Four years ago, I felt lucky after escaping one of those terrible 2-mile runs. I hated running; it was just something that 1 came easily to me. At that time, if you had told me that I would one day run a marathon, I’ d have told you honestly that I had a better 2 of winning the lottery（彩票）.
The turning 3 came when I met Mrs. Green. She was fifty years old, going through chemotherapy（化学疗法）for her cancer, and still managed to run 30 miles a week. I thought that if Mrs. Green could run 6 miles at a time, I could run at least two. In February, in cold weather, I started a 2-mile 4 around my neighborhood. Two months later, I 5 the running for the first time. I felt very tired, but I felt happy.
Over the next several years, I continued to push each run for a few 6 minutes, slowly building my endurance（耐力）. I didn’t need to 7 against other runners, for my most important competitor was myself.
After continuing to 8 myself, I knew it was time to step my training up. I 9 I would train for the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon.
The race day 10 came, and I was filled with excitement and worry. It was final time to see what I was made of. The 11 ended up surprisingly. I did 12 through the last few miles, but after my running, there was no doubt in my mind that I’d finished. As I 13 the finish line, I experienced the strongest sense of 14 and happiness I had ever had in my life. I am now a marathoner.
As John Bingham once said, “The miracle（奇迹）isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the 15 to start.”
A．never B．always C．usually D．often
A．belief B．suggestion C．chance D．hope
A．situation B．stage C．case D．point
A．race B．walk C．hike D．ride
A．closed B．changed C．finished D．considered
A．perfect B．extra C．actual D．basic
A．compete B．go C．speak D．argue
A．treat B．interest C．challenge D．enjoy
A．forced B．decided C．doubted D．seemed
A．certainly B．immediately C．frequently D．finally
A．experience B．moment C．walk D．reward
A．look B．live C．travel D．struggle
A．toured B．moved C．crossed D．stopped
A．touch B．pride C．humor D．belonging
A．courage B．ability C．choice D．thought
The birthrate is Europe has been in a steady decrease since the 1960s. European countries, realizing crisis is at hand, are providing great encouragement for parents to create more babies in the 21st century.
Affairs Ministry concluded last year that, __1__ cash encouragement, some women just don’t want to be __2__ holding the baby. “What we know is that it’s good for the __3__ if men and women share the burden of having children,” says Soren Kindlund, family policy adviser at the Swedish ministry. __4__ Swedish parents can take their paid leave as they wish, men use a mere 12% of it; 60% of fathers do not take even a(n) __5__ day off work.
Experts fear that the tendency for women to use most of the parental leave could make employers __6__ to give young women the permanent jobs they need to qualify for paid maternity leave (产假). In January, Sweden decided to allow new fathers two months’ paid leave, with a warming: use it or __7__ it.
Kindlund admits that men are under __8__ to stay at work, even though parental pay comes out of the public purse. “It’s not popular among bosses and perhaps with other men in the workplace,” he says. “But it’s good for the father and for the child if they can __9__ a relationship.”
In Norway, a (n) __10__ policy has worked wonders. 70% of dads in Norway now take parental leave, and the birthrate of 1.85 children per woman is one of the highest in Europe.
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Farmers, as we all know, have been having a hard time of it lately, and have turned to new ways of earning income from their land. This involves not only planting new kinds of crops, but some __1__ ways of making money, the most unusual of which has got to be sheep racing. Yes, you heard me __2__! A farmer now holds sheep races on a regular basis, and during the past year over 100 000 people have __3__ to watch the race. “I was passing the farm on my way to the sea for a holiday,” one punter (赛马经纪人) told me, “and I thought I’d have a look. I didn’t believe it was serious, to tell you the truth.” According to a regular visitor, betting on sheep is more interesting than betting on horses. “At proper horse races everyone has already studied the form of the horse __4__, and there are clear favourites. __5__ nobody has heard anything about these __6__! Most people find it difficult to tell one from another in any case.” I stayed to watch the races, and I must admit that I found it quite __7__. In a usual sheep race, half a dozen sheep race down hill over a course of about half a mile. Food is waiting for them at the other end of the __8__ just to give them some encouragement, I ought to add! The sheep run surprisingly fast. __9__ they have probably not eaten for a while. Anyway, the crowd around me were obviously enjoying their day out at the races, __10__ by their happy faces and the sense of excitement.
