements in life. | B.His "Hand of God". |
C.His great performance in 1986. | D.His legendary life. |
A.good | B.bad | C.common | D.healthy |
A.Respectful. | B.Unkind. | C.Impolite. | D.Friendly. |
2 . The next time you find an excuse to abandon your ambition, think of Chris Nikic. On November 7, 2020, 21-year-old Chris Nikic made history as the first person with Down Syndrome to attempt and complete an Ironman. Organized by the World Triathlon Corporation, it requires athletes to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a full 26.2-mile marathon-in under 17 hours!
The event, which took place in Panama City, Florida, began early in the morning with a two-lap swim in the Gulf of Mexico. Chris, who was tied to his coach for safety, completed the course well within 2 hour, 20-minute time limit.
The 112-mile bike ride, which Chris rode alone, proved a little more challenging. Not accustomed to drinking water while riding, he was forced to make multiple stops. To make matters worse, the young athlete was attacked by an army of red ants whose nest he accidentally stepped on during a break. He also had a bleeding knee after crashing while speeding downhill. Despite these setbacks, Chris managed to complete the lap before the 5:30 pm cut-off time.
The competition's final challenge—a two-lap 26. 2-mile run along the waterfront- started smoothly. However, Chris was tired out? by the tenth mile. But, with encouragement from his coach and cheering bystanders, the youngster somehow managed to cross the finish line in 16 hours, 46 minutes, and 9 seconds-almost 15 minutes under the 17-hour time limit.
Chris is no stranger to overcoming challenges. Born with two holes in his heart, he underwent surgery at just five months old. He was too weak to walk independently until he was four. Due to his Down Syndrome, every expert his parents spoke to focused on the limitations rather than the possibilities.
To Chris, this race was more than just a finish line and celebration of victory. It's about being an example to other kids and families that face similar barriers.
1. What does the underlined part "an Ironman" in paragraph 1 refer to?A.A competition. | B.An organization. | C.A person. | D.An artwork. |
A.Romantic. | B.Eventful. | C.Pleasant. | D.Smooth. |
A.Stimulate readers' interest. | B.Introduce a new topic. |
C.Summarize the previous paragraphs. | D.Add some background information. |
A.Winning is everything. | B.No dream is unachievable. |
C.Life is full of choices. | D.Misfortune is a barrier to success. |
3 . Thomas Panek has completed 20 marathons, however, he made history on Sunday at the New York City Half Marathon.
While visually impaired(视觉障碍)runners usually use human guides, Mr Panek became the first person to complete the race supported by guide dogs. A trio of Labradors - Westley, Waffle and Gus - each accompanied (陪伴) him for a third of the race. The team finished in two hours and 21 minutes.
Mr Panek, who lost his sight in his early 20s, showed that while he appreciated the support of human volunteers, he missed the feeling of independence. In 2015, Mr Panek established the Running Guides programme which trains dogs to support runners.
When selecting his companions for the race, Mr Panek chose siblings Waffle and Westley to join Gus, who is his full-time guide dog. “The relationship is really important. You can’t just pick up the harness (挽带) and go for a run with these dogs,” Mr Panek said. “You’re training with a team no matter what kind of athlete you are, and you want to spend time together in that training camp.”
Each dogs sets its own pace — Westley runs an eight minute mile, while his sister Waffle can cover the same distance in six minutes—and helps Mr Panek avoid obstacles such as kerbs(路缘)and cones (锥体). Each dog wears a special harness and set of running boots, to protect their paws.
Gus was chosen to run the final leg of the race and cross the finish line with Mr Panek. He retired from his duties as a guide dog at the end of the race.
According to Mr Panek, guide dogs give visually impaired people the freedom to “do whatever it is a sighted person does, and sometimes, even run a little faster than them”.
1. In which way did Thomas Panek make history?A.He set a new record of time in running the half marathon. |
B.He is the first blind person who take part in the marathon. |
C.He finished the competition with help of human volunteers. |
D.He is the first blind person finishing half marathon with guide dogs. |
A.He stopped running after he lost sight. |
B.He enjoyed running with human volunteers. |
C.He is the founder of the Running Guides programme. |
D.He got the gold medal at the New York City Half Marathon. |
A.They didn’t get training before the race. |
B.Westley runs faster than Waffle. |
C.Gus is Panek’s full-time guide dog. |
D.Westley retired after the race. |
A.an essay | B.a news report | C.a biography | D.a review |
Nikhil Kumar is one of the best young table tennis
The coronavirus pandemic (新冠病毒) has forced many athletes to be
Everyone is facing issues during the pandemic,
5 . Dale Carnegie rose from the unknown of a Missouri farm to international fame because he found a way to fill a universal human need.
