When Michael Jordan’s feet left the ground, time seemed to stand still. The player     1     became known as “Air Jordan” changed basketball with his graceful moves and jumps. Jordan’s     2     (skill) were impressive, but the mental strength that he showed made him unique. In the final seconds of a game, Jordan always seemed to find a way to win. Jordan says that the secret to his success is learning     3     his failures. Losing games taught him to practice harder and never give up.

Stephen’s grandfather built a simple basket by attaching a piece of plastic to a telephone pole along a narrow dirt road,     1     was near the small town of Grottoes. Stephen spent many childhood hours playing on this     2    (mud) basketball court, where he learnt to be creative and flexible as a player. The bumps and rocks that lined the road under the basket caused the ball to bounce in all directions,     3     which Stephen learnt to know where the ball     4    (go) and shoot with great accuracy.

    5    , Stephen was thought by many people to be too weak and too short     6    (follow)in his father’s footsteps. But he didn’t give up because     7    (play) basketball was his dream. He finally ended up playing college ball at a small, little-known school. His     8    (create) and perseverance made him Davidson’s star player.

He performed beyond everyone’s     9    (expectation) with his accurate shooting and continuous efforts. After receiving the Most Valuable Player award for two years in a row, Stephen explained his philosophy: What he wanted to do was just be himself. Inspiring others to believe in     10    (them), he showed that anything is possible through his self-belief, hard work and perseverance.

It’s well known that Chinese women’s volleyball team     1     (be) the national pride since it first won the championship in 1981. Whenever there was a competition for them, people across the country would cheer for them. But few knew how hard they worked     2     (make) it look so easy.

The movie Leap,    3     hit Chinese mainland on Sept 25, 2020, tells us the story behind the team. It shows several generations of volleyball players and their journey     4     becoming an international powerhouse.

What attracted people most were not only their     5     (impress) skills but also the mental strength they showed in the competition. To win the match, China’s ladies trained hard,    6     (live) a dull daily life of never-ending practice.    7    , they refused to quit working even after the stadium lights had gone out.

The road to the championship is not     8     smooth one. The Chinese women’s volleyball team has fallen to troughs(低谷). It is their spirits of never giving up and the strong determination     9     have led them to go through 40 years of ups and downs. It has     10     (gradual) become a legend in the hearts of Chinese people.

Lionel Messi, a player from     1    South American country of Argentina, is the greatest soccer player alive today. At a young age, he    2    (move) to Spain and played     3     (profession) for the Barcelona soccer club. Messi started playing soccer at the age of 5 for a small soccer team     4     (own) by his father. Even as a young boy, he did very well. But when he was 11 years old, he    5    (find) to have a sickness which would prevent him from     6    (grow) much taller. There was a way to help him grow more,     7     his parents did not have enough money to pay for his medical needs. So, they looked around for a soccer club    8    would be able to do this for them. The clubs in Argentina couldn’t help him, but the famous Barcelona club in Spain offered     9    (accept) Messi on the junior team and pay for the bills. The Messi family happily took the offer and moved to Spain. In the Barcelona soccer club, Messi was one of the best players through his teen years.     10     his incredible talent, Messi has surprised the world.

Here are two world-famous living legends. One is Lang Ping, and the other is Michael Jordan. Lang Ping used to be a player, who brought honour and glory to her country. Years later she became a coach, who led the women’s volleyball team to medals at world championships and the Olympics. When preparing for the 2015 World Cup, the team     1     Lang Ping had built was falling apart. One of the best players had been injured, and then the team captain had to leave because of heart problems.     2     (lose ) two important players was a big challenge for Lang Ping, but she did not lose heart. She knew that her young players could win if they worked together as a team. Two weeks later, they were world champions!

Michael Jordan,     3     (know)as “Air Jordan”, changed basketball with his graceful moves and jumps. Jordan’s skills were impressive, but the mental strength that he showed made him special. Jordan says that the secret     4     his success is learning from his failures. Losing games taught him to practise harder and never give up. In life, Jordan has learnt to share his success with others. The Boys and Girls Club he started in Chicago     5     (help) young people since 1996.

Deng Yaping, who was a well-known table tennis player, was born in 1973, in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. She started playing table tennis at the age of 5 and    1    (show) her great gift. Four years later, she won her provincial junior championship. At the age of 13, she won her first     2     (nation) championship and beat many other competitors in all kinds of matches in    3     following years. She had won 18 championships by the time she retired(退役) from sports at the age of 24. Deng Yaping is regarded as one of the greatest     4    (player) in the history of sport.

However,     5    (compare) with other athletes, she made more efforts    6    (achieve) her dream. At first, Deng Yaping    7    (refuse) by the Henan Provincial Team just because she wasn’t tall enough. Her path to success was filled with many other difficulties, none of     8     stopped her. She practised even    9     (hard) and finally made it to the top. Her great determination has inspired thousands of people. Now, she has become a living legend in the sports field    10    home and abroad.

Deng Yaping, who has set     1     example to table tennis players all over the world, was born in 1973, in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. It was her addiction to the sport     2     led to her playing table tennis when she was only 5 years old. Four years later, she won her provincial junior championship. At the age of 13, she won her first     3    (nation) championship and beat other     4     (competitor) in all kinds of competitions in the following years. She had won 18 championships by the time she retired (退役) from sports at the age of 24. Deng Yaping is regarded as one of the     5     (amazing) players in the history of sport.

However, compared with other athletes, it seemed     6     (extreme) challenging for her to achieve her dream. At first, she     7     (refuse) by the Henan Provincial Team just because she wasn’t tall enough. Her path to success was filled with many other challenges,     8     none of them stopped her. She practised even harder and finally made     9     to the top. Her great determination and mental     10     (strong) have inspired thousands of people. Now, she has become a living legend in the sports field at home and abroad.