THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
Near the small town of Grottoes, Virginia, a narrow dirt road goes from the house of Stephen Curry's grandfather to the woods nearby. A far cry from the bright lights and shiny courts of the National Basketball Association (NBA), it was along this road that Stephen's grandfather built a simple basket by attaching a piece of plastic to a telephone pole.
Like his father, basketball star Dell Curry, Stephen spent many childhood hours playing on this muddy basketball court. He probably didn't realise it at the time, but it was where he learnt to be creative and flexible as a player. You see, with every shot, the weak plastic backboard gave way. The bumps and rocks that lined the road under the basket caused the ball to bounce in all directions. Knowing where the ball would go wasn't easy. He had to adjust his own playing style as a result. Shooting with great accuracy was another thing he learnt. Only shots perfectly aimed at its centre went into the heavy, thick basket. In this way, practising day in and day out helped Stephen sharpen his skills.
Despite his father's successful career, Stephen was thought by many people, including his high school teammates and coaches, to be too short, too thin and too weak to follow in his father's footsteps. But Stephen carried on. Playing basketball was his dream. He would not give up. He finally ended up playing college ball at a small, littleknown school, Davidson College, not too far from where he lived. His creativity and perseverance made him Davidson's star player.
Selected for the NBA in 2009, Stephen joined the Golden State Warriors. He performed beyond everyone's expectations with his accurate shooting and continuous efforts. In 2015, Stephen won his first NBA championship, and he led the Warriors to their first championship since 1975.
After receiving the Most Valuable Player award for two years in a row, Stephen explained his philosophy, “I never really set out to change the game... What I wanted to do was just be myself... I know it inspires a lot of the next generation, a lot of people who love the game of basketball to value the skill of it, value the fact that you can work every single day to get better. You've got to be able to put in the time and the work. That's how I got here. That's how I continue to get better every single day. ” Inspiring others to believe in themselves, Stephen Curry is living proof that what other people think of you does not have to influence what you become. Through selfbelief, hard work, perseverance and some help from an old hoop, he has shown that anything is possible.
1. What is the theme of the text about?| A．The Most Valuable Player award has a long history. |
| B．Success comes from confidence, hard work and perseverance. |
| C．Stephen is the first NBA championship. |
| D．Stephen Curry followed in his father's footsteps. |
| A．When Stephen was little. |
| B．When Stephen went to college. |
| C．When Stephen's father was a child. |
| D．When Stephen's grandfather was little. |
| A．Stephen's poor skills. |
| B．The muddy road. |
| C．The weak plastic backboard. |
| D．The bumps and rocks under the basket. |
| A．He joined NBA in 2015. |
| B．He was elected the Most Valuable Player in 2009. |
| C．He won the Most Valuable Player for 3 times. |
| D．He won his first NBA championship in 2015. |
| A．Nothing is impossible for a willing heart. |
| B．More haste, less speed. |
| C．It's never too old to learn. |
| D．Rome was not built in one day. |
7. 细读课文并找出人物描写的句子
LIVING LEGENDS
Help us choose some “Living Legends of Sports”. They must be athletes who are masters in their sports and also set good examples for others. Here are our first two choices.
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 medals at world championships and the Olympics. As a person, Lang Ping is loved by fans at home and abroad. When the Chinese team was preparing for the 2015 World Cup, her determination was tested. The team that Lang Ping had built was falling apart. One of the best players had been injured, and the team captain had to leave because of heart problems. Losing two important players was a big challenge, but Lang Ping did not lose heart. She had faced difficulties before, and she knew that her young players could win if they worked together as a team. Two weeks later, they were world champions! Then in 2016, Lang Ping led her volleyball team to Olympic gold in Brazil.
Michael Jordan
When Michael Jordan’s feet left the ground, time seemed to stand still. The player who became known 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 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 from his failures. “I can accept failure; everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” 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 which he started in Chicago has been helping young people since 1996.
Send your suggestions for “Living Legends of Sports” to LLS@sports.net.
1. What’s the main idea of the text?| A．It’s about living legends, Lang Ping and Michael Jordan. |
| B．It’s about volleyball games. |
| C．It’s about basketball games. |
| D．It’s about the Boys and Girls Club. |
(1)
(6)
3. How was Lang Ping’s determination tested in the 2015 World Cup?
| A．One of the best players had been injured. |
| B．The team captain had to leave because of heart problems. |
| C．The volleyball team she had built was falling apart. |
| D．Lang Ping lost heart. |
| A．Lang Ping is stubborn. |
| B．Lang Ping is determined. |
| C．Lang Ping is easygoing. |
| D．Lang Ping is careful. |
| A．Jordan’s determination in the basketball field. |
| B．Jordan’s success in the basketball field. |
| C．Jordan’s handsome figure (身材)． |
| D．Jordan’s quick moves in playing basketball. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A magazine. |
| C．A poster. | D．An advertisement. |
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4 . Team China’s teenage freeski superstar Gu Ailing had halfpipe gold wrapped up by her second run at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou. “I’ve never taken a victory lap before in my entire life, but this time I felt like I finally deserve it,” Gu told reporters after becoming the first athlete to win Olympic medals in all three freeski events. Her big victory at the 2021 X Games in Aspen, Colorado, where she won Big Air, halfpipe and slopestyle golds, increased the expectation level for her Olympic performance in Beijing.
