They say surfing is a young man’s game, and it’s easy to see why. The water sport requires a combination of balance, coordination, and speed, all of which decrease a lot later in our lives. Add the fact that one has to pull themselves out of the water onto the board and then into a standing position and you’ve got a sport that doesn’t really appeal to the elderly. But there are exceptions, the most obvious of which is Seiichi Sano, an 89-year-old man who was recently crowned the world’s oldest surfer by Guinness Records.

“I am not a good surfer. So I call myself a ‘small-wave surfer’—out of respect for those who surf well,” Sano said at Enoshima Beach, an area of relatively small waves near Yokohama (横滨).

Seiichi Sano started taking surfing lessons only 9 years ago. He was looking for a way to challenge himself while staying in shape, and he was inspired by a bank employee who always looked tan (晒黑的) and didn’t seem like the typical office worker. The man had told him that his secret was surfing, so Seiichi decided to give it a go himself.

His instructor admitted that he was both surprised about Seiichi’s desire to learn how to surf, and worried that he might injure himself in the process. To his pleasant surprise, he proved to be just as good as the man’s young students.

“People tell me surfing is dangerous, but I had far more scary moments in a car than on a surfboard!” Sano told Guinness Records. “Holding the Guinness World Records certificate, I feel for the first time I have been acknowledged for something,” the 89-year-old surfer added. “And it’s making a lot of people — including the bank manager who made me think about surfing—happy. Whether it be surfing or world record titles, it’s the can-do attitude that will get you there, not logic. Don’t complicate things. Just think that even this old grandpa’s done it — you should be able to achieve something as well!”

1.The introduction of surfing in Paragraph One is to _________.

A give a definition

B show the writer’s attitude

C bring up the topic

D draw a conclusion

解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据第一段最后一句以及后文内容可知，第一段前文对冲浪的介绍是为了引出本文的话题人物。故选C。

2.Why did Sano start surfing?

A To become a professional.

B To look tan like the bank clerk.

C To show respect to good surfers.

D To keep fit and challenge himself.

解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据第三段第二句的“He was looking for a way to challenge himself while staying in shape”可知，Sano开始冲浪是为了挑战自我和保持身材。故选D。

3.How did Sano’s instructor feel about Sano’s learning surfing?

A Frightened and annoyed.

B Confident and graceful.

C Pleasant and awkward.

D Amazed and anxious.

解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据倒数第二段的“surprised about Seiichi’s desire”和“worried that he might injure himself”可知，Sano的教练既惊讶又担忧。故选D。

4.What does Sano try to tell us?

A A little learning is a dangerous thing.

B The most terrible enemy is the lack of strong faith.

C Without wind and rain, trees will not grow.

D Youth and old will never agree.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据最后一段Sano说的话的“it’s the can-do attitude that will get you there”可知，Sano认为正是这种“我能做到”的态度让你成功，即坚定的信念。故选B。