1 . Do you think you are too old to do something? Just go online and ________ the video of John Harrison doing the 50m backstroke in 2014.

He ________ the 100-104 years world record by 15 seconds! Yes, you read that ________. The 100-104 years group! A time of 1:29.78. The first ever British man to set records in that age group. The applause (掌声) is long-lasting and heartfelt from all the crowd. A(n) ________ moment.

John loved swimming. He still tried to keep ________ by swimming in his last years before he passed away at the age of 105 in January 2020. Many of John’s friends speak ________ of him saying he was a “wonderful man”.

John was born in Farnborough on 25 July, 1914. And his ________ in swimming was unusual. “When I was five years old, on the way home from school, I came across a small pond,” he said ________, “so I went swimming. It taught me two things. One, to swim; and two, not to drink the water.”

“My parents ________ two years later that I was still doing it. They were ______ at first. But their anger soon ________” when I said, “I didn’t get asthma (哮喘病) last winter. They then bought me a costume and ________ me swimming skills.”

However, John didn’t start swimming ________ until his wife told him to stop teaching swimming and life-saving classes and ________ the sport for himself at the age of 79. From then on, he didn’t look back and was full of praise for everyone who ________ him during his successes.

2 . A cheerleader amazed everyone at the Nebraska State High School Cheer & Dance Championship (锦标赛).

Just two weeks before the competition, something unexpected happened. Morrill High School cheer coach (教练) April Ott _________ the sad news to 17-year-old Katrina that she was the only one left on the cheer squad (拉拉队) after three girls _________ for personal reasons. The coach added the only choice for them was to watch other girls in action, but Katrina had other _________. She made up her mind to go at it _________.

And that was exactly _________ Katrina did. It was the first time that a cheerleader had competed on her own. Surprisingly, she had the _________ audience when she was _________. She was greeted by huge cheers. And despite not being able to be _________ the same as other competitors, her _________ ended up eighth out of the 12 squads.

“It was the last competition in my high school life. It was certainly out of my comfort zone,” said Katrina. “That was not something I would __________ do by any means, but I didn’t want to end my senior year on a(n) __________ note.”

Katrina’s story __________ her coach and many other people. “Katrina __________ herself,” Ott said, “I feel like this is a story for everyone. Never quit. Whatever the __________ are, just keep going.”

As for her advice to others, Katrina smiled, “Never back off. You’re __________ than you think you are.”

3 . China’s 17-year-old Liu Qingyi did so excellently that she won the champion in the Huangzhou 19^th Asian Games, 2023 and made it to the next summer Olympics. Now the young Liu Qingyi is one step closer to her ________ at Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games as the street dancer won a ________ medal in the Breaking for Gold World Series in 2023, the first Olympic points event in break dancing (霹雳舞) this year.

Liu won the gold medal by ________ Japan’s home favorite and world champion Ami Yuasa in a tense final.

“During the past winter season, I have ________ some Chinese elements in my performance,” Liu told reporters after the win, noting she had spent nearly three months for the ________.

Speaking of her ________ of defeating the defending world champion, Liu ________ being proud. “It’s either win or lose when you enter a ________ . Nobody could win ________ ”, Liu said. “I am happy to win and I am also here to ________ and communicate.”

With break dancing becoming an ________ sport at the 2024 Paris Olympics, it is becoming more widely known and giving more dancers the chance to turn their hobby into a career.

It is through dancing that she overcame her ________ nature. “Before breaking, if I didn’t know someone, I couldn’t even talk to them.”

Now she believes that dancing will be her ________ career. “Dancing represents the ________ of art. I will never stop ________,” Liu said.

4 . Felicia Grimmenhag of Sweden doesn’t let anything get in her way — even a life-changing injury. After surviving a serious car accident, Felicia had to _________ getting around in a wheelchair. But it didn’t stop her from _________ her dream as a champion horseback rider and Paralympic (残奥会) hopeful.

