Question

    Bill Bowerman was a track coach.He wanted to help athletes run faster. So he had learned how to make running shoes. He had also started a shoe company with a friend. It was 1971. Running shoes at the time were heavy. They had spikes(鞋钉)on the sole(鞋底). The spikes tore up the track and slowed down runners.

To make a lighter shoe, Bill tried the skins of fish. To make a better sole, he wanted to replace the spikes. Bill look through his wife Barbara's jewelry box. He hoped to find a piece of jewelry with an interesting pattern. He would then copy the pattern onto the new soles. Nothing worked. Bill was stumped. Then, one Sunday morning, Barbara made Bill waffles(华夫饼)for breakfast. Bill watched her cook. He studied the cross pattern on their old waffle iron.

Inspiration(灵感)hit.

The pattern on a waffle iron was just what Bill was looking for. The squares were fatter and wider than sharp spikes. The pattern would help the shoes grip (抓牢) any surface without tearing into it.

When Barbara left the house, Bill ran to his lab. He took the liquid chemicals that, when mixed, would harden into the sole of a shoe. He poured the mixture into the waffle iron and the Waffle Trainer was born.

Bill's company put the Waffle Trainer on the market in 1974. It was a huge hit. Maybe you've heard of that company called Nike. And today it's worth around $100 billion.

It was the waffle iron that had changed the course of Bill's life and helped turn Nike into a well-known name. Today, the waffle iron is kept at Nike headquarters. It serves as a reminder that if we keep trying, we can find a solution to even the toughest problems. And those solutions can come from unlikely places，even the breakfast table.

1.What was wrong with the running shoes before the Wattle Trainer was made?

A.They were easily worn out. B.The spikes hurt runners' feet.

C.The spikes were sharp and heavy. D.They were too expensive.

2.What does the underlined word "stumped" in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A.Inspired. B.Defeated.

C.Satisfied. D.Doubted.

3.What can we say about the birth of Waffle Trainer?

A.It was made quite by accident. B.It was invented by Bill's wife.

C.It was based on many lab tests. D.It was supported by another company.

4.What can we learn from Bill's experience?

A.Where there's a will, there's a way. B.Good is rewarded with good.

C.Two heads are better than one. D.A misfortune may turn out a blessing.

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.A

4.A

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文。田径教练Bill Bowerman在多次尝试后仍然没有找到制作出更好、更轻便的运动鞋的设计方案。妻子早餐做的华夫饼激发了他对运动鞋设计的灵感，从此耐克成为了一个家喻户晓的品牌。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段Running shoes at the time were heavy. They had spikes(鞋钉)on the sole(鞋底). The spikes tore up the track and slowed down runners.可知那时候的运动鞋的鞋底上有鞋钉，导致运动鞋很重，运动员跑不快，而且鞋钉容易损坏跑道。故选C项。

2.词义猜测题。根据第二段Nothing worked可知，Bill尝试了很多方法均没有成功，他当时是被这个问题难住了。故选B项。

3.推理判断题。根据文章第三至五段可知，Bill是在厨房看妻子做华夫饼的时候突然找到了制作运动鞋的灵感的，Waffle Trainer运动鞋的诞生是偶然的。故选A项。

4.推理判断题。是华夫饼模具激发了Bill Bowerman的灵感，终于研发出了第一款广受欢迎的耐克鞋。当年那款激发了Bill灵感的华夫饼模具仍然存放在耐克公司总部。根据最后一段It serves as a reminder that if we keep trying, we can find a solution to even the toughest problems可知，那款华夫饼模具是提醒人们只要不断尝试，终能找到解决问题的办法。有志者，事竟成。故选A项。