1 . Many footballers struggle when they leave the beautiful game for retirement in their mid-thirties, with stories that are sad or even terrible. However, in his new book Kicking On! Tony Rickson reveals the footballers who have achieved success after retirement, whether it’s by setting up charities, helping others cope, creating multi-million-pound businesses or going into media, politics or back into the football world.

Tony Adams, a former footballer, set up a charitable foundation more than 20 years ago called Sporting Chance and said it’s one of his greatest achievements. He’s wrong. Despite all the cups he won while captaining Arsenal during a highly successful 22-year career at his only club, and all the times he played for England, it is his greatest achievement. Not just one of them.

As Adams admits in his memorable book, Addicted, he suffered from alcoholism and drug abuse while still a professional footballer. Setting up Sporting Chance was his response, and ever since it’s treated and supported sports professionals suffering from drink or drug problems. The charity’s offer is: “We understand that it takes courage to ask for help, either during or following a career in sport, so when you’re ready to reach out, we’re ready for you.”

Since retiring from playing in 2002, Adams, who has a statue in his honor outside the Arsenal ground, has managed and coached in several countries alongside his charity work. He told The Sun: “What happened in my life with alcohol makes me feel so sad but also grateful that I found a way out of it. I’ve had highs and lows, in and out of football, given up playing and gone into coaching and management. I’ve not had a drink through any of it. My self-esteem (自尊) has come back and I am all right.”

The self-assessment as “all right” also applied to his 2022 appearance in TV’s Strictly Come Dancing, when Adams showed an admirable ability to laugh at himself.

1. What is Adams’ greatest achievement according to Rickson?

A．Setting up Sporting Chance.	B．Captaining the team Arsenal.
C．Playing for England all his life.	D．Writing his bestseller Addicted.

2. What problem did Adams have as a professional footballer?

A．Losing his position on the team.	B．Lack of courage to seek advice.
C．Addiction to alcohol and drugs.	D．Tense relations with teammates.

3. What can we infer about Adams from Paragraph 4?

A．Adams worked as a coach immediately he retired.

B．Charity work made Adams recognized in his circle.

C．Adams began his football career at the age of 22.

D．Arsenal thinks highly of Adams’ contribution to it.

4. What is the text?

A．A news report.	B．A biography.
C．An introduction to a book.	D．An entry of a diary.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Yao Ming was born in 1980. When he was young, he ate a lot, so most of his parents’ salary (工资)     1     (spend) on food. He was already 1.47 meters tall when he attended primary school. Yao Ming was a student,     2     liked reading, but because of his height,     3     (play) basketball became his first choice. In 1989, at the age of 9, Yao Ming began his part-time basketball training at the youth sports school.

In 2002, he entered the NBA Draft and     4     (select) by the NBA Houston Rockets     5     the first pick. On July 20, 2011, Yao Ming     6     (official) announced his retirement due to injury. He is modest and persistent, loyal and hard-working, and has the spirit of     7     (cooperate). And we all know he is a     8     (remark) player. We can find almost all the characteristics used     9     (describe) the advantages of a traditional Chinese man in Yao Ming.

If Jordan is regarded as the founder of basketball in the United States and the world, then Yao Ming is undoubtedly the     10     (influential) player in the world after Jordan.

3 . Defeating Daniil Medvedev in New York on Sunday, Djokovic, one of the greatest tennis player, bagging 24 Grand Slam (大满贯) singles titles, equalized the record held by Australian Margaret Court, the same number of singles titles in the all-time count.

With the victory, Djokovic became the oldest US Open men’s singles champion in the Open Era. In total, he has 10 Australian Opens, seven Wimbledons, four US Opens and three Roland Garros titles, making him the only man to win all four majors at least three times. “When I realized that, I started to dream new dreams and set new goals. I never imagined that I would be here talking about 24 Slams,” he said afterwards.

Djokovic reached all finals in the Grand Slams in 2023, and the only loss was at Wimbledon, when Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, 20, brought home the champion after an intense battle lasting four hours and 43 minutes.