Felicia was 17 when she was _________ by a car while riding her motorbike. Despite being legally dead for 15 minutes, she _________ pulled through. When she finally _________ three days later, she discovered her legs had disappeared. While this new reality would be a(n) _________ pill for anyone to take, Felicia focused all her energy on getting back on the horse! She’d _________ as a little girl and decided to try again. And shockingly, about 10 weeks after the _________, she was riding once again! “Horses have meant a lot to me, both _________ and also physically,” she told Great Big Story. “When I sit on a horse, I don’t feel like the __________ Felicia, but the horse-riding Felicia.”

Felicia has since taken part in competitions around the world, proving she doesn’t need __________ to win. In 2020, the 25-year-old won the silver at the Swedish Championships. Now she __________ to compete at the Paralympics! “What I have learned from all this is that you should dare to __________ yourself, and remember that it’s only you who sets your own __________,” she said.

It’s true that when you want something, all you need is the __________ and drive to achieve it.

5 . “I’m gonna play basketball, Daddy.” Lauren flew into my arms when I came in from work. “That’s ______ , honey.” I replied naturally. I thought she meant outside the house — on the driveway. Into the kitchen, my wife Helen’s silence indicated I had ______ something. After a while, she spoke slowly, “Lauren is joining the girls’ high-school basketball team.”

I ______ my girl’s sportsmanlike courage, but ______ was still in my stomach. Lauren was only just five feet one inch tall. ______ legs and a heavy body were surely a(n) ______ for her in playing basketball.

The game day arrived. Lauren and her teammates moved out. Their serious game-faces seemed ______ to win. At first, though not playing, Lauren followed the movement on the court and ______ every play. I could even _____ her shout “No way!” when a referee made an unfair call ______ a teammate. Sitting on the sidelines, Lauren still enjoyed the game very much.

Suddenly, the announcer’s voice boomed, “Number thirty-three, Lauren Wray, in.” My heart ______ wildly. What if she got injured or other girls on the team made fun of her? But what I saw was that Lauren made every effort to keep pace with the others. Just before the end of the game, they passed Lauren the ball. She caught it. She shot. ______ , she scored!

The audience began clapping and ______ . Lauren’s brown eyes shone as she wiped her sweaty forehead. Lauren’s uplifting spirits and impressive performance, wrapped with in a small ______ , struck everyone greatly. I felt enormously ______ to have Lauren as my daughter.

6 . As China’s first ever full-time Formula One (世界一级方程式锦标赛) driver, Zhou Guanyu makes a living by doing the sort of things many people can only dream about: traveling the world and racing in a fast car.

“I think the only ______ between Formula One and a roller coaster is that you have to be ______ where you’re going, and you have to be at 100% of yourself,” Zhou told CNN.

Zhou has been putting his all into ______ since he was a young boy ______ in Shanghai. Today, Zhou is predicted to become F1’s answer to Yao Ming, who is often praised for making basketball ______ in China.

It was back in Shanghai in 2004 that-at just 5 years old-Zhou ______ Rubens Barrichello win the first ever Chinese Grand Prix on TV. The moment helped to ______ his interest in racing and has ______ with him ever since, he said.

There was a ______ of Chinese racing role models, so he ______ a path of his own. A very important moment in his racing life came at age 12, when he ______ Shanghai for Sheffield in the United Kingdom to ______ his development with the strawberry Racing Krting team. The move put him on the road to achieving his ambitions.

Zhou is often ______ to the former NBA player Yao Ming, who is also a sport star from Shanghai. “Who knows, maybe in 10 years’ time. I could have the same ______. And that is my aim ______,” he said.

7 . I thought my life was over when I found I was in an airless hospital room and my spine (脊柱) was broken after a(n) ______.I couldn’t believe I wouldn’t become a famous ______ and took it out on those around me.

After four months, I learned how ______ it was to get around in a wheelchair but I was too ______ to ask for help. But I gradually realized it would keep me away from people and experiences I ______. So when my high school coach, Bob, asked me to coach the girls’ volleyball team, I ______. Also encouraged by him, I competed in wheelchair sports,______ nineteen international wheelchair marathons and ______ for Canada in the 1984 Olympics.

