Twenty-three-year-old Michael Phelps has become a phenomenon (神话) in swimming.
At the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, he won eight gold medals. That was more than the whole Australian team could put together. He beat (打败) Mark Spitz’s 1972 record of seven wins in the pool at the one Olympics. Phelps has put his name next to seven world records.
Nine days, 17 games, morning and night he competed and won. He had to beat former (从前的) world record-holders and gold medalists. He had to turn their wins into old news.
Michael Phelps started to swim at the age of 5. Guess which stroke (动作) he first tried? The backstroke. It’s because he didn’t want to put his face in the water.
By the age of 7, he had taken part in a lot of swimming competitions. At 11, he met Bob Bowman who saw the kid’s great talent.
How did Phelps become so good? He was born with the body of a swimmer. He stands 1.87meters high and has a wide wingspan (臂展). He knows how to use his body to full advantage. His hands and feet are like paddles (踏板) in the water and he has a strong kick.
But that’s not all；he also has the heart and will to win. He thinks that anything is possible as long as you put your mind to it.
Swimming is Phelps’ life. Every day he spends five hours in the water, swimming about 11 kilometers. He never takes a day off. This is a young man who knows what he wants.
“If I didn’t swim my best, I’d think about it at school, at dinner, and with my friends. It would drive me crazy,” he said.
“There are no limits (限制). The more you dream, the further you get.”
小题1:Who did best in swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games?
| A．Bob Bowman. | B．Mark Spitz. |
| C．Phelps. | D．The Australian team. |
小题2:How many games did Phelps take part in at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games?
小题3:Why did Phelps try backstroke first?
| A．Because he was born with the body of a swimmer. |
| B．Because his hands and feet were like paddles in the water. |
| C．Because he didn’t want to put his face in the water. |
| D．Because he had a wide wingspan. |
小题4:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Phelps is the best swimmer in Australia. |
| B．It was Mark Spitz who saw the kid’s great talent. |
| C．Phelps won 8 gold medals and broke 7 world records. |
| D．At the age of seven, Phelps started to swim. |
小题5:What can we learn from this passage?
| A．The Australian team got 8 gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. |
| B．If you have a wide wingspan, you must be a good swimmer. |
| C．Phelps was made to spend all his time swimming every day. |
| D．Nothing is impossible if you put your heart into it. |