1 . After failing to secure a spot in vault(跳马) final of the Tokyo Olympics, Oksana Chusovitina left the sport’s biggest stage forever. The 46-year-old called time on her legendary career after competing at a record eighth Olympic Games.
In a sport known for its youthful champions, Chusovitina has become a global fan favorite. She has collected 11 medals at major global championships and 5 gymnastics skills are named after her.
Chusovitina was born on June 19, 1975, in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, and she participated in the Olympic Games for the first time in Barcelona in 1992.
Chusovitina then represented Uzbekistan from 1993 to 2006, and in 1997 she married Uzbek Olympic wrestler Bakhodir Kurbanov. In 1999 they had a son, Alisher. But three years later, however, Alisher was diagnosed with leukemia(白血病). So his parents accepted a generous offer to move to Germany, where Alisher could receive treatment.
Chusovitina obtained German citizenship and competed in various club competitions. She earned prize money to help pay for her son’s care. She also represented her new country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where her silver medal on vault was the only medal for the German women’s team. Chusovitina represented Germany for the final time at the 2012 Olympics, and she has been competing for Uzbekistan ever since. After her son’s recovery, Chusovitina continued to compete, but this time it was her love of gymnastics that kept her going. “There is no secret. I just love gymnastics and no one ever forced me to compete. I do so with pleasure,” she said.
1. Which of the following best explains “called time on” underlined in paragraph 1?| A．Stuck to. | B．Took pride in. |
| C．Put an end to. | D．Made a summary of. |
| A．She collected 13 medals at eight Olympic Games. |
| B．She represented different nations at the Olympic Games. |
| C．She won a gold medal for German at the Beijing Olympics. |
| D．She took part in the 2004 Olympic Games in spite of leukemia. |
| A．Her son’s medical bills. | B．Her devotion to her motherland. |
| C．Her passion for gymnastics. | D．Her desire for German citizenship. |
| A．A biography. | B．A book review. | C．A diary entry. | D．A research report. |
2 . In the winter of 1953, a powerful jump from a Chinese woman attracted world attention. Twenty-year-old Chinese athlete Zheng Fengrong broke the women’s high jump world record with a leap of 1.77 meters in a Beijing athletic meet on November 17, 1957. The new record, the first women’s world record for the People’s Republic of China, was one centimeter higher than the old mark held by American Mildred McDaniel. The jump also made Zheng the first Asian athlete to break a world track and field record since 1936.
The record jump, although by a tiny margin, was described by the foreign media as “an explosive jump” because it created China’s first athletic world record. Called “a spring swallow awakening Chinese sports,” Zheng sent a message to the world that China was no longer the “sick man of the East”.
Born in the spring city of Jinan, Shandong Province, Zheng, who stands at 1.70 meters, has a good physique (体型)and a skillful scissor-sharp jump which was seldom seen among top jumpers in the world. She once leapt 1.78 meters, a national record in 1963.
She claimed a well-merited place in sporting history when her achievement was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Due to her contribution to athletics, Zheng was awarded a series of honors. She was named among the nation’s greatest athletes in 1984.
1. When did Zheng break the women’s high jump world record?| A．in 1936 | B．in 1957 | C．in 1963 | D．in 1984 |
| A．Zheng Fengrong. | B．Guinness. |
| C．Mildred McDaniel. | D．Zheng’s best friend. |
| A．her contribution to athletics | B．her height |
| C．her hard work on study | D．her love for poor people |
| A．Zheng Fengrong’s life story | B．The athletic history of China |
| C．A happy family in Shandong | D．Zheng Fengrong’s achievement in athletics |
3 . A 24-year-old Ethiopian runner Shura Kitata won the men’s race in the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon, crossing the line in 2:05:41.
Kitata finished second in the 2018 London Marathon behind the world record holder Eliud Kipchoge. However, this weekend, Kitata won the Virgin Money London Marathon and thanked fellow Ethiopian, Kenenisia Bekele for his win when he talked to a reporter from the BBC. Kitata said Bekele was helping him for the race and advised him how to run. He trained hard for the same course in this way. Fortunately, he won the race for his hard training.
Kitata showed his excellent performances including victories at the 2017 Rome Marathon and 2017 Frankfurt Marathon title victories, where he finished separately with the times 2:07:30 and 2:05:50.
Kitata was born on a family farm in central Ethiopia, not far from the capital of Addis Ababa, and has four sisters and three brothers. As a youngster at school, he learned quickly about his country’s marathon history. The names Abebe Bikila, Kenenisia Bekele and Derartu Tulu left a deep impression on him. They seemed to be everywhere t—textbooks, news-papers and on the radio so that even before he started running, he knew about the marathon, and thought it very thrilling.
He loved sports and began running at primary school. When he performed well, he just rode the wave. Kitata took part in his first marathon five years ago in Shanghai, finishing third in 2:08:50 and soon joined an elite training group in Addis Ababa.
Now he appears calm to join the ranks of great Ethiopian marathoners. He is a famous sportsman, like the ones he read about and heard so much about during his childhood. He said it would be a great joy to add his story to the stories of those who came before him.
1. What’s Shura Kitata’s attitude towards Kenenisia Bekele?| A．Doubtful | B．Tolerant |
| C．Grateful. | D．Unclear. |
| A．He attended two marathons in total. |
| B．He learned about marathon from his brothers. |
| C．He became a marathon runner at primary school. |
| D．He had a passion for marathon when he was young. |
| A．Young children | B．Great marathon runners |
| C．High ranks | D．Joyful stories. |
| A．Focused and athletic. | B．Modest and brave |
| C．Warm-hearted and humorous. | D．Open-minded and helpful |
4 . Jean Driscoll can go faster in her wheelchair than the world’s best marathoners(马拉松运动员) can run!
In April, Jean finished the Boston Marathon in 1 hour 34 minutes 22 seconds. That’s about 33 minutes faster than the winning male runner! She competed on the track, too. She was second in the 800 meter wheelchair race at the 1992 Olympics.
Jean doesn’t like to be told she’s brave. “I’m in sports because I’m a competitive person!” Jean was born with spina befida(脊柱裂), a birth illness that damages the spine（脊椎）. She began to use a wheelchair to get around in high school. Then she tried wheelchair race and was amazed.” Players crashed into each other and fell out of their chairs,” she says, “It was fun.”
Jean tried other wheelchair sports. At the University of Illinois, her wheelchair basketball team won two national titles.
Now Jean coaches and teaches. She tries to get people to set goals. “When I sign my autograph（亲笔签名）,says Jean, “I write, dream big and work hard.”
1. What made Jean take part in sports?| A．She was brave. | B．She was competitive. |
| C．She was strong. | D．She was disabled. |
| A．High school. | B．Junior middle school. |
| C．High education. | D．Primary school. |
| A．Work hard. | B．Hope for the best. |
| C．Dream a lot. | D．Have great wishes and work hard. |
