My First Marathon
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 got close 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 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 and free of worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a “marathon winner”.
1.Why did the author mention the P.E. class in his 7th year?
A.To appreciate the support of his teacher. B.To show he was not talented in sports.
C.To amuse the readers with a funny story. D.To share a precious memory.
2.How was the author’s first marathon?
A.He walked to the end. B.He quit halfway.
C.He got the first place. D.He made it.
3.What does the story mainly tell us?
A.A man owes his success to his family support. B.Failure is the mother of success.
C.A true winner is one with a great effort of will. D.Well begun is half done.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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1.From the passage, we can learn that the EP __________.
A.runs without any noise B.makes people get sleepy
C.doesn’t burn up oxygen D.is unsuitable for children and pets
2.The underlined word “evenly” in Paragraph 4 probably means __________.
A.separately B.equally
C.quickly D.continuously
3.The main purpose of the passage is to __________.
A.persuade people to buy the product
B.advise people to save on heating bills
C.report the new development of portable heaters
D.compare the functions of different heater brands
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Facial expressions carry meaning that is determined by situations and relationships. For example, in American culture the smile is in general an expression of pleasure. Yet it also has other uses. A woman’s smile at a police officer does not carry the same meaning as the smile she gives to a young child. A smile may show love or politeness. It can also hide true feelings. It often causes confusion (困惑) across cultures. For example, many people in Russia smiling at strangers in public to be unusual and even improper. Yet many Americans smile freely at strangers in public places (although this is less common in big cities). Some Russians believe that Americans smile in the wrong places; some Americans believe that Russians don’t smile enough. In Southeast Asian cultures, a smile is frequently used to cover painful feelings. Vietnamese people may tell a sad story but end the story with a smile.
Our faces show emotions, but we should not attempt to “read” people from another culture as we would “read” someone from our own culture. The fact that members of one culture do not express their emotions as openly as members of another does not mean that they do not experience emotions. Rather, there are cultural differences in the amount of facial expressions permitted. For example, in public and in formal situations many Japanese do not show their emotions as freely as Americans do. When with friends, Japanese and Americans seem to show their emotions similarly.
It is difficult to generalize about Americans and facial expressiveness because of personal and cultural differences in the United States. People from certain cultural backgrounds in the United States seem to be more facially expressive than others. The key is to try not to judge people whose ways of showing emotion are different. If we judge according to our own cultural habits, we may make the mistake of “reading” the other person incorrectly.
1.What does the smile usually mean in the U.S.?
A.Joy. B.Politeness.
C.Love. D.Thankfulness.
2.The author mentions the smile of the Vietnamese to prove that smile can _________.
A.show friendliness to strangers
B.be used to hide true feelings
C.be used in the wrong places
D.show personal habits
3.What should we do before attempting to “read” people?
A.Figure out what they will do next.
B.Find out about their past experience.
C.Understand their cultural backgrounds.
D.Learn about their relations with others.
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A.Appearance and Figure B.Smiles and Relationships
C.Habits and Emotions D.Facial Expressiveness
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Is it necessary to learn when we are in our 50s, 60s or even 70s? Most people think that when they get retired, they are supposed to be completely laid-back(安详放松), do something fun, or hang around. 1. It’s particularly important for the elderly.
Through learning, we know how to think, how to memorize, how to ask questions and even how to interact with others. According to a study, while we are learning, our brains create neural pathways that make us smarter. 2. The more we learn, the more new neural pathways develop in our brains.
When it comes to learning, it doesn’t mean we must load ourselves with lots of knowledge. What we need to do is just learn something we like day in and day out. 3. Everyone learns from bottom to up. If we have an interest in learning, the desire will naturally push us to move forward.
If we feel worn out, don’t be discouraged. 4. An old saying goes, “Birds of a feather flock together.” As long as we have partners to learn together, our learning excitement will come alive again. On the contrary, if we don’t learn, or choose to distance ourselves from others, we might be getting dumb, and slow; eventually, we lose energy and passion. Instead of being bored and dumb, why don’t we keep learning?
5. More importantly, learning broadens our horizons, helps us build up our confidence; bit by bit, it leads us to a way of finding the sense of value and achievement in the process of learning.
A.Look for a partner who has the same interest as you.
B.It’s never too old to learn.
C.In other words, our brains are active as we learn something new.
D.Don’t worry that you can’t learn well.
E.Learning makes us understand how much potential we have.
F.However, the truth is that learning makes us energetic and content.
G.You should set a high learning target.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
I became a gardener when I was twelve. My early _________ of gardening may not have originated from my love for nature. It was to _________ my parents.
