1 . Packing up her bedroom in Virgin a Beach, Douglas had to say goodbye to her family, to her two dogs, 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.
“I was unpacking and saying, ‘What am I doing?’”said Douglas, who is 16.“it was like:’Where do I put everything? Where are the spoons?’ I’d wake up and say, ‘This is my bed, 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 low a while her real family|supported her from afar,(遥远地).
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 Rettonjin 1984, Carly Patternson in 2004 and Nastia Liukin in 2008.
Douglas won, scoring 62.232 points, and led the competition from beginning to 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,“I was just like, believe, don’t fear, believe.”
1. Douglas left her home at 14 because she| A．didn’t like her dogs |
| B．needed training to make a difference |
| C．wanted to live with her second family |
| D．wanted to become the only black champion in the state |
| A．uneasy | B．excited |
| C．independent | D．tired |
| A．Komova felt stressed during the game and lost her heart. |
| B．Douglas stayed ahead throughout the whole game. |
| C．Aliya came from America and won the third place. |
| D．Most of the competitors were from America. |
| A．She was the first American woman to win the all-around. |
| B．She was the only black person in the state of Iowa. |
| C．Her family didn’t like the idea of her becoming a gymnast. |
| D．Her move to Iowa brought her the chance to succeed. |
On September 28, 2023, Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia
| A．13 years. | B．17 years. | C．20 years. | D．24 years. |
| A．The pressure from his competitors. |
| B．The high expectation from his parents. |
| C．The unforgettable matches he played on court. |
| D．The prizes he received from winning the championships. |
| A．Because he had an operation but got well soon. |
| B．Because he didn’t have enough rest before the match. |
| C．Because his family and team gave him a lot of support. |
| D．Because his belief and desire to win worked and helped. |
| A．Talkative and inspiring. | B．Talented and determined. |
| C．Modest and humorous. | D．Optimistic and realistic. |
1. What has Barty decided to do at age 25?
| A．Retire from tennis. | B．Go to college. | C．Enter a new contest. |
| A．Barty’s main opponent. | B．Barty’s personal trainer. | C．Barty’s former partner. |
| A．12. | B．14. | C．16. |
| A．British Open. | B．French Open. | C．Australian Open. |
5 . 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. |
| 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. |
| A．His caring little for fame. | B．His professional performance. |
| C．His breaking the British record. | D．His determination to follow his dream. |
| A．Unforgettable. | B．Disastrous. | C．Sudden. | D．Confusing. |
| A．Bravery. | B．1998 Olympic Games. |
| C．An unexpected hero. | D．ski jumping. |
6 . The little country schoolhouse was heated by an old coal stove. A little boy, Glenn Cunningham, came to school early each day to start the fire and warm the room before his teacher and his classmates got there.
One morning they arrived to find the schoolhouse burning. They dragged (拖) the little boy out of the building. He was almost dead. Then he was quickly taken to a nearby country hospital. The doctor told the boy’s mother that since the lower part of his body was seriously burnt, he couldn’t use his legs anymore. However, the brave boy made up his mind that he would walk. Unluckily his thin legs just hung there, all but lifeless.
Finally he returned home from the hospital. Every day his mother would press his little legs, but there was no feeling, no control, nothing. Yet his determination that he would walk was as strong as ever.
When he wasn’t in bed, he would sit in a wheelchair. One sunny day his mother wheeled him out into the yard to get some fresh air. This day, instead of sitting there, he threw himself from the chair and pulled himself across the grass, dragging his legs behind him.
He worked his way to the white fence (栅栏) around the yard. With great effort, he raised himself up on the fence. Then, he began dragging himself along the fence, and he believed that he would walk. He started to do this every day. There was nothing he wanted more than to develop life in those legs.
In the end, through his determination he stood up. Gradually he began to walk to school, then to run to school, to run for the joy of running. Later in college he made the running team.
Still later, this determined young man in Madison Square Garden, Dr. Glenn Cunningham, ran the world’s fastest mile in 1934!
1. What happened to Glenn Cunningham in his childhood?| A．He had a serious illness. | B．He saved a little boy. |
| C．His legs were badly burnt. | D．His mother was out of work. |
| A．The doctor helped him with training. |
| B．The college team members helped him. |
| C．He had a great talent for running. |
| D．He trained his legs with great effort. |
| A．Determined and strong-willed. | B．Serious and confident. |
| C．Gifted and open-minded. | D．Friendly and careful. |
| A．All roads lead to Rome. | B．Determination counts. |
| C．Easier said than done. | D．Seeing is believing. |
7 . The 19th Asian Games begin in Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China, on 23 September 2023, with Asia’s top athletes back in action representing their nations. Olympics.com picks 10 stars to keep an eye on. Malaysia’s diving queen Pandelela is one of them.