Born in California to a Chinese mother, Gu began competing for China when she was 15 in 2019, stating her aim to inspire millions of young people during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and promote the sport she loves. Since then, the outstanding part-time model and grade-A student has been busy gaining records, titles and firsts. All the while her superstar status has snowballed, as evidenced by her millions of followers on social media.
The 18-year-old also clearly feels she has achieved much away from the sporting arena at Beijing 2022 and she has become the inspiration for many. “After reading hundreds of messages that I get every day from young girls saying that they go sking because of me and they want to keep going or they, you know, broke their boundaries in some other way and felt inspired by something that I said, I feel all those little things are immensely rewarding.”
When asked about her future plan, she had no idea whether she would continue to compete in freestyle skiing. “I’m going to do whatever feels right, and hopefully I’ll be able to create some kind of positive change out of any position that I'm in,” said Gu.
1. Gu was the first athlete to________.| A．take a victory lap in the Olympics | B．gain three golds at the 2021 X Games |
| C．win three golds in the Olympic events | D．get Olympic medals in three freeski events |
| A．She was born in China. |
| B．She did well in different fields. |
| C．Her superstar status badly affected her life. |
| D．Her aim was to promote the Winter Olympics. |
5 . Team China’s teenage freeski superstar Gu Ailing had halfpipe gold wrapped up by her second run at Genting Snow Park in Zhangjiakou. “I’ve never taken a victory lap before in my entire life, but this time I felt like I finally deserve it,” Gu told reporters after becoming the first athlete to win Olympic medals in all three freeski events. Her big victory at the 2021 X Games in Aspen, Colorado, where she won Big Air, halfpipe and slopestyle golds, increased the expectation level for her Olympic performance in Beijing.
Born in California to a Chinese mother, Gu began competing for China when she was 15 in 2019, stating her aim to inspire millions of young people during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and promote the sport she loves. Since then, the outstanding part-time model and grade-A student has been busy gaining records, titles and firsts. All the while her superstar status has snowballed, as evidenced by her millions of followers on social media.
The 18-year-old also clearly feels she has achieved much away from the sporting arena at Beijing 2022 and she has become the inspiration for many. “After reading hundreds of messages that I get every day from young girls saying that they go sking because of me and they want to keep going or they, you know, broke their boundaries in some other way and felt inspired by something that I said, I feel all those little things are immensely rewarding.”
When asked about her future plan, she had no idea whether she would continue to compete in freestyle skiing. “I’m going to do whatever feels right, and hopefully I’ll be able to create some kind of positive change out of any position that I’m in,” said Gu.
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Do Whatever You Feel Right | B．Skiing Changes People’s Lives |
| C．Gu, an Inspiring Olympic History Maker | D．Skiing, the Highlight of the Winter Olympics |
6 . Clark, a rising fifth-grader who is Filipino-American, told HuffPost he's been dreaming about breaking Phelps' record ever since he started swimming competitively at age 7."I was so motivated,"Clark said about his win."I was so happy that I was able to beat that record.”
Phelps competed in his first Olympics at age 15. He went on to become the most decorated Olympian in history, with 28 medals overall. “Everyone in the crowd was excited when they realized what a special swim they had just seen when we announced the long-standing record had been broken,"Cindy Rowland,Pacific Swimming's director, wrote in an email.
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word“decorated”in Paragraph 4?
| A．Being popular. |
| B．Being respected. |
| C．Being talked about most. |
| D．Being awarded medals. |
7 . On achieving success:
“When you make a choice and say, ‘Come hell or high water, I am going to be this,’ then you should not be surprised when you are that. It should not be something that is intoxicating or out of character because you have seen this moment for so long that ... when that moment comes, of course it is here because it has been here the whole time, because it has been [in your mind] the whole time.”
On failure:
“I don’t mean to sound cavalier when I say that, but never. It’s basketball. I’ve practiced and practiced and played so many times. There’s nothing truly to be afraid of, when you think about it ... Because I’ve failed before, and I woke up the next morning, and I’m OK. People say bad things about you in the paper on Monday, and then on Wednesday, you're the greatest thing since sliced bread. I’ve seen that cycle, so why would I be nervous about it happening?”
The word “cavalier” in the 3rd paragraph probably means __________.
A．not serious or caring  | B．anxious and eager |
| C．worried and pessimistic | D．not proud or arrogant |
