【推荐1】To the cheering of taxi drivers and the honking of horns, the comedian and actor Eddie Izzard ran into London yesterday to complete his 43rd marathon in 52 days. In total he had covered 1,100 miles. His 43 marathons were in aid of the charity Sports Relief, which raises money for the poor all over the world. So far Izzard has raised more than £200,000.

Fighting blisters (水疱) that have caused the nails on his smaller toes to fall off, he ran up The Mall and into Trafalgar Square, where he had started 7.5 weeks ago. In finishing he proved what many thought was an impossible task: that a 47-year-old comedian with no sporting experience could do something a top athlete might find difficult.

After only six weeks’ training he started out on a journey that would take him to every corner of the British Isles. “The first three weeks were the hardest,” he said. The non-stop pressure on his body made him unable to sleep at night and he would wake exhausted with “blisters on top of blisters”.

But the people he met along the way cheered him up. “People stopped their cars and cheered, they gave me money and food.” More than 500,000 people “followed” the comedian, in a different sense, on Twitter. Running into London he looked lean and muscular. “Everyone says my legs look very good but I thought they looked quite good beforehand,” he said.

Simon Blease, 51, a sports doctor and mountain runner who has been following his progress, was waiting on Tower Bridge. “I didn’t think he could do it,” he said. “Like a lot of people I thought he would have a good try, but his body would break down. Someone with so little training. I find it extraordinary that he has done it.”

Asked what he had gained, Izzard said “I know now I can do that. Sport is one of those words that stopped being part of my life when I was about 14. Sporting success was not something I ever associated myself with.” He now plans to continue jogging and hopes to inspire others into sport.

1. Which of the following statements is true about Eddie lzzard？

A．He took part in 43 marathon competitions in 52 days.

B．He was sponsored by Sports Relief in the running

C．He ran 1,100 miles for the purpose of helping the poor.

D．He took the challenge to prove he could be a top athlete.

2. What difficulty did Eddie Izzard meet with during the running?

A．Injury in his ankles.	B．Sleeplessness at night.
C．Pressure to win.	D．Inadequate time.

3. What does Simon Blease imply？

A．He used to think Eddie would give up halfway.

B．Training may not be necessary for marathon runners.

C．Eddie was a good model for others to follow.

D．He owed Eddie’s success to his strong body.

4. According to the passage, which of the following words can NOT describe Eddie Izzard?

A．Humourous .	B．Persevering
C．Loving	D．Creative

【推荐3】We all know about the health benefits of swimming, including building endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular (心血管的) fitness.     1     Many people feel that swimming is very exciting and relaxing.

Cold-water swimming sometimes called wild swimming involves swimming in natural areas including ponds, rivers and the sea. Jumping in cold water gives a short sharp shock to the body.     2     A cold dip might wake you up, but research has found it can have much bigger benefits than those for your body and mind. As well as being good exercise cold-water swimming improves well-being.

    3     One man who suffered constant pain after surgery claimed he was cured by taking a swim in cold open water. And another swimmer, Sandria Simons, told the BBC “the immersion of your body in cold, salt water, just feeling like you’re at one with nature if you like, just feels amazing”.

What is it that people are gaining from this cold experience? Doctors say getting into cold water makes a stress response, but the more you do it, your reaction to stress is reduced.     4     In addition, cold-water swimming can exercise swimmers’ willpower. But there are bigger benefits of this exercise. Some experts believe cold-water swimming helps “cross-adaptation”, where one form of stress prepares the body for another.     5    

So, if you’re convinced that this is for you, take advice：approach it with caution, swim with a friend, and maybe start in the summer, when the water temperatures are higher.

A．Cold-water swimming can substitute medicine.

B．However, many participants say they get used to it.

C．If you don’t mind getting wet, it can be fun too.

D．It’s also thought to strengthen our digestive function.

E．We all know exercise can extend people’s life span.

F．For example, it helps reduce the stress of exercising at high altitudes.

G．Cold-water swimming can function as a dose of medicine.