4 . Liu Xiang, an athlete, born in 1983
Liu Xiang made his name by winning the 110-meter hurdles gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This was the first time an athlete of non-African descent (血统) had gone under 13 seconds for the event. In the same year, Liu set a new 110-meter hurdling world record at the Super Grand Prix in Lausanne, with a time of 12.88 seconds.
Lang Lang, a pianist, born in 1982
Lang Lang began piano lessons at age three. His father quit his job to accompany his boy to Beijing. At 11, Lang Lang was awarded first prize for his outstanding performance at the Fourth International Young Pianists Competition in Germany. In 1995, at 13, he won first place at the Tchaikovsky International Young Musicians’ Competition in Japan. At 17, Lang Lang made his breakthrough in the West and has performed with many of the world’s major orchestras since then.
Li Yuchun, a singer, born in 1984
Born into a middle-class family, Li was not encouraged by her parents to pursue a career in entertainment. The turning point came when she entered the Super Girl contest in 2005. This competition drew the largest audiences in Chinese television history. She rose above 120,000 applicants with her tomboy style and Latin-flavored performance. Her win came as a surprise to many people because she didn’t fit the stereotype of female singers. She has millions of fans of all ages all over the country. Her haircut and manners have been copied by tens of thousands of girls. Her first album sold more than 430,000 copies in the first month.
Ding Junhui, a snooker player, born in 1987
Ding quit school at 13, after his father insisted he concentrate on snooker. His parents then sold their house to help Ding kick-start his career. In March 2005, he celebrated his 18th birthday by reaching the final of the China Open in Beijing, along the way beating world top-16 ranked players Peter Ebdon, Marco Fu and Ken Doherty. In the final, he defeated the world No.3, Stephen Hendry, ranking first in the tournament. After shooting to fame, questions were raised over the father’s decision for Ding to quit school.
(China Daily10/31/2012)
1. Who is the passage intended for?
A.Readers of all ages. | B.Children born after the 1980s. |
C.Students at school. | D.The young crazy fans. |
2. Who was the youngest when they rose to fame?
A.Lang Lang. | B.Liu Xiang. | C.Ding Junhui. | D.Li Yuchun. |
3. Whose father insisted on his/her quitting school?
A.Lang Lang’s. | B.Liu Xiang’s. | C.Ding Junhui’s. | D.Li Yuchun’s. |
4. In which part on the newspaper
China Daily can you read the passage?
A.National News. | B.Business. | C.Personalities. | D.Sports. |