Liu Xiang was the first Asian to win the men\'s 110m hurdles (跳栏) at the Olympic Games in Athens. After that he became an idol(偶像) to the young people.
When Liu Xiang crossed the finish line far ahead of the other players,  in a world record-equaling time of 12. 91 seconds, many fans burst into tears. It was Liu\'s first Olympics and he won the gold medal.
"I never thought I could run under 13 seconds, and I never thought I would break the Olympic record, "said Liu in tears, "I am very, very excited. This is a wonder. I\'m proud not just for myself
and for Chinese but for Asia. My race went wonderfully from start to finish. Liu added,  It is an amazing(惊奇的) experience being the Olympic champion. I want to thank my coach and my friends for all their help. I think today we Chinese have showed the world we can run as fast as anybody else. "
When Liu was a grade four student in a primary school,  he was chosen by the Junior Sports School of Putuo District in Shanghai to practice jumping. But when a bone test showed he would not become a tall man,  Liu was asked to give up practising after one year although he had won the national championship for his age group. Liu\' s parents also wanted him to give it up and study more at school,  but Liu decided to continue practising jumping.
In 1998 when Liu Xiang,  aged 15,  met the famous coach Sun Haiping,  his career changed greatly. Sun believed Liu Xiang was a rising star and after visiting Liu\'s parents sev¬eral times,  finally he persuaded them to let Liu practice the 110m hurdles.
Since his return from Athens,  Liu Xiang has been at the centre of a media circus(媒体焦点). He has been to many press appearances and meetings. After Liu got the gold medal,  he became well known all over the world. But Liu thinks 2004 is just the beginning,  and he ex¬pects to be at his peak(顶峰) in the sunmmer games in Beijing in 2008. Liu Xiang said,  "For some players,  it\'s just a job. For me, it\'s what I love. "
   1. At what age did Liu Xiang win the Olympic championship?
        A. 12         B. 15        C. 21        D. 22
   2. What does the underlined word "persuaded" mean in Chinese?
       A．支持      B．说服    C．教育    D．阻止
    3. Why did Liu Xiang give up jumping? Because________.
       A. a bone test showed he wouldn\'t become tall enough to be a high jumper
       B. his parents stopped him from jumping
     C. he was satisfied(满足) after winning the national jumping champion for his age group
      D. the famous coach Sun Haiping changed his and his parents\' ideas
   4. What does Liu Xiang think of being a sports player?
        A. It is just a job for him.          B. It can bring him a lot of money.
        C. It is what he loves.             D. It can bring him a lot of honour(荣誉).
   5. From the story,  we know that________.
       A. Liu Xiang was not the first Chinese to win the sprint(疾跑) gold medal in Athens
       B. if Liu Xiang reached the finish line in 13 seconds, he would break the world record
       C. the Chinese people can run as fast as the people in the other country
       D. Liu Xiang didn\'t want to take part in the Olympic Games in 2008