Djokovic, at 36, shows few signs of losing physical edge. He stays healthy, keeps exceptional skills and always desires to win more. Capturing his first Grand Slam in 2008, Djokovic bagged half of his 24 major titles after he turned 30.

“One of the biggest lessons I have learned probably mentally throughout my career is that even if you find a formula (方案) that works, it’s not a guarantee, and actually most likely it’s not going to work the next year, so I keep reinventing myself and always trying to find better ways to win,” said Djokovic.

For Djokovic, who always gets tough when the going gets tough, 24 is just a number that he can go beyond. “I’ll continue to prioritize Grand Slams as my most important tournaments and where I want to play the best tennis. That will stay the same in the next season, or I don’t know how many more seasons I have in my legs,” he added, “So, let’s see.”

1. What does the underlined word “equalized” in the first paragraph probably mean?

A．Set.

B．Broke.

C．Levelled.

D．Approached.

2. What can we know about Djokovic according to the passage?

A．He won 12 Grand Slams in his thirties.

B．He won all the finals in the Grand Slams in 2023.

C．He attached the same importance to all the matches.

D．He is the oldest men’s singles champion in the open era.

3. What seems the “secret” of Djokovic’s great achievement?

A．Losing physical edge.	B．Attending more Grand Slams.
C．Following a good formula.	D．Finding flexible and proper strategies.

4. Which of the following can best describe Djokovic?

A．Confident and emotional.	B．Ambitious and devoted.
C．Aggressive and stubborn.	D．Enthusiastic and generous.

4 . Time magazine named its choice of the 100 “Most Influential (有影响力的) People in the World” on Wednesday. On the _________ were Barack Obama; Mitt Romney; Hillary Clinton; Warren Buffett; Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; Pippa Middleton; Tim Tebow; Jeremy Lin and Matt Lauer.

Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks starting point guard, is a person that many _________ can take as an example, according to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan who _________ the ball player for being one of the world’s most _________ persons. In the article, the secretary of education said kids can learn a great _________ from the injured Knicks point guard who is a _________ of Harvard University.

“Jeremy Lin’s story is a great lesson for kids everywhere. In life, there are many prejudices (偏见) that _________ hold children back. However, Lin’s success can show that these prejudices are _________. For example, in the past, many people didn’t believe an Asian-American could _________ in the NBA, but Lin has proved them wrong - and he’s shown that it’s ______________ to be a world-class athlete on the court as well as a(n) ______________ student off the court.” Duncan wrote.

“It’s great to see good values and the right attitude ______________ in professional sports because that doesn’t always happen,” Duncan said in the Time report. “Often it’s the selfish sportsman that gets celebrated - not people who play for the ______________ and work together to achieve a goal bigger than themselves.”

We spoke to Lin’s ______________, and they seemed to be proud of the young basketball star and praised the amazing effect he’d had on their team, but Lin stayed ______________ about the recognition, and reacted on Twitter by saying “Now I’m blushing (脸红).”

1.

A．road

B．way

C．world

D．list

2.

A．children

B．stars

C．athletes

D．players

3.

A．criticised

B．praised

C．attacked

D．disliked

4.

A．influential

B．skilful

C．talented

D．selfless

5.

A．lesson

B．skill

C．move

D．knowledge

6.

A．graduate

B．professor

C．student

D．coach

7.

A．fortunately

B．surprisingly

C．amazingly

D．unfairly

8.

A．common

B．untrue

C．necessary

D．useful

9.

A．coach

B．work

C．succeed

D．fail

10.

A．useful

B．possible

C．easy

D．difficult

11.

A．poor

B．lazy

C．excellent

D．normal

12.

A．rewarded

B．forgotten

C．replaced

D．covered

13.

A．country

B．fame

C．money

D．team

14.

A．family

B．teammates

C．friends

D．parents

15.

A．modest

B．optimistic

C．excited

D．happy

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What helps Karl most to become successful?

A．Hard work.

B．Good training.

C．A set schedule.

