James Cleveland Owens was the son of a farmer and the grandson of black slaves.

JamesCleveland Owens was the son of a farmer and the grandson of black slaves. Hisfamily moved to Cleveland when he was 9. There, a school teacher asked theyouth his name.

“J.C. , ” he replied.

Shethought he had said “Jesse”, and he had a new name.

Owensran his first race at age 13. After high school, he went to Ohio StateUniversity. He had to work part time so as to pay for his education. As asecond-year student, in the Big Ten games in 1935, he set even more recordsthan he would in the Olympic Games a year later.

Aweek before the Big Ten meeting, Owens accidentally fell down a flight ofstairs. His back hurt so much that he could not exercise all week, and he hadto be helped in and out of the car that drove him to the meeting. He refused tolisten to the suggestions that he gave up and said he would try, event byevent. He did try, and the results are in the record book.

Thestage was set for Owens’ victory at the Olympic Games in Berlin the next year,and his success would come to be regarded as not only athletic but alsopolitical. Hitler did not congratulate any of the African-American winners.

“Itwas all right with me, ” he said years later. “I didn’t go to Berlin to shakehands with him, anyway. ”

Havingreturned from Berlin, he received no telephone call from the president of hisown country, either. In fact, he was not honored by the United States until1976, four years before his death.

Owens’Olympic victories made little difference to him. He earned his living bylooking after a school playground, and accepted money to race against cars,trucks, motorcycles, and dogs.

“Sure,it bothered me, ” he said later. “But at least it was an honest living. I hadto eat. ”

Intime, however, his gold medals changed his life. “They have kept me alive overthe years, ”he once said. “Time has stood still for me. That golden moment diesdead. ”

1. Owensgot his other name “Jesse” when ________________.

A. hewent to Ohio State University

B. histeacher made fun of him

C. histeacher took “J. C.” for “Jesse”

D. he wongold medals in the Big Ten meet

2. In theBig Ten meet, Owens ________________.

A. hurthimself in the back

B.succeeded in setting many records

C. triedevery event but failed

D. had togive up some events

3. We caninfer from the text that Owens was treated unfairly in the US at that timebecause ________________.

A. he wasnot of the right race

B. he wasthe son of a poor farmer

C. hedidn’t shake hands with Hitler

D. hedidn’t talk to the US president on the phone

4. WhenOwens says “They have kept me alive over the years”, he means that the medals________________.

A. havebeen changed for money to help him live on

B. havemade him famous in the US

C. haveencouraged him to overcome difficulties in life

D. havekept him busy with all kinds of jobs

5. Whichof the following is a suitable title for the text?

A. JesseOwens, a Great American Athlete

B. GoldenMoment—a Life-time Struggle

C. Makinga Living as a Sportsman

D.How to Be a Successful Athlete?

试题答案

答案：C;B;A;C;A