Passage 4
体裁：记叙文 话题：人生百态 时间：7分钟
The Olympic medal ceremonies have already begun.But some athletes hardly disguise their disappointment when silver and not gold is hung around their necks.The British judo silver medallist Neil Adams calls his two from the 1980s “loser's medals”.
Until four years ago，they were in a box at the back of a cupboard.His wife then had them framed for his 50th birthday and they are now up on the wall.
Adams feels proud when he looks at them，but his thoughts quickly turn to “what ifs”.“I wouldn't change much”，he adds.And he wouldn't need to.Gold was within his grasp twice，but slipped away by a narrow margin on the judo mat.
“The losses at the Olympic Games were the most difficult thing for me to accept，” he said.“I didn't win the silver medal.I lost the gold.In my mind they were losses.It has taken more than 30 years to get over it.”
Mark Cavendish，Jessica Ennis and Mo Farah have never won Olympic gold，but they came into London 2012 as three of Team GB's biggest medal hopes.Unfortunately，Cavendish has already suffered disappointment in the cycling road race.Neil Adams was in that same position in both the 1980 and 1984 games.However，in a career in which he collected every other judo accolade，things simply went wrong at the Olympics.
In Moscow 1980，Adams was just 21 years old and found the media focus and pressure of expectation too much.
Asked about being a favourite，Adams said：“It is hell，and about how you cope with it in the mind.It can make you afraid to win or lose and there is a difference.I was afraid to lose.Sometimes you freeze.Sometimes it takes you over.”
Adams says that he was very cautious and that when something was tactical and technical he approached it too tactically.Perhaps it's better to go in with a ‘nothing to lose' attitude.That might be the reason why the Olympic Games have often created surprise results.Sometimes it's the ones who keep their cool and work the hardest who get the results.
【语篇导读】 参加奥运会的运动员都希望获得金牌，而那些与金牌失之交臂获得银牌的运动员的心里是什么滋味儿呢?
1.Where are Neil Adams'silver medals now?
A.Around his neck. B.At the back of a cupboard.
C.In a box. D.On the wall.
解析 细节理解题。根据第二段第二句可知，现在这两枚银牌被他的妻子裱框后挂在了墙上。
答案 D
2.How long did Adams keep the medals in the box?
A.More than 30 years. B.More than 40 years.
C.More than 20 years. D.No more than 20 years.
解析 细节理解题。根据文章内容可知，他分别于1980年和1984年参加奥运会，并分别夺得了一枚银牌，但他的两枚银牌是在四年前才从盒子里拿出来的，也就是2008年，那么第一枚银牌在盒子里放了28年，第二枚银牌放了24年。因此答案应为20多年。
答案 C
3.Adams always felt it a pity to win silver medals because ________.
A.he was narrowly beaten by the champion
B.he didn't try his best
C.he lacked techniques
D.he was too greedy
解析 细节理解题。根据文章第三段最后一句可知，他本来是能够获胜的，但最后都是对手勉强获得冠军，这让他觉得很可惜。
答案 A
4.What advice does the author give to other athletes?
A.Try to become the media focus.
B.Keep their cool and work hard.
C.Try to do better next time.
D.Use as many techniques as possible.
解析 细节理解题。根据文章最后一句可知，作者建议其他运动员要保持冷静并努力锻炼，因此选择B。
答案 B
