1 . Recently，a special group of American athletes were invited to Poland to run in a 100-kilometer race. The endurance race was ______ interest to many people because the athletes were______________，They had lost legs in accidents，were blind or had diseases that made their muscles very ________ .

______ their disabilities，most of the runners ________   it through the 25-hourrace.

“Disabled people always ________ when we are asked why we are running such a long distance，and we smile because we________ the challenge，"said a blind runner.

The runners in Poland showed that there's almost     _________ that the disabled can't do when they give their minds to it. There are about 37 million disabled people in the U. S. Just a decade ___   ， people thought they were beer off if they ___________ home and did as little as possible.

That's _______   Disabled athletes are challenging all __________and proving without questions that they can_____in almost every sport. The disabled are taking part in running，golfing，skiing. bicycling，rock climbing and rafting. A_______   woman ran in the Boston Marathon. Her husband ran in front of her and held a rope so she knew where to run.

In 1988，376 disabled Americans competed in many _______ in a special division of the Seoul Olympics. These brave athletes are proving that the stereotype （偏见）that the disabled are inactive is ___

They have been helped by great advances in_______ . Wheelchairs weigh less than 5 kilograms now，compared with more than 20 kilograms a few years ago. Also，________ legs are lighter and more comfortable.

Some people wonder if disabled athletes are __________ themselves too hard. But the athletes say they are_________self-respect and independence.