1 . When he did it, all 16 hours, 46 minutes and nine seconds of physical and psychological hell, his father told him: “You woke up this morning as a boy with Down syndrome.     1    ”

Chris Nikic. He’s 21.

He made the unrealistic his reality.     2     Last fall, he became the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon — a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.

Chris Nikic is not just an Ironman — he’s a superhero. “Since the race, we have received thousands and thousands of messages from people around the world who are inspired by his journey.     3     They have kids with special needs or Down syndrome. And so it’s touched Chris and touched us quite a lot.” said Chris’ father, Nik Nikic.

“    4     Because he lets them use him as a mirror to look inwardly and say, ‘Look, if he can do so much with so little, what can I do with what I’ve got?’ It’s not about him — it’s about how he makes other people feel about themselves,” Nik Nikic said.

Chris Nikic’s story spread among the staff at Special Olympic Missouri. As explained by Brian Neuner, chief development and marketing officer, “    5     And so, this was just an amazing example of where his ability was realized, even though he has a disability. We really focus on programs that are designed for helping people move forward and advance. Progress can be measured in so many different ways. Obviously, an Ironman, that’s an extreme achievement.”

A．I think in many ways he helps people to realize that they can do more.

B．Then came the big race.

C．You’re going home as an Ironman.

D．A lot of the messages are from families like us.

E．We really focus on the ability, not the disability.

F．The native of Maitland, Florida, believed in the unbelievable.

G．Chris underwent some surgeries that left him sedentary (久坐不动的).

2 . As early as 1894, the newly formed International Olympic Committee (IOC) considered ice skating as a possibility for the first modern Olympic Games which would be held in 1896.

In 1911, a member of the IOC suggested that winter sports should be staged as part of the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. Some opposed the idea. At last, the IOC decided to hold Winter Olympic Games in 1916. However, World War I broke out in 1914. After 1920, the national governing bodies for winter sports in several countries began talking about the possibility of a separate Winter Olympics.

The town of Chamonix, in the French Alps, planned to hold a winter sports festival in 1924; at the same time Paris was to host the Olympics. The Marquis de Polignac, a member of the IOC, suggested that the festival be formally recognized as the Winter Olympic Games. The IOC didn't go that far, but did agree that Chamonix could call its festival an “Olympic winter carnival”.

The festival drew 258 athletes from 16 countries to compete in bobsledding (雪橇比赛), figure­skating, hockey, Nordic skiing and speed skating. Charles Jewtraw from the United States won the first gold medal in the 500­metre speed skating, but the festival's hero was Claus Thunberg from Finland. He won five medals, three of which were gold in speed skating.

Weather has often been a major story at the Winter Olympics and so it was at Chamonix. The festival opened with rain and the unseasonably warm temperature turned snow and ice to mud. Then temperature dropped as far as 25 below zero and the mud became ice.

Despite the weather, more than 10, 000 people showed up. In 1926, the IOC recognized the Chamonix festival as the first Winter Olympics and decided that the Winter Games would be held every four years, just like the Summer Olympics.

1. Why were the first Winter Olympic Games not held in 1916?

A．Because the IOC didn't agree to it.

B．Because it was still under discussion.

C．Because some people opposed the idea.

D．Because World WarⅠbroke out in 1914.

2. We can know from the passage that ________.

A．the weather destroyed the first Winter Olympics.

B．people from 16 countries watched the first Winter Olympics.

C．Charles Jewtraw won the most medals in the first Winter Olympics.

D．Finland got 3 gold medals in speed skating in the first Winter Olympics.

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The Winter Olympics were held every two years in the beginning.

B．The 1924 Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics were held in the same city.

C．The Winter Olympics depend much more on the weather than the Summer Olympics.

D．The IOC agreed to recognize the Chamonix festival as the first Winter Olympics in 1924.

4. What's the best title for the passage?

A．The development of the Olympics.

B．The importance of weather in the Olympics.

C．The story of the first Winter Olympic Games.

D．How the Winter Olympics came into being.

3 . Clocking 16 hours, 46 minutes, nine seconds, the athlete Chris Nikic didn’t finish with the shortest time when he recently completed his first Iron Man Race, but he did quite well.

After swimming 2.4 miles, the 21-year-old Floridian cycled 112 miles. Even after suffering a fall from his bike during the second leg of the race, he called on his inner strength to get back up, keep going and get the job done. And then he ran a 26.2-mile marathon to become the first competitor with Down’s Syndrome (唐氏综合征) in the world to successfully cross the finish line in the history of the Iron Man Race. For his efforts, Nikic also earned himself a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

“To Nikic, this race was more than just a finish line and a celebration for the success,” his dad said. The race has served as a chance to become one step closer to his goal of living a normal life. It’s about being an example to other kids and families that face similar difficulties. Those with Down’s Syndrome will be prompted to live a life like normal persons.

Nikic trained between four and six hours a day to prepare for the event, and that training paid off.

Goal set and achieved, Nikic posted on Instagram, where he has 33,000 new followers. “Time to set a new and bigger goal for 2021.”

One of Nikic’s biggest fans, all-time tennis great Billie Jean King, tweeted the perfect response: “No limits. No boundaries. Keep dreaming big and going for it!”

As for that medal he won for completing the race, he gifted it to his loving mom. With hope of competing in the 2022 Special Olympics scheduled in Orlando, it looks as if Chris Nikic has plenty of big dreams yet to come true.

1. What did Nikic’s performance during Iron Man Race prove?

A．He is strong.

B．He is confident.

C．He is kind.

D．He is careful.

2. What does the underlined word “prompted” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．Praised.

B．Surprised.

C．Supported.

D．Encouraged.

3. Why did Billie Jean King write those words?

A．He wanted to make Nikic famous.

B．He wanted to encourage Nikic.

C．He wanted to show respect for Nikic.

D．He wanted to show his relationship with Nikic.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Chris Nikic encourages people to exercise

B．Chris Nikic won first place in Iron Man Race

C．Athlete with Down’s Syndrome makes history

D．Special Iron Man Race was held for special athletes