On the evening of August 25th, Sun Yang participated in the men’s 400m freestyle final at the National Summer Swimming Championships. The race began with Sun Yang and Xu Haibo swimming neck and neck, making it a closely contested event. However, as they approached the 250-meter mark, Sun Yang started to showcase his outstanding skill, steadily increasing the distance between himself and his competitor, thereby securing his position at the forefront of the competition. Xu Haibo, not far behind, managed to secure the second rank.

    The final 150 meters were pivotal for winning the victory. Sun Yang kept being determined and strong, filling each stroke with great power and determination. The spectators (观众) shouted with enthusiasm, collectively standing behind this tough swimmer. Ultimately, Sun Yang emerged winning, claiming the championship title with an exceptional time of three minutes and 49.58 seconds! This success underscores Sun Yang’s powerful strength and firm dedication to the sport of swimming.

    Born in December 1991 in Zhejiang’s capital city of Hangzhou, Sun became China’s first-ever men’s swimming Olympic champion at London 2012 where he was crowned in both 400m and 1,500m freestyle. At Rio 2016, Sun won the men’s 200m free to become the first-ever male swimmer to collect Olympic golds in 200m, 400m, and 1,500m free. However, the Panel said that a period of ineligibility of 4 years and 3 months (i.e., 51 months) commencing on February 28, 2020, is to be imposed on Sun Yang.

    Sun revealed that throughout his more than four-year suspension, he independently financed his training, and injury treatments, and kept training without taking a single day off. “It’s a good start for my comeback, and I’m happy with this result.” Sun added that he aimed to serve as a role model for the younger generation born in the 2000s and 2010s, hoping they will make significant contributions to Chinese men’s swimming. 

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1.What was the initial situation of the men’s 400m freestyle final?

A Sun Yang was leading from the start.

B The contest was intense from the beginning.

C Xu Haibo was ahead of Sun Yang at first.

D The race was canceled due to a close contest.

解析：选B。B细节理解题。根据第一段第二句的“The race began with Sun Yang and Xu Haibo swimming neck and neck”可知，决赛一开始，孙杨和徐海博就几乎并驾齐驱，你追我赶，谁也不肯轻易让步。故选B。

2.What does the underlined word “pivotal” mean?

A Disappointing.

B Controversial.

C Romantic.

D Critical.

解析：选D。D词义猜测题。根据划线单词后面的“Sun Yang kept being determined and strong”和“Sun Yang emerged winning, claiming the championship title with an exceptional time of three minutes and 49.58 seconds”可知，孙杨在最后150米仍然没有松懈，每一次动作都充满了巨大的力量和决心。最终，孙杨以3分49秒58获得冠军，因此可推测最后150米是赢得胜利的关键。故选D。

3.What can we know about Sun Yang?

A He is thirty-one years old.

B He won three Olympic champions.

C He participated the Rio Olympics in 2012.

D He was stopped to compete starting from 2018.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据第三段“he was crowned in both 400m and 1,500m freestyle”“At Rio 2016, Sun won the men’s 200m free”可知，孙杨获得过三次奥运冠军。故选B。

4.What did Sun Yang reveal about his period of ineligibility?

A He focused on recovery and did not engage in any training.

B He was supported by a national sports program.

C He continued training without interruption, funding it all by himself.

D He took a break from swimming for over four years.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据最后一段第一句“Sun revealed that throughout his more than four-year suspension, he independently financed his training, and injury treatments, and kept training without taking a single day off.”可知，孙杨坦言，在被禁赛的这四年多时间里，自己一直都在自费进行训练、伤病治疗等工作。故选C。