On 29 May, 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and his guide, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, claimed their place in the history books. The pair succeeded in reaching the top of the 8,850-metre Mount Everest at 11:30 am for the first time in history.
Years later, they recalled(回忆),“At this altitude, the air is thin and the lack of oxygen makes every step taxing. The temperature is a pleasant 20^C in the sunshine but can be 15 degrees cooler in the shade. On a clear night, lows of- 6C are common, and even in late May snowfall sometimes occurs.
“To simulate(模拟) high-altitude conditions in order to give the body a head start before climbing the mountain, we rented an altitude tent for our home- a clear plastic frame connected to a machine that would reduce the amount of oxygen inside. Sleeping in this tent for two weeks helps the body to produce more red blood cells, which help send more blood to the body and increase our strength. We also adjusted our diet to include more pumpkin seeds for iron and vitamin B-both red blood cell-promoting nutrients," recalled Sir Edmund Hillary.
Two weeks later, they began climbing Everest. “Two thirds into the race, we hit a wall. Even with a small gradual progress, we suffered from severe altitude sickness. We were worried we would have passed out. We felt really down," he said during an interview.
“Both Tenzing and I thought that once we'd climbed the mountain, it was unlikely anyone would ever make another attempt," Sir Edmund said years later.“We couldn't have been more wrong. Each year, hundreds of people from around the world apply for climbing permits from Nepal's Ministry of Tourism, and hundreds more participate in one of the most challenging races on the planet: the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon, which was first held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their historic adventure and is held annually on 29 May,
4. What does the underlined word “taxing” in paragraph 2 mean?
A.Difficult. | B.Small. |
C.Necessary. | D.Important. |
5. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?
A.The good food for the mountain climbers. |
B.The preparations for the mountain climbing. |
C.The difficulties of climbing Mount Everest. |
D.The natural environment of Mount Everest. |
6. What happened when Hillary and his guide reached two thirds of Mount Everest?
A.They were stopped by a wall. |
B.They fell ill and decided to give up. |
C.They were unhappy about their progress. |
D.They had serious high altitude symptoms. |
7. What can we know about the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon?
A.It is hardly a challenging race in the world. |
B.It was hosted by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. |
C.It was first held on 29 May, 2003. |
D.It is organized every four years. |