I was eight years old then. Looking __36__ I remember the time in a baseball field passing the team that we had just __37__ . We shook their hands and said, "Good game!"

It is __38__ to do that when you win! When you lose, you have a tendency(倾向) to slap (拍) the hand — instead of shaking it — and __39__ the ground instead of the eyes. This is not only true for an eight-year-old; it is true for adults, too.

A few years ago, in a softball league, we lost 15 games! And we thought it was __40__ . But during the " Good game" handshake after each __41__, I looked each player in the eyes and shook their hands. I couldn't look my opponents (对手) in the eyes and congratulate them on a good __42__ when I was eight. Somehow I took the loss as a __43__ on my self-worth and felt my self-confidence had been slapped; __44_- I did what most eight-year-olds do and I slapped the opponents' hands, not giving them the satisfaction of a shake. I was wrong to do this. I'm happy today as a(n) __45__ that I have learned this __46__ : There is something to be said for losing well.

__47__ it is a baseball game or an important examination, you can __48__ a lot about a person by now they deal with defeat. The person who deals with defeat as an __49__ blow is not allowing the event to define (定义) him, while someone who cannot __50__ defeat is allowing the event to __51__ his self-worth. In my opinion, when you __52__ in something— though it may be __53__ — look at your opponents in the eyes, and shake their hands in a __54__ way as you say, "Good game!" __55__ to allow the event to define your life. You might find yourself winning the next game.

I was eight years old then. Looking __36__ I remember the time in a baseball field passing the team that we had just __37__ . We shook their hands and said, "Good game!"

It is __38__ to do that when you win! When you lose, you have a tendency(倾向) to slap (拍) the hand — instead of shaking it — and __39__ the ground instead of the eyes. This is not only true for an eight-year-old; it is true for adults, too.

A few years ago, in a softball league, we lost 15 games! And we thought it was __40__ . But during the " Good game" handshake after each __41__, I looked each player in the eyes and shook their hands. I couldn't look my opponents (对手) in the eyes and congratulate them on a good __42__ when I was eight. Somehow I took the loss as a __43__ on my self-worth and felt my self-confidence had been slapped; __44_- I did what most eight-year-olds do and I slapped the opponents' hands, not giving them the satisfaction of a shake. I was wrong to do this. I'm happy today as a(n) __45__ that I have learned this __46__ : There is something to be said for losing well.

__47__ it is a baseball game or an important examination, you can __48__ a lot about a person by now they deal with defeat. The person who deals with defeat as an __49__ blow is not allowing the event to define (定义) him, while someone who cannot __50__ defeat is allowing the event to __51__ his self-worth. In my opinion, when you __52__ in something— though it may be __53__ — look at your opponents in the eyes, and shake their hands in a __54__ way as you say, "Good game!" __55__ to allow the event to define your life. You might find yourself winning the next game.

Someone said that encouragement is simply reminding a person of the “shoulders” he’s standing on, the heritage he’s been given. That’s what happened    36   a young man, the son of a(n)   37   baseball player, was chosen by one of the minor league teams. Hard as he tried, his first season was    38   , and by midseason he expected to be removed    39  day. The coaches were     40   by his failure because he possessed all the characteristics of a superb（杰出的）athlete, but he seemed to have become    41   from his potential.
His    42   seemed darkest one day when he had already struck out his first time at bat. Then he stepped up to the batter’s box again and quickly ran up two strikes. The catcher called a     43   and ran for a conference to discuss strategies. While they were busy, the    44  , standing behind him, spoke casually to the boy.
Then play    45  , the next pitch was thrown and the young man knocked it out of the park. That was the turning    46  . From then on, he played the game with a new confidence and power that quickly    47   the attention of the parent team, and he was called   48   to the majors.
On the day he was leaving for the city, one of his coaches asked him what had caused such a turnaround. The young man replied it was the    49   remark the judge had    50   that day when his baseball career had seemed    51  .
“He told me I reminded him of all the times he had stood    52   my dad in the batter’s box,” the boy explained. “He said I was holding the bat just the way Dad had held it.    53  he told me, ‘I can see his genes in you; you have your father’s    54   .’ After that, whenever I swung the bat, I just    55   I was using Dad’s arms instead of my own.”

Zinedine Zidane, who dreams of leading France to its second World Cup title in a row next month, has always preferred to express himself with a football rather than with words.

    Last Wednesday Zidane scored the decisive goal when Real Madrid of Spain won the Champions League final against Germany’s Leverkusen 2－1.

He became one of the world’s most expensive players when he joined Real Madrid from Italy’s Juventus for US $ 66 million. And he has been a national hero since he scored twice in the 3－0 defeat of Brazil in the 1998 World Cup Final.

    But despite his success, Zidane has always kept his feet on the ground. He leads a quiet family life, there is hardly any gossip^① about him and he avoids putting his wife and two children in the spotlight^②.

“Just because I’m a public figure it doesn’t mean I have to express myself on everything. I don’t like to discuss some personal matters publicly.” he said.

    Even as a child playing football in the slum area of Marseille, France, where he was raised by his Algerian parents, Zidane was shy.

    He loved football even as a little kid. “I realized football is a wonderful mixture of a sharp mind and hard training rather than just talking,”he said.

    Even when the match awards were just chocolate and bread, Zidane found that football made his poor childhood rich.

    Before he was 10 years old, it was obvious that he could become a great footballer. He was offered his first professional contract^③ when he was just 20. Now, at the age of 29, he has already picked up two World Player of the year awards.

This quiet striker has not yet spoken of his hopes for the coming World Cup. But his fans across the world will be eagerly watching him to see what he’ll do this time.

Notes:

gossip  n. 流言蜚语

spotlight  n. 聚光灯

contract  n. 合同

What did Zidane learn from his childhood football experience? He learned that _______.

A. he could become a great footballer

B. he could become rich if he became a footballer

C. football is a mixture of a sharp mind and hard training but not just talking

D. football is a favorite sport in the future

According to the article, what are Zidane’s main characteristics?

A. He is a shy but successful man.

B. He loves his wife and children.

C. He doesn’t like to speak in public.

D. He is a quiet, down-to-earth person of few words.

When the writer says “Zidane has always kept his feet on the ground”, he means that _______.

A. Zidane spends more time standing than sitting most days

B. Zidane is a down-to-earth person

C. Zidane has spent most of his time training on the pitch

D. Zidane likes standing when he succeeds

The sentence “Zidane found that football made his poor childhood rich” means ________.

A. football made Zidane’s poor family wealthy when he was a child

B. Zidane knew that football could bring him fame and wealth even when he was a child

C. football brought happiness to Zidane when he was a child in a poor family

D. Zidane knew that if he wanted 10 be rich he must play football from childhood

请阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36~55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将选项的标号涂黑。
After winning a big game，athletes are often asked how they feel．Usually athletes say how  36  it is to win this big game．On the contrary，the fact is that losing a big game，or in my case，all the games，can be even harder．
From the spectators’ point of view，last year’s basketball  37  for my high school team was nothing  38  of an embarrassment．And  39  0 and 20 is certainly nothing to be proud of，that season had a bigger impact on me than any other．As a team captain，I knew it probably wouldn’t be the  40  year，but did I ever think we would lose every game？Of course not．Since six of our top players had graduated，it was clear that we were a (n)  41  team who would struggle．The struggle began earlier than expected，  42 ，as our team center was suspended (禁赛) for the season，and two key members decided to  43  for some reason．At this point，dropping out probably passed through every player’s mind，but in the end，we all stuck it out，  44  to work still harder．
Then there came a time when even our    45     had given up on us．Personally，I felt like it was  46  worthwhile giving my all．I thought，if even the coach doesn’t believe in us，why should I？But just as my hope began to  47 ，a teammate called a meeting．He said，“Nobody thinks we are going to win，but，as teammates and friends，we  48  it to each other to go all out every game．”
It was that moment that  49  me how to be a leader．It hit me that I certainly didn’t  50  the role．As a leader you can never quit  51  the team who looks up to you．It is one  52  to be named captain，feel great and go through the motions，but it is quite another to be a real captain and make sure everyone realizes their full  53  all the time．
I am sure it is great to go through without losing and bringing home awards．But in all honesty，I  54  the fact that my team lost every game last year．It may not help me to become a better basketball player，but it already has made me a better leader，and  55 ．
36．A．exciting                         B．pleasant                       C．tough                   D．significant
37．A．game                      B．event                      C．league                 D．season
38．A．short                       B．full                                  C．lacking                 D．sufficient
39．A．as                                   B．while                       C．since                    D．now that
40．A．most interesting        B．dullest                           C．most difficult     D．easiest
41．A．unique                           B．adventurous                C．young                   D．untrained
42．A．meanwhile                   B．though                          C．instead                D．somehow
43．A．quit                                B．stay                               C．resign                  D．rest
44．A．hoping                           B．swearing                      C．claiming              D．wishing
45．A．fans                               B．classmates                  C．sponsor               D．coach
46．A．only too                        B．more than             C．not a little     D．no longer
47．A．fade                               B．gain                               C．destroy                D．grow
48．A．owe                               B．think                        C．demand               D．recommend
49．A．reminded                     B．told                                C．taught                 D．guided
50．A．act                                 B．deserve                        C．play                      D．take
51．A．with                               B．alongside                     C．on                         D．for
52．A．matter                          B．aspect                           C．issue                    D．thing
53．A．potential                      B．goal                               C．enthusiasm        D．confidence
54．A．hate                               B．treasure                       C．admit                   D．recognize
55．A．character                     B．captain                         C．person                 D．figure