1 . A cancer survivor has become the first woman to complete an exhausting “Sea to Summit” triathlon（三项全能运动） which saw her swim, cycle, and run over 330 miles in just five days. Andrea Mason was overjoyed when she crossed the finish line early Wednesday morning.
The race was set in the French Alps. Setting off at 6:15am on Friday, 39-year-old Mason battled through severe pain, and hallucinations(幻觉)，but she pushed on --managing to complete the race in an impressive four days, 23 hours, and 41 minutes. Andrea had been diagnosed with cancer and needed life-saving surgery. Following a successful operation, she is now hoping to raise awareness of women’s health. In the past year，Andrea set up her own charity, Lady Talk Matters, in order to improve surrounding female’s health.
Andrea, from Blackpool in Lancashire, England, said，“I am so happy all went according to plan as there were so many things that could have gone wrong. I wanted to do it in five days， and I did，but it was very tough. I had some low moments, particularly when I couldn’t sleep in my limited rest periods, and when I couldn’t keep any food down as I was running. For sure I had some doubts along the way as I was exploring the unknown with such a huge run, particularly as large parts of it were in the dark. It was bigger than I imagined, the impact on my body was huge. But every time I felt like giving up，I thought about all the women out there in pain or who still hadn’t been diagnosed. That is why I put myself through this.”
Andrea had to swim 23 miles around Lake Annecy, cycle 205 miles with 30,000 feet of vertical climbing around Mont Blanc, and run 105 miles with 4,000 feet of vertical climbing around The Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc. You could say Andrea’s actually spent a lifetime training for an event like this. She completed her first three-mile race “powered by chocolate bars＂ when she was just four.
1. What brought Andrea Mason so much joy？| A．She joined a race | B．She defeated cancer. |
| C．She finished a marathon in five days. | D．She finished a triathlon lately. |
| A．To help the poor women. | B．To promote women’s health. |
| C．To focus on women’s life. | D．To raise the status of women. |
| A．When she couldn’t eat. | B．When she couldn’t sleep. |
| C．When she was running at night. | D．When she met too many difficulties. |
| A．Her strong willpower. | B．Her family’s support. |
| C．Thinking of other women who might have cancer. | D．Thinking of other women who had more pain. |
| A．Andrea liked sports very much. | B．Andrea faced huge challenges. |
| C．As a little girl, Andrea won many races. | D．Andrea’s success lied in long-term effort. |
2 . First it was jogging. Then aerobics(有氧运动). Not too long ago, Americans discovered race walking.
Now Americans are into a new fitness craze. They’re taking up bicycling. Over hills and down mountainsides and across quiet country roads, Americans are busily rolling along.
The number of adults who ride for fitness is around 17 million, an increase of 70 percent over four years ago. Twice as many women as men are coming to the sport. Americans are falling in love with biking because it has speed, the benefits of jogging and beautiful scenery.
Bicycling is a very appropriate sport, which is important to people who injured their knees while jogging or whose joints are aching from aerobics. And biking is a real awakening for people who have been into race walking in the past. Race walking is as dull as watching paint dry.
The most popular kind of bicycle for people who are new to the sport is the mountain bike, which has a fixed frame with wide tires and upright handles. Mountain bikes also have many gears(齿轮)to make it easier to climb hills. About 5 million Americans ride mountain bikes, compared with 200,000 who rode them only five years ago.
Costs range from about $130 for a bottom-of-the-line bicycle to more than $2,700 for an expensive bicycle.
Mountain biking has attracted some people who race down the sides of mountains like a bat out of hell. But most riders ride slowly and they rarely venture far from home.
The biking craze has brought an unexpected profit(盈利)to clothing and bicycle accessory (附属品)makers. Last year, bikers paid $630 million for biking clothes and accessories.
Bicycling seems likely to continue its fantastic growth.
1. The main idea of the article is _____________.| A．riding a bicycling is one of the most dangerous sports in America |
| B．Americans are rolling along |
| C．bicycling is the latest fitness craze in America |
| D．Most people in America want to own a hand-made bicycle that can cost more than $2,700 |
| A．race walking is a slow-moving sport |
| B．the number of adults who ride for fitness has grown 70 percent in four years |
| C．it has speed, the benefits of jogging and beautiful scenery |
| D．Americans are taking up bicycling |
| A．walk up stairs | B．throw a baseball |
| C．write your name | D．use the telephone |
| A．most people are new to that sport |
| B．about 5 million Americans own mountain bikes |
| C．a cheap mountain bike costs about $130 |
| D．they have many gears to make it easier to ride up hills |
| A．people who want to ride like a bat out of hell |
| B．bicycle accessory makers |
| C．race walkers |
| D．twice as many women as men |
3 . When did you last see a polar bear? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These “Polar Bears” are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a little higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group. This is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors do not agree about the medical effects of cold-winter swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body’s temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system (循环系统) because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.
The main benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim all year round. They find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says. “When I go into water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away.”
1. The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements EXCEPT that .| A．they must reach the age of 60 |
| B．they should be easy to make friends with |
| C．they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months |
| D．they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February |
| A．you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue |
| B．cold-water swimming causes more heart attacks in summer than in winter |
| C．cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high |
| D．Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water |
| A．they can remain young |
| B．it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter |
| C．they find it enjoyable and interesting |
| D．they might meet fewer troubles in life |
