3 . Lebron James isn't the first high school basketball player to go straight into the NBA, but he's probably the best. He has the body, skills and the basketball brain of an all-star. This _________ was on _________ as he scored 41 points to take Cleveland Cavaliers to a 107-104 win over the New Jersey nets on march 28. Aged of 19 years and 87 days, James became the _________ player to score 40 or more in the NBA. "It was by far James' best _________," said Cleveland coach Paul Silas.

Known to his friends _________ "the king", this was the day James earned his crown(王冠). But he was _________ from being a king during a childhood spent in the back streets of Akron, Ohio. _________ many other African-American basketball players, James' early years were a _________. His mother Gloria was just 16 when she gave birth to him; he knows nothing about his father. Mother and son battled for everything from food to a place to live. _________ help from his grandmother and neighbors, James would __________ have died when he was young. This spirit of survival has served him well on court, forcing him to take any __________ he finds. "I __________ losing. I don't like losing," said James of his 41-point display. "I __________ the opportunity for us to win and I was __________ to capture it." At 2.03 meters, he is no Yao Ming but this didn't __________ him being first choice in 2003 NBA draft（选秀）. This was __________ to his strength and skill, much of which he learned from high school American football.

Although he has a __________ brain, James has never had to concentrate on __________. Some people think this is a mistake and say he should have gone to college to __________ his mind. But James is one of the lucky few who has found fame and fortune without a diploma (文凭). On the court, he is __________.

1.

A．performance

B．activity

C．action

D．talent

2.

A．sale

B．exhibition

C．show

D．duty

3.

A．oldest

B．strongest

C．tallest

D．youngest

4.

A．performance

B．lesson

C．action

D．appearance

5.

A．for

B．as

C．by

D．with

6.

A．well

B．far

C．deep

D．late

7.

A．as

B．like

C．likely

D．alike

8.

A．fight

B．struggle

C．failure

D．war

9.

A．except for

B．except

C．besides

D．without

10.

A．certainly

B．impossible

C．hardly

D．probably

11.

A．goal

B．game

C．match

D．chance

12.

A．hate

B．refuse

C．object

D．reject

13.

A．grasped

B．seized

C．caught

D．held

14.

A．afraid

B．unlucky

C．able

D．certain

15.

A．keep

B．forbid

C．protect

D．stop

16.

A．according

B．referring

C．thanks

D．sticking

17.

A．fast

B．quick

C．high

D．top

18.

A．studying

B．resting

C．sleeping

D．eating

19.

A．advance

B．march

C．increase

D．develop

20.

A．champion

B．winner

C．success

D．king

4 . As she pulled herself over the summit of EI Capitan, Emily Harrington knew she had made history.

It wasn't _________.The US climber had powered on through the dark and dealt with a deep cut to her head to become the first woman to free _________ the difficult route in under 24 hours."

"I'd just_________ what it would be like and it was pretty much exactly what l pictured, “Harrington said excitedly.

"It was incredibly quiet. It was super _________.All the stars were out. It was just this really peaceful experience. I keep telling people that when great sporting_________ happen, a lot of times there's an_________ or there's a stadium. With climbing, it’s not so much like that. It was just this really_________ special moment in this magical place. And it’s something I'll never_________."

Free climbers use just their hands and feet to climb, with a rope to_________ them if they fall. Such a dangerous and__________ life-threatening__________ requires years of preparation, both mentally and physically.

Harrington had climbed this particular__________ over the course of six days in 2015 and had, __________ tried three times to complete it within 24 hours.

However an attempt last year ended in__________ after Harrington, fell 50 feet, hit her head on a ledge (岩架), and__________ concussion (脑震荡).

"It was very__________. It was very serious initially and it__________ that I got really lucky and I did not suffer any long-term__________，”she added.

"I's definitely a mental struggle, coming over that hurdle, coming back into this year and__________ again." Finally she__________ it.

1.

A．crazy

B．easy

C．skeptical

D．casual

2.

A．climb

B．run

C．cycle

D．walk

3.

A．studied

B．planned

C．scheduled

D．imagined

4.

A．cheerful

B．exciting

C．dark

D．fearful

5.

A．improvements

B．achievements

C．surroundings

D．reports

6.

A．actor

B．organizer

C．official

D．audience

7.

A．quiet

B．calm

C．silent

D．still

8.

A．predict

B．discover

C．experience

D．forget

9.

A．throw

B．fetch

C．catch

D．move

10.

A．consequently

B．potentially

C．hardly

D．finally

11.

A．challenge

B．obstacle

C．trouble

D．barrier

12.

A．route

B．corner

C．rock

D．road

13.

A．frequently

B．subsequently

C．smoothly

D．rarely

14.

A．sadness

B．doubt

C．disaster

D．anxiety

15.

A．obtained

B．acquired

C．affected

D．suffered

16.

A．scary

B．disappointed

C．active

D．funny

17.

A．figured out

B．found out

C．turned out

D．brought out

18.

A．failures

B．wounds

C．damages

D．injuries

19.

A．defeating

B．trying

C．exploring

D．competing

20.

A．abandoned

B．missed

C．made

D．controlled

5 . Do you like running enough to make it a habit? Tierney Wolfgram does; she has made running a lifelong career and isn’t stopping.

In February, the 16-year-old from Woodbury High School, Minnesota, US, competed at the 2020 US Olympic Trials.

She finished the marathon (42.195 km) with a time of 2:42:47 as the youngest competitor in the race and ranked 76th out of 390 runners.

However, the cross-country (越野的) season was postponed to winter because of the coronavirus pandemic. So she jumped at the opportunity to train for another race — the Parkway Marathon in California.

