Rachael Blackmore walked along the track the evening before the Grand National. The jockey (赛马师) was determined, and she would fight to the last bit of her strength to win.
But the way for her to be a jockey was not easy. She grew up a farmer’s daughter. “Being a professional jockey was something I had never thought of,” she said. She studied science at university. But through all that time she was riding because “I just love riding. And I love winning too.” When finishing college at 25, she assumed her riding days were over because “I had to get a real job.”
However, fortune smiled on her because she was filled with talent and banging on the door. Her coach said he would turn her professional. It was harder for female to get rides and open doors, yet she did not tell her story as a victory over hardship. “Once you break down that initial barrier, then you are fine.” she said.
On the day of the Grand National, she thought her horse, Minella, would take well to the fences. But the race was dominated by Jett at first. Rachael did not give up. It was with the last two fences to jump when Jett was fading. “I was beside him and Minella seemed to grab the opportunity.”
They jumped the last with a lead. “I couldn’t hear or feel another horse behind me and Minella was still going forward for me. I tried to keep balance and we hit the line,” she said, “I definitely started crying.”
She became a history maker but she was not proud at all. “I am looking forward to next year, looking at my upcoming races. I know, my best race is certainly the next one!” she said.
1. What does “that initial barrier” in paragraph 3 refer to?| A．The financial hardship. |
| B．The improper education background. |
| C．The lack of an excellent and qualified jockey coach. |
| D．The prejudice against being a professional woman jockey. |
| A．Rachael’s difficult process of being a real jockey. |
| B．The fortunes Rachael had when growing up. |
| C．The friendship between Rachael and her coach. |
| D．The good personalities helping Rachael succeed. |
| A．She lost her chance. | B．She fell off Minella. |
| C．She was stopped by a line. | D．She won the Grand National. |
| A．Reflective. | B．Carefree. |
| C．Ambitious. | D．Practical. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】An all-girl team of university students from the Philippines has won a hackathon marking UNESCO’s World Engineering for Sustainable Development Day on 4 March. Ghia Luwalhati, Nicole Elizabeth Tan and Reaner Jacqueline Bool from the WONDERPETS team from Batangas State University in the Philippines used Metal Organic Frameworks, which are novel adsorbents (新型吸附剂), to turn recycled plastic bottles into a type of sponge (海绵) that is extremely porous (透水的), making it an effective means of removing pollutants from water. Better still, the sponge can be used again and again.
Organized by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations with UNESCO support, the hackathon shows the inventiveness of young engineers when it comes to solving real-life problems. Some 125 teams from 23 countries around the world competed in the hackathon, with nine teams from six countries making it through to the finals. These countries are Australia, Canada, China, India, Kenya and the Philippines. Some 92% of participants were engineering students.
During the first round of the hackathon, the teams were given 13 days to come up with a sustainable engineering solution to one of three challenges. These solutions display the resourcefulness of future engineers.
All nine finalists have produced short videos to be shown during a 24-hour live streaming event on 4 March, World Engineering Day. The live streaming will begin in Sydney, Australia, at midday local time on 4 March and conclude 24 hours later at 7 pm local time on 4 March in San José, Costa Rica.
The competition was judged by 40 engineers from 16 countries in the preliminary round and, in the final round, by six judges from UNESCO, Engineers Without Borders, the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies, the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists, the Global Engineering Deans Council and the International Engineering Alliance.
World Engineering Day was first celebrated in 2020. This annual UNESCO celebration was established to raise awareness of the basic role that engineering plays in cutting down the impact of climate change and advancing sustainable development.
1. What has made a great contribution to the WONDERPETS team’s success?| A．They are of great creativity. | B．They are all women students. |
| C．They come from the same university. | D．They remove a type of used sponges. |
| A．They found many real-life problems. | B．Most of them entered the final round. |
| C．Most of them majored in engineering. | D．They were required to play short videos. |
| A．Following. | B．Opening. | C．Latest. | D．Present. |
| A．To call on girls to learn engineering. | B．To research global climate change. |
| C．To explore the value of resourcefulness. | D．To stress the importance of engineering. |
Look at what’s the coolest gadget (vote for a chance to win $ 50).
Cryo S: A Cool Netbook Cooler
Like the other devices of NZXT, the Cryo S was designed to provide a competitive advantage at PC gaming. It has two adjustable(可调节的) 120mm fans(风扇) that provide powerful cooling.
