Question

Every sport has its great heroes: soccer has Pele, basketball has Michael Jordan, and tennis, Steffi Graf. Is there one athlete who people consider to be the best ever? Many would say that person is boxer Muhammad Ali，known to his many fans as “the greatest.”

Ali was bom in Louisville, Kentucky in 1942. In 1954, after his bike was stolen (偷)，young Ali began boxing; by the time he reached high school, he was a great amateur (业余）boxer. After winning six state and two national boxing championships, he competed in the 1960 Olympics, where he won a gold medal. That same year, at the age of eighteen, he became a professional (职业）boxer.

From the start of his career it was clear that Ali was different from other athletes. He was outspoken, confident, strong-willed and talked publicly about himself and his beliefs (信仰）.The man

who called himself “the greatest” still faced many challenges, though. After winning his Olympic gold medal, he returned home to the United States. He was not allowed to stay in certain hotels or eat in certain restaurants because of the color of his skin. Ali was strongly against racism (种族歧视)in the U.S., so he threw his Olympic medal into a river.

In 1964, Ali beat Sonny Liston to become the world heavyweight champion. Ali surprised the world again in 1966, not for his boxing skills, but for his political beliefs. He disagreed with the U.S. war in Vietnam and refused to join the army, which all young men in the U.S. had to do at the same time. As a result, Ali’s heavyweight title was taken away, and he was sent to prison for five years.

In 1981, Ali ended a boxing career of sixty-one fights, of which he won fifty-six. In 1996, he was recognized (认可)as a sporting hero at the opening of the Olympic Games in Atlanta.

The   Greatest - Muhammad Ali
Date of birth:	January 17,1942.
Place of birth:	Louisville, Kentucky.
1 :	Outspoken, strong-willed and confident.
Sporting Career:	At the age of 2 , he started boxing after his bike   was stolen. When he was a high school student, he was a good   amateur-boxer. In the 1960 Olympics, he won his first gold medal. At the age of 22, he became the world heavyweight   champion. In 1981, he 3 up his boxing career as a   professional plaver.
His fights for equal 4	Racism drove Ali so 5 that he threw his Olympic   medal into a river. He was sent to prison because he didn’t agree to join the   army. In 1996, he was recognized as a sporting hero at   the opening of the Olympic Games in Atlanta.

1._ 2._ 3._ 4._ 5._

 

Answer 1

1. Characteristics/ Personalities    2.    twelve

3. gave    4. rights    5. mad