1 . The FIFA World Cup Trophy (奖杯) is arguably one of the most iconic prizes in the sporting world. So far, two different trophies have been used in the history of the FIFA World Cups.

The Jules Rimet Trophy was the first trophy awarded to the winners of the FIFA World Cups. Initially, the old trophy was originally named “Victory”. However, this trophy was renamed “the Jules Rimet Trophy” in 1946. This change was made to honor former FIFA president Jules Rimet, who voted to organize the first FIFA World Cup in 1930. French sculptor Abel Lafleur designed the trophy in 1930. The trophy was 14 inches in height and weighed 8.4 pounds. It was comprised of a winged representation of Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory and was inspired by the Nike of Samothrace statue.

Uruguay became the first champion and kept the trophy in 1930. The trophy was eventually retired when Brazil won the World Cup final for the third time in 1970. Following their success in Mexico, Brazil was allowed to keep the trophy permanently. However, the original trophy was stolen for a second time in 1983. It was never recovered, and it was claimed that it had been melted down into gold bars. Following the retirement of the Jules Rimet Trophy, FIFA needed a new cup. Eventually, Italian artist Silvio Gazzaniga’s design was selected as the new World Cup trophy.

The modern FIFA World Cup trophy describes two human figures holding the earth on top of their heads. The base of the trophy has “FIFA World Cup” engraved (刻). Furthermore, following every World Cup, the name of the winning team and the winning year is also engraved at the base. The trophy weighs 13.61 pounds. Unlike the Jules Rimet Trophy, the winning nations and future winners don’t get to hold the original trophy anymore. The new regulations state that it remains in FIFA’s possession. Instead, winners are given a gold-plated bronze replica (青铜复制品) provided by FIFA. West Germany was the first nation to lift the modern World Cup trophy in 1974.

The new trophy can hold up to seventeen names and years and is likely to be retired following the 2038 World Cup.

1. Why was the first World Cup trophy renamed?

A．To remember the designer of the cup.	B．To welcome a new global soccer event.
C．To expand the popularity of the World Cup.	D．To show great respect for the former FIFA president.

2. Which country has won the Jules Rimet Trophy three times?

A．Italy.

B．Mexico.

C．Brazil.

D．Uruguay.

3. How is the modern FIFA World Cup trophy different from the previous one?

A．It is made of gold and bronze.	B．It is owned by FIFA instead of the winners.
C．It bears the word “Victory” at the bottom.	D．It varies the design every seventeen years.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The rules of the World Cup.	B．The history of the World Cup trophy.
C．The growing trend of watching the World Cup.	D．The inspiration for creating the World Cup trophy.

2 . We all know what it is like to want to win and most of us know what it is like to lose. More often than not, _________has the victor walking on air, lost in the glory of the moment while the loser is left with a feeling of _________. Almost nobody likes to come second. Modern society _________ winners and successful sportspeople quickly _________celebrities (名人), admired by all. _________, there are ways to win and to lose. Whether you _________ first or last at any sporting event, you _________ two opponents (对手): your fellow competitors and yourself. At the finish, your _________ will walk away but you will have to live with your _________. A true sportsperson will make the right decision for the right reason and not __________ failure. There is an old and very wise __________, “Win with modesty, lose with grace, and do both with dignity.”

In __________ of such acts of sportsmanship, the International Fair Play Committee decided to award the Pierre de Coubertin Fair Play Trophy, in 1964. The first __________ to receive the award was an Italian bobsleigh (雪橇) competitor named Eugenio Monti. During the two-man bobsleigh final at the 1964 Winter Olympic Games, he __________ an excellent time for his downhill run. However, one of the British competitors, Tony Nash, had __________a part of his bobsleigh and was unable to compete. Just then, Monti, without __________, removed the same part of his own bobsleigh and __________ it to Nash. Nash and his partner went on to __________ a record time and won the gold medal. Monti’s remarkable, unselfish decision to help a __________ competitor, in the final stage of an Olympic event, is an example to us all. He did not come first but he walked away a true __________.

1.

A．fighting

B．challenging

C．training

D．winning

2.

A．failure

B．separation

C．loneliness

D．anxiety

3.

A．interests

B．creates

C．honors

D．tests

4.

A．attract

B．become

C．support

D．replace

5.

A．Therefore

B．Otherwise

C．Moreover

D．However

6.

A．come

B．go

C．start

D．leave

7.

A．control

B．face

C．protect

D．remind

8.

A．admirers

B．celebrities

C．competitors

D．colleagues

9.

A．goal

B．secret

C．opportunity

D．decision

10.

A．learn from

B．go after

C．worry about

D．refer to

11.

A．saying

B．theory

C．story

D．tradition

12.