The full post(帖子) can be found on
Starry Night Bed
Are you having trouble getting that good nights sleep that you’re needing? Well, not any more. Why not take a look at the Starry Night Bed? The Starry Night Bed is a great new invention which will revolutionize the way in which you sleep. Not only is this bed fashionable and comfortable but it’s also a gadget heaven. With this bed you get many added gadgets including anti-snore technology, movie projector with speakers, temperature control and many more.
The full post can be found on
Fugoo—talking gadgets
Fugoo gets all your appliances(装置，设备) talking to each other so your alarm clock could first wake you up and then tell the coffee machine to start working while checking traffic conditions online to tell you how long it will take you to get to work.
The full post can be found on
Vote What is this week's coolest gadget?
〇 A Cool Netbook Cooler
〇 Starry Night Bed
〇 Fugoo—talking gadgets
1. Where can you find the full post of the “Cryo S”?
| A．Tech Styling. | B．Super Cool Pets. | C．Decide What to Buy. | D．Trends Updates. |
| A．temperature control | B．movie projector |
| C．adjustable fans | D．anti-snore technology |
| A．check traffic conditions | B．wake you up | C．take you to work | D．make coffee |
| A．A magazine. | B．A website. | C．A newspaper. | D．A textbook. |
【推荐3】When Tony took up running as a hobby he was 42 years old. Now 42 years later he’s a national champion and a world record holder.
He never imagined at the age of 84 this is where he’d be, but then he doesn’t meet many people in their 80s who are out training four times a week.
“I can see it’s a bit unusual, yes. But it’s been my life,” he told the reporter. The retired officer runs at a track near his home in Leeds.
At an event in Italy last month he set a world record in the 80 metres hurdles（跨栏）with a time of under 17 seconds. But he sees no reason to slow down and his ambition（雄心）is still to be competing when he passes a hundred.
“I probably won’t be doing a crouch start（蹲式起跑）, but it’s only 16 years away,” he joked. Like anyone his age, he’s had health problems. He’s had a string of severe heart attacks, but doctors have told him as long as it makes him feel good, he should carry on running.
“I can’t let my heart get in the way of my training. When I am sprinting I have to give it my absolute all. My heart is the last thing on my mind. ” he said.
He trains every other day, dances and plays hockey and he recently cuts down on alcohol （酒精）and chocolate. He said “ I’ve heard alcohol can lead to dementia and I don’t want that. I’ve cut down to one glass of wine every other day. I now have to stay as fit as I can be to keep up my lifestyle.”
Tony’s next birthday is next September. And the first thing he wants to do is become the world’s fastest 85-year-old.
1. What will Tony do after the competition in Italy?| A．He decides to slow down. |
| B．He decides to retire as an officer. |
| C．He plans on running until he’s 100. |
| D．He plans to compete in the 100 metres hurdles. |
| A．Continuing to run if he feels good. |
| B．Stopping running to treat his heart disease. |
| C．Trying to run as fast as he can. |
| D．Cutting down on alcohol and chocolate. |
| A．Imaginative. | B．Positive. | C．Caring. | D．Helpful. |
| A．The Fastest Man in the World. |
| B．The World’s Fastest 100-year-old. |
| C．A National Champion and a World Record Holder. |
| D．Granddad Crowned Fastest 84-year-old in the World. |
【推荐1】How to Be a Winner
Sir Steven Redgrave, Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals
“In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes (糖尿病). Believing my career (职业生涯) was over, I felt extremely low. Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it — the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way.”
Karen Pickering, Swimming World Champion
“I swim 4 hours a day,6 days a week. I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success — you can’t follow a career in any field without being wellorganized. List what you believe you can achieve. Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them.”
Kirsten Best, Poet & Writer
“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve something. Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to concentrate. When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘calm’, ‘peace’ or ‘focus’, either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological (心理的) tool.”
1. What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?| A．Difficulties influenced his career. |
| B．Specialists offered him medical advice. |
| C．Training helped him defeat his disease. |
| D．He overcame the shadow of illness to win. |
| A．Her training schedule. | B．Her daily happenings. |
| C．Her achievements. | D．Her sports career. |
| A．Ways that help one to focus. |
| B．Words that help one to feel less tense. |
| C．Activities that turn one’s attention away. |
| D．Habits that make it hard for one to relax. |
| A．Courage. | B．Devotion. | C．Hard work. | D．Selfconfidence. |
【推荐2】A shop owner placed a sign above his door that said: “Puppies for Sale.” Signs like this always have a way of attracting young children, and to no surprise, a boy saw the sign and approached the owner.
“How much are you going to sell the puppies for?” he asked.
