1 . My First Marathon（马拉松）
A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.
I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn’t do either well. He later informed me that I was ＂not athletic＂.
The idea that I was ＂not athletic＂ stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!
The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn’t even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.
Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!
At mile 3, I passed a sign: ＂GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!＂
By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.
By mile 21, I was starving!
As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.
I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.
Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a ＂marathon winner＂.
1. A month before the marathon, the author ____________.| A．was well trained | B．felt scared |
| C．made up his mind to run | D．lost hope |
| A．To acknowledge the support of his teacher. |
| B．To amuse the readers with a funny story. |
| C．To show he was not talented in sports. |
| D．To share a precious memory. |
| A．He made it. | B．He quit halfway. |
| C．He got the first prize. | D．He walked to the end. |
| A．A man owes his success to his family support. |
| B．A winner is one with a great effort of will. |
| C．Failure is the mother of success. |
| D．One is never too old to learn. |
2 . A loving father lost much weight after being shamed into dieting when he became so fat that he couldn't play with his young daughter. Chris Willis, 47, tipped the scales at 172 kg following a lifetime of fatty foods.
The dad cut out all the fatty foods he had enjoyed, and began exercising. He now weighs 105 kg after losing 10 kg every month since July. Chris had to take long pauses just to climb the stairs or walk more than a few yards, saying, "The hardest thing was seeing my little girl in the garden and not being able to join in because I was so unhealthy. But now I am making up for the lost time-we do so much together and it is just great."
Before switching to a healthy lifestyle, Chris would eat five slices of bread for breakfast as a mid morning meal before a full English breakfast. He would then eat a sandwich, a large pack of crisps and a pasty for lunch before chewing a whole packet of biscuits in the afternoon. For dinner Chris would demolish a curry, and ice cream, and also four pints of beer before feeding on fatty snacks all evening.
Chris said, "At 13, I was 118 kg and I remember a teacher pointing this out to the whole school. From then on I was picked on and bullied(欺负). My weight went up and up. But I now have a new-found freedom. My family and friends have been so supportive and my wife and daughter are so pleased for me. In fact it's them that I did it for more than anyone else. The whole journey has been amazing and I am still shocked myself that I have managed to lose so much weight." Chris is now aiming for a new target weight of 96kg.
1. What was the main reason for Chris losing weight?| A．He was bullied by others. |
| B．He weighed as much as 172kg. |
| C．He wanted to switch to a healthy lifestyle. |
| D．He was too unhealthy to play with his daughter. |
| A．Many years. |
| B．About 6 months. |
| C．About one year. |
| D．Since he was 13. |
| A．drink |
| B．absorb |
| C．consume |
| D．destroy |
| A．Power of father's Love |
| B．Harm of Fatty Foods |
| C．Importance of Health |
| D．Benefit of Exercise |
3 . A successful businessman, addressing the commercial club of his city, told a story of an orphan (孤儿) named Jim.
Jim was 12 years old, who was the laughing stock of the whole town. He never remembered having a kind word spoken to him in his whole life. One day as Jim walked down the street, he saw some flowers slip from a little lady’s arms just in front of him. Jim gathered up the flowers and replaced them in her arms. “Thank you, dear; you are a nice little boy.” she said kindly, and went on her way after giving him a bright smile.
Jim was amazed. These were the first kind words he had ever heard in his whole twelve years of existence. He stood and stared after her until she was out of sight, then he made straight for a stream. He sat down on the bank of the stream and did some thinking. “Thank you, dear; you are a nice little boy,” he thought. Finally the boy pulled from his pockets a piece of broken mirror and looked at himself. He saw nothing but dirt. He went down to the water and washed his face carefully, almost painfully. Then he looked again. He scarcely recognized himself. He stood straight and looked up instead of down for the first time since he could remember.
A feeding of self-respect awoke within his being. At that moment the course of his life was changed; a determination to be worthy of the kind words spoken to him by the little lady, and to pass them on, took possession of his soul. After telling this story of Jim, the speaker paused and then he shocked the audience by saying, “Gentlemen, I was that boy. That gentle woman implanted in my life the first seed of kindness. As a tribute to her memory I have told you this story.”
1. What does the author mean by “the laughing stock” in paragraph 2?| A．Jim liked playing jokes on others. |
| B．Jim was always laughed at by others, |
| C．Jim was good at making others happy. |
| D．Jim had interest in telling funny stories. |
| A．Brave. | B．Clever. |
| C．Friendly. | D．Honest. |
| A．Jim wanted people to say kind words to others. |
| B．The lady became very famous because of that story. |
| C．It was the first time for Jim to tell his story to others. |
| D．Jim made a tot of money by telling his stories to others. |
| A．A Story of Jim | B．A Good Lady |
| C．A Kind Word | D．A Successful Businessman |
4 . Have you ever accidentally walked into the wrong place that end up changing your life? That’s what happened to Maceo Thomas of Lakewood, Colorado. One night, Maceo left his home to find a store where she could buy a back staff cane (拐杖). He weighed over 300 pounds. His doctor, concerned about his health, had suggested Maceo try yoga (瑜伽). But Maceo could barely walk, needing to use a cane to get around.
