My First Marathon（马拉松）
A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.
I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn't do either well. He later informed me that I was ＂not athletic＂.
The idea that I was ＂not athletic＂ stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!
The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn't even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.
Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!
At mile 3, I passed a sign: ＂GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!＂
By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.
By mile 21, I was starving!
As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.
I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.
Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a ＂marathon winner＂.
（1）A month before the marathon, the author ____________.
| A． |
was well trained |
| B． |
felt scared |
| C． |
made up his mind to run |
| D． |
lost hope |
（2）Why did the author mention the P.E. class in his 7th year?
| A． |
To acknowledge the support of his teacher. |
| B． |
To amuse the readers with a funny story. |
| C． |
To show he was not talented in sports. |
| D． |
To share a precious memory. |
（3）How was the author's first marathon?
| A． |
He made it. |
| B． |
He quit halfway. |
| C． |
He got the first prize. |
| D． |
He walked to the end. |
（4）What does the story mainly tell us?
| A． |
A man owes his success to his family support. |
| B． |
A winner is one with a great effort of will. |
| C． |
Failure is the mother of success. |
| D． |
One is never too old to learn. |
WHAT’S ON
| STAGE Russian dances: The famous “Little White Birth” Dance Troupe will travel from Russia to present performances in Beijing. The troupe, founded in 1948, is famous for their combination of Russian folk dances and classical dancing art. It has been invited by the Beijing Foreign Culture Exchange Co. in order to give four performances in Beijing. Tickets are available through ticket hotlines and website such as www. paio. com. cn, www. Chinaticket. com and www. ticket. elong. com. * Time: 7: 30 pm, January 18 - 21 * Place: Beizhan Theatre, 135, Xiwai Dajie, Xicheng District * Tel: 6606-4258 EXHIBITIONS Kite show: All together 81 kites collected by the China National Art Museum is on show in the Yanhuang Art Museum. Kong Xiangze, an expert on Chinese kites, published a book on kites, explaining the origins of the kite-making process. The exhibited kites are made in a traditional Chinese style. * Time: 9 am-5 pm until February 11 * Place: 9 Huizhong Lu * Tel: 6491-2902 |
CONCERTS Folk music: A concert of classics of Chinese folk music will greet audiences on the first day of the Year of Snake at the Beijing Concert Hall. The China Song and Dance Ensemble will perform dozens of traditional instrumental pieces, such as “Full of Joy”, “Colourful Cloud Chasing the Moon” and “Spring Festival Suite”. * Time: 7: 30 pm, January 24 * Place: 1, Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District * Tel: 6559-8285 EVENTS Flower festival: The Beijing Botanical Garden is bringing people a blooming festival with the beautiful flowers in its tropical plants greenhouse. The garden has introduced nearly 80 kinds of flowers abroad for the exhibition. There is also an exhibition of potted narcissus (水仙) landscapes (盆景). More than 300 mini landscapes involving imported narcissus will be displayed, people can get a preview of the show by visiting www.beijingbd.com, the garden’s website. * Time: 8:30 am-5 pm until January 28 * Place: Wofosi Lu near the Fragant Hills * Tel: 8259-5547 |
Suppose you are too far away from Beijing or you can’t spare time to go there in person, which of the following shows can you enjoy all the same?
| A．Russian dances. | B．Kite show | C．Folk music | D．Flower festival |
The phrase “get a preview of” used in the passage means ______.
| A．watch in advance | B．see more clearly |
| C．get good position of | D．get a general idea of |
f you and your classmates have a free evening to spend on the 19th of January, which is a useful number to call?
| A．6606-4258 | B．6491-2902 | C．6559-8285 | D．8259-5547 |
Maybe ten-year-old Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father, “But, Dad, you can’t be healthy if you’re dead.”
Dad, in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run, had forgotten to wear his safety belt—a mistake 75% of the US population make every day. The big question is why.
There have been many myths about safety belts ever since their first appearance in cars some forty years ago. The following are three of the most common.
Myth Number One: It’s best to be “thrown clear” of a serious accident.
Truth: Sorry, but any accident serious enough to “throw you clear” is also going to be serious enough to give you a very bad landing. And chances are that you’ll have traveled through a wind shield(挡风玻璃) or door to do it. Studies show that chances of dying after a car accident are twenty-five times greater in cases where people are “thrown clear".
Myth Number Two: Safety belts “trap” people in cars that are burning or sinking in water.
Truth: Sorry again, but studies show that people knocked unconscious(昏迷) due to not wearing safety belts have a greater chance of dying in these accidents. People wearing safety belts are usually protected to the point of having a clear head to free themselves from such dangerous situations, not to be trapped in them.
Myth Number Three: Safety belts aren’t needed at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour.
Truth: When two cars traveling at 30 mph hit each other, an unbelted driver would meet the windshield with a force equal to diving headfirst into the ground from a height of 10 meters. Why did Elizabeth say to her father, “But, Dad, you can’t be healthy if you’re dead”?
| A．He was driving at great speed. |
| B．He was running across the street. |
| C．He didn’t have his safety belt on. |
| D．He didn’t take his medicine on time. |
According to the text, the “thrown clear” of a serious accident is very dangerous because you _____.
| A．may be knocked down by other cars |
| B．may get seriously hurt being thrown out of the car |
| C．may find it impossible to get away from the seat |
| D．may get caught in the car door |
One of the reasons that some people prefer to drive without wearing a safety belt is that____.
| A．the belt prevents them from escaping in an accident |
| B．they will be unable to think clearly in an accident |
| C．they will be caught when help comes |
| D．cars catch fire easily |
What will people die of 100 years from now？If you think that is not a simple question，you have not been paying attention to the revolution that is taking place in biotechnology(生物技术). With the help of new medicine，the human body will last a very long time. Death will come mainly from accidents，murder and war. Today's leading killers，such as heart disease，cancer，and aging itself，will become distant memories.