The shop owner replied, “Anywhere from $30 to $50.”
The little boy pulled out some change from his pocket. “I have $2.37,” he said. “Can I please look at them?”
The shop owner smiled and whistled. A lady ran down the aisle of his shop followed by five tiny balls of fur.
One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging puppy and said, “What’s wrong with that little dog?”
The shop owner explained that the puppy was born disabled and it would always be lame. The little boy became excited. “I’ll buy it.” The shop owner said, “No, you don’t want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I’ll just give him to you.” The little boy looked straight into the shop owner’s eyes and said, “I don’t want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I’ll pay full price. In fact, I’ll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I pay it off.”
The shop owner countered, “You really don’t want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and play with you like the other puppies.”
To his surprise, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the shop owner and softly replied, “Well, I don’t run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands!”
1. From the passage we can infer ______.| A．the owner persuaded the boy out of buying the lame dog |
| B．the dog was badly treated because it was different from other dogs |
| C．the boy decided to pay the owner at least $30 for the lame dog |
| D．the boy decided to pay off the rest of the money in a month |
| A．Because the boy was disabled as well. | B．Because the puppy recovered one day. |
| C．Because the lady sold the disabled puppy. | D．Because the boy refused his offer. |
| A．Said. | B．Argued. | C．Yelled. | D．Blamed. |
| A．Love. | B．Kindness. | C．Generosity. | D．Understanding. |
【推荐3】17-year-old Tibetan girl Cigla is a freshman at Nagqu No. 2 Senior High School in Lhasa, which sit 3,650 meters above sea level. She now plays point guard for the school’s 12-member female basketball team.
“Practice makes perfect. You get used to the altitude when you love the sport and train hard enough,” said the potential basketball star, who has been crazy about the sport since taking it up three years ago.
With outstanding speed and accurate passes, she never fails to shine on the basketball court, even when she competes against the boys. Though she is a freshman in high school, Cigla already has a clear picture of her future--entering a sports college to study basketball. In the eyes of Cila, who comes from a poor herder’s (牧民的) family in northern Tibet, studying in Lhasa, the most developed city in this area, has made it much easier for her to realize her basketball dream.
With an average altitude of over 4,500 meters. Nagqu is among the most uninhabitable places in Tibet. Low-oxygen environments and extreme weather have long influenced the health of Nagqu students, hampering the development of primary education in the area.
Like Cigla, many students at the school are from poor farmers’ and herders’ families. Dawa Droma, a senior student also on the school’s female basketball team, recalled, “I had never touched a basketball before that game but joined the class team anyway. When I scored and heard my classmates cheer for me, I couldn’t feel more proud. That’s how I fell in love with basketball and why I never looked back.” Reflecting on the influence of basketball on her life, Dawa Droma said the sport had helped her get fit and build up confidence over the years. “Meeting players from different schools has certainly made me a more outgoing person,” she said.
1. What do we know about Cigla from the text?| A．She loves playing basketball but dislikes training hard. |
| B．She is in Grade One at a senior high school at a high altitude. |
| C．She’s been crazy about playing basketball since she was 12 years old. |
| D．She’s got used to the altitude because she has lived there for years. |
| A．Her school’s location. | B．Her clear plans. |
| C．Her family background. | D．Her entering a sports college. |
| A．promoting. | B．maintaining. | C．interpreting. | D．preventing. |
| A．Dawa Droma barely feels proud when scoring. |
| B．Dawa Droma has been affected by basketball greatly. |
| C．Playing basketball improves Dawa Droma’s sense of touch. |
| D．Players from different schools have become Dawa Droma’s friends |
【推荐1】Lee’s mother Sun became unexpectedly pregnant. Doctors told her that because of a medicine she had been taking her child would not be normal. She chose to continue with the pregnancy and in 1985 in Seoul, South Korea, little Hee Ah Lee was born with only two fingers on each hand and slight brain injury. People advised her to place the child for adoption in a foreign country. Sun, however, thought her baby would live a successful life.
When Lee was a pre-schooler(学前班学生), Sun wanted her daughter to take piano lessons for two reasons. One was that she felt it would help her strengthen her hands. The other was that she felt that if she could master the piano, she could master anything. For six months piano schools turned them down and then the teacher got discouraged and wanted to quit. It was a three-month contest of wills between mother and daughter that led to a conflict in which Sun actually threw her daughter on the floor. But Lee got back up on the piano bench and for the first time played a children’s song. That was the turning point and one year later Lee won the grand prize in a piano concert for Kindergartners. It was at the age of 7 that Lee won Korea’s 19th National Handicap Conquest Contest.
