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选修9Unit1Breakingrecords-ReadingTHEROADISALWAYSAHEADOFYOUAshritaFurmanisasportsmanwholikesthechallengeofbreakingGuinnessrecords.Overthelast25years,hehasbrokenapproximately93Guinnessrecords.Morethantwentyofthesehestillholds,includingtherecordforhavingthemostrecords.Buttheserecordsarenotmadeinanyconventionalsportlikeswimmingorsoccer.RatherAshritaattemptstobreakrecordsinveryimaginativeeventsandinveryinterestingplaces.Recently,Ashritaachievedhisdreamofbreakingarecordinallsevencontinents,includinghulahoopinginAustralia,pogostickjumpingunderwaterinSouthAmerica,andperformingdeepkneebendsinahotairballooninNorthAmerica.Whiletheseactivitiesmightseemchildishandcauselaughterratherthanrespect,inrealitytheyrequireanenormousamountofstrengthandfitnessaswellasdetermination.Thinkaboutthefineneckadjustmentsneededtokeepafullbottleofmilkonyourheadwhileyouarewalking.Youcanstoptorestoreatbutthebottlehastostayonyourhead.WhileAshritamakesstandingontopofa75cmSwissballlookeasy,itisnot.Ittakesalotofconcentrationandagreatsenseofbalancetostayonit.Youhavetostruggletostayontopespeciallywhenyourlegsstartshaking.Andwhataboutsomersaultingalongaroadfor12miles?Somersaultingisatougheventasyouhavetoovercomedizziness,extremetirednessandpain.Youarepermittedtorestforonlyfiveminutesineveryhourofrollingbutyouareallowedtostopbrieflytovomit.CoveringamileinthefastesttimewhiledoinggymnasticallycorrectlungesisyetanothereventinwhichAshritaisoutstanding.Lungesareextremelyhardonyourlegs.Youstartbystandingandthenyoustepforwardwiththefightfootwhiletouchingtheleftkneetotheground.Thenyoustandupagainandstepforwardwiththeleftfootwhiletouchingthefightkneetotheground.Imaginedoingthisforamile!Yetthistalentedsportsmanisnotanaturalathlete.Asachildhewasveryunfitandwasnotatallinterestedinsports.However,hewasfascinatedbytheGuinnessBookofWorldRecords.HowAshritacametobeasportsmanisaninterestingstory.Asateenager,hebegansearchingforadeepermeaninginlife.HestudiedEasternreligionsand,aged16,discoveredanIndianmeditationteachercalledSriChinmoywholivedinhisneighbourhoodinNewYorkCity.Sincethattimeintheearly1970s,AshritahasbeenoneofSriChinmoy'sstudents.SriChinmoysaysthatitisjustasimportantforpeopletodeveloptheirbodiesasitistodeveloptheirminds,heartsandspiritualselves.Hebelievesthatthereisnolimittopeople'sphysicalabilities.WhenAshritacamethirdina24-hourbicyclemarathoninNewYork'sCentralParkin1978,heknewthathewouldonedaygetintotheGuinnessBookofWorldRecords.Hehadbeenurgedbyhisspiritualleadertoenterthemarathoneventhoughhehaddonenotraining.So,whenhewonthirdplace,hecametotheunderstandingthathisbodywasjustaninstrumentofthespiritandthatheseemedtobeabletousehisspirittoaccomplishanything.Fromthenon,Ashritarefusedtoacceptanyphysicallimitation.Withthisnewconfidence,AsharitabrokehisfirstGuinnessrecordwith27,000jumpingjacksin1979.ThemotivationtokeeptryingtobreakrecordscomesthroughhisdevotiontoSriChinmoy.EverytimeAshritatriestobreakarecord,hereachesapointwherehefeelshecannotphysicallydoanymore.Atthatmoment,hegoesdeepwithinhimselfandconnectswithhissoulandhisteacher.Ashritaalwaysacknowledgeshisteacherinhisrecord-breakingattempts.Infact,heoftenwearsaT-shirtwithSriChinmoy'swordsontheback.Thewordsare:Thereisonlyoneperfectroad.Itisaheadofyou,alwaysaheadofyou.FOCUSON...LanceArmstrongDateofBirth:8thSeptember,1971Country:USALanceArmstrong'sGuinnessrecordforthefastestaveragespeedattheTourdeFrancewassetin1999withanaveragespeedof40.27km/hr.Inhisteenshewasatriathletebutat16hebegantoconcentrateoncycling.Hewasanamateurcyclistbeforethe1992OlympicGamesbutturnedprofessionalafterhehadcompetedintheGames.Inthefollowingfewyears,hewonnumeroustitles,andby1996hehadbecometheworld'snumberone.However,inOctober1996,hediscoveredhehadcancerandhadtoleavecycling.Successfullyfightinghisillness,Armstrongofficiallyreturnedtoracingin1998.In1999hewontheTourdeFranceandin2003heachievedhisgoalofwinningfiveToursdeFrance.MichellieJonesDateofBirth:9thJune,1969Country:AustraliaIn1988MichellieJoneshelpedestablishthemulti-sportevent,thetriathlon,inAustralia.Aftercompletingherteachingqualificationsin1990,sheconcentratedonthetriathlon.In1991,shefinishedthirdattheworldchampionships.In1992and1993,shewastheInternationalTriathlonUnionWorldChampion.Sincethen,shehasneverfinishedlowerthanfourthinanyoftheworldchampionshipsshehascompetedin.AttheSydneyOlympicsin2000shewonthesilvermedalintheWomen'sTriathlon,thefirsttimetheeventhadbeenincludedintheOlympicGames.Recently,forthefirsttimein15years,Joneswasnotselectedaspartofthenationalteamandthereforedidnotcompeteinthe2004OlympicsinAthens.FuMingxiaDateofBirth:16thAugust,1978Country:ChinaFuMingxiafirststoodontopofthe10-metredivingplatformattheageofnine.At12yearsoldshewonaGuinnessRecordwhenshebecametheyoungestfemaletowinthewomen'sworldtitleforplatformdivingattheWorldChampionshipsinAustraliain1991.Atthe1992BarcelonaOlympicGames,shetookthegoldmedalinthewomen's10-metreplatform,becomingtheyoungestOlympicdivingchampionofalltime.Thiswasfollowedbygreatsuccessatthe1996AtlantaOlympicGameswhereshewongoldforboththe10-metreplat