Shortly after the Olympics, I ______, dislocating my shoulders. That injury was a wake-up call, and I tried to ______ my life without being an athlete. I knew I wanted to travel and do something ______. So the Man in Motion Tour, aiming to raise awareness of the potential of people with ______ , was born. It was a big ______. We had hoped to raise $ l million. But the total was a(n)______$ 24 million, provided to spinal cord injury research and wheelchair sports programs. Looking back, I realize that accident began a journey to accomplishments beyond my dream. My life was ______ over...it had actually just begun.

8 . After winning the 100-meter dash at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in August, 26-year-old sprinter (短跑运动员) Noah Lyles was named “World’s Fastest Man”. Now he has his ____ set on winning more medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Lyles, the son of two former runners, grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. He began ______ as a sprinter when he was a teenager and dreamed of going to the Olympics. He ______ for a spot (排名位置) on the US Olympic team in 2016 but did not ______. Fortunately, in 2021, he ______ the US team for the Tokyo Games and won a bronze medal in the 200-meter race.

Lyles has been ______ with legendary Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who has held the same ____   “World’s Fastest Man”. Bolt won the 100 meter and 200 meter races at the World Championships and still holds the ___in the 200 meter with a time of 19. 19 seconds, set in 2009. Lyles’ best time for that race is 19.31, and he said his _____ is to run it in 19.10 seconds, which would break Bolt’s record. Lyles said that he did not ______ top runners like Bolt as idols (偶像) while growing up. “I believed in myself and in learning something from _____people, because everyone has their own advantage,” he said.

After his win, Lyles said he felt that his years of training and patience have finally ______. In Paris next year, Lyles hopes to win more golds.   “If I got three gold medals at the World Championships, maybe I have the ______ to get three gold medals at the Olympics,” he said. His another expectation is to make track and field more _____ and accessible to a large number of people. “I’m trying to make sure that everybody comes and ______ the sport,” he said.

9 . Richard is a boy who is positive towards life. He is interested in doing sports and takes a(n) ___________ part in a lot of ___________ such as soccer, boxing, skiing and badminton. He is always against ___________ in sports and tries to avoid errors in matches. As a result, he is ___________ to be an excellent athlete and ___________ all kinds of sports. Doing gymnastics in the ___________ is his favorite. To build up ___________, he jogs in the stadium every day. In his mind, _________ makes him relaxed and ___________. Sweating during the jog gives him an enjoyable feeling. Besides, in order to have a slim shape, he keeps a ____________ diet.

Once he signed up for a marathon ____________ in his city. During the competition, he fell down on the track and his left leg was injured. The audience, as well as his captain, thought he would end in ____________. However, though under stress, he didn’t ____________ but ran as hard as he could to ____________ for his team. The spiritual strength he showed made him unique. Finally, not only did he become the champion and win the medal as well as the honor for his team, but also he won the ____________ of the citizens.

10 . When handball was first introduced to Sri Lankan schools in 2010, I wanted to bring it to my school, St Anthony’s. I _________ it as a golden opportunity for our village school to _________ a place in a sports competition for the first time.

Nevertheless, it was rather a _________ with the only PE teacher incapable of teaching us and many teachers thinking _________ of it. As a deputy principal, I was _________ to start this game at any cost.

The boys were interested and immediately forty students _________ to join the team. Bob, a member of the Air Force handball team, volunteered to _________ the team in his spare time.

Although handball is an indoor game, we trained outdoors for _________ of facilities in our school. Training started early in the morning before class and continued after school _________ it was dark. The boys loved the game and were enthusiastic about training. “This handball craze will ruin your studies!” __________ some of the teachers in an attempt to discourage the game. Beyond expectation, the boys managed to balance their life with earnest ________ for a whole year.

Their perseverance, passion and hard work at last __________ on the all-island school handball tournament held in Colombo. Our boys played wildly and marvelously but was __________ defeated with the score 39-41 in the final.

However, it was a supreme honor and rare __________ in our heart. The following celebrations sent the whole school into carnival mode. A large banner was hung, firecrackers set off everywhere. For boys, they got a valuable life lesson that nothing is impossible to a __________ heart.