2. What does Karl usually do before the game day?

A．He has good meals.

B．He has a good rest.

C．He does more training.

3. When does Karl get to the stadium on the game day?

A．At about 8:30 a. m.

B．At about 9:00 a. m.

C．At about 9:50 a. m.

4. Why do Karl’s team watch videos of past games?

A．To avoid the mistakes they’ve made.

B．To relax themselves completely.

C．To know the opposing team.

6 . No matter how successful—or lately, unsuccessful—Manchester United has been on the court, which has always prided itself on an incredible ability to generate the game’s brightest young stars. The latest breakthrough talent, it seems, is 18-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.

The teenager’s emergence from the youth academy (学院) has been one of the few satisfying points in an otherwise difficult season for the team, and the highlight of his fledgling (刚刚起步的) career came during United’s 4—3 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday.

After the host had seemingly got a draw in the 95th minute of the match, Mainoo showed his considerable potential by scoring a winner in the dying moment. The English youngster received the ball under pressure outside of the opposition’s box before rushing his way towards the goal, hitting against a Wolves defender on the way. Then, when other players might have panicked, Mainoo was composed and guided a perfect shot into the far corner of the net.

While his teammates celebrated wildly, Mainoo knelt down and slid towards the crowd after scoring his first Premier League goal. It was a sensational moment and a goal which might change the teenager’s life forever.

“I’ve still not come down from it. I still feel like I’m dreaming, to be honest,” Mainoo told TNT Sports after the match. “To start playing in the Premier League for my boyhood club has been amazing. Now I am just trying to play more games and win more games.”

There have been moments this season, though, where his inexperience has shown, but the future looks bright for the young midfielder who seems to have his feet firmly on the ground. “He is making incredible progress. He has great abilities as a modern midfield player,” Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag told reporters after the game. “He can defend and attack but also he has the physicality to do both ways.”

Manchester United is currently ranked seventh in the Premier League and they are working hard to secure the top four, which will ensure qualification for next season’s Champions League.

1. What does paragraph 3 mainly tell us about Kobbie Mainoo?

A．His goals.	B．His education.
C．His teammates.	D．His performance.

2. What does the underlined word “sensational” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Boring.

B．Dramatic.

C．Suitable.

D．Possible.

3. Which word can best describe Kobbie Mainoo?

A．Ambitious.

B．Humorous.

C．Experienced.

D．Shy.

4. What is the aim of Manchester United now?

A．To bring out more young stars.

B．To qualify for the next Premier League.

C．To play in the Champions League next season.

D．To finish in the top seven of the Premier League.

7 . Cheng Cheung Hung, a Chinese sprinter(短跑运动员), says Asia’s fastest man Su Bingtian is his hero, who was the first Chinese to run 100 meters in 10 seconds in 2015.

“Su Bingtian created a new Asian record. His super performance definitely earned him the title of ‘Su-per’. I had the pleasure of shaking his hand, which was a great inspiration,” said Cheng after his competition in China’s first Youth Games on Monday.

Four weeks ago, Su delivered a speech, which attracted many young athletes like Cheng Cheung Hung. Cheng not only shook hands with his hero, but also was inspired by Su’s speech. “It was truly an enlightening experience for me,” recalled Cheng. “Su encouraged us to try and challenge ourselves to break the limit. Combining(结合)talent and hard work together, we can step on the world stage.”

Majored in physical therapy(理疗), Cheng has well balanced his school studies and training at university. “The main thing is to do a good job of time management for studying and training,” he said. “In the classroom and on the sports field, it’s all about learning.”

Through studying physical therapy at university, Cheng got a deeper understanding of human body structure and conducted scientific analysis of sprinting. He said he could be aware of the change in his physical state now and immediately correct his training time based on his knowledge and research.

“It would be a great honor to be involved in sports in the future, and to pass on the experience I have learned now to the next generation. I hope to help the development of sports,” Cheng said.

1. What does Cheng Cheung Hung think of Su?

A．Admirable.	B．Brave.
C．Honest.	D．Strict.

