My First Marathon
A month before my first marathon, one of my knees was hurt and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I decided to go ahead.
I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher asked us to run laps and then hit a ball. I didn’t do either well. He later told 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 fight against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the fight against my own body and mind.
The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn’t even find the finish line. I woke up sweating (流汗) all over, but ready to face the challenge.
Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces became undone. So I stopped to tie them again. 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 my knee hurt badly. Though feeling very painful, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.
By mile 21, I was quite hungry and thirsty!
As I drew closer to 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 cost 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 the first place had.
Decide to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(标签), I can now call myself a “marathon winner”.
1.The writer started running in his 30s because ________.
A.he would like to show he was good at sports
B.he hoped to change his P.E. teacher’s opinion
C.he wanted to challenge his own body and mind
D.he wished to become the winner of marathon
2.It can be inferred from Paragraph 4 that the writer was ________ before marathon.
A.proud and excited B.scared and hopeless
C.tired but hopeful D.nervous but strong-minded
3.How was the writer’s first marathon?
A.He gave up halfway. B.He made it in the end.
C.He got the first prize. D.He walked to the end.
4.What is the right order of the following events according to the passage?
a. My wife cheered for me.
b. I hurt my knee and stopped training.
c. I stopped to tie my shoe laces.
d. I went on running though my knee hurt badly.
A.d-a-b-c B.b-a-c-d C.b-c-d-a D.d-c-b-a
The first Starbucks coffee shop opened in 1971 in downtown Seattle, Washington, D. C., in the United States. It was a small coffee shop that roasted its own coffee beans. The coffee shop's business did well, and by 1981 there were three more Starbucks shops in Seattle.
Things really began to change for the company in 1981. That year, Howard Schultz met the three men who ran Starbucks. Schultz worked in New York for a company that made kitchen equipment. He noticed that Starbucks ordered a large number of special coffee makers and he was curious about the company. Schultz went to Seattle to see what Starbucks did, and he liked what he saw. He wanted to become part of the company. In 1982, the original （原先的）Starbucks owners hired Schultz as the company's head of marketing.
In 1983, Schultz travelled to Italy. The unique atmosphere of the coffee bars there caught his eye. To Schultz it seemed that Italians spent their daily lives in three places: home, workplace, and coffee bar. His experience in Italy gave Schultz a new idea for Starbucks back in Seattle.
Schultz created an atmosphere for Starbucks coffee shops that was comfortable, and customers everywhere seemed to like it. Between 1987 and 1992, Starbucks opened 150 new shops—and that was only the beginning. In fact, by the year 2000, three new Starbucks shops opened somewhere around the world every day!
Today, Starbucks has thousands of stores, including stores in twenty-six countries. One thing that helps make Starbucks succeed in cities outside the United States is the way Starbucks works with local stores and restaurants. By working together with a store already in the city, Starbucks gets an understanding of customers in the city. This understanding helps Starbucks open stores in the right locations for their customers.
1.What is the main idea of this passage?
A.How Starbucks has grown. B.What Starbucks makes.
C.Starbucks' customers. D.How Starbucks makes its coffee.
2.Which is TRUE about Starbucks' first ten years of business?
A.It grew very quickly. B.It was run by Howard Schultz.
C.It made special coffee makers. D.It was a small company.
3.What helps Starbucks succeed in places outside the United States?
A.Opening restaurants in just a few locations each year.
B.Only selling locally produced coffee beans.
C.Working with other major coffee-making companies.
D.Learning about local customers.
4.Which shows the right order according to the passage?
a. One hundred and fifty new shops opened.
b. Howard met three owners of Starbucks.
c. Howard got a new idea for Starbucks.
d. Starbucks is popular all over the world.
e. Howard was a member of a company which made kitchen equipment
A.b-e-a-d-c B.e-b-c-a-d C.e-c-a-b-d D.b-e-c-a-d
According to a University of Michigan study, kids spent two fewer hours each week on outdoor activities in the early 2000s than kids did in the early 1980s. Indoor activities without moving are more popular. Most people in the study spend most of their free time watching TV (85%) or playing computer games(81%). “This causes over-weight, greater stress and more physical and emotional(情绪的) illnesses,” says Richard Louv, a nature writer.
In fact, outdoor activities such as taking a friend along, kicking around a ball and taking photos can help. It is important for kids to play outside.
Firstly, outdoor activities open up your senses. You will feel better after spending time outside. “Surfing, camping and fishing help bring all of your senses to life,” says Betsy Keller, a professor at Ithaca College in New York. “Smell, sight ... they’re all active when you’re outside.” With your senses getting stronger, you’ll feel free and more creative.
Playing outside helps your body. When playing outside, you can be on hills, beaches or lakes instead of a flat floor. Different areas offer special fun and challenge your strength and balance. It also helps keep your body’s clock on track so that you sleep better at night and feel less sleepy during the day.
Outdoor play also makes your mind relax. Too much time indoors, such as watching TV or activities in non-green areas, may make it hard for kids to focus their attention and easy to feel stressed out. But staying in the nature helps them concentrate and lowers their stress levels.
Besides, spending time outdoors brings you closer to the environment. Hearing the leaves crackle underfoot, breathing in fresh air, walking through the woods in search of cool birds remind you of the beauty of the nature. You needn’t go to the countryside.________ . It can be your own backyard or that block of trees at the end of the street.
So the next time you sit down to spend time with a TV, consider treating yourself to a little outdoor play instead.
1.The first paragraph mainly tells us ________.
