Ekaterina is a famous skater. She 16 the activity of skating at the age of 4. Since then, she has been devoted to one career that drives her life and 17 beauty, and romance into lives of millions of others.
When she was 11, she found a 18 partner, Sergei Grinkov, 15 years old then, with whom she could perform that activity in the most expressive, most elegant way. They were the most winning pair skaters on the ice in every way: The tiny fragile Ekaterina, in the
19 of her tall, strong, handsome partner, lovingly launched into the 20 , tenderly caught, and beautifully skatedaround the ice.
Gradually, the two of them 21 together into a dream couple and the most beautiful kind of loving relationship. When she was 19, she married him. They had a daughter, a charming girl they both loved and protected. And then, 22 in 1995, during a routine practice session, her mate, her love, her partner, Sergei Grinkov, stopped, fell and died of a heart attack at 28.
Ekaterina’s world seemed to end. It was her mum who lit her 23 to start remaking her life by saying “Little Dasha, having lost a father, needs at least a healthy mother.” This reminded her to ask a friend to send her 24 which had been left in the corner for a long time. Later she said in her book ‘‘ 25 is the only thing that can help people recover.’’ In February 1996, Ekaterina skated a moving tribute (悼念) to Sergei, which she 26 to the music of Mahler’s Symphony No.5, the couple’s favorite. She was 27 at the beginning, because it had been a long time since she had skated alone. And she was afraid of the 28 the piece would recall. But that night, she did it. She filled up the 29 with her courage.
No one who saw Ekaterina’s that night would forget her performance, just as she would never forget Sergei. But everyone was already learning, as she already learned, that
30 “goodbye” was the beginning of her new life.
16. A. started B. learned C. marked D. watched
17. A. drags B. brings C. pulls D. attracts
18. A. quiet B. brave C. lovely D. perfect
19. A. palms B. memory C. arms D. dream
20. A. earth B. sky C. air D. space
21. A. broke B. talked C. grew D. studied
22. A. naturally B. suddenly C. immediately D. obviously
23. A. determination B. imagination C. curiosity D. career
24. A. gifts B. pictures C. books D. skates
25. A. Interest B. Work C. Medicine D. Ambition
26. A.sang B. applied C. adjusted D. performed
27. A. nervous B. relieved C. happy D. disappointed
28. A.words B. ideas C. emotions D. moves
29. A. ice B. match C. chance D. gap
30. A. crazy B. sad C. long D. favorite