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Several factors make a good newspaper story. First, obviously, it must be new. But since YV can react to events so quickly, this is often a problem for __1__. They usually respond to it in one of the three ways.
l By providing __2__ derails, comment or background information.
l By finding a new __3__ on the day’s major stories.
l By printing completely different stories which TV doesn’t broadcast.
What else? Well, it also has to be __4__. People don’t want to read about ordinary, everyday life. Because of this, many stories __5__ some kind of conflict or danger. This is one reason why so much news seems to be __6__ news. “Plane lands safely, no more hurt” doesn’t sell newspaper. “Plane __7__, 200 feared dead!” does.
Next, there’s human interest. People are interested in other __8__－particularly in the rich, famous and powerful. Stories about the private lives of pop singers, actors, models, politicians, __9__, all appear regularly in certain newspapers.
Finally, for many editors, __10__ is an important factor, too. They prefer stories about people, places and events which their readers know. That’s why the stories in Tokyo’s newspapers are often very different from the stories presented in Paris, Cairo, New York or Buenos Aires.
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Many people find that regular physical activity gives them an unexpected benefit. They sleep better and wake up feeling more __1__, in part due to increased amounts of deep sleep. Deep sleep may play a role in the body restoring (恢复) itself __2__ , as opposed to REM (rapid eye movement) or dreaming sleep. Researchers have found that physical exercise, especially __3__ in the afternoon or early evening, produces more __4__ early in the night.
__5__ can also help you get a better night’s sleep in a number of indirect ways. The relaxation and tiredness __6__ by exercise can improve sleep.
Exercise encourages weight loss and also may __7__ depression. Exercising later in the day can also help delay the __8__ drop in your body’s temperature. The __9__ of exercise are especially important for older people, __10__ exercise has been shown to increase the amount of sleep senior adults get in a night and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. But be sure you finish exercising at least 4 hours before bedtime－working out later than that could leave you too excited to fall asleep easily.
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完型填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上涂黑。
As a physician who travels quite a lot, I spend a lot of time on planes listening for that dreaded “Is there a doctor on board?” announcement. I’ve been 36 only once-for a woman who had merely fainted. But the 37 made me quite curious about how 38 this kind of thing happens. I wondered what I would do if 39 with a real mid-air medical emergency-without access 40 a hospital staff and the usual emergency equipment. So 41 the New England Journal of Medicine last week 42 a study about in-flight medical events, I 43 it with interest.
The study estimated that there are a(n) 44 of 30 in-flight medical emergencies on U.S. flights every day. Most of them are not 45 ; fainting and dizziness are the most frequent complaints. 46 13% of them-roughly four a day-are serious enough to 47 a pilot to change course. The most common of the serious emergencies 48 heart trouble, strokes, and difficult breathing.
Let’s face it: plane rides are 49 . For starters, cabin pressures at high altitudes are set at roughly 50 they would be if you lived at 5,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level. Most people can tolerate these pressures pretty 51 , but passengers with heart disease 52 experience chest pains as a result of the reduced amount of oxygen flowing through their blood. 53 common in-flight problem is deep venous thrombosis（血栓）-the so-called economy class syndrome（综合症）. 54 happens, don’t panic. Things are getting better on the in-flight emergency front. Thanks to more recent legislation（立法）, flights with at 55 one attendant are starting to install emergency medical equipments to treat heart attacks.
36. A. called B. informed C. addressed D. surveyed
37. A. accident B. incident C. condition D. disaster
38. A. soon B. many C. long D. often
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39. A. met B. identified C. treated D. provided
40. A. for B. by C. to D. through41. A. before B. when C. since D. while
42. A. collected B. discovered C. conducted D. published
43. A. consulted B. read C. consumed D. considered
44. A. amount B. sum C. average D. number
45. A. significant B. common C. heavy D. serious
46. A. For B. But C. And D. So
47. A. require B. engage C. inspire D. command
48. A. include B. imply C. confine D. contain
49. A. enjoyable B. favorable C. peaceful D. stressful
50. A. who B. which C. what D. that
51. A. mentally B. easily C. neatly D. naturally
52. A. ought to B. used to C. may D. need
53. A. Any B. Other C. One D. Another
54. A. Whatever B. Whenever C. Whichever D. Wherever
55. A. most B. least C. worst D. best
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