1 . I started ice skating when I was four years old. _________, I was just tagging (跟在后面) along with my sister, but soon enough the _________ became my entire life. I was told that I had what it took to become a(n) _________ and even take part in the Olympics. I didn’t go to school, because I had to train for up to six hours a day.

When I was 12, adolescence _________ and my body changed rapidly. Average teenager as I was, I knew right away that there would be a _________ that my body would prevent me from being the best skater I could be, and that with a _________ body, I would no longer be able to do some of the _________ jumps. Competing at the highest level doesn’t seem possible, so I _________ ice skating altogether.

Losing everything I had _________ caused me to sink into a deep ____________. It also meant that I had to go to school for the first time. I was ____________ a lot and people called me fat all the time. Eventually, I realized that I could get out of my depression only by ____________ who I was and no longer focusing on my ____________. I decided to start ____________ myself; I learned Spanish and went to law school.

Now I’m a(n) ____________ myself. I only teach children who skate to improve their ____________. Also, ice skating is an expensive sport. But the kids who need these ____________ for their health usually don’t have a lot of money, so my lessons are very ____________.

I am ____________ that this happened to me, and that I was young enough to turn my focus to something other than sport, so I could become the best ____________ of myself.

2 . For the first time ever, an athlete with Down Syndrome (唐氏综合征) crossed the finish line of an Ironman triathlon (铁人三项) and made history for his amazing accomplishment. Chris Nikic, 21, conquered a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon run at the Ironman Florida competition on November 7, 2020.

But this was no easy task for the athlete from Maitland, Florida. During the Panama City Beach sporting event, Chris fell off his bike and was attacked by ants during a nutrition break but he kept going. He completed the triathlon in 16 hours, 36 minutes and 9 seconds. And his achievement earned him a place, in the Guinness World Records.

Chris is a highly motivated young man and knew he could do what he set his mind to achieve. He posted online: “Ironman. Goal set and achieved. Time to set a new and BIGGER goal for 2021.”

Training for the Ironman over the past year was a long process. Chris and. His father Nik Nikic developed the “I percent better challenge” to help keep Chris motivated and promote Down Syndrome awareness.

“To Chris, this race was more than just a finish line and celebration of victory,” Nik Nikic said. “Ironman has served as his platform to become one step closer to his goal of living a life of inclusion (包容) and leadership.”

Chris teamed with his partner and coach Dan Grieb for the Ironman competition. “I’m no longer surprised by what Chris can accomplish because I recognize who Chris is a human being who has goals and dreams just like everyone else,” his coach told the Special Olympics. “He wants to make the path easier for those just like him and can follow his lead.”

4 . Mohammad Afiq Ismail came from a small village in Kelantan, Malaysia. His father worked on a palm oil farm and herded goats. His mother took care of his disabled brother. Though they were living______. Afiq’s father wanted to change their______for the better.

They worked hard to send him to a private boarding school.______. he had to be transferred (转学)to another school when the exam results came out______. There, he took the subject of Accounting and realized he had an interest for numbers.

When he received excellent results for his high school public examination, he was offered______by the Public Service Department to study in the UK. Upon hearing the______, Afiq’s parents killed a goat and a cow for their entire village to______their gratitude.

____his parents did not speak English and none from his village has gone abroad to study, Afiq was more______than ever to make his parents______. He flew to the UK to study Accounting and Finance at the University of Essex. During his three-year______, he worked part-time as a cleaner so that he could______flight tickets for his parents to______his graduation.

“My parents have never been on a(n)______. I wanted to pay for their tickets as a(n)______for everything they’ve done for me, for helping me finish my studies,” explains Afiq in a Facebook post______by his friend.

Afiq______with a First Class Honors for his course and was joined by his parents on his big day. He further noted that he______wanted to give his parents the best, including the______experience of watching their son receive the degree. Becoming______is the greatest payback children can give to parents and their sacrifices.