1 . Boston Marathon runners in recent years may have seen a smiling furry face around the two-mile mark. It’s Spencer, the therapy (治疗) dog, who became known as an unofficial mascot (吉祥物) for the marathon, He’s shown up on the sidelines every year since 2015—rain or shine.
One particularly rainy marathon catapulted Spencer’s fame, In 2018, his owner, Richard Powers, decided to put a bright yellow rain coat on the dog, making him stand out even more than he usually does. Photos of Spencer, who holds a “Boston Strong” flag in his mouth, went viral, and he became an inspiration to runners and onlookers alike, During the marathon, some runners stop in their tracks to take selfies with the dog-the line sometimes growing to 20 runners long.
But in 2020, Spencer was diagnosed with a tumor (肿瘤). His owner was worried, but Spencer is a fighter. He got the care he needed and survived. In 2021, he was back on the course and it was really kind of a miracle and that really hit home to a lot of people.
Unfortunately, Spencer caught another tumor—this one cancerous—and Spencer began chemotherapy. Powers didn’t think his beloved dog would make it out to the marathon of 2022. “Miraculously, he’s still here with us and an even bigger miracle, he was strong enough to go to the marathon,” he said.
After recovering, Spencer was back to work—not just at the marathon—but as a therapy dog, alongside his companion, Penny, who is also a golden therapy dog. Powers takes his two therapy dogs around to schools, hospitals and senior living centers.
“He’s a gift to us and we’re very lucky to have him. He’s too good so we want to share him with as many people as we possibly can. He does make a difference,” Powers said.
1. Why is Spencer referred to as a mascot for Boston Marathon?| A．He has a smiling furry face. | B．He appears at the event annually. |
| C．He is not recognized officially. | D．He works as a therapy dog for runners. |
| A．Motivation. | B．Satisfaction. | C．Fantasy. | D．Barrier. |
| A．A failure in the marathon. | B．Caring for his owner. | C．Fighting against a disease. | D．Going viral. |
| A．Confident, | B．Supportive. | C．Objective. | D．Negative. |
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours，
Li Hua
3 . The Most Popular Sports In The World
Sports are popular for a number of reasons, varying from keeping healthy to recreational purposes. Sports are even more popular with people who do not necessarily participate in them, but love being spectators. Here is a brief discussion of the most popular sports in the world.
Football (Soccer)—4 Billion Fans
Football, better known as soccer in the US and Canada, is the most popular sport in the world. The origins of modern football are in England in the 19th century, though history points to people playing similar games as far back as 2,000 years ago in China. It is played all over the world, but is particularly popular in Europe, Central and South America, and Africa.
Cricket—2.5 Billion Fans
The game is most popular in the UK and some former British colonies, especially India, Pakistan and Australia. Like baseball, it involves two teams, a bat, a large field, and scoring runs. There are obvious differences, however, including a long rectangular pitch at the center of a cricket field.
Hockey—2 Billion Fans
Hockey takes place both on ice and in a field. Field hockey is mainly played in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, while ice hockey is particularly popular in Canada, the US, and Northern Europe. The game involves two teams trying to put a ball into the opposing team's net with a hockey stick. Unlike ice hockey, field hockey usually does not involve body contact in the form of checking.
Tennis —1 Billion Fans
In tennis, players on both sides of a lengthened net try to hit a ball with a racket so that it either goes past their opponents or bounces on their opponents' side twice to score points. Pro tennis players, like Roger Federer and Serena Williams, are now household names around the world.
1. Of the following sports, which has the least followers?| A．Soccer. | B．Cricket. | C．Hockey. | D．Tennis. |
| A．In China. | B．In Africa. |
| C．In England. | D．In North America. |
| A．They involve a field and a stick. | B．They involve two teams. |
| C．They are most popular in the UK. | D．They are played on ice and in a field. |
