James Cleveland Owens was the son of a farmer and the grandson of black slaves. His family moved to Cleveland when he was 9. There, a school teacher asked the youth his name.
“J.C.”, he replied.
She thought he had said “Jesse”, and he had a new name.
Owens ran his first race at age 13. After high school, he went to Ohio State University. He had to work part-time so as to pay for his education. As a second-year student, in the Big Ten games in 1935, he set even more records than he would in the Olympic Games a year later.
A week before the Big Ten meet, Owens accidentally fell down a flight of stairs. His back hurt so much that he could not exercise all week, and he had to be helped in and out of the car that drove him to the meet. He refused to listen to the suggestions that he give up and said he would try, event by event. He did try, and the results are in the record book.
The stage was set for Owens’ victory at the Olympic Games in Berlin the next year, and his success would come to be regarded as not only athletic but also political. Hitler did not congratulate any of the African-American winners.
“It was all right with me,” he said years later. “I didn’t go to Berlin to shake hands with him, anyway.”
Having returned from Berlin, he received no telephone call from the president of his own country, either. In fact, he was not honored by the United States until 1976, four years before his death.
Owens’ Olympic victories made little difference to him. He earned his living by looking after a school playground, and accepted money to race against cars, trucks, motorcycles, and dogs.
“Sure, it bothered me,” he said later. “But at least it was an honest living. I had to eat.”
In time, however, his gold medals changed his life. “They have kept me alive over the years,” he once said. “Time has stood still for me. That golden moment dies hard.”
1.Owens got his other name “Jesse” when ________.
A. he went to Ohio State University
B. his teacher made fun of him
C. his teacher took “J.C.” for “Jesse”
D. he won gold medals in the Big Ten meet
2.In the Big Ten meet, Owens ________.
A.hurt himself in the back
B.succeeded in setting many records
C.tried every sports event but failed
D.had to give up some events
3.We can infer from the text that Owens was treated unfairly in the US at that time because ________.
A.he was not of the right race
B.he didn’t talk to the US president
C.he didn’t shake hands with Hitler
D.he was the son of a poor farmer
4.When Owens says “They have kept me alive over the years,” he means that the medals ________.
A.have been changed for money to help him live on
B.have made him famous in the US
C.have encouraged him to overcome difficulties in life
D.have kept him busy with all kinds of jobs
5.Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?
A.Jesse Owens, a Great American Athlete
B.Golden Moment — a Life-time Struggle
C.Making a Living as a Sportsman
D.How to Be a Successful Athlete?
“Forgiveness is the sweetest revenge.” I saw this wonderful old saying again in a book recently. It got me thinking about all the times that I have been 31 to forgive others in my life and all the joy that it has brought me. One 32 stands out particularly well.
I was a young boy at a summer camp. I was having a great time and 33___ everything about it except for another young boy of my age. To say we didn’t
34 would be a statement that made the situation less serious than it really was. We spent most of the week irritating, insulting (侮辱), and picking on each other.
35 finally came to a fight on the next to last day of camp. We got into a fist fight which I lost. 36 older boys broke it up before I was hurt too much. I spent the rest of the day alone, refusing to speak andlost in my own 37 .
The next day my spirits were 38 when Mom brought the boys in our cabin some of her delicious homemade 39 . I was enjoying a few slices of it when I saw the other boy sitting by himself at the bottom of the steps outside. He seemed very 40 right then. I am not sure what moved me to do so, but I took my pizza down and 41 it with him. It made all the anger and pain inside me 42 . We became friends after that. I never got into another fist fight either. I had found out that sharing and forgiving were much more fun and a lot less painful.
Forgiveness is 43 the sweetest revenge. It can turn an enemy into a friend. It can 44 a heart from the chains of anger, hatred, and pain. It can open a soul to the sweetness of love and joy once again. May your life always be 45 of sweet forgiveness.
1. A.disappointed B.satisfied C.unwilling D.able
2. A.memory B.lesson C.incident D.week
3. A.struggling B.exploring C.enjoying D.remembering
4. A.get across B.get along C.hold on D.hold up
5. A.Thoughts B.Words C.Friends D.Conflicts
6. A.Surprisingly B.Thankfully C.Unexpectedly D.Regretfully
7. A.fight B.regret C.luck D.anger
8. A.sunk B.broken C.lifted D.shown
9. A.pizza B.hamburger C.pie D.sandwich
10. A.angry B.proud C.ashamed D.lonely
11. A.presented B.shared C.distributed D.divided
12. A.go away B.go on C.crowd in D.build up
13. A.nearly B.merely C.truly D.hardly
14. A.keep B.cure C.comfort D.free
15. A.full B.aware C.confident D.certain
_______ that it was already the fourth time that he _______ abroad.
A.So lucky he was; traveled
B.So lucky was he; traveled
C.So lucky he was; had traveled
D.So lucky was he; had traveled
I hate _______ when people talk with their mouths full.
A.it B.that C.these D.them
Society _______ a variety of people; some are good, others bad, and still others in between.
A.is consisted of B.is made up of C.consisted of D.make up of
The reason _______ he gave at the meeting was not the exact reason _______ he failed to show up on time.
A.why; that B.which; that C.that; why D.that; which