A．search

B．praise

C．case

D．place

13.

A．audience

B．coach

C．athlete

D．reporter

14.

A．discovered

B．produced

C．chose

D．expected

15.

A．borrowed

B．bought

C．repaired

D．broken

16.

A．hesitation

B．permission

C．choice

D．comparison

17.

A．sold

B．returned

C．lent

D．rented

18.

A．spend

B．consider

C．count

D．achieve

19.

A．lucky

B．fellow

C．confident

D．familiar

20.

A．hero

B．fan

C．partner

D．follower

3 . The Winter Olympic Games are not just an opportunity for athletes to win medals and honour for their countries. Every four years, the Games also offer audiences a chance to get to know more about winter sports from around the world. The Winter Olympics may not have the large crowds and huge stars of its summer sibling, but they share the same Olympic spirit.

One of the most popular sports of the Winter Olympic Games is skiing. Skiers compete in the downhill and slalom, and in the short and long cross-country ski races. Skiing was originally a sport played only in cold northern countries, but now athletes from all over the world compete in this sport, even those from countries without any snow.

Skaters compete with each other in speed races or in figure-skating events. The figure-skaters are generally considered to be the stars of the Winter Olympic Games. These ice princes and princesses are so graceful that it’s easy to forget that they are actually highly skilled athletes.

The skeleton is one of the strongest-named sports of the Winter Olympics. The skeleton is named after the shape of the metal sleds used in the 1890s, when the sport first started. The skeleton is a downhill sled race, usually on ice. This sport looks a little like the luge（无舵雪橇）, where a person sits on the back of the sled with his or her feet forward, but the skeleton is a lot more exciting and dangerous than that. In the skeleton, a person lies on his or her stomach on the sled, with his or her head pointing downhill!

1. What is the “summer sibling” of the Winter Olympics?

A．Summer ball games.	B．All kinds of summer sports.
C．The Summer Olympics.	D．Track and field events.

2. What do you know about the sport of skiing?

A．It was originally a sport played only in cold northern countries.

B．It’s named after the shape of the sleds used in the 1890s.

C．It is one of the strongest sports of the Olympics.

D．It can involve speed and graceful figures.

3. How does the writer describe figure-skaters?

A．They compete in the downhill.

B．They are ice princes and princesses with high skills.

C．They sit with their feet forward.

D．They lie on their stomachs on the sleds.

4. Which of the following sports can’t you find in the Summer Olympic Games?

A．Wrestling.

B．Weight listing.

C．Gymnastics.

D．Ice hockey.

4 . Esports (electronic sports) are organized competitions where players — often referred to as “athletes” — face off against each other in video games. They are not just games in a sense. Actually, they are a sport that can improve the players’ thinking ability, hand-eye coordination, willpower and team spirit.

The esports industry has experienced significant growth in recent years around the world, though it’s still in the nascent stage, which means it has huge growth potential going forward.

While the assumption is that esports are only a recent phenomenon, in reality the first esports-like event was held back in 1972, when some Stanford University students competed against one another in the game Spacewar. The prize? A year-long subscription to Rolling Stone magazine.

The ’80s saw the first true videogame tournament, with over 10,000 players gathering for the Space Invaders Championship. However, most of the period saw that players focused on beating each other’s highest scores rather than competing in organized tournaments.

As gaming became more popular, the ’90s became the first decade when esports (a term which wasn’t yet coined) began to really take off, with companies such as Nintendo and Sega holding professional gaming tournaments. This is also when we began to see money becoming a factor in professional gaming. But it is the 1997 Red Annihilation Quake tournament that is considered the world’s first real esports event. Only a few weeks later, the Cyberathlete Professional League was formed — an organization which is considered a pioneer of esports.

Due to the normalization of gaming and the Internet (along with technological advances), the real surge ( 激增 ) of esports came in the recent decade. It was then that we began seeing what we now know to be modern-day esports. As streaming platforms such as YouTube took off, people began to show interest in not only playing videogames but watching them too. Popular tournaments now sell out stadiums and professional players can earn millions from prize money, advertising and salaries.

1. What does the underlined word “nascent” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Beginning.	B．Peak.
C．Mature.	D．Final.

2. How does the text mainly develop?

A．By providing examples.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By following the order of time.	D．By following the order of importance.

3. What can be learned about esports?

A．They spread worldwide overnight.

B．Prize money appeared in the 1990s.

C．The first real esports event was held in 1972.

D．The athletes in esports are programmers.

4. What seems to be the author’s viewpoint on modern-day esports?

A．They are getting popular.

B．They become too commercialized.

C．They boost the normalization of the Internet.

D．Their development relies on advertising.