Lee has won numerous awards, and is a widely traveled concert pianist with more than 200 appearances. Her first album titled “Hee-ah, a Pianist with Four Fingers” was released (发行)in June, 2008.
Lee speaks highly of her mother for challenging her to master the piano and said that although her training was difficult, “As time went by, the piano became my source of inspiration and my best friend.”
1. Which of the following can best describe Sun?| A．Friendly and strict. | B．Stubborn and devoted. |
| C．Lucky and hardworking. | D．Honest and kind. |
| A．She attended piano school for 6 months. |
| B．Her teacher refused to teach her. |
| C．Her mother threw her on the floor. |
| D．She played a children’s song for the first time. |
| A．Learning piano. | B．Love between mother and daughter. |
| C．An abnormal girl. | D．A 4-finger pianist. |
| A．7 | B．18 | C．23 | D．33 |
【推荐2】In November, 2021, Preet Chandi, a 32-year-old army physiotherapist(理疗师)，hoped to become the first woman of color to complete a solo unsupported hike across the Antarctic to the South Pole. Chandi announced on January 3, 2022 that she’d completed the 700-mile hike in 40 days. “Feeling so many emotions right now,” said Chandi, via her blog.“The expedition(探险) was always about so much more than me,”reads her January3 update.“I want to encourage people to push their boundaries and to believe in themselves.”
Other women have skied to the South Pole, with Norway’s Liv Arnesen the first in the world to make the trip alone and unsupported in 1994. But Chandi believes she is the first woman of color to do so.“I really hope that this does inspire people; I hope that this would inspire people to push their comfort zones and push their boundaries,” Chandi said.
While preparing for her expedition, which was undertaken as part of her active military service, Chandi became increasingly aware of how much it matters for young people to see someone like her as a role model.“I’m not really the image I think people expect to see. I’m not, even now,” Chandi said, referring to her South Asian background.“I’m told that’you don’t really look like a polar explorer.’”
On her return from the Antarctic, Chandi plans to set up an “adventure grant” for women using half the money raised through the Go Fund Me appeal for her polar trip.“It will be open to women of any age or background,”she said. “It can be for any adventure, any unique adventure they want to do and that is pushing some kind of boundary. It doesn’t have to be a polar expedition. And I really hope that this is something that will continue, year after year after year.”
1. What can we infer from the underlined words in the first paragraph?| A．Chandi was more than proud of herself. |
| B．The expedition was very difficult. |
| C．Chandi really wanted to be famous. |
| D．The expedition was of greater significance. |
| A．Arnesen. | B．Chandi. | C．Scott. | D．Byrd. |
| A．To encourage people to join the army. | B．To inspire people to set an example. |
| C．To inspire people to challenge themselves. | D．To encourage women of color to explore. |
| A．Anyone who wants to explore the South Pole. |
| B．Any woman who wants to explore the South Pole. |
| C．Anyone who wants to engage in any adventure. |
| D．Any woman who wants to engage in any adventure. |
【推荐3】Niki Lauda will always be remembered, not only for his performance on the racetrack but also for his recovery in the face of tragedy (悲剧). This Austrian superstar chased his dreams interrupted many times, but astonished people with his unbelievable comebacks. Lauda’s story is a total moving film and it will have you supporting him every step of the way.
Lauda’s career didn’t truly take off until he proved himself at the 1975 German Grand Prix (大奖赛)．However, when it came to the next German Grand Prix, the true nightmare began. During the race, Lauda crashed into an embankment. His vehicle caught fire! Not only had he sustained terrible burns to his face, but he had also absorbed toxic fumes, damaging his lungs and blood. Because of injuries, he later fell into a coma.
Although he’d managed to escape from death, Lauda’s injuries were extensive. He’d lost his eyelids, his eyebrows, most of his right ear, and the majority of his hair. Because of the intense scarring, Lauda would never look the same again.
Niki Lauda’s career is a testament to the human spirit. He never once doubted his passion or his love for racecar driving, and despite his many struggles, managed to prove himself as one of the greatest racecar drivers of all time --
| A．Still, he never gave up. |
| B．But Lauda wasn’t a dead man yet. |
| C．Giving up is something Lauda doesn’t do. |
| D．Still, his looks were the least of his worries. |
| E．Lauda’s behavior is always beyond expectation. |
| F．A career in racecar driving is risky and dangerous. |
| G．Lauda’s path would be far more dangerous than he ever expected. |
