1 . When Kelvin Kiptum lined up for his first competition in 2018, the new marathon star of Kenya did it in borrowed running shoes, because he could not afford a pair of his own.
At the Chicago marathon of October,2023, as Kiptum set an amazing world record of two hours and 35 seconds, the story of his rise in marathon running is just as unbelievable as the long steps he takes. “It has been a long journey for me,” the Men’s World Athlete of the Year told the Sports Channel.“It has come true, and I am really happy.”
The father-of-two is among a new group of Kenyan athletes who began their careers on the road, different from the past tradition of athletes starting on the track before shifting to longer distances. Kiptum says his unusual choice was simply decided by a lack of resources (资源).“I had no money for track trainings,” he explained. “So I started training with road-running guys, and that’s how I got into marathon.”
Kiptum’s love for running arose from watching his cousin running as a top marathon athlete, but he had to make his family believe that he could make it in athletics. “My father wanted me to be an electrician but I was saying that I needed to be an athlete-I had that eagerness,” Kiptum recalled. “That period was very hard for me because I trained for four years, yet there were no successes and they were disappointed in me. But I kept on pushing.”
Kenya is home to some of the world’s greatest marathon runners, but Kiptum has qualities that make him special, says reporter Martin Franklin. “The level of fearlessness that Kiptum shows in his race is what is needed to rise to the top,” Martin adds. “Although his lightning-fast speed will lead to injuries in the future, Kiptum has made up his mind to become the first man to break the two-hour limit in marathon.”
1. What was Kiptum’s unusual choice?| A．Starting with road training. | B．Seeking training resources. |
| C．Mixing road and track training. | D．Running with others on the track. |
| A．He runs at a great speed. | B．He holds more world records. |
| C．He has greater courage to face challenges. | D．He has a good plan to avoid possible injuries. |
| A．From Electrician to Top Marathoner |
| B．From Borrowed Shoes to World Records |
| C．Kelvin Kiptum: A Tough Fighter for National Honor |
| D．Marathon: Life- changing Career for African Athletes |
| A. to keep B. to offer C. to write D. easy to reach E. a way of thinking F. happening once a year G. an action or a service that helps |
2. The desert area is accessible only by helicopter.
3. Tom extended me an invitation to his birthday party.
4. She made a positive contribution to the success of the project.
5. The two girls have maintained close relations since graduation.
| A. a little B. completely C. being afraid D. having ability E. to agree that something is true F. to make sure something is definite G. to wish something would take place |
2. The green apple tastes slightly sour.
3. He is capable of running a mile in four minutes.
4. I was thoroughly confused by this math problem.
5. I am writing to confirm my booking for the single room.
For Chinese swimmer Qian Hongyan, competing at the 4th Asian Para Games (亚残运会) is more about testing her limits. More
In 2007, she began training in swimming. It
Coach Zhang Honghu has seen Qian’s growth from a shy girl into an excellent athlete. “I hope she will keep pushing her limits and have a great life in the years
A. It is a prepackaged frozen or fresh meal that requires none or very little preparation besides heating up.
B. At least two handfuls of vegetables or salad are recommended. If they are not easy to get, you can just include a piece of fresh fruit as a starter or dessert.
C. It’s no surprise that frozen ready-made meals are popular. They’re fast, convenient, inexpensive, and easy. All you need to do is find healthy ready-made meals that taste good and satisfy your hunger.
D. We all love a warm and hearty home-cooked dinner, but let’s face it: fighting through rush hour traffic after a long day’s work seldom leaves us with the time to prepare such a meal. Instead, we turn to a ready-made meal.
E. The primary concern with ready-made meals is that they don’t include vegetables or salads. When you’re eating a ready-made meal you’re usually in a hurry, so if you’re going to add some vegetables, it needs to be just as quick and easy.
6 . Graham Dugoni was sick of seeing smartphones everywhere when he lived in San Francisco in 2014, so he decided to create device-free spaces for people who wanted a digital break.