In discussion of technological changes，the Internet gets most of the attention these days. But the change in medicine can be the real technological event of our times. How long can humans live？Human brains were known to decide the final death. Cells are the basic units of all living things，and until recently，scientists were sure that the life of cells could not go much beyond 120 years because the basic materials of cells，such as those of brain cells，would not last forever. But the upper limits will be broken by new medicine. Sometime between 2050 and 2100，medicine will have advanced to the point at which every 10 years or so，people will be able to take medicine to repair their organs. The medicine，made up of the basic building materials of life，will build new brain cells，heart cells，and so on－in much the same way our bodies make new skin cells to take the place of old ones.
It is exciting to imaging that the advance in technology may be changing the most basic condition of human existence，but many technical problems still must be cleared up on the way to this wonderful future.According to the passage，human death is now mainly caused by____
| A．diseases and aging | B．accidents and war |
| C．accidents and aging | D．heart disease and war |
Humans may live longer in the future because____
| A．heart disease will be far away from us |
| B．human brains can decide the final death |
| C．the basic materials of cells will last forever |
| D．human organs can be repaired by new medicine |
We can learn from the passage that____
| A．human life will not last more than 120 years in the future |
| B．humans have to take medicine to build new skin cells now |
| C．much needs to be done before humans can have a longer life |
| D．we have already solved the technical problems in building new cells |
I suddenly heard an elephant crying as though frightened. Looking down，I immediately recognized that something was wrong，and ran down to the edge of the near bank. There I saw Ma Shwe with her threemonthold calf struggling in the fast-rising water，and it was a lifeanddeath struggle. Her calf was floating(漂浮) and screaming with fear.Ma Shwe was as near to the far bank as she could get，holding her whole body against the rushing water，and keeping the calf pressed against her huge body.Every now and then the rushing water would sweep the calf away.
There was a sudden rise in the water and the calf was washed clean over the mother's body and was gone. Ma Shwe turned quickly to reach it and pressed the calf with her head and trunk (象鼻) against the rocky bank. Then with a huge effort，she picked it up in her trunk and tried until she was able to place it on a narrow shelf of rock.
Just at this moment，she fell back into the river. If she were carried down，it would be certain death. I knew，as well as she did，that there was one spot (地点) where she could get up the bank，but it was on the other side from where she had put her calf.
While I was wondering what I could do next，I heard the sound of a mother's love. Ma Shwe had crossed the river and got up the bank and was making her way back as fast as she could，roaring (吼叫) all the time，but to her calf it was music.The moment the author got down to the river bank he saw .
| A．the calf was about to fall into the river |
| B．Ma Shwe was placing the calf on the rock |
| C．the calf was washed away by the rising water |
| D．Ma Shwe was holding the calf against the rushing water |
How did Ma Shwe manage to save her calf from the fast flowing water？
| A．By putting it on a safe spot. | B．By pressing it against her body. |
| C．By taking it away with her. | D．By carrying it on her back. |
How did the calf feel about the mother elephant's roaring？
| A．It was a great comfort. | B．It was a sign of danger. |
| C．It was a call for help. | D．It was a musical note. |
What can be the best title for the text？
| A．A Mother's Love | B．A Brave Act |
| C．A Deadly River | D．A Matter of Life and Death |
Computer programmer David Jones earned￡35,000 ayear designing new computer games, yet he cannot find a bank prepared to let him have a check card, he has been told to wait another two years until he is 18.
He works for a small firm inLiverpool, where most young people of his age are finding jobs. David’s biggest headache is what to do with his money. Though he has high payment, he cannot drive a car, or get credit card(信用卡).
David got his job four months ago, a year after leaving school with six O-levels（普通成绩）and working for a time in a computer shop. “I got the job because the people who run the firm knew I had already written some programs,” he said.
“I suppose￡35,000 sounds a lot but I hope it will come to more than that this year.” He spends some of his money on records and clothes, and gives his mother￡20 aweek as he lives with his parents. But most of his spare time is spent working.
“Unfortunately, computing was not part of our studies at school, ” he said. “But I had been studying it in books and magazines for four years in my spare time. I knew what I wanted to do and never considered staying on at school. Most people in this business are fairly young, anyway. I would like to earn a million and I suppose early retirement(退休) is a possibility. You never know when the market might disappear.”Why is David so different from other young people of his age?
| A．He earns an extremely high payment |
| B．He has got a job. |
| C．He lives at home with his parents. |
| D．He does not go out much. |
David’s greatest problem is that______.
| A．he can’t be treated as an adult by the bank. |
| B．he doesn’t make as many games as he wishes. |
| C．he doesn’t know what to buy with the money. |
| D．he is too young to drive a car. |
He was employed by the company because ____.
| A．he had worked in a computer shop. |
| B．he had written some computer programs. |
| C．he is clever and works hard at his lessons. |
| D．he had learnt to use computers at school. |
He left school after taking six O-levels because____.
| A．he was afraid of getting too old to start computing. |
| B．he did not enjoy school. |
| C．he wanted to work with computers. |
| D．he wanted to earn a lot of money. |
Why does David think he might retire early?
| A．He thinks computer games might not always sell so well. |
| B．He wants to stop working when he is a millionaire. |
| C．One has to be young to write computer programs. |
| D．He thinks his firm might close down. |