1 . Sixteen brave runners recently gathered in the Russian village of Oymyakon, also known as the world’s pole of cold, to compete in the coldest official race in history.
Oymyakon is the coldest permanently inhabited place on Earth, with temperatures constantly dropping to under -50 degrees Celsius in winter time. This place is so cold that a person’s unprotected face can suffer frostbite(冻伤) in a matter of second. Oymyakon can barely be called livable, let alone suitable for a marathon, and yet at the beginning of this year, 16 runners gathered here to take part in a series of extreme races.
On January 5, the brave runners — aged 21 to 71 and very well-trained — competed in bone-chilling marathons for 5, 10, 20, 30 and 42 kilometers across the frozen taiga(泰加森林) of central Yakutia. At the start of the run, the air temperature was an almost unbearable -52 degrees Celsius, and by the time the first and only runner reached the 39km mark, it had increased to -48 degrees Celsius.
“We could see entire amazement in the eyes of tourists who traveled here from Australia, Taiwan, Japan and India to watch the world’s coldest race,” runner Sargylana Neustroyeva told The Siberian Times. “This was our first try at organizing the extremely cold marathon. Next year we are definitely doing another race, and all athletes from around the world are welcome!”
“We wanted to make running in -450C and colder more popular, and to show that athletes can adapt to extremely low temperatures” champion runner Yegor Abramov added.
The world’s coldest race was organized by Alexander Krylov, head of Turuu Tour agency. He plans to do it again next year, hopefully with more brave runners able to endure the extreme winter temperatures of Oymyakon.
1. What can we learn about Oymyakon?| A．It’s a Russian village with people living there normally. |
| B．It’s a Russian village often for runners to try cold marathon. |
| C．There are no plants growing around the village. |
| D．Many tourists from around the world come here to spend winter. |
| A．To make a new record for the running races. |
| B．To challenge their body limit in the cold climate. |
| C．To make running in low temperature popular. |
| D．To help promote the tourism in Oymyakon. |
| A．The World Pole of Cold | B．Sixteen Brave Runners |
| C．An Icy Journey | D．The World’s Coldest Race |
2 . Recently, as I watched my son Nathan play basketball for his school team, I was feeling sorry for myself and for him. His team was facing adversity(困境) on the court, trailing for three quarters of the game. As for me, I had just been dismissed from my job.
As I watched what my son was experiencing, I recalled the events earlier in the day—packing up everything in a box and saying goodbye to my colleagues. During the drive home, I kept telling myself that I will find work again—I am confident in my experience and abilities, but self-doubt was still sticking its foot in the door.
The game entered the fourth quarter with Nathan’s team still trailing. I saw the determination on his back to not only tie the game, but then go ahead by three points. Then, a player from the other team made an unbelievable shot to tie the game up again. With a tie game and seconds on the clock, Nathan found himself with the ball and with skill and confidence, he made the basket with a defender hanging all over him. The other player was called for a foul(犯规).
As Nathan stood preparing for a shot that would put his team up by three points, I saw the focus and determination on his face, with no room for self-doubt. After he made the free throw, his team managed to stop the other team from scoring, winning the game and moving on to the finals.
As I sat there, my heart bursting with pride, it dawned on me. I had taught him perseverance(毅力) in the face of adversity, and he had just taught me the same lesson. That brief moment of self-doubt and feeling sorry for myself was blown away by the actions of my son on the basketball court. He will play in the finals, but it doesn’t matter if he wins or loses. At this moment, we both won.
1. We can learn from the text that ________.| A．I lost my job for lack of experience and abilities. |
| B．Nathans team won a narrow victory in the basketball game. |
| C．I was proud of Nathan because he won the game in the finals. |
| D．Nathan had never doubted himself whenever he was in trouble. |
| A．losing | B．falling behind |
| C．being defeated | D．winning |
| A．My son would win in the finals and I would find a job soon. |
| B．I had once taught my son face to face that we should never give up. |
| C．It was my encouragement and help that made my son win the game. |
| D．I would become more confident about my future after this experience. |
| A．An Inspiring Game | B．A Moment of Self-doubt |
| C．Lesson from My Son | D．An Unforgettable Experience |
3 . Exercise helps to keep us in good health. Doctors at the American Heart Association suggest getting at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity every week. Many people exercise for a few minutes every day or every other day. So, getting 150 minutes every week is easy.
But what about those times when you are sick? If you do not feel well, should you keep following your exercise habit? Following are the answers from health experts.
Edward R. Laskowski is a doctor at the Clinic. He and other experts have a general rule about exercising when you are sick. It is usually fine to exercise mildly, he explains, if your symptoms are all “above the neck”. These signs may include a runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing or a minor sore throat.
Geralyn Coopersmith, a physical fitness trainer who has written several books on exercise and nutrition offers similar advice. However, both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest taking a break from exercising if signs of your illness appear “below the neck.” Pay special attention to symptoms such as chest congestion, extreme cough or pain in the stomach.
There are other symptoms(症状) that can tell you to avoid exercise. They include: a higher than normal body temperature, a sense of feeling extremely tired, and widespread muscle pain.
Both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest listening to your body. If you feel really bad, take a break and let your body rest. If you don’t feel too bad, these experts both suggest reducing the amount of exercise. For example, if you usually run, take a quick walk instead.
1. Which of the following statements is true?| A．It is a hard thing for people to exercise for 150 minutes every week. |
| B．It is fine to do light exercise when you have a runny nose and chest congestion. |
| C．Edward suggests doing exercise when you have muscle pain all over your body. |
| D．Geralyn holds people can exercise mildly when their symptoms are above the neck. |
| A．stop exercise | B．walk instead of run |
| C．ignore the symptoms | D．cut down the amount of exercise |
| A．Warnings against exercise when you are ill |
| B．Harmful effects of exercise when you are ill |
| C．Suggested time for exercise when you are ill |
| D．Professional tips on exercise when you are ill |
1. 比赛时间：11月18日下午3：00-5：00；地点：学校报告厅；
2. 比赛相关信息（评比办法、奖项设置、报名方法等）：
注意：1. 词数80左右。
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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| A．Eat apples every day. | B．Play sports. | C．Have healthy food. |
6 . How to Be Good at Sports
If sports are something that interests you, it stands to reason you would want to be good at them. Succeeding in a sport takes skill, and skill takes patience and determination. However, there are other things you need to think about if you want to be a good sports player.
Be patient. No matter what you do. skills are often slow to build.
| A．Let yourself have fun. |
| B．Add new levels of challenge. |
| C．Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. |
| D．Set great but realistic goals for yourself. |
| E．Practice until skills become second nature. |
| F．Impatient athletes tend to make poor ones. |
