40、

       David Beckham had a dream: to be the first English player to appear in four World Cups．But now it appears that dream is over after a serious injury to his Achilles tendon （跟腱） which means he could be out of action for around six months．With this year's World Cup in South Africa only three months away, sadly Beckham looks set to miss out．The injury happened while Beckham was playing for AC Milan against AC Chievo in the Italian league．After attempting to kick the ball he fell to the ground and hobbled off the pitch before being stretchered （被擔(dān)架抬走）away．

It is not yet known whether he has completely severed （切斷）his Achilles tendon or only torn it．The player has now flown to Finland for assessment and treatment by a knee specialist．

       England manager Fabio Capello fears the worst for Beckham's World Cup chances．

       "We have to wait for the results of the scan but it looks like he is out of the World Cup," he said in a statement．"I spoke with him after the game on Sunday night to offer my support．

       "David is a great professional and has worked very hard to be ready for the World Cup, so missing it will be a big blow．"

       Beckham's former manager at American club LA Galaxy, Alexei Lalas, echoed （共鳴 ）Capello's words of support:

       "It is a horrible situation for Beckham．I know how much it meant to him to be in the World Cup and how important he was to the England team．

       David Beckham is now 34 and some are asking whether this serious injury could mean his whole career is over．

       Whatever happens, as one of football's best-known and popular players, Beckham will have no shortage of encouragement from fans around the world．

       Some will remember Beckham's miraculous recovery from an Achilles injury in 2006, when he was back on the pitch after only eight weeks．

       If he could repeat the same feat in time for the World Cup it really would be the stuff of fairytales．

       So, perhaps all is not lost．Optimists will take heart from Alexei Lalas' words:

       "You never want to write off （排除） David Beckham as he has shown us his ability to bounce back （恢復(fù)原狀）．"

1．What is the best title of the passage ?

     A．Beckham had a dream ?

     B．Beckham--- a great football player!

     C．The end for Beckham ?

     D．World Cup in South Africa !

2．What does the author mean by saying “missing it will be a big blow”?

     A．Missing the world cup will be a big success．

     B．Missing Beckham means a great failure．

     C．Missing Beckham means an important opportunity for the American club LA Galaxy．

     D．Missing the world cup means a big disappointment for Beckham．

3．We may infer from the passage that ________ ．

     A．Beckham will definitely not be able to play football again

     B．Beckham was cured by a great knee specialist he found

     C．Beckham has his ability to bounce back

     D．Beckham is likely to miss the world Cup

4．What does the underlined words “take heart” probably mean ?

     A．get disappointed                                 B．get help 

       C．get encouraged                                  D．get hurt