A Leap (跳跃) to Honor
Leaping on a narrow balance beam (平衡木) is not easy. But Lola Walter, a 13-year-old gymnast, is an expert at it.
To perfect her skills, Lola ______ for four hours a day, five days a week. At the state championships in March, she finished seventh out of 16 girls.
That’s especially impressive, ______ she is legally blind, born with a rare condition that causes her eyes to shift constantly. She often sees double and can’t ______ how far away things are.
When she was little, her mom ______ that even though she couldn’t see ______, she was fearless. So her mom signed her up for gymnastics when she was three. She loved the ______ right away and gymnastics became her favorite.
Though learning gymnastics has been more ______ for her than for some of her teammates, she has never quit (放弃). She doesn’t let her ______ stop her from doing anything that she wants to.
She likes the determination it takes to do the sport. Her biggest ______ is the balance beam. Because she has double vision, she often sees two beams. She must use her sense of touch to help her during her routine. Sometimes she even closes her eyes. “You have to ______ your mind that it’ll take you where you want to go.” says Lola.
To be a top-level gymnast, one must be brave. The beam is probably the most ______ for anyone because it’s four inches wide. At the state competition, Lola didn’t fall ______ the beam. In fact, she got an 8. 1 out of 10 –– her highest score yet.
Lola doesn’t want to be ______ differently from the other girls on her team. At the competitions, the judges don’t know about her vision ______. She doesn’t tell them, because she doesn’t think they need to know. Her mom is amazed by her ______ attitude.
Lola never thinks about ______. She is presently at level 7 while the highest is level 10 in gymnastics. Her ______ is to reach level 9. She says she wants to be a gymnastics coach to pass down what she’s learned to other kids ______ she grew up.
Lola is ______ of all her hard work and success. She says it has helped her overcome problems in her life outside gymnastics, too. Her ______ for others is “just believe yourself”.
A．runs B．teaches C．trains D．dances
A．as B．unless C．after D．though
A．tell B．guess C．assume D．predict
A．suspected B．remembered C．imagined D．noticed
A．deeply B．well C．ahead D．closely
A．task B．sport C．event D．show
A．boring B．enjoyable C．difficult D．unsatisfactory
A．talent B．quality C．nature D．condition
A．doubt B．advantage C．challenge D．program
A．examine B．express C．open D．trust
A．fearful B．harmful C．unfair D．inconvenient
A．to B．on C．off D．against
A．greeted B．treated C．served D．paid
A．pains B．stresses C．injuries D．problems
A．positive B．friendly C．flexible D．caution
A．defending B．quitting C．winning D．bargaining
A．standard B．range C．view D．goal
A．until B．as C．when D．before
A．proud B．tired C．ashamed D．confident
A．plan B．advice C．reward D．responsibility
Go for the Gold
Diana Golden was 12 years old when she found she had bone cancer. Doctors recommended her right leg above the knee.
Diana heard the news, she asked the first question that came into her mind, “Will I still be able to ?”
“When the doctors said yes,” she later said, “I thought it wouldn’t be too .”
That was Diana’s to life. Losing a leg would cause most children to lose , but Diana refused to think about the side. “Losing a leg?” she’d say. “It’s nothing. A body part.”
Most of all, Diana didn’t want to let cancer stop her from doing what she loved—skiing. She had been on ski since five. After the operation, Diana worked hard to get back to the . “I always skied, and I intended to keep on skiing. There was never any question in my mind about that,” she . Seven months after losing her leg, Diana met her . She was back out on the slopes (斜坡).
Skiing wasn’t quite the same with just one leg, but Diana made the best of it. She to go faster on one leg than most people could go on two. When she was just 17, she became a member of the U.S. Disabled Ski Team.
After high school, Diana went on to Dartmouth College. There she saw how top two-legged skiers trained. not to be left behind, Diana began training with the Dartmouth team. When they ran up and down the steps of the football stadium, she went up and down the steps too—by . “I had to ,” she later explained. “I was an athlete. I had one leg, which meant I had to do it .”
Her constant efforts finally paid off. In 1987, Diana placed 10th in a race some of the best nondisabled skiers in the country. And in 1988, the magazine Ski Racing selected her “Skier of the Year”, breaking the of electing able-bodied World Cup athletes.
As a result of her and determination, Diana has changed the way the world looks at
athletes. People have begun to see them as strong and competent. “Everyone has some kind of ‘disability’,” Diana says, “It’s what we do with our abilities that .”