The result is YONDR, a physical way to disconnect at concerts, schools, and private events. If a touring musician decides to use it, for instance, the audience are told ahead of time that when they arrive, they’ll drop their phones into a small case that locks when it’s closed. The audience keep that case with them but can only access their phones when they go to a particular area away from the crowd. When they leave, the cases are unlocked.
“A lot of what we hear is that the show is just better,” Dugoni says. Some people report that, except being anxious for a while, the experience proved rewarding. “People walk out saying it’s unbelievable not to see a single smartphone out. There’s more energy, and it makes everything more noticeable.”
YONDR’s presence suggests that many people have become overly attached to their phones and shows the importance of finding solutions.
Research links smartphone overuse to a wide range of physical and mental (心理的) health problems, including tiredness, depression and anxiety. It is also connected with shorter sleep time, as well as reduced quality of sleep. Plus, smartphone addiction can occupy too much of your time and attention, leaving less to spend on healthier activities.
One of the best ways to disconnect from your phone is to get some physical distance from it. “Let’s say you have a little workstation at home - try to keep your phone behind you on the shelf,” advises Olson, a researcher at McGill University. Much of our phone use is mindless, so “putting up some ltte barriers (障碍), like keeping it behind you and face down, can be effective.” Keeping your phone in another room while you sleep is another particularly helpful way, he adds.
1. What do we know about YONDR?| A．It made people feel disconnected. |
| B．It was created to stop phone using. |
| C．It was helpful for taking a break from phone use. |
| D．It led to inconvenience for concert ticket holders. |
| A．The effects of overusing smartphones. |
| B．The solution to mental health problems. |
| C．The reasons for phone-related problems. |
| D．The commonness of people using phones. |
| A．Put the phone on the worktable. |
| B．Turn off the phone while sleeping. |
| C．Make it hard to reach for the phone. |
| D．Surround the phone with small barriers. |
7 . When Laura Smith was 14 years old, she volunteered at a nonprofit food community organization. As she was filling bags with donated (捐赠) food, she noticed something that didn’t seem right: Canned and packaged goods were plentiful, but she saw nothing fresh or green to give to families in need. She thought it would be great to change that. She wanted to start a garden on part of her parents’ farmland to provide families with home-grown produce.
While being proud of her, Laura’s father expressed worry about the workload involved. Laura had raised rabbits and lambs before, but she had never tried growing vegetables on such an extensive level. However, he soon realized that his daughter was ready. Laura did a lot of research online to find out what worked and what didn’t, which plants needed shade, which needed more water, and when was the best time to harvest each crop.
In spring 2021 Laura planted 15 types of vegetables on a land of 5,000 square meters. When the first green shoots appeared, it was an exciting feeling. Yet, that’s where the real work began. “Our summers are very hot and dry, so I had to water every day,” said Laura. Throughout the summer, she checked her plants daily for weeds and watered them by hand, using two water tanks attached to a farm vehicle to continually refill her watering can.
Laura was soon ready to harvest and weigh her first crops-the first batch weighed 40 pounds. She then packaged them and donated the products to eight local groups. “It felt really good to know that anyone who wanted fresh vegetables could get them,” Laura said.
Over the past two years, Laura has donated more than 8,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables. “Laura’s confidence and generous hand in helping those in need have made a greater impact than she could have imagined,” said Remi Freeman, an official from one of the charity groups. “It helps our mission to end hunger, and also demonstrates the selflessness and kindness that is so wonderful to see in younger people.”
1. What inspired Laura to start a garden?| A．Her interest in gardening. |
| B．Her parents’ expectations. |
| C．Lack of fresh produce in the donated food. |
| D．Poor quality of canned and packaged food. |
| A．The money needed. | B．The amount of work. |
| C．Her farming knowledge. | D．Her working experience. |
| A．Laura’s hard work. | B．Laura’s ambitious plan. |
| C．The poor weather condition. | D．The skills needed for farming. |
| A．A Great Gardening Dream |
| B．A Journey to Green Living |
| C．A Close Study on Organic Food |
| D．A Harvest of Growing Kindness |
