Swimming across the English Channel is no easy feat. In addition to the strong ocean currents, swimmers also have to endure extremely cold temperatures. However, don't tell that to Sarah Thomas. The 37-year-oki American recently became the first person ever to swim across it not once, hut four times non-stop!
"I just can't believe I did it/' Thomas told the BBC after the swim. "I'm really just pretty numb. There was a lot of people on the beach to meet me and wish me well, and it was really nice of them, but I feel just mostly stunned."
What makes Thomas's achievement even more remarkable is that just a year ago, in 2018, she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She said that fighting the strong currents was hard. But even worse was “dealing with the saltwater... it really hurts your throat your mouth and your tongue”, she said. “I got stung(蛰)in the face by a jellyfish. The water wasn't as cold as I thought it might be, but it was still very cold."
Thomas’s record-breaking journey began just past midnight on Sunday, September 15, 2019, when she dove into the waters off the shore of Dover, England. Though the swim was initially meant to be about 80 miles, strong currents forced the athlete to change course several times, lengthening the total distance by about 50 miles. By the time she appeared from the water at 6:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, September 17, 2019, she had been in the water for 54 hours and 13 minutes and swum a total of 133 miles! Even more impressive, Thomas achieved the astonishing feat in a regular swimsuit. Her only aids were swim goggles, one cap, a nose clip, and earplugs。.
This is not the first time Thomas has swum across the English Channel. She has done it twice before, in 2012 and 2016. She told filmmaker Jon Washer, who is making a documentary about her swim, “As I was doing 20 mile swims, it occurred to me that I could do more and I wanted to see what that more was." The swimmer, who is being praised “an absolute legend" by the CS&PF, has indeed shown the world what she is capable of However, we have a feeling she is not done yet!
1.By mentioning “Swimming across the English Channel is no easy feat", the writer aims to
A.warn people not to swim across it
B.arouse people' interest in swimming
C.set off Sa rah Thomas's achievements
D.stress the difficulties swimmers have to conquer
2.What does the underlined word “stunned" mean in Paragraph 2?
A.Surprised. B.Satisfied. C.Doubtful. D.Regretful.
3.What troubled Thomas most during swimming?
A.Strong currents. B.Sea water.
C.Jellyfish. D.Water temperature.
4.What does Paragraph 4 mainly focus on?
A.The long distance she covered.
B.The ordinary equipment she possessed.
C.The record-breaking time she stayed in water.
D.The impressive determination she displayed.
5.What can we infer from the last Paragraph?
A.A documentary is being made about her achievements.
B.She has swum across the Channel more than once.
C.She will probably plan to swim the Channel in the future.
D.She is capable of doing everything she wants to achieve.
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Smart carry-on suitcase
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Multi-purpose jacket
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1.What can a "Smart carry-on suitcase " do?
A.Guarantee a safe landing. B.Keep the cell phone alive.
C.Help avoid any trouble in flight. D.Ease the passengers' burden.
2.What's the additional function of "Noise-canceling headphones"?
A.It's of high quality. B.It's noise-proof.
C.It keeps a phone call clear. D.It can access Google Assistant.
3.Compared with ordinary jackets, the advantage of "Multi-purpose jacket" lies in .
A.its ability to keep warm B.its up-to-date design
C.its capacity to store stuff D.its affordable price
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5.Which of the following is the cheapest one to purchase?
A.Smart carry-on suitcase. B.Noise-canceling headphones.
C.Multi-purpose jacket. D.Motion-sickness relief.
Sending an urgent message in a bottle would not typically be considered a sensible strategy. However, it magically ___ for three hikers from California.
In June 2019, for Father^ Day weekend, the Whitsons ___ to go backpacking along central California's Arroyo Seco River. Things went ___ for the first two days. On June 16, Whitson, who was ___ with the area, led the trip to the Arroyo Seco narrows(峡谷).
____ when the hikers reached the waterfall in the narrows, Whitson realized that ___ his previous trip through the area, the water currents were too strong to pass. "My heart ____ when I realized that.” Whitson told CNN. Whitson and his son tried to ___ other routes to get around it, but their efforts proved ____ .
With food running low and no cellphone reception to____help, he decided to carve a "GET HELP” message on the side of his water bottle and threw it downstream in the ___ that someone would find it. Then they went back up the river to a small beach to camp out for the night.
Sometime after midnight, the three adventurers were ___ by a welcome sound — a California Highway Patrol helicopter flying overhead. Since it was too dark to conduct a(n) ____ , the officials asked them to stay warm for the night, and ___ to send a team the following day.
Shortly after being____on the morning of June 17, 2019, Whitson ____ that two hikers had tripped upon their water bottle and, upon seeing the urgent ____reported the issue to the officials. Whitson says, "They didn't leave their name or phone number. They just did what was ____ in their heart, and most importantly they took it ____ . Whitson and his family hope the two good hikers will reveal their ___ so that they can express their gratitude in person.
1.A.failed B.worked C.connected D.recommended
2.A.decided B.preferred C.attempted D.happened
3.A.obviously B.unexpectedly C.smoothly D.surprisingly
4.A.familiar B.popular C.content D.busy
5.A.Besides B.Meanwhile C.Moreover D.However
6.A.unlike B.like C.as D.opposite
7.A.beat B.sank C.ached D.broke
8.A.attach B.avoid C.expand D.seek
9.A.priceless B.hopeless C.fruitless D.endless
10.A.call for B.spread out C.beg for D.give away
11.A.challenge B.arrangement C.hope D.satisfaction
12.A.awakened B.disturbed C.annoyed D.greeted
13.A.experiment B.escape C.exploration D.rescue
14.A.regretted B.promised C.chose D.appealed
15.A.picked up B.tried out C.put Forward D.passed down
16.A.believed B.accepted C.predicted D.discovered
17.A.sculpture B.message C.coincidence D.comment
18.A.urgent B.flexible C.right D.possible
19.A.directly B.normally C.seriously D.frequently
20.A.identity B.motivation C.characteristic D.quality
Auto companies are taking a(n) ______ approach toward introducing electric cars until they better understand the market.
A.casual B.enthusiastic C.considerate D.cautious
Everyone on this planet is different, and that's______ makes it such a beautiful place.
A.When B.how C.what D.why
I was taught to sit quietly in class and not to speak______ someone asked me a question.
A.When B.unless C.because D.if
