1 . Being highly successful in any field is pretty rare. It takes a combination of natural talent, luck, determination, and plenty of outside support for someone to make it big in sports, entertainment, or business. But what if competing is all that matters to you, whether you are likely to succeed or not? This was the goal of Michael Edwards, better known as Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards, and his reaching that goal was an amazing achievement.

Born in the U.K. in 1963, Edwards was a passionate downhill skier whose dream was to compete for Britain in world-class competitions. He would have liked to represent his country in the 1984 Winter Olympics, but there were a large number of downhill competitors, and Edwards didn’t qualify. Seeing his chance elsewhere, he switched to ski jumping. Ski jumping didn’t cost as much as downhill skiing, and there was almost no competition for a place on the British team.

But a number of hurdles could have meant the end of Edwards’ dream. He weighed more than most competitors. He had no financial support for his training. Poor eyesight meant that he had to wear glasses under his goggles (护目镜) — not a good thing when they steamed up at high altitudes. But he couldn’t let any of these discourage him. He saw himself as a true lover of the sport who simply wanted the chance to compete. Winning wasn’t the point. Having the opportunity to try was all he cared about. And nothing could stop him from trying.

In the end, Edwards took 55th place at the 1987 World Championships. He then went on to the Calgary Olympics in 1988, where he finished last in both of his events. Many athletes would have been embarrassed by this result, but he is proud of his achievements to this day. His determination to fight against all the odds made him a global hero, and in 2016, the inspiring film Eddie the Eagle was made about his life.

2 . In 2007, Jamie Whitmore was considered one of the most successful athletes in America. She was a six-time USA _________ for XTERRA racing, and held a world title.

Everything _________ during an event that seemed like so many others she had experienced. As a _________ athlete, Jamie Whitmore was used to _________, but she never imagined the pain in her leg could be a deadly cancer!

When she heard the terrible _________ for the first time, Whitmore felt she couldn't _________. “They were talking about treatment and I just started _________ and saying ‘I don't want to die’.” Finally, the _________ got the help of several specialists to remove the tumor. Whitmore developed sepsis(败血症) from the surgery and got through a _________ two-month recovery. When she began to feel ____________ again, Whitmore was certain her cancer was back. Instead, doctors gave her unexpected ____________: She was pregnant—with twins.

Jamie Whitmore isn't used to slowing down. She has never met a(n) ____________ she couldn't overcome, whether it was a mountain bike race or a ____________. Today, Whitmore is a mother of two sons and cancer-free. She's ____________ again, and has____________ a gold medal in the Paralympics and set two world records. She travels as an ____________ speaker when she's not spending time with her sons. Whitmore has some ____________ for others with limitations: “Never let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. Some doctors ____________ me I would never ride anything more than a stationary(静止不动的) bike. ____________ I rode my mountain bike 104 miles climbing from 9,000 feet to 14,000 feet. You just can't ____________.”

It’s never easy for     1     Asian athlete to shine in track and field events. But Su Bingtian, 28,     2     (know) as the “Chinese flying man”, became the first male Chinese sprinter to win a     3     (globe) medal in an individual event. On March 3, he     4     (take) the silver in the men’s 60m final at the World Indoor Championships in the UK. In the final, Su Bingtian ran his personal best of 6. 42 seconds,     5     (break) the Asian record of 6. 43, which he also set last month in Germany.

The last time a Chinese athlete achieved a milestone was in 2004,     6     Liu Xiang won a gold medal in Athens     7     the 110m hurdles. Inevitably, Su is compared to Liu. “Liu Xiang is my idol and also my friend,” Su told Xinhua News Agency.

As a matter of fact, Su had expected     8     (win) a bronze during the final. “There is no difference between silver     9     bronze. Even a bronze could prove that Chinese sprinters have made breakthroughs in major world     10     (compete),” he said.

6 . 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 __________.

China's Yang Qian Wins First Gold Medal of 2021 Olympics

The first gold medal of the 2020 Olympics was     1     (official) won Saturday in Japan. China's Qian Yang earned gold in the women's 10-meter air rifle（步枪）to take home the long-awaited first medal. The 21-year-old is     2     rising star in the sport.

Yang,     3     was ranked sixth in the qualification, scored 251.8 points in the final, beating Russian Galashina's 251.1 points to set off Team China to a fine start at the     4     (postpone) Tokyo games.

As the first champion of the 2020 Games, Yang     5     (award) her medal by International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach.

“It's unbelievable that I can be here. The     6     (compete) was really tight, but I'm so happy that I could win,” Yang said after     7     (claim) the first gold medal of the Games and for China.

“I'm so happy that this golden medal is a gift     8     my country. I'm so     9     (pride).”

But she had to keep her composure（沉着） to do it.

“I didn't think too much during the match because I was very nervous and my heart was beating very fast, so I just tried to be     10     (I) and keep my emotions in control.” the shooter added.