A．pulling B．losing C．removing D．breaking
A．Until B．When C．Once D．Since
A．run B．walk C．train D．ski
A．bad B．strange C．difficult D．dangerous
A．answer B．attitude C．attention D．challenge
A．memory B．interest C．confidence D．patience
A．serious B．practical C．positive D．negative
A．mountain B．field C．track D．court
A．responded B．commented C．declared D．introduced
A．goal B．requirement C．approval D．standard
A．offered B．agreed C．expected D．learned
A．Determined B．Ashamed C．Anxious D．Cautious
A．climbing B．running C．jumping D．walking
A．adapt B．perform C．survive D．transform
A．properly B．immediately C．differently D．deliberately
A．between B．against C．to D．for
A．reality B．system C．promise D．tradition
A．wisdom B．experience C．behavior D．courage
A．top B．disabled C．young D．international
A．pushes B．matters C．helps D．contributes
Over the years, thanks to my life’s obstacles, I understood the meaning of faith and the strong will to survive. It was Hurricane Ike that made me fully____ the beauty of our strength and a human’s ____ to recover.
Mom had a two-week ____ in summer. While we enjoyed our holiday in Southeast Texas, we didn’t realize the fact that Ike ____ cause months and likely years of “labor”. By September 7th, the “eyes of Texas” were watching Hurricane Ike more ____, making the typical mad rush for last-minute hurricane ___. Two days later, both oil and ice were in ____ demand.
In the early hours of September 11th, some neighbors were planning to ____the storm in their homes, ____ others were making final preparations to get away. At first, we decided to stay. But that afternoon, the Houston-Galveston area would be on the more ____ side of the storm. Mom and I packed some of our most ____ belongings in the car and ____ the East Texas town of Lufkin.
As Ike pushed farther inland, we ____power in Lufkin. On Sunday, our next-door neighbor told us via cell phone that our ___ had remained well. Our hopes could not have been ____. But a few hours later, the neighbors reported that our brick chimney had ____, and it was sitting on our living room, ____ a hole in the roof between two skylights (天窗).
We wouldn’t be allowed to return home ____ September 17th. I climbed upstairs, and looked toward the hole in the roof which showed a beautiful blue sky.
Without hesitation, I shouted, “Wow! A third skylight!”
My neighbors could not believe I was making jokes ____ crying, but ____ is always good medicine. It was with that joke that I knew, given time, everything would be okay.
A．observe B．appreciate C．explore D．improve
A．intention B．distribution C．motivation D．affection
A．vacation B．journey C．meeting D．schedule
A．must B．might C．should D．would
A．closely B．constantly C．warningly D．differently
A．adventure B．equipment C．supplies D．reports
A．basic B．high C．pure D．neat
A．get through B．put away C．test out D．suffer from
A．since B．when C．until D．while
A．dangerous B．abundant C．peaceful D．awesome
A．available B．concrete C．priceless D．valuable
A．set out B．headed for C．settled down D．watched out
A．provided B．reduced C．produced D．lost
A．garden B．house C．pool D．yard
A．clearer B．wilder C．lower D．higher
A．passed B．stood C．gone D．followed
A．leaving B．digging C．filling D．kicking
A．by B．before C．until D．after
A．in spite of B．instead of C．apart from D．in terms of
A．faith B．will C．strength D．laughter
My sister and I grew up in a little village in England. Our father was a struggling , but I always knew he was . He never criticized us, but used to bring out our best. He’d say, “If you pour water on flowers, they flourish. If you don’t give them water, they die.” I as a child I said something about somebody, and my father said, “ time you say something unpleasant about somebody else, it’s a reflection of you.”He explained that if I looked for the best people, I would get the best . From then on I’ve always tried to the principle in my life and later in running my company.
Dad’s also always been very . At 15, I started a magazine. It was a great deal of my time, and the headmaster of my school gave me a : stay in school or leave to work on my magazine.
I decided to leave, and Dad tried to sway me from my decision, any good father would. When he realized I had made up my mind, he said,“ Richard, when I was 23, my dad me to go into law. And I’ve regretted it. I wanted to be a biologist, I didn’t pursue my . You know what you want. Go fulfill it.”
As turned out, my little publication went on to become Student, a national for young people in the U.K. My wife and I have two children, and I’d like to think we are bringing them up in the same way Dad me.
