On February 13, 2023, Wu Yibing made history, beating John Isner in a thrilling three-set final at the Dallas Open to become the first man from China to win an ATP title.

Brought to a tennis court for the first time at just five,     1     (original) encouraged by his parents as an exercise to lose weight, Wu soon had his talent     2     (discover) by his provincial junior team, kicking     3     a journey that would change the face of men’s tennis in China. In 2017, Wu Yibing won the US Open boys’ tournament at 18 to become the first Chinese     4     (win) a major junior title, raising high hopes for the “Wonder Boy” to change the fortune of Chinese men in a sport long dominated by women’s success on the pro stage.

In 2018, Wu won his first ATP Challenger title in Shanghai.     5    , the brutally (残酷地) competitive nature of men’s pro tennis hit the rising Wu with a tough     6     (remind) after multiple injuries — to his elbow, lower back, shoulder and wrist — forced him to be away from the ATP Tour for close to three years.

He made his return last year and won three ATP Challenger titles before qualifying for the US Open. “Looking back, I feel like I wouldn’t have been here if not for     7     ups and downs over the past few years. I take all the setbacks and struggles as an asset (资产) that     8     (help) me mature mentally now,” said Wu. “Of course there were a lot of doubts on me     9     I had surgery and the rehab (康复) wasn’t going well. The championship today was a payoff for all the hard work     10     everyone who’s supported me along the way.”

Chinese shooter Yang Qian won the first gold medal of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in the women’s 10m air rifle (气步枪) on July 24, 2021.

Yang was born in 2000 in Yangjianong,     1     small village in Ningbo. In 2011, she     2     (select) among the shooting team of Ningbo Sports School,     3     she started her shooting career. In 2019, Yang became a member of the national shooting team.

Yu Lihua, Yang’s first shooting coach at Ningbo Sports School, said in an     4     (excite) voice, “It is the first time that my student has won a gold medal in the Olympic Games. I’m so proud of Yang Qian.     5     (athlete) in the Olympic Games should not only have great skills     6     also adjust their own mood to deal with anxieties. Yang Qian has such good sportsmanship     7     (control) herself well under pressure.” Yang’s mother, smiled through tears as her daughter won the     8     (compete). Zhu Xiaomei, her instructor back then, said, “Yang’s success will encourage both teachers and students     9     (great). As long as they work hard, they     10     (be) the top talents in their own field, like what Yang has achieved.”

Lang Ping

As a player, Lang Ping brought honour and glory to her country. As a coach, she led the China women’s volleyball team to     1     (medal) at world championships and the Olympics. As a person, Lang Ping     2     (love) by fans at home and abroad. When the Chinese team was preparing     3     the 2015 World Cup, her     4     (determine) was tested. The team that Lang Ping had built was falling apart. One of the best players had been     5     (injure), and the team captain had to leave because of heart problems.     6     (lose) two important players was a big challenge,     7     Lang Ping did not lose heart. She     8     (face) difficulties before, and she knew that her young players could win     9     they worked together as a team. Two weeks     10     (late), they were world champions! Then in 2016, Lang Ping led her volleyball team to Olympic gold in Brazil.

In 2021, Su Bingtian did what no Chinese runner had done before. The 32-year-old runner set     1     new Asian record of 9.83 seconds in the Men’s 100m Semifinals(半决赛) at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Although he finished     2    (six) in the final with a time of 9.98 seconds, he still made history. “    3    (actual) I’m very happy to run under 10 seconds twice in such a short time”, Su said after the race. “Making it into the finals, I have already given all I have.”

Known     4     the “Asian flying man”, Su has been working hard to achieve his dream. In 2015, Su became the first Chinese     5    (run) 100m in less than 10 seconds. After that, Su competed in many international events and won a number of     6    (medal). Sadly, at the same time, he suffered serious     7    (injure) problems and his determination to go on running     8    (test). He even planned to leave the field, but the wish to run in the 100m final in the Olympics brought him back to the field.

In his third Olympic Games, Su,     9     amazing performance excited people both at home and abroad, has finally achieved his long-time goal. Su Bingtian is really a     10    (live) legend (传奇人物) and his success will surely encourage more young players who are pursuing their goals.

Both Paul and I were huge fans of the NBA. My favourite player was LeBron James. Paul’s favourite player was Tyrone Bogues     1     was only 1.6 metres tall, which made him the     2    (short) player ever in the NBA. Paul was only 1.6 metres tall too, and he used Bogues as his     3    (inspire), practising very hard.     4     Paul tried out many times just for making the team, our coach was not so sure. Paul was still usually     5     the bench, which was really tough on him.

This week, The Lions were playing our main     6    (competitor), The Bears. During the competition, a player and I crashed into each other and my knee hurt     7    (bad), which made me drop out of the game. The last quarter was about     8    (begin), and our team was behind by 10 points. With our team’s suggestion, Paul     9    (permit) to play by our coach. All the extra hours that Paul had spent     10    (practise) alone paid off. He made shot after shot. When the game ended, our team had won by 2 points.

Known as “Air Jordan”, Jordan changed basketball with his graceful moves and jumps. Jordan’s skills were     1     (impress), but the mental strength he showed     2    (make) him unique. The secret to his success is learning from his     3    (injure). In life, Jordan has learnt to share his success with others. The Boys and Girls Club     4    he started in Chicago has been helping young people since 1996.

Today I will introduce two of the “Living Legends of Sports” to you, One is Lang Ping, and     1    other is Michael Jordan. Lang Ping is     2     (know) to Chinese people as a player and a coach. As a player, Lang Ping brought honour and glory to her country. As a coach, Lang Ping     3     (lead) her volleyball team to Olympic gold in Brazil in 2016.

Michael Jordan is famous as “Air Jordan”,     4    showed great mental     5     (strong) in the games. He says that the secret     6    his success is learning from failures. He also says that he can accept failures,     7    he can’t accept not trying.     8     (lose) games taught him to practise harder and never give     9    . Besides, he has learnt to share his success with others.

Although they are in different sports, they are both     10    (master) and set good examples for others.