2. What did Su suggest young athletes do in his speech?

A．Go abroad for skills.	B．Share experience with each other.
C．Spare enough time for rest.	D．Challenge themselves.

3. What can we know about Cheng Cheung Hung?

A．He is poor at study.

B．He came first in the 100-meter race in 2015.

C．He earned the title of “Su-per” in his performance.

D．He has achieved a balance between study and training.

4. What does Cheng Cheung Hung say about his study in college?

A．It cost him much money.	B．It led him to be a scientist.
C．It helped him with sports training.	D．It wasted too much time.

8 . Twenty-five years ago, Florence Griffith Joyner, known as “Flo-Jo” died in her sleep, leaving behind a legacy that combined style and speed in the world of track and field. She was celebrated for her remarkable achievements, particularly during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.

During the Olympic qualifiers in 1988, Flo-Jo broke the 100-meter world record with an amazing time of 10.49 seconds. She continued to amaze the world by breaking the 200-meter world record in the same Olympics, crossing the finish line in 21.34 seconds with her iconic style, including long painted nails and colorful one-legged running suits.

Griffith Joyner’s success extended beyond the track. She won two more gold medals at the Seoul Olympics, in the 100 meters and the 4×100-meter relay events, making her an international star. She landed endorsement (代言) deals in Japan, and appeared in American television shows like “Santa Barbara” and “227”. And there was even had a doll modeled after her by LJN Toys.

However, Flo-Jo’s Olympic achievements were not without controversy. In 1989, former American track athlete Darrell Robinson alleged (指称) that Griffith Joyner provided him with money to purchase growth hormones. She strongly denied these accusations, and despite persistent rumors, she never tested positive for any banned substances during her career.

The International Olympic Committee’s medical commission conducted strict drug testing on Flo-Jo during the 1988 Olympics, and she consistently tested negative. She faced questions about the allegations throughout her career but maintained her innocence.

In 1989, just five months after her great success in Seoul, Griffith Joyner announced her retirement from track, explaining that she couldn’t give her all to training as she used to. She transitioned into motherhood, pursued a career in fashion design, and designed NBA uniforms for the Indiana Pacers in 1990.

Flo-Jo’s legacy endures, as she revolutionized women’s sprinting with her exceptional speed and unique fashion sense. Florence Griffith Joyner remains an iconic figure in the world of sports, remembered for her incredible talent, groundbreaking achievements, and unapologetic style.

1. What do we know about Griffith Joyner according to the passage?

A．She passed away in America in 1989.

B．She benefited a lot from her running suits.

C．She pursued a career in fashion before her success.

D．She was very impressive at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

2. Which word can best describe Griffith Joyner’s athletic career?

A．Unexpected.

B．Splendid.

C．Struggling.

D．Rewarding.

3. What contributed to Griffith Joyner’s retirement?

A．Public false accusations.	B．Her health problems.
C．Her shift in life priorities.	D．Persuasion from her family.

4. In which column of a newspaper can we most probably read this text?

A．History.

B．Culture.

C．Science.

D．Entertainment.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What day is it today?

A．Wednesday.

B．Thursday.

C．Friday.

2. What does the man hope to do this afternoon?

A．Watch a basketball game.

B．Go for a job interview.

C．Meet Yao Ming.

3. What will Yao Ming talk about?

A．Why it’s important to go to university.

B．What it’s like to be famous in the U. S..

C．How to start a successful basketball career.

4. When did the woman first hear about Yao Ming?

A．At the age of four.

B．At the age of seven.

C．At the age of eight.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What made Catherine start boxing?

A．A film.

B．A friend.

C．A game.

2. What did Catherine’s family think of her when she took up boxing?

A．Brave.

B．Smart.

C．Crazy.

3. What does Catherine usually do before a boxing match?

A．Stay relaxed.

B．Go camping.

C．Get training.

4. What is the best thing Catherine gains from doing boxing?

A．Friendship.

B．Fitness.

C．Respect.