Let’s get this thing started now.

Coy Wire: She’s fierce, fearless, and a favorite to win gold here at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Move over, Elsa. There’s a new snow princess in town. 

Eileen Gu: My name is Eileen Gu. I’m from San Francisco. And I’m a freeskier. 

Coy Wire: The 18-year-old sensation was born in the US. But her mom was born in China. And Eileen decided to compete for China at these games. 

Eileen Gu: My family has always been super supportive of me. I come from a long line of engineers. So it definitely wasn’t expected. And I don’t think anybody really thought that I would become a professional skier or professional athlete in general.

Coy Wire: But she’s so much more than an athlete. The Chinese-speaking, horseback-riding, piano-playing prodigy graduated high school in just three years. And she’s already been admitted to her dream school, Stanford. She’s modeled for Louis Vuitton, Estee Launder, racking up roughly 20 brand partners and big-time dollars. She’s the poster child for snow sports in China, starring alongside Chinese actor Jackson Yee in an official Beijing Games promo video being played throughout China. She says her decision to compete for China instead of the USA stems from a strong mother-daughter bond. Yan Gu taught Eileen to embrace her heritage, honor her ancestry. 

Eileen Gu: My mom has always been super, super supportive. My grandma is the most motivated-to-win person. She has the most competitive mindset that I’ve ever met ever. So I think my grandma gave me that competitive drive and kind of supported me in that way. And my mom kind of taught me the work ethic aspect. So anybody can want to win. But I think it was my mom that taught me how to get there. 

Coy Wire: And now Eileen wants to inspire the next generation from her mom’s homeland to get there, too. She says she’s competing to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. 

1. poster child 典型代表，模范人物

2. freeskier n. 自由滑雪者

3. sensation n. very great surprise, excitement, or interest among a lot of people; the person or the thing that causes this surprise 轰动；哗然；引起轰动的人（或事物）。例如：The band became a sensation overnight. 一夜之间，这支乐队名声大振。

4. prodigy n. a young person who is unusually intelligent or skillful for their age （年轻的）天才，奇才，精英。例如：a musical prodigy 音乐奇才

5. embrace v. (formal) to accept an idea, a proposal, a set of beliefs, etc., especially when it is done with enthusiasm 欣然接受，乐意采纳（思想、建议等）

6. heritage n. the history, traditions and qualities that a country or society has had for many years and that are considered an important part of its character 遗产（指国家或社会长期形成的历史、传统和特色）。例如：The building is part of our national heritage. 这个建筑是我们民族遗产的一部分。

7. ancestry n. the family or the race of people that you come from 祖先。例如：to have Scottish ancestry 祖籍苏格兰

8. mindset n. a set of attitudes or fixed ideas that sb. has and that are often difficult to change 观念模式；思维倾向

9. ethic n. a system of moral principles or rules of behavior 道德体系；行为准则

10. forge v. to put a lot of effort into making sth. successful or strong so that it will last 努力加强

1. She is from San Francisco, and she is a freeskier. 

2. She was born in China, while her mom was born in the US. 

3. She thinks somebody might think that she would become a professional skier.

4. She is so much more than an athlete. 

5. Her grandma taught her to embrace her heritage, honor her ancestry. 

6. Her grandma gave her that competitive drive. 

7. Her grandma taught her the work ethic aspect. 

8. She’s competing to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. 

(T) 1. She is from San Francisco, and she is a freeskier. 

(F) 2. She was born in China, while her mom was born in the US. （正确表达）She was born in the US, while her mom was born in China. 

(F) 3. She thinks somebody might think that she would become a professional skier. （正确表达） She doesn’t think anybody really thought that she would become a professional skier.

(T) 4. She is so much more than an athlete. 

(F) 5. Her grandma taught her to embrace her heritage, honor her ancestry. （正确表达）Her mother taught her to embrace her heritage, honor her ancestry. 

(T) 6. Her grandma gave her that competitive drive. 

(F) 7. Her grandma taught her the work ethic aspect. （正确表达）Her mom taught her the work ethic aspect. 

(T) 8. She’s competing to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations.