1 . The term “Iron Man” has many connotations(内涵), including references to a song, a comic book icon, even a movie. Yet only one definition of the term truly lives up to its name: the Ironman triathlon held annually in Hawaii, a picturesque(独特的)setting for a challenging race, which demands amazing physical prowess and the ability to swim, bike, and run a marathon, all in less than 12 hours with no break. Very few individuals are up to the task.
However, Gordon Haller is a notable exception. Growing up in the 1950s, Haller developed an interest in many sports categorized as endurance(耐性)athletics and welcomed their physical demands. As he pursued a degree in physics he drove a taxi to pay the bills, but competitive training proved his passion. So when he heard about the race in 1978, the first year it was held, he immediately signed up.
The race originated in a somewhat amusing way. The members of the two popular sports clubs, the Mid-Pacific Road Runners of Honolulu and the Waikiki Swim Club of Oahu, had a long-standing and good-natured debate going over who made better athletes: runners or swimmers. However, some local bikes thought both clubs were wrong, claiming that they, in fact, deserved the title. Wanting to settle the dispute (争论)once and for all, they decided to combine three separate races already held annually on the island into one massive test of endurance. Thus, the Waikiki Roughwater Swim of 2.4 miles, the Around-Oahu Bike race of 112 miles, and the Honolulu Marathon of 26.2 miles were all put together to form the Ironman Triathlon.
Haller was one of only fifteen competitors to show up that February morning to start the race. He quickly scanned the few pages of rules and instructions, and on the last page he discovered a sentence that would become the race’s famous slogan: “Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag(吹牛)for the rest of your life!” Haller took that to heart, and at the end of the day, he became the first Ironman champion in history. Haller’s physical strength enabled him to do what no one else in the past had accomplished.
In the approximately thirty years since that very first race, the Ironman has become a tradition in Hawaii and now boasts approximately 1500 entrants every year. The competitors who complete the race don’t have to be the first across the finish line to claim success: just finishing is a victory onto itself.
1. The “Iron Man”in the passage above refers to ____________.
| A．a folk song | B．a movie character |
| C．a triathlon athlete | D．a sports event |
2. What do we know about Gordon Haller from the passage?
| A．He had a great interest in all kinds of sports. |
| B．He was a member of the Waikiki Swim Club of Oahu. |
| C．He became a taxi driver after he graduated from school. |
| D．He was the champion in the first Ironman Triathlon. |
3. What does the underlined word “prowess” in the first paragraph mean?
| A．muscles | B．skills | C．balance | D．reaction |
4. The Ironman race was born due to the fact that__________.
| A．The two clubs fought over who made better athletes. |
| B．Gordon Haller wanted to show his great endurance. |
| C．The combined race can help choose the most athletic. |
| D．Club members wanted to improve their physical abilities. |
5. What can we infer from the passage about the first Ironman Triathlon?
| A．Participants had to choose two from the three races in the first Ironman Triathlon. |
| B．Haller may not have known the rules of it before he showed up for the event. |
| C．No other competitors other than Haller finished the races in the end. |
| D．Sixteen competitors in total participated in it on February morning. |
6. What does the last paragraph try to tell us?
| A．It is the participation rather than victory that counts. |
| B．The current Ironman Triathlon is different from the original one. |
| C．The victors respond excitedly when crossing the finish line. |
| D．The event attracts many people because it creates good fortune. |