At that time, we had a big yard in which a beautiful maple tree stood. But my mother often looked with _________ at this work of natural art. Those golden leaves seemed like tons of rubbish to her, “something else to _________!” Seeing the neighbors busy with gardening, my father even thought it a waste of time.
At that age, I always did something _________ to whatever my parents did! If gardening were something they found _________, I would plant a garden!
I planted some lily seeds in the yard. But they failed to _________. I continued to plant sunflower seeds and roses. Wild _________ joy, I found the first rose bloom. One by one, the flowers bloomed their heads off. _________, I was touched by this land of wonder.
________, my parents showed no interest in my garden. My father even __________ at me because he found it was __________ to move around my garden to the driveway. To my mother’s __________, I put in her vase my real roses which, in her eyes, were merely weeds __________ flowers.
Regardless of their __________, I kept on planting my garden and __________ to enjoy the pleasure of gardening. Plants make such good companions: they breathe, they bloom, they __________ to care and love.
It has been many years since I made my first garden out of my desire to __________ my parent. Today I become known as Mrs. Greenthumbs, teaching gardening and hosting a gardening show, which makes my parents feel very __________. And now I could say it is my affection for __________ that makes me a real gardener.
1.A.memory B.dream C.intention D.design
2.A.please B.change C.help D.annoy
3.A.doubt B.appreciation C.surprise D.excitement
4.A.clean up B.care about C.break down D.come in
5.A.equal B.similar C.superior D.opposite
6.A.painful B.valuable C.upsetting D.interesting
7.A.break out B.come up C.reach out D.get out
8.A.with B.to C.in D.by
9.A.Luckily B.Cheerfully C.Regularly D.Eventually
10.A.Instead B.However C.Therefore D.Besides
11.A.glanced B.laughed C.shouted D.jumped
12.A.convenient B.troublesome C.enjoyable D.dangerous
13.A.sadness B.delight C.displeasure D.relief
14.A.other than B.rather than C.more than D.less than
15.A.dislike B.encouragement C.threat D.suggestion
16.A.decided B.stopped C.continued D.struggled
17.A.devote B.respond C.turn D.lead
18.A.challenge B.satisfy C.respect D.defeat
19.A.comfortable B.strange C.disappointed D.proud
20.A.freedom B.life C.growth D.nature
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面短文，在标有序号的空白处填入一个适当的词，或填入括号中单词的正确形式
The Water Splashing Festival (泼水节) of the Dai ethnic minority falls in April. It is the most important festival 1. (observe) by the Dai people in the Dehong area of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province.
During the festival 2.lasts three or four days, people are dressed in their best clothes and participate in a variety of rich and colorful 3.(activity). Dragon boat racing, fireworks displays and other performances such as Peacock Dance 4.(hold) on the first day. And the most popular event 5.(be) water-splashing on the second day. People splash water on each other, hoping to take away sicknesses and disasters. The wetter you get, the 6.(lucky) you will be. The last day is usually for the young people to play games as a way 7.(express) their love for each other.
The Water Splashing Festival 8.(vivid) exhibits the Dai’s respect for water and the culture of music and dance, food, and costumes. It is also a cultural bridge 9.Xishuangbanna and Southeast Asian countries that share 10.same festival culture of water-splashing.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
单词拼写
1.The books are mostly pictures, with a s_____________ version of the story for young children.
2.Canada is a country c_____________ of many different nationalities as well as foreign immigrants who make up the majority of its population.
3.Some students tend to feel a______________ before exams and that may affect their performance.
4.One reason for her preference for city life is that she can have easy a____________ to places like shops and restaurants.
5.Polly was p_____________ as to why the old man didn’t get lost in the heavy fog.
6.He was not a____________ of her presence until she spoke to him.
7.British English differs from American English in many aspects, such as spelling, grammar, v____________ and so on.
8.Pompeii, once a busy and wealthy city, was completely d_____________ in the volcanic eruption.
9.He was extremely f_____________ because he was the only one who had survived the air crash.
10.With the teacher’s patient explanation, the children have g_____________ learnt how to act properly in a drama.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假如你是李华，想邀请外教Peter一起参加学校组织的春游活动，请你给他写封邮件，内容包括：
1. 活动详情：需徒步约20km，当中设有5个休息点；
2. 时间：4月26日早晨6:40校门口出发，返回时间约为下午2:00；
地点：九龙湖 (Jiu Long Lake)；
注意：1．词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3．不能使用真实姓名和学校名称。
Dear Peter,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely，
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析