A．biologist B．manager C．lawyer D．gardener
A．strict B．honest C．special D．learned
A．praise B．courage C．power D．warmth
A．think B．imagine C．remember D．guess
A．unnecessary B．unkind C．unimportant D．unusual
A．Another B．Some C．Any D．Other
A．on B．in C．at D．about
A．in case B．by turns C．by chance D．in return
A．revise B．set C．review D．follow
A．understanding B．experienced C．serious D．demanding
A．taking up B．making up C．picking up D．keeping up
A．suggestion B．decision C．notice D．choice
A．and B．as C．even if D．as if
A．helped B．allowed C．persuaded D．suggested
A．always B．never C．seldom D．almost
A．rather B．but C．for D．therefore
A．promise B．task C．belief D．dream
A．this B．he C．it D．that
A．newspaper B．magazine C．program D．project
A．controlled B．comforted C．reminded D．raised
My wife, Kathy and I moved with our two-year-old son, Nate, to a small native village in Alaska．The small three- and four-passenger plane we took so our little boy that he took his favorite blanket and covered his head until we on the small dirt landing strips．During the months that followed, my son carried his security everywhere．He couldn’t fall asleep until he had it．
The second year, I had a chance to guest speak in Seattle．While I was for the trip, my son followed me around the room．Fine-tuning my speech in my mind, I was a little distracted．My son seemed most about my having to fly out in bad weather on one of those small planes he so much．I reassured him that I would be ．
When I got to the hotel in Seattle, I didn’t have time to until later that evening, and I was when I opened my luggage and found my son’ssecurity blanket inside．I my wife trying to find the lost blanket as she prepared our son for ．I immediately to the phone to call Kathy．
When I began to explain that I had no idea how the blanket had been packed, Kathy me down with the news that she already knew where the blanket was．
She told me that she had held Nate by the window to let him me drive away from the house．She had suggested that they pray for “Daddy to have a safe ．” Knowing that our son would be most the small plane ride, she prayed, “Dear Lord, please help Daddy feel on the little plane．” When the prayer was over, our son Nate his mom，“Don’t worry, Mom, I gave Daddy my blanket to keep him safe．”
A．attracted B．cheered C．impressed D．terrified
A．set about B．set down C．set in D．set out
A．plane B．books C．blanket D．prayer
A．packing B．reading C．writing D．discussing
A．curious B．excited C．worried D．confused
A．enjoyed B．feared C．prayed D．flew
A．fine B．happy C．hard-working D．easy
A．call B．rest C．unpack D．examine
A．shocked B．satisfied C．amused D．disappointed
A．thought B．pictured C．talked D．hated
A．gladly B．sincerely C．hurriedly D．desperately
A．food B．school C．bed D．work
A．asked B．rushed C．ordered D．walked
A．accidentally B．inaccurately C．deliberately D．casually
A．let B．calmed C．took D．blew
A．bless B．think C．watch D．check
A．speech B．hotel C．job D．trip
A．afraid of B．tired of C．worn out D．interested in
A．wonderful B．excellent C．safe D．great
A．annoyed B．answered C．pleased D．comforted
Karen, Judy and I were the last ones back in the school room after lunch and all of the other sixth graders were already playing outside．
“Wow! How it would be to write on the blackboard while everyone is ．” Judy said．
“But Mrs. Eiffler doesn't want us writing on the ,” I responded．
“Janet, everyone is outside．No one will ever know, ” said Karen, reaching into box and drawing out a piece of ．Judy also began drawing．
I reluctantly （勉强地）joined my friends, but afraid of being ．Then Judy had all idea． “We’re all right-handed．Let’s see who can write their best using their left hand．”
Judy and Karen started ．I chose a piece of white chalk from the box and wrote my name．
“We’d better get this board cleaned off Mrs. Eiffier comes back, ”said Judy, but I found it wasn’t chalk at all, but a white crayon（蜡笔）! At last, Karen got a knife and scraped it．It finally, but we left an abrasion （磨损处） on the blackboard．
Mrs. Eiffler never asked about the abrasion but I always remember the lesson．“No one will ever know” is never ．Even if no one else found out, I myself knew．
A．useful B．fun C．stupid D．necessary
A．asleep B．worried C．outside D．lucky
A．blackboard B．book C．desk D．floor
A．bread B．wood C．paper D．chalk
A．followed B．praised C．caught D．affected
A．address B．class C．name D．dream
A．writing B．singing C．shouting D．reading
A．until B．before C．unless D．since
A．broke down B．took off C．came off D．slowed down
A．true B．typical C．important D．different．