自从2004年雅典奥运会刘翔夺得110米跨栏比赛冠军之后，他便成全国英雄和年轻人的偶像。你想了解他现在的情况吗?

    Chinese hurdler and superstar Liu Xiang has no plans to retire(退役)and may compete at the 2012 Olympic Games in London，his coach Sun Haiping has said．

    Liu is preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and is in good condition．He has the potential (可能)to break the world record next year if weather, wind and other conditions permit. Sun，who is in Beijing attending the 17th National Congress of the Communist Pany of China    (CPC)as a delegate(代表)，said on the sidelines of the conference(会议)．“Possible injuries and illnesses during Liu’s training concern me most．”

    Liu，the world record holder of the men’s 110m hurdles at 12．88 seconds，became a hero    and youth idol in China after he won the first Olympic track and field．gold medal for Chinese    male athletes in the 2004 Athens Games．

    Liu will be 29 years old when the London Olympic Games comes．

    Sun said that Liu Xiang would attend fewer commercial(商业的)and social activities next-year so as to get better prepared for the Beijing Olympic Games．

    Liu Xiang，also a CPC member，saw Sun Haiping off when Sun left for the CPC NationalCongress in Beijing．

    Liu Xiang and Chinese basketball star Yao Ming have been included in the second edition(版本)of the Encyclopedia(百科全书)of China．

    While delivering(陈述)a political report at the opening of the CPC National Congress on Monday，Hu Jintao appealed for(呼吁)everyone to contribute to the Success of the 2008 Olympic    Games．

1．What does Liu Xiang do?

2．What does the word“idol”probably mean in Chinese?

3．Will Liu Xiang compete at the 2012 Olympic Games in London?

4．What is Liu Xiang doing at the moment?

5．What does his coach worry about most during Liu Xiang’s training?

Back into the past…

   1932  Liu Changchun (1901—1983) joined the 10th Olympic Games in Los Angeles, US. He is the first Chinese to attend (参加) Olympics. He took part in the 100m and 200m race.

   1952  The People’s Republic (共和国) of China sent its first delegation to the 15th Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.This delegation had 40 people. But they arrived too late and missed most of the events.

   1984 China’s first Olympics after its return to the IOC. China sent a large delegation to the 23rd Games in Los Angeles, US.

   Xu Haifeng won a gold medal in the 50m pistol (手枪) shooting. It was China’s first Olympic gold medal.

   1996 China got 16 gold medals in the 26th Atlanta Olympics. It was fourth on the gold medal list. Wang Junxia won a gold medal in the 5,000m race, and broke the world record.

   2000 China got 28 gold medals in the 27th Olympics held in Sydney, Australia. This time, China was third on the gold medal list. Fu Mingxia won a gold medal in the platform diving.

   2004 China got 32 gold medals at the 28th Olympics in Athens, Greece. It held second place on the gold medal list. Liu Xiang won a gold medal in the 110m hurdle (跨栏). He is the first Asian to win this event.

1. Who is the first Chinese that won an Olympic gold medal? __________.

   A. Liu Changchun          B. Xu Haifeng    C. Liu Xiang         D. Fu Mingxia

2. When was the 28th Olympics held? __________.

   A. 1984                       B.1996             C. 2000              D. 2004

3. How many gold medals did China get in Sydney Olympics? __________.

   A. 16                         B. 27              C. 28               D. 32

4. Where did Wang Junxia break the world record in the Olympics? __________.

   A. Los Angles               B. Atlanta         C. Sydney          D. Athens