A.kids spend more time playing video games now
B.kids can take part in different kinds of activities
C.too many indoor activities are not good for kids’ health
D.outdoor activities will become more popular in the future
2.How many advantages of outdoor activities are mentioned?
A.Three. B.Four. C.Five. D.Six.
3.Which of the following is the best to fill in “ ” in the passage?
A.There are bits of nature everywhere.
B.You can enjoy yourself in the countryside.
C.There are more and more parks today.
D.You should protect the beautiful nature.
4.The purpose of the passage is to ________.
A.tell kids ways how to deal with stress
B.remind people of the happy old times
C.introduce different kinds of outdoor activities
D.encourage kids to spend more time outdoors
When he was a teenager ,Hunter Adams was very unhappy ,and he spent many years in the 1960s and 1970s in a special hospital for people with mental(精神的) health problems .
When he left hospital ,Adams decided to become a doctor ,so he went to Medical School in Virginia ,USA ,But when he was there he did things in a different way .For example ,he didn’t like the doctor’s white coats .he preferred to wear shirts with flowers on them when he visited his patients ,and he tried to make them laugh .The doctors at the medical school didn’t like Adams very much because he was to different .
But Adams believed that people in hospital need more than medicine .He saw unhappy and lonely people ,and he tried to help them as patients ,but as people too .He spent a lot of time with children in the hospital ,and often put a special red nose on his face to look like a clown and to make the children laugh .
When he finished medical school and became a doctor , Adams opened his own hospital ,called “the Gesundheit Institute” ,together with some other doctors .They wanted it to be a place in a different way of working with sick people .
Hunter Adams became famous during the 1980s ,and in 1998 ,Universal Pictures made a film about his life .It was very successful .In the film(called Patch Adams) ,Robin Williams played Adams .Williams said , “Hunter is a really warm person ,who believes that patients need a doctor who’s friend .I enjoyed playing him .”
1.What probably made Hunter decide to be a doctor ?
A. His interest in medicine. B. His idea to open a hospital.
C. His early experience as a teenager. D. His love for the lonely children around.
2.How was Hunter different from other doctors ?
A. He was famous before working in hospital.
B. He liked to wear shirts with flowers in them every day.
C. He treated his patients as friends in every way possible.
D. He was good at dealing with people who were mentally ill .
3.What does the underlined word “clown” in paragraph 3 probable mean ?
A. 木偶 B. 小丑 C. 外星人 D. 蜘蛛侠
4.What can we know from Robin Williams words ?
A. He thought highly of Hunter.
B. Every doctor needs a patient friend.
C. He became a warm person ever after.
D. A good actor makes a successful film.
Tired of traditional celebrations? Have a look at the four special days.
| Earth Day “Earth Day” is on April 22nd. Many people all over the world try to do something green on this day. In Italy, people don’t use plastic bags. In Canada, people ride bicycles and don’t use their cars. In the USA, people dress up like plants and animals and dance in Times Square, New York. |
| Car Free Day “Car Free Day” is on September 22nd. It encourages drivers to give up their cars for a day to protect the environment. People get together in the streets to remind the world that we don’t need to use cars so much. In Brussels, the public transportation is free on that day. |
| Buy Nothing Day “Buy Nothing Day” is usually on the fourth Friday in November. On this day, many people don’t buy anything. “Buy nothing” means “make no rubbish”. When you make less rubbish, you can make a cleaner earth. |
| Meatout Day “Meatout Day” is on March 20th. Many people around the world don’t eat any meat for one day. They think diet change was important because of the huge greenhouse gas emission(排放) and other emissions and other environmental problems. Also, join this day, you’ll get healthier. |
1.On , many people all over the world try to do something green .
A.Earth Day B.Car Free Day C.Buy Nothing Day D.Meatout Day
2.“Buy Nothing Day” might be on _______.
A.March 20th B.April 22nd C.September 22nd D.November 20th
3.Which of the following is True according to the passage?
A.In Italy, people dress up to celebrate the Earth Day.
B.In Brussels, taking the bus is free on September 22nd.
C.All the stores are closed on “Buy Nothing Day”.
D.Many people wouldn’t eat any meat on “Earth Day”.
4.The passage above might be from the _______ column in a magazine.
A.Healthy Eating B.Green Earth
C.Traditional Arts D.Fantastic Sports
A teacher once told each of her students to bring a clean plastic bag and a bag of potatoes to school. For every person they didn’t want to forgive(原谅) in their lives, they chose a potato, wrote the person’s____and the date on it and put it in the plastic bag. Some of their bags were very____They were then told to carry this bag with them____for one week. They would put it beside their bed at night, on the seat when sitting in a car or on a bus , and next to their desks at____. The____carrying the bag around with them made students get to know what a weight they were carrying in their minds. They had to pay attention to(注意) it all the time so that they wouldn’t____it or leave it in embarrassing(尴尬的) places. As time passed by, the potatoes went____and smelt terrible. Too often we think of tolerance(宽容) as a____to other people, but it clearly is for____! If we choose to keep our sadness and hatred(仇恨) in our hearts, we will have to____them around all our lives.
1.A.age B.name C.hobbies D.weight
2.A.small B.beautiful C.light D.heavy
3.A.everywhere B.nowhere C.somewhere D.where
4.A.home B.work C.night D.school
5.A.students B.days C.potatoes D.teachers
6.A.forget B.buy C.remember D.find
7.A.big B.wrong C.bad D.good
8.A.feeling B.waste C.gift D.greeting
9.A.themselves B.ourselves C.yourself D.itself
10.A.miss B.meet C.carry D.enjoy