It was a need that he first
Dale took his mother’s advice, tried desperately and after several attempts finally made it. This proved to be a
Out of this early struggle to
A.admitted | B.filled | C.supplied | D.recognized |
A.assignment | B.education | C.advantage | D.instruction |
A.training | B.board | C.teaching | D.equipment |
A.between | B.during | C.over | D.through |
A.permits | B.interest | C.talent | D.clothes |
A.light | B.flexible | C.optimistic | D.outgoing |
A.gaining | B.achieving | C.developing | D.obtaining |
A.prevent | B.practice | C.patience | D.potential |
A.presence | B.practice | C.patience | D.potential |
A.key | B.breaking | C.basic | D.turning |
A.progress | B.experience | C.competence | D.confidence |
A.in return | B.in brief | C.in turn | D.in fact |
A.convey | B.overcome | C.understand | D.build |
A.express | B.stress | C.contribute | D.repeat |
A.besides | B.beyond | C.like | D.with |
6 . Vanessa Bryant made her first public comment Wednesday since the helicopter crash that killed her husband Kobe Bryant and one of their daughters.
“We are completely devastated (摧毁) by the
The Bryants would have
“There aren’t
“I’m not sure what our lives hold
There has been no
A.gradual | B.eventual | C.obvious | D.sudden |
A.sister | B.mother | C.wife | D.daughter |
A.congratulated | B.celebrated | C.prepared | D.attended |
A.natural | B.special | C.enough | D.satisfactory |
A.comfort | B.pride | C.delight | D.interest |
A.dreams | B.lives | C.houses | D.pictures |
A.ever | B.forever | C.yet | D.sometimes |
A.divided | B.freed | C.taken | D.kept |
A.before | B.until | C.through | D.beyond |
A.balance | B.save | C.imagine | D.survive |
A.trying | B.forgetting | C.regretting | D.pretending |
A.block | B.shelter | C.construct | D.light |
A.limited | B.endless | C.complex | D.poisonous |
A.advertisement | B.guidance | C.expression | D.announcement |
A.service | B.help | C.respect | D.approach |
7 . Li Ning is called the prince of gymnasts. When he
1999 to make a
But it was this sense of failure
Li Ning's sports clothes came
A.resigned | B.began | C.retired | D.started |
A.battles | B.competitions | C.wars | D.fights |
A.included | B.got | C.received | D.had |
A.Before | B.After | C.If | D.When |
A.list | B.plan | C.circle | D.speech |
A.such as | B.on behalf of | C.together with | D.in honor of |
A.since | B.even though | C.when | D.now that |
A.from | B.through | C.for | D.with |
A.disappointed | B.confused | C.satisfied | D.content |
A.which | B.what | C.that | D.who |
A.produced | B.began | C.ended | D.continued |
A.working | B.arguing | C.dealing | D.competing |
A.unusual | B.common | C.ordinary | D.normal |
A.made out of | B.made into | C.made up of | D.making up for |
A.off | B.onto | C.from | D.after |
A.pay | B.cost | C.take | D.spend |
A.interesting | B.popular | C.valuable | D.hopeful |
A.disadvantage | B.control | C.power | D.advantage |
A.cheaper | B.better | C.more expensive | D.more attractive |
A.few | B.many | C.much | D.little |
8 . Being highly successful in any field is pretty rare. It takes a combination of natural talent, luck, determination, and plenty of outside support for someone to make it big in sports, entertainment, or business. But what if competing is all that matters to you, whether you are likely to succeed or not? This was the goal of Michael Eddie the Eagle Edwards, and that he reached that goal was an amazing achievement.
Born in the U.K. in 1963, Michael was an enthusiastic downhill skier whose dream was to compete for Britain in world-class competitions. He would have liked to represent his country in the 1984 Winter Olympics, but there were a large number of downhill competitors, and Edwards didn't qualify. Seeing his chance elsewhere, he switched to ski jumping. Ski jumping didn't cost nearly as much, and there was almost no competition for a place on the Britain team.
But number of hurdles (障碍)could have meant the end of Edwards' dream. He weighed more than most competitors, which put him at a disadvantage. He had no financial support for his training. Poor eyesight meant that he had to wear glasses under his goggles (护目镜)- not a good thing when they steamed up at high altitudes. But he couldn't let any of this discourage him. He saw himself as a true lover of the sport who simply wanted the chance to compete. Winning wasn't the point. Having the opportunity to try was all he cared about. And nothing could stop him from trying.
In the end, Edwards took 55th place in the 1987 World Championships. He then went on to the Calgary Olympics in 1988, where he finished last in both of his events. Many athletes would have been embarrassed by this result, but he is proud of his achievement to this day. His determination to fight against all the odds made him a global hero, and in 2016, the inspiring film Eddie the Eagle was made about his life.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?A.To add some background information. |
B.To uncover the secret of success. |
C.To expect an answer from readers. |
D.To introduce the topic. |
A.It took less skill. |
B.The equipment was cheaper. |
C.There was little competition. |
D.It was easy to win the championship. |
A.felt he had reached his goal |
B.was embarrassed by his results |
C.switched to film making |
D.was glad it was over |
A.His determination to win. |
B.His enthusiasm for the sport. |
C.His attitude towards the Olympics. |
D.His ability to overcome physical disabilities. |
Life is often a matter of waiting for the right moment to act. Sun Yang was the first Chinese man
Sun has accomplished a Golden Grand Slam, having won the 200, 400 and 1, 500-meter freestyle events at the Asian Games, World Championships and Olympic Games. His
While Sun stood on a podium (领奖台)
Many Chinese Internet users thought Suns reaction to the incident to be an act of patriotism (爱国主义). “
Chinese tennis legend Li Na will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
“I have loved seeing the sport grow in China,” Li said in