Question

    On November 7, Lewis Pugh completed a one-kilometer swim in the freezing waters of King Edward Cove, off South Georgia in Antarctica. He was wearing only his swimming glasses, cap and speedos!

Pugh is an advocate for our oceans and seas, working to protect these ecosystem with their large diversity of marine life. When asked why he doesn’t wear a wetsuit, Lewis says, “I ask world leaders to do everything they can to protect our oceans. Sometimes the steps they need to take are difficult and unpopular. If I’m asking them to be courageous, I must also be. Swimming in a wetsuit would not send the right message.”

It took Pugh about 19 minutes to complete the one-kilometer swim in Antarctica where the water averaged about 1.6 degrees Celsius . He says that his body can only tolerate about 20 minutes in the freezing waters before it starts shutting down. As he swims, his body temperature steadily drops, which in turn causes his muscle control to drop, slowing him down. When he is done with his swim, his support team rushes him to a hot shower and it takes almost an hour for his body temperature to return to normal.

Doctors and Pugh caution that one must receive months of training to swim in such cold waters. Even expert swimmers who are unused to freezing water can drown within minutes because of the physical shock experienced by the body. Pugh says he trained for six months before this swim.

This is not the first time that Lewis has swum in dangerous conditions. In 2007, he swam one kilometer in the North Pole to draw attention to the melting Arctic ice due to climate change. In 2015, he swam in the Bay of Whales in Antarctica’s Ross Sea as part of his successful campaign to help set up a marine reserve there.

1.Why did Lewis Pugh swim without a wetsuit?

A. To swim faster. B. To show his bravery.

C. To build up his body. D. To win public attention.

2.What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A. His body. B. The water.

C. His body temperature. D. The water temperature.

3.What’s Pugh’s advice about swimming in freezing waters?

A. One must be fully prepared.

B. One should be expert at swimming.

C. One should be ready to take on challenges.

D. One must be used to long-distance swimming.

4.What may be the best title for the text?

A. Lewis Pugh: swimming for a cause

B. How to survive a swim in cold waters

C. How to prepare for extreme swimming

D. Lewis Pugh: achieving the impossible

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.A

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇记叙文。主要讲述了Lewis Pugh为了呼吁政府采取措施保护海洋而在南极海洋水温很低的情况下，不穿防寒泳衣游泳的勇敢事迹。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段的I ask world leaders to do everything they can to protect our oceans. Sometimes the steps they need to take are difficult and unpopular. If I’m asking them to be courageous, I must also be. Swimming in a wetsuit would not send the right message.可知，他不穿防寒泳衣的原因是展示他的勇敢，故选B。

2.词义猜测题。此题要结合上下文语境，上文是他在冰水里游泳身体只能忍受20分钟，下文中提到他游泳时体温在慢慢下降，肌肉控制力也在下降，可推测出此处的it指的是his body，故选A。

3.细节理解题。根据第四段的Doctors and Pugh caution that one must receive months of training to swim in such cold waters.可知，一个人要想在冰冷的水里游泳必须得训练很长时间才可以，即要做足准备工作才行，故选A。

4.主旨大意题。文章主要讲述的是Pugh为保护海洋而在极寒的水里游泳，他用行动去展示他保护海洋的决心和勇气，由此可知A项是最佳标题。