He entered what he thought was the right store—only to find black belts instead. He’d walked into the hall of the Rocky Mountain Karate Association. Hale Hilsabeck, owner and director of the studio, greeted him. Maceo told Hale he’d always wanted to learn karate (空手道), but was discouraged because of his weight. Hale told him to come back the next day to begin learning karate and boxing—free of charge.
Maceo began training two to three times, a week. Hale was amazed by his determination. “I was enthusiastic because he kept on showing up.” he said, “I thought he might disappear after the first couple or three times that he was there. But, no.”
Now, over five years later, Maceo weighs 60 pounds less and no longer walks with a staff. He can dance and deliver powerful boxes. I called Maceo to find out more. This all happened for a reason, he told me. Most of all, his faith was renewed, both in himself and in a higher power. Maceo’s story inspired me. Next time I ended up in a “wrong place”. Maybe I will stay there a minute longer—to see if that unexpected opportunity shows up.
1. What’s Maceo’s problem?| A．He didn’t buy a cane. | B．He is too fat. |
| C．He can’t walk at all. | D．He doesn’t like yoga. |
| A．Because she hadn’t been interested in it. |
| B．Because his doctor told him not to do it. |
| C．Because it was very expensive. |
| D．Because he hadn’t dared to try it. |
| A．he give up three times | B．he didn’t exercise often |
| C．he gained much benefits from them | D．Hale wasn’t satisfied with him first |
5 . When I was in fourth grade, I worked part-time as a paperboy. Mrs. Stanley was one of my customers. She’d watch me coming down her street, and by the time I’d biked up to her doorstep, there’d be a cold drink waiting. I’d sit and drink while she talked.
Mrs. Stanley talked mostly about her dead husband, “Mr. Stanley and I went shopping this morning.” she’d say. The first time she said that, soda(汽水) went up my nose.
I told my father how Mrs. Stanley talked as if Mr. Stanley were still alive. Dad said she was probably lonely, and that I ought to sit and listen and nod my head and smile, and maybe she’d work it out of her system. So that’s what I did, and it turned out Dad was right. After a while she seemed content to leave her husband over at the cemetery(墓地).
I finally quit delivering newspapers and didn’t see Mrs. Stanley for several years. Then we crossed paths at a church fund-raiser(募捐活动). She was spooning mashed potatoes and looking happy. Four years before, she’d had to offer her paperboy a drink to have someone to talk with. Now she had friends. Her husband was gone, but life went on.
I live in the city now, and my paperboy is a lady named Edna with three kids. She asks me how I’m doing. When I don’t say “fine”, she sticks around to hear my problems. She’s lived in the city most of her life, but she knows about community. Community isn’t so much a place as it is a state of mind. You find it whenever people ask how you’re doing because they care, and not because they’re getting paid to do so. Sometimes it’s good to just smile, nod your head and listen.
1. Why did soda go up the author’s nose one time?| A．He was talking fast. | B．He was shocked. |
| C．He was in a hurry. | D．He was absent-minded. |
| A．He enjoyed the drink. | B．He wanted to be helpful. |
| C．He took the chance to rest. | D．He tried to please his dad. |
| A．recover from her sadness | B．move out of the neighborhood |
| C．turn to her old friends | D．speak out about her past |
| A．Open up to others. | B．Depend on each other. |
| C．Pay for other’s help | D．Care about one another. |
6 . I was very disappointed not to be able to go to the jazz concert last Friday. The advertisement in the paper said that you could buy tickets at the theatre box in Richland Hills any day between 10:00 and 4:00. Since I work from 9:00 to 5:30, the only time I could go to the theatre was during my 45-minute lunch break.
Unfortunately, the theatre is on the other side of the town, and the bus service between my office and Richland Hills is not very good. But if you are lucky, you can make the round trip in 45 minutes. Last Monday, I stood at the bus stop for 15 minutes waiting for the bus. By the time I saw one come around the corner, there was not enough time left to make the trip.
So I gave up and went back to the office. The same thing happened on Tuesday, and again next day. On Thursday, my luck changed. I got on a bus right away and arrived at the theatre in exactly 20 minutes. When I got there, however, I found a long line of people at the box office, I heard one man say he had been waiting in line for over an hour. Realizing I would not have enough time to wait in line. I caught the next bus and headed back across the town.
By Friday I realized my only hope was to make the trip by taxi, it was expensive, but I felt it would be worth it to hear the concert. The trip by taxi only took 10 minutes, but felt like an hour to me. When I got to the theatre, I was relieved to see that nobody was waiting in line. The reason, however, I quickly discovered, was that they had already sold all the tickets.
1. The man learned that there would be a concert last Friday.| A．from the newspaper |
| B．from his friends |
| C．from one of his work-mates |
| D．over the radio |
| A．once |
| B．three times |
| C．twice |
| D．four times |
| A．forty-five minutes |
| B．fifteen minutes |
| C．over an hour |
| D．just twenty minutes |
| A．surprised |
| B．puzzled |
| C．pleased |
| D．sorry |
One of the clerks, Charlie, was always wearing his glasses but he didn’t one day. I asked him about it and he said they’d been out of order and that he couldn’t afford a new pair. His family needed money. It was clear that he was having a difficult time.