In November, Wolfgram, who turned 17, broke the Women’s American Junior marathon record with her time of 2:31:49. The old record was 2:34:32, which had stood since 1984.

“I’m absolutely stunned,” said Wolfgram’s assistant coach, EmKay Sullivan. “I knew she was going to break it, but she really showed out!”

During the run, Wolfgram once hit a wall pretty hard, but she overcame it to finish. “I guess I can say I gave it my all,” she told Runner’s World.

“I When I finished all was thinking was I was super happy,” Wolfgram said.

This was only her third marathon. In 2018, when Wolfgram was 15 years old, she ran her first marathon just because she wanted to see if she was capable of doing it. “I believed that I would get faster as the distances got longer… and I’m still gad that I did it.”

When preparing for that first marathon, she ran up to 120 miles (about 190 kilometers) per week.

Although her parents didn’t have any background in running, they helped Wolfgram train. At first, her dad would take her out in the morning and run about l3 miles. The distance would gradually increase each day. On top of her runs in the morning, she would do cross-country practice after school.

After the Parkway Marathon, Wolfgram shifted to recovery mode. She and her team now prepare for the indoor track and cross-country race this winter.

As for the marathon, Wolfgram will consider attending the Olympics Games in 2024 after it’s scheduled.

1. Why does Wolfgram choose running as a career?

A．She enjoys it so much.

B．She can earn a lot of money.

C．She wants to compete in Olympics.

D．She doesn’t want to be stopped by others.

2. Why did Wolfgram train for the Parkway Marathon instead of the cross-country season?

A．Only adults cold compete in the cross country season.

B．She was not fully prepared for the cross-country season.

C．The cross-country season was put off because of COVID-19.

D．The two competitions were held on the same day.

3. How did EmKay Sullivan feel after heating Wolfgram breaking the record?

A．Doubtful.

B．Surprised.

C．Worried.

D．Interested.

4. What inspired Wolfgram to run her first marathon?

A．Her coach’s support.	B．Her parents’ encouragement.
C．Her hope to break the national record.	D．Her desire to prove to herself she could do it.

5. Which of the following words best describes Wolfgram?

A．Strong-willed.	B．Outgoing.
C．Humorous.	D．Modest.

6 . 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 Cury, 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, little-known 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 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 thing of you does not have to influence what you become. Through self-belief, hard work, perseverance and some help from an old hoop, he has shown that anything is possible.

1. What’s Stephen’s first basket?

A．A second-hand basket bought by his grandfather.

B．A piece of plastic attached to a telephone pole.

C．A new one built in the woods nearby.

D．A wooden one picked up behind the house.

2. How did Stephen Curry settle the problem that it was hard to know where the ball would go?

A．To play in a small court.

B．To adjust his own style.

C．To strengthen the plastic backboard.

D．To bounce the ball in all directions.

3. Why was he thought to be a failure as a basketball player by many people?

A．Because his father was too excellent.

B．Because he ended up playing at a small little-known team.

C．Because he was far from a well-built player.

D．Because he came from a small town far away.

4. How did Stephen Curry win other’s recognition?

A．With his accurate shooting and continuous efforts.

B．By joining the Golden State Warriors.

C．By following in his father’s footsteps.

D．With the help of his grandfather.

5. What’s the author's purpose in writing the passage?

A．To explain why Stephen Curry was doubted by many people.

B．To inform people about Stephen Curry’s basketball skills.

C．To inspire people with Stephen Curry’s determination to succeed.

D．To tell what Stephen Curry has achieved during his career.

7 . 阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

“Tennis – I’m saying goodbye.” With these words, Russian tennis superstar Maria Sharapova, 32, has announced her retirement.

“How do you leave behind the only life you’ve ever known?” she asked herself. Several reasons played a role in Sharapova leaving the tennis court for good.

Over the last couple of years, she’s dealt with an injury in her right shoulder and inflammation (炎症) in her forearms that may have prevented her from returning to top form. In more recent news, the death of her longtime friend, US basketball legend Kobe Bryant, also played a factor in her decision to retire.

“As I think you’ve seen throughout my career, my perseverance ( 毅 力 ) has been my greatest tool, my greatest strength,” Sharapova said in an interview. “But I’ve started feeling like it was becoming a weakness, because the stubbornness (执着) that was keeping me going was keeping me going for wrong reasons.”

Sharapova rose to stardom (明星身份) at age 17 when she won Wimbledon in 2004. She won a total of four Grand Slam singles titles: the 2006 US Open, the 2008 Australian Open, and the 2012 and 2014 French Open. She also earned the Fed Cup title in Russia in 2008 and an Olympic silver medal in singles in 2012, among many other accomplishments.

For 16 straight years from 2004, Sharapova was the world’s highest-earning female athlete, according to Forbes. Off the court, she made millions of dollars from companies such as Evian and Nike, as well as starting her own candy company.

“Tennis showed me the world --- and it showed me what I was made of,” Sharapova wrote on Facebook on Feb 26, alongside a photo of herself as a young girl with a tennis racquet (球拍). “It’s how I tested myself and how I measured my growth. And so in whatever I might choose for my next chapter, my next mountain, I’ll still be pushing, I’ll still be climbing，I’ll still be growing.”

1. What made Maria Sharapova decide to retire at the age of 32? (no more than 10 words)
2. What does Para. 5 mainly talk about? (no more than 10 words)
3. How did Maria Sharapova become the world’s highest-earning female athlete? (no more than 20 words)
4. What does the underlined sentence mean in the last paragraph? (no more than 10 words)
5. Do you think perseverance (毅力) is always our greatest tool? Give your reason. (no more than 20 words)