Just two years before her 100th birthday, Sensei Keiko Fukuda has become the first woman to achieve a tenth-degree black belt --- the highest rank in the martial art and combat sport judo(柔道). Fukuda is now one of only four living people who’ve earned the tenth-degree (or dan) black belt. Throughout history, only sixteen people have ever achieved this honor.
Fukuda began practicing judo in 1935 and is the only surviving student of its founder, Kano Jiguro. Urged by her teacher, she learned English to help spread judo internationally.
During a time when getting married, building a family, and becoming a housewife was the standard, Fukuda went against tradition, opting out of marriage to pursue the martial art.
“All I did was judo ... this was my marriage,” Fukuda reflected tearfully to the San Francisco Chronicle. “This is when my life destiny was set. I just never imagined how long this road would be.”
She described the Jiguro’s school, known as the Kodokan, as “old-fashioned and sexist(性别歧视的) about belts and ranks”. In fact, an order that prevented women from achieving any higher than a fifth-degree black belt kept Fukuda at that level for thirty years. She was finally promoted to sixth dan in 1972 when a woman’s division was created.
Fukuda said she approached judo and her life with the intention to “be gentle, kind and beautiful, yet firm and strong, both mentally and physically”. Fukuda said this kind of beauty is decidedly not external (外部的). “ A kind soul is inner beauty,” she explained to the paper. “I believe this is true beauty … All my life this has been my dream.”
Dream realized, the 98-year-old Sensei Keiko Fukuda continues to teach judo three times a week at a woman’s judo.
小题1:It can be learned from the passage that ____________.
A．Fukuda achieved the tenth-degree black belt at 97.
B．four people earned the tenth-degree black belt in history.
C．nearly all of Kano Jiguro’s students were dead.
D．the Kodokan was founded in 1935.小题2:The underlined part “opting out of” in the 3rd paragraph is closest in meaning to _________.
A．choosing or welcoming
B．longing for or desiring
C．keeping out of or avoiding
D．missing or having no chance of小题3:Why did Fukuda remain at fifth-degree black belt for so long a time?
A．It was hard for her to improve her level.
B．She suffered from a foolish rule.
C．Her family life took up too much of her time.
D．She didn’t want to improve her level.小题4:Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?
A．The only surviving student of Kano Jiguro remains single.
B．The tenth-degree black belt is the highest rank in judo.
C．Sensei Keiko Fukuda spreads judo throughout the world.
D．98-year-old woman becomes the first woman ever to earn judo’s highest-degree black belt.
