1 . Li Ning is called the prince of gymnasts. When he ______ at the age of 26, he had won 106 gold medals in major ___ across the world. They _____ six out of seven gold medals at the 1982 World Championship, and three at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles (as well as two silver and a bronze), Li Ning was the best, _______ sports journalists met in

1999 to make a _______of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of the twentieth century, Li Ning's name was on it, ______ footballer Pele and boxer Muhammad Ali.   But ______ he had won everything it was possible to win in his sport, Li Ning retired ________the feeling that he had failed. He was _______ because he had not performed well in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

But it was this sense of failure _____ made him determined to succeed in his new life. A year after his retirement, Li Ning _____ a new career as a businessman. But he didn't forget his sporting background. He decided to launch a new brand of sportswear, __________with global giants like Nike and Adidas. He made the ______ choice, for a Chinese person, of choosing his own name as the brand mark. The bright red logo is _____ the first two pinyin letters or Li Ning's name, L and N.

Li Ning's sports clothes came ______ the market at just the right time. The number of young people with money to _____ was on the increase — and sport had never been so ______ Li Ning' s designs were attractive, and they had a major _____ over their better-known rivals — they were ______ A pair of Nike trainers, for example, could cost up to five times as________as a similar Li Ning product. Success for Li Ning was guaranteed, and it came quickly.

1.

A．resigned

B．began

C．retired

D．started

2.

A．battles

B．competitions

C．wars

D．fights

3.

A．included

B．got

C．received

D．had

4.

A．Before

B．After

C．If

D．When

5.

A．list

B．plan

C．circle

D．speech

6.

A．such as

B．on behalf of

C．together with

D．in honor of

7.

A．since

B．even though

C．when

D．now that

8.

A．from

B．through

C．for

D．with

9.

A．disappointed

B．confused

C．satisfied

D．content

10.

A．which

B．what

C．that

D．who

11.

A．produced

B．began

C．ended

D．continued

12.

A．working

B．arguing

C．dealing

D．competing

13.

A．unusual

B．common

C．ordinary

D．normal

14.

A．made out of

B．made into

C．made up of

D．making up for

15.

A．off

B．onto

C．from

D．after

16.

A．pay

B．cost

C．take

D．spend

17.

A．interesting

B．popular

C．valuable

D．hopeful

18.

A．disadvantage

B．control

C．power

D．advantage

19.

A．cheaper

B．better

C．more expensive

D．more attractive

20.

A．few

B．many

C．much

D．little

2 . 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.

2. Why did Michael Edwards choose ski jumping?

A．It took less skill.

B．The equipment was cheaper.

C．There was little competition.

D．It was easy to win the championship.

3. After the Calgary Olympics, Edwards _________.

A．felt he had reached his goal

B．was embarrassed by his results

C．switched to film making

D．was glad it was over

4. What made Michael Edwards outstanding?

A．His determination to win.

B．His enthusiasm for the sport.

C．His attitude towards the Olympics.

D．His ability to overcome physical disabilities.

3 . Dear Basketball

From the moment

I started rolling my dad’s tube socks

And shooting imaginary

Game-winning shots

In the Great Western Forum

I knew one thing was real:

I fell in love with you.

—Kobe Bryant (Dear Basketball)

The New Gorgeous Starting

Kobe Bryant has a real shot to add Oscar-winner to his extensive resume at 2018 Academy Awards with his short animated film Dear Basketball.

The retired Los Angeles Laker talked about the nomination and how his six-minute short film came together. He said that he loves “storytelling every bit as much as I love Basketball”.

But as Kobe Bryant has taken on a number of different projects after his retirement from basketball, he explained what being nominated for Hollywood’s top honor feels like:

“I’ve always been told that as basketball players the expectation is that you play. This is all you know. This is all you do. Don’t think about handling finances. Don’t think about going into business. Don’t think that you want to be a write- that’s cute. I got that a lot. What do you want to do when you retire? ‘Well, I want to be a storyteller.’ That’s cute. This is... a form of validation for people to look and say. ‘OK, he really can do something other than dribble and shoot.’”

What he seems to be saying is that the feeling of winning an Oscar —something so unexpected for an NBA legend—is crazier than what he felt winning rings, something he spent years focusing on in a craft (职业) he’d been working hard at.

(An extract from Kobe Bryant: Great Man Shall Never Retire)

1. Where would you be most likely to find the text?

A．In a poster.	B．In a newspaper.
C．On a notice board.	D．In a finance report.

2. The underlined part “The New Gorgeous Starting^’ refers to the fact that Kobe Bryant       .

A．has said goodbye to his basketball

B．has won an Oscar for his Dear Basketball

C．won many champion rings as an NBA legend

D．has undertaken many projects after his retirement

3. Why does Kobe Bryant seem to feel crazier winning an Oscar?

A．He has managed to challenge people’s traditional beliefs.

B．He has spent many years fighting for the splendid award.

C．He loves making animated films more than he does basketball.

D．He has lived up to people’s expectations of basketball players.