We wanted to help him, so we turned to our own eye doctor for help with a plan. We had his secretary contact him, asking him to come in for an eye exam for free. We told the doctor to let him order whatever glasses he wanted and that we would pay for them. Although Charlie questioned what was going on, the doctor just told him that someone had offered the money for his new glasses. When we went in to pay the bill, the doctor told us he was touched by our idea so that he waived the exam fee and only charged us for half the price of the glasses!
It was so wonderful to see Charlie in his new glasses and he enjoyed telling all the regular customers how the gift came about. I’m sure that upon hearing his story, ideas of kindness may have come in the minds of many people.
1. Why didn’t the clerk Charlie wear glasses one day?
| A．It was very warm and fine. |
| B．His glasses were missing. |
| C．His old glasses were broken. |
| D．He forgot to wear his glasses. |
| A．Charlie was a young man with skills |
| B．Charlie knew who paid the money for the new glasses |
| C．Charlie completely accepted the money for the new glasses |
| D．Charlie couldn’t support his family with enough money |
| A．took up | B．gave up |
| C．cut down | D．put off |
| A．Customers’ Gift to an Employee |
| B．A Friendly Clerk — Charlie |
| C．The Wonderful Feeling of Helping others |
| D．An Expensive Pair of Glasses |
8 . When I began planning to move to Auckland to study, my mother was a little worried about the uncertainty of living in a place that was so different from India, where we lived. She worried particularly about the lack of jobs, the cultural differences and the chance that I would face racism.
Despite these worries, came to New Zealand in July 2014. I have found the place and people very nice and supportive. Soon after I arrived, realized the importance of getting a job to supply my living expenses.
Determined to do this on my own, I spent a whole day going from door to door asking for a job. However, I received little or no response. This became my routine every day after college for a few weeks.
One afternoon, I walked into a building to ask if there were any job opportunities. The people there were very surprised, and advised me not to continue my job search in that manner. As I was about to leave, a clerk in the building, who had been listening to what the others had said, approached me and asked if I would wait outside. Fifteen minutes later, he returned. He asked me what my plans were and encouraged me to stay confident. He then offered to take me to the Royal Oak area to search for a job.
I was a little surprised, but had a good feeling about him, so I went along. Along the way, I realized that I had run out of copies of my resume（简历）. The man stopped at his business partner’s office to make me 15 extra copies. He also gave me tips on dressing and speaking, and added that I should give him a call if I ever needed anything. I handed out my resumes and went home feeling very satisfied. The following day, I received a call from a store in Royal Oak offering me a job.
It seems that the world always gives back to you when you need it. And this time, it was a complete stranger who turned out to be a real blessing.
1. What wasn’t the author’s mother worried about?| A．People might look down on the author. |
| B．The author couldn’t speak the local language. |
| C．The author wasn’t familiar with local customs. |
| D．It might be difficult for the author to find a job. |
| A．decided to go back to his own country |
| B．felt the local people were not very friendly |
| C．had to find a job to cover his living expenses |
| D．wanted to get a job that needed practical skills |
| A．a clerk gave him encouragement and advice |
| B．he was confident that he would find a good one |
| C．he found many college students like him already there |
| D．a clerk recommended him to the company he worked for |
| A．How a stranger offered the author a job. |
| B．How a stranger turned out to be a real blessing. |
| C．How the author adapted himself to a new situation. |
| D．How the author was helped to get a job by a stranger. |
9 . It was already dark when an old man came to a small town. He found an inn and wanted to stay there for the night. After he had gone to his room, the owner said to his wife, “Look at his bag, dear. I’m sure there are lots of valuable things in it. I want to steal it when he is asleep.”
“No, no,” said the woman. “He must look for his bag tomorrow morning. Then he’ll take you before the judge.” They thought and at last the woman had an idea. “We have forgetful grass,” said the woman, “Why not put some into his food? If he has the food, he will forget to take his bag away.” “How clever you are!” said the owner, “Don’t forget it when you prepare supper for him.”
The old man had the food with the forgetful grass and went to bed. The next morning, when the owner got up, he found the door was open and the old man had left with his bag. He woke his wife up and said angrily, “What a fool! Your forgetful grass isn’t useful at all.”
“No, no,” said the woman. “I don’t think so. He must forget something.”
“Oh, I’ve remembered!” The owner cried out suddenly, “He forgot…”
1. The old man came to the inn _______.| A．in the morning | B．in the afternoon |
| C．in the evening | D．at night |
| A．get the man’s bag |
| B．steal the man’s money |
| C．make the man pay them more |
| D．hide the man’s bag |
| A．the old man always forgot something |
| B．they wanted to make the food better |
| C．they hoped the old man would leave the bag in the inn |
| D．they wanted to know if the grass was useful |
| A．to take his bag away |
| B．to tell the owner when he left |
| C．to close the door when he went to sleep |
| D．to pay them the inn money |
