There are times when I set off for my running-group sessions with little enthusiasm. It might be because I’m tired, or stressed, or have had to unwillingly tear myself away from something else. I’m the coach, so I can’t choose to give it a miss.
It was yet another cold, dark, wet evening and I wasn’t feeling the love as I gathered all the necessary outfits-head torch, reflective waterproof jacket, hat and gloves. No one in their right mind will come out in this weather, I thought. But when I turned into the car park, my headlights picked out runners making a dash through the rain to our meeting point, where others were already working out to stay warm, with chat, laughter and hugs. They, too, I realized, might be tired, stressed or busy. But, unlike me, they had a choice about whether to come running or stay at home. And that makes their decision to come--and to keep on coming-all the more uplifting. As on so many other occasions, I went home from the run feeling better than when I’d arrived.
I believe one of the strongest motivations behind these runners’ decisions to come along is being part of a group. Belonging to a running community makes running greater than the sum of its parts. It’s no longer just a workout; it’s a catch-up with friends, a laugh and a shared experience. It provides a space to share your running triumphs and disappointments, to be congratulated and comforted, and, just as important, to congratulate and comfort others.
Research has long shown the likelihood of staying motivated is higher when exercise takes place in a group. The reasons are many. A study at the University of Southern California found people enjoy physical activity more when they are with others and are more likely to keep it up over the long term. There’s also an element of social facilitation-an “I’m not going to let XX beat me” attitude that drives you to push harder and produces a greater sense of achievement. And research by Strava in 2017 found running in a group made runners go faster and further. Using data from 90 million runs taking place all over the world, Strava found that the average pace of runs taking place in a group was seven seconds per mile quicker than solo runs, and the distance covered was an average of 1.3 miles further.
I joke about people being more motivated to come to my running sessions by the tea and biscuits afterwards than by the running itself. There’s probably some truth in that, but it doesn’t matter. Those laughter- and chatter-filled minutes are every bit as important as the running in between.
1.The author sometimes feels to go coaching the running group.
A.reluctant B.content C.excited D.frustrated
2.Why is being part of a group most motivational?
A.It involves a coach offering assistance.
B.It creates space to socialize with others.
C.It inspires members to beat their records.
D.It frees runners from boring daily routines.
3.That being in a group promotes performance is proven by .
A.citing a typical example B.listing accurate statistics
C.performing an experiment D.sharing his own experiences
4.Tea and biscuits in running sessions are meant to .
A.attract more runners from other groups
B.build up some strength before running
C.make his running group stand out of all
D.add more life to their running experience
Since the end of its own space shuttle program in 2011, the US has used Russian Soyuz spacecraft every time it wants to transport humans to and from space. While NASA is busy working on its own solution, the agency has increasingly turned to US private companies, such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX, to meet its off-planet transportation needs. Although SpaceX has successfully flown cargo (货物)flights for NASA since 2012 via the reusable Dragon spacecraft, the company has yet to launch humans in its so-called Crew Dragon capsule. Originally scheduled to launch in 2017, the program has seen multiple delays. After all, it is rocket science and the path has not been easy.
But 2019 seemed different. NASA’s pre-purchased Soyuz flights had run out by the end of 2019, and SpaceX, along with Boeing, had scheduled all its final tests to achieve certification in time to pick up where Soyuz left off. On March 2, the Crew Dragon capsule was launched on a run without crew toward the International Space Station (ISS). The flight, known as Demo-1, went successfully.
The next major milestone scheduled was the in-flight abort test (飞行中止测试)，another dry mission meant to test the reliability of the abort system that would save the crew in case of any accident during launch. The plan was to use the same capsule from the Demo-1 flight. But SpaceX never got the chance.
In April 2019, the company ran what was supposed to be a routine test, firing certain rockets with the capsule anchored firmly to the ground. Some 100 milliseconds before the engines fired, a leak of oxidizer caused an explosion that completely destroyed the capsule.
SpaceX spent the rest of spring and early summer figuring out what had gone wrong and pushing preparations for a replacement capsule. While the problem is now solved and the Crew Dragon spacecraft for Demo-2 has arrived at the launch site, NASA and SpaceX haven’t set an exact date for the first test flight with astronauts to the ISS.
1.What can we learn from Paragraph 1?
A.US tends to continue reliance on Russian Soyuz spacecrafts.
B.SpaceX can cover all NASA’s off-planet transportation needs.
C.NASA has not ceased developing its space travel technology.
D.Russia and SpaceX are competing for US space transportation.
2.The underlined word “dry” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to .
A.without crew B.without cargo C.without a capsule. D.without fuels
3.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A.A Ray of Hope for Space Exploration
B.The Rough Road to Launching A Dragon
C.Opportunities for Elon Musk’s SpaceX
D.Doubts about Off-planet Transportation
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It was Christmastime, and I had promised my son a bicycle. But life’s little catastrophes had __ my bike savings again and again. I stood at the bicycle display and my heart __ .
But, ___, there must be one that I could afford. I walked back and forth in front of the ___, as if I could will one into _____. “Please God,” I prayed silently. “I promised him a bicycle.”
I stopped and stared as the truth became __: there was not a single bike within my _____ .
A man walked up beside me and was excited about making his __. He wanted to know which one I was getting. I pointed to a green one, my son’s favorite color and explained to him the promise and my __ .
He stared at it for a moment and then said to me, “I’ll carry this to the __ for you.”
“I can’t!” I said. “I don’t have enough money.”
“I know,” he said, “I’m _____ it for you.”
“What? You can5t get this for me.”
He __ me and walked to the checkout line and paid.
“Now which way to your car?” he asked, walking out of store.
A million concerns as to his motives _____through my head, but I walked to my car, full of ____ and gratitude.
He ____ the big box into the trunk. Then he turned to me, said, “Merry Christmas!” and quickly disappeared in the parking lot.
I ____ the generosity of that man’s deed in my heart, and over the years tried to be ___ to what I could do for others.
Fifteen years later, in that same store I heard a __ woman in the next line whispering that she couldn’t ____ what she needed for her unborn baby. I __ and said to myself “I’m on it, God!”
1.A.lost B.claimed C.deposited D.wasted
2.A.failed B.hammered C.beat D.sank
3.A.surely B.fortunately C.surprisingly D.eventually
4.A.car B.counter C.display D.store
5.A.existence B.life C.practice D.power
6.A.specific B.obvious C.complex D.unbelievable
7.A.budget B.sight C.income D.authority
8.A.collection B.selection C.achievement D.movement
9.A.dream B.schedule C.dilemma D.option
10.A.garage B.exit C.entrance D.register
11.A.fetching B.getting C.carrying D.wrapping
12.A.observed B.escaped C.ignored D.teased
13.A.raced B.lived C.jumped D.saw
14.A.regret B.panic C.disbelief D.sympathy
15.A.threw B.folded C.separated D.slid
16.A.planted B.showed C.rewarded D.measured
17.A.reduced B.allergic C.superior D.sensitive
18.A.working B.pregnant C.wealthy D.greedy
19.A.charge B.choose C.afford D.move
20.A.sighed B.hesitated C.waited D.smiled
—Sony, I’m having a headache today and....
—____; I know you just don’t want to accompany me to the ball.
A.Don’t give me that B.Don’t mention it.
C.Don’t take it for granted D.Don’t get me wrong
______others feel impossibility, Chinese people have learned to look for new opportunity.
A.Why B.Where C.Until D.Unless
