Even at the age of 82, Han Tongyuan insists on exercising daily on his in-line skates(轮式溜冰鞋) at Beishan Park in the city of Jilin, Jilin Province, and is looking forward to the coming skiing season.

His skillful performance always attracted lots of attention, but few of his fans know that he was once a national skiing champion. Han, a retired bulldozer(推土机) driver in Jilin, was the 20-kilometer cross-country skiing champion at the first National Ski Games in 1957. In fact, the former champion began to learn skiing to improve his ability to herd sheep.

Born in a village at the foot of Beishan Mountain in Jilin, Han began to help his family herd sheep since childhood. It was really difficult to follow the sheep on snow-covered mountain areas, so Han made a simple snowboard to practice skiing.

Every day he skied dozens of kilometers and several months later, he could move faster than the sheep. Due to his excellent performance at the city’s skiing competition, he was selected to join the city’s skiing team. After winning his second championship at the second National Ski Games in 1958, he had a desire to participate in the Winter Olympics.

“At that time, we didn’t know the skill level of foreign athletes till some athletes came to Jilin from former Soviet Union for an exchange experience in 1959,” he said. “They were well-equipped and skilled, but I had the confidence to achieve good results if I could participate in international competitions.”

Han didn’t get the chance till he retired from the skiing team in 1963 and then he became a bulldozer driver. However, he never gave up on his enthusiasm for skiing. Every winter, Han goes to the professional ski resort in the city and in other seasons, he glides on his in-line skates in the park.

With the coming of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Han gave his blessing and sent his good wishes to the young athletes.

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1.Which of the following statements is TRUE about Han Tongyuan?

A He practiced skiing for fun in his childhood.

B He learned skiing in his primary school.

C He was a skiing coach when he was young.

D He was born and lived in the mountainous areas.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据第三段内容可知，韩同元出生于吉林省北山脚下的一个村庄，从小就在雪山地区开始帮助家里放羊。故选D。

2.What did the foreign athletes impress Han most for the first time?

A They all got hard training every day.

B They could adapt to the site in a short time.

C Their equipment and skills were advanced.

D They had more chances of international competitions.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第五段“They were well-equipped and skilled”可知, 当时苏联来到吉林交流的运动员们装备精良、技术娴熟，给韩同元留下了深刻印象。故选C。

3.Which title is NOT fit for Ha Tongyuan?

A A former shepherd.

B A national skating champion.

C An ice sports lover.

D A former bulldozer driver.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据全文内容可知，韩同元最初学滑雪是为了放羊；他曾两次获得全国滑雪冠军称号；从滑雪队退休后他做了推土机驾驶员，退休后（现在已不是推土机驾驶员）他仍然热衷于冰雪运动。故选B。

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A Skiing has become very popular recently.

B The Beijing Winter Olympics gave Han a warm invitation.

C More and more people can participate in National Ski Games.

D Han has witnessed the great changes in snow and ice sports in China.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据全文内容可知，82岁的吉林老人韩同元曾两次夺得全国滑雪冠军，他最大的梦想就是想参加冬奥会，尽管他年事已高，但对于冰雪运动的热爱从未改变，由此可推断，他是中国冰雪运动巨大变化的见证者。故选D。