9 . 阅读下面短文,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
During the 2023 Lanzhou International Marathon, all eyes were on the elderly couple—Hu Yingfu, 86, and his wife Wang Zhangmin, 77. Many doubted their ability to finish the race, 1 Hu completed the half marathon in two hours and twenty minutes.
Against initial struggles, Hu found a way to motivate himself by counting electric poles while running. “The distance between each electric pole is 50 meters. I run as fast as I can, passing a dozen or so poles.” said Hu. 2 (gradua), his endurance improved, along with his physical condition.
The couple’s love for running started as a way 3 (improve) their fitness, but it quickly became a passion, They participated in a national athletics event 4 the elderly in 2004, 5 (mark) their first-ever national competition. To their surprise, Wang achieved 6 impressive result—the fourth place.
Since then, the elderly couple have become regular 7 (participate) in national athletics events, consistently winning medals, and they 8 (recognize) as well-known figures in the running community.
With a 9 (combine) age of 163, the couple have participated in over 100 marathon races nationwide, whose impact has motivated 10 (count) young individuals to become part of the running community.