Pandelela has had a difficult year with injury and health issues. She will be looking to Hangzhou to turn her 2023 season — during which she has only competed twice — around. Pandelela made her season debut (首秀)in May at the 2023 Diving World Cup stop in Montreal, finishing ninth in both the individual 10m platform and mixed team events.
However, at a training camp in China in June ahead of July’s World Championships in Japan, she picked up both illness and injury again, which hampered her in Fukuoka. There, she unfortunately finished 24th in the individual platform event — missing out on the semi-finals for the first time in her career.
“Despite the setback, I will keep showing up and never give up. Because the lesson in the pool here may just be the perfect potion (解药) for what’s going to happen in the future,” she wrote on Facebook following that disappointment. Her first chance to right that wrong will come in China.
The Asian Games 2022 were postponed by a year due to pandemic, but now Asian best athletes are ready to represent their nations, five years after they last did so at the 2018. We are looking forward to witnessing more athletes like Pandelela to do their best in this Games.
1. What does the underlined word “hampered” refer to?| A．inspired | B．encouraged | C．stopped | D．destroyed |
| A．Pandelela has already overcome these difficulties. |
| B．Hangzhou Asian Games will be a good chance for her. |
| C．Pandelela’s skills are impressive but dangerous. |
| D．Pandelela cannot represent her nation in diving. |
| A．Determined. | B．Kind-hearted. | C．Negative. | D．Curious. |
| A．Popular Athletes Around the World | B．The Hangzhou Asian Games |
| C．Diving World Cup in Montreal | D．Malaysia’s Diving Queen Pandelela |
Babe Didrikson Zaharias was one of the most extraordinary athletes of all time. She achieved particular success in basketball, track and field, and golf. She also competed in baseball, boxing, diving and many other sports. In 1950, the Associated Press declared Babe Zaharias to be the “Woman Athlete of the Half-Century”.
From a young age, her goal was to be “the greatest athlete to ever live”. As a teenager, she acquired the nickname “Babe” in reference to Babe Ruth, a professional baseball player. She never passed up a chance to play ball. One day, when she was a little girl, her mother sent her to the grocery store to buy some beef for dinner. On the way home, Babe spotted some boys playing baseball. She dropped her purchases and joined the game. An hour later, her angry mother showed up, looking for the groceries. Babe pointed to where she’d left it. A dog was happily enjoying the last piece.
Zaharias gained fame at the 1932 Olympic Games. She won gold medals in the javelin (标枪) throw and the 80-metre hurdles (跨栏), but she was deprived of a third gold medal in the high jump because she had used the unorthodox (不正规的) Western roll to achieve the highest jump. Her Olympic success brought her national attention.
In 1932, Zaharias began playing golf and was soon winning important championships in the sport. In 1950, Zaharias helped found the Ladies Professional Golf Association, and she became the LPGA’s star competitor. Not only did she attract interest in the women’s game, she revolutionized the sport and was known for her powerful drives.
Zaharias died of cancer in 1956, at the age of 45.
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10 . When Muhammad Ali was 12 years old, someone stole his bicycle. It was a shiny new bike. Ali was very
During the next 25 years, Ali had a burning
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In 1974, Ali
Ali
| A．amused | B．cruel | C．angry | D．memorable |
| A．flame | B．waist | C．cheek | D．fists |
| A．trapped | B．motivated | C．accused | D．demonstrated |
| A．ambition | B．relay | C．dignity | D．session |
| A．rank | B．medal | C．chart | D．motto |
| A．specific | B．regular | C．different | D．previous |
| A．Unintentionally | B．Critically | C．Initially | D．Gradually |
| A．running | B．jogging | C．boxing | D．bowling |
| A．amateur | B．volunteer | C．thief | D．salesman |
| A．called on | B．got across | C．met with | D．knocked out |
| A．proceed | B．earn | C．complain | D．lose |
| A．won | B．lost | C．refused | D．fit |
| A．injuring | B．biting | C．removing | D．defeating |
| A．game | B．battle | C．membership | D．sportsmanship |
| A．tough | B．unstable | C．amazing | D．informal |
| A．updated | B．organized | C．occupied | D．defended |
| A．walked on air | B．threw a curveball | C．threw in the towel | D．moved the goalposts |
| A．master | B．chairman | C．opponent | D．fellow |
| A．competed | B．retired | C．applauded | D．remarked |
| A．awarded | B．agreed | C．arrested | D．insured |
