Question

    Bill Bowerman was a track coach. He wanted to help athletes run faster. So he had learnt 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 dug 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 defeated.

Then, one Sunday morning, Barbara made Bill waffles(华夫饼)for breakfast. Bill watched her cook.

He studied the criss-cross pattern on a waffle iron.

Inspiration struck. The pattern on the waffle iron was just what Bill was looking for. The squares were flatter and wider than sharp spikes. The pattern would help the shoes hold 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 market in 1974.It was a huge hit. Maybe you’ve heard of that company---it’s 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 most difficult problems. And those solutions can come from unlikely places, even the breakfast table.

1.What shortcomings did the old-style running shoes have?

A.They were hard to wear. B.They were too large.

C.They were impractical. D.They were easy to break.

2.Where did Bill get the inspiration to invent the famous Waffle Trainer?

A.From the skins of the fish. B.From his wife’s jewelry.

C.From the colour of the iron. D.From his wife’s cooking tools.

3.What can we learn from Bill’s success?

A.A cheerful wife is the joy of life.

B.Two heads are better than one.

C.Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

D.A bad workman quarrels with his tools.

4.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A.Waffles and Nike B.Inspiration and Invention

C.A Great Inventor D.A Well-Known Company

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.C

4.A

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了Bill Bowerman 决心设计一款新型轻便跑鞋,几经挫折,最后华夫饼的模具给了他设计灵感，最终诞生了新款耐克训练鞋，耐克公司也成为知名体育用品公司。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中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.“当时的跑鞋很重。鞋底上有尖钉。铁钉撕裂了跑道，减慢了运动员的速度。”由此可知，老式跑鞋的缺点是不实用。故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据文章的第五段Inspiration struck. The pattern on the waffle iron was just what Bill was looking for.“灵感来了。华夫饼熨斗上的图案正是比尔要找的。”可知，Bill从妻子做华夫饼的模具中找到了制作新耐克鞋的灵感。故选D。

3.推理判断题。通读全文可知，Bill发现老式跑鞋的弊端，决心设计新款跑鞋，经过多次尝试改进，从1971年到1974年，用了三年时间终于完成第一款大受欢迎的耐克鞋。再根据最后一段“ It serves as a reminder that if we keep trying, we can find a solution to even the most difficult problems. And those solutions can come from unlikely places, even the breakfast table.”可知，这个发明的过程启示人们面对困难，只要不放弃、多钻研，定能找到解决的办法。故判断出我们能从比尔的成功中学到，有志者，事竟成。故选C项。

4.主旨大意题。通读全文可知，Bill在设计新款耐克鞋的过程中多次受阻，但在妻子制作华夫饼时受到启发而突破了工作的瓶颈，让新款耐克鞋得以发明，华夫饼是新款耐克鞋诞生的关键转折点，由此可知A项Waffles and Nike（华夫饼和耐克）为最佳主题。故选A。