They say that the real marathon begins at 35 kilometers — the rest is just a warm up. And sure enough, in 2009, at around the 36 kilometer point of the Beijing Marathon I experienced what runners call “hitting the wall”. I had been doing well until that point, but suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my leg. My pace slowed down dramatically and every brain cell in my head seemed to be screaming “stop!!!”
The last 5 kilometers were not fun; in fact, they were really hard work. Keeping motivated to run those last few kilometers was one of the hardest things I had ever done. But that is what makes running a marathon such a rewarding experience — if it were easy everyone would do it.
I have to admit it is sometimes not even easy to find the motivation to get out of bed, pull on your running shoes and head out into the morning to go for another run. These last two weeks of training for the Muztagata climb have been a little tough. I have been following my training plan for about three months but now I find that my original enthusiasm (热情) has all been used up. Day after day of going to the gym is beginning to wear me down and there still seems so much longer to keep this up. I have begun to doubt that I am actually making any progress or getting any fitter and even thought that I might be going backwards!
These are all very common experiences for people who are working towards challenging, longer term goals and I have learned to recognize these “highs” and “lows” in my energy and enthusiasm. Over the years I have learned a number of tricks that help me to deal with the days when my early motivation seems to have abandoned me for good.Many runners say that the real marathon begins at 35 kilometers because it is at this point that __________.
| A．runners begin to enjoy running the marathon race |
| B．runners are worn out as if they are breaking down |
| C．the rest part is just the preparation for the race |
| D．the race is a rewarding experience for runners |
When people are working extremely hard towards challenging, _________.
| A．they can keep themselves motivated all the time |
| B．they will never hesitate to continue carrying out their plan |
| C．they sometimes feel as if they stop making progress |
| D．they will fail to keep their spirits up |
What is the author going to talk about in the following passage?
| A．How to get trained. |
| B．Tips for becoming a marathon runner. |
| C．How to meet challenges. |
| D．Tips for keeping motivation high. |
Welcome here! The Southern Spring Home & Garden Show will be held at The Park Expo and Conference Center. This show will last from Wednesday (March 2) to Sunday (March 6,2012).
Admission : Adults $10.00. Teenagers under 15 free with a paying adult.
Join Lincolnton’s own Tammie Davis as she performs her original country songs at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday,March 5th.
Special Days: The Spring for Kids First Night Gala benefiting the Council for Children’s Rights will take place from 7 p.m. to 10p.m. on Wednesday, March 2,2012. Tickets are $50 and include an access to Freedom Hall, where you can enjoy delicious food, beverage(饮料)and entertainment free of charge.
Seniors Day(55+):Wednesday is for them. Cost is $7.00 but without coupons(减价优惠).
Hours :Wednesday,Thursday &Sunday :10 a.m.---5p.m.;Friday &Saturday :10 a.m.----9 a.m.
Wheelchairs are available on a first come first served basis for you. The cost is $1.00 and you are required to leave a valid driver’s license or ID.
Parking :All Day Parking: $6.00;Half Day Parking:$3.00; Every Hour Parking:$1.00
For more Information: Come to visit Mardee Woodward in person.
E-mail: mwoodward@southernshows.com
Telephone:704-376-4085We can learn from the text that the show will ___________.
| A．last only five days |
| B．offer a free parking |
| C．have the only one singer |
| D．take place in a private house |
.How much is the admission for a family of two grown-ups and a child aged 16?
| A．$ 10 | B．$ 30 | C．$ 20 | D．$40 |
When can we visit Southern Spring Home& Garden Show?
| A．At 9 p.m. Thursday | B．At 8 a.m. Wednesday |
| C．At 8 p.m. Friday | D．At 6 p.m. Sunday |
How many ways can visitors get more information for this show?
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
We can infer from the text that______________.
| A．old people can visit the show only on Wednesday |
| B．the disabled can use the wheelchairs free of charge |
| C．there are not enough wheelchairs for the disabled |
| D．kids’ tickets on Wednesday don’t include beverage |
I am a manager who is in charge of taking care of the elderly and many of my clients live out of state.
This year, a very sweet old lady that I care for, Alice, had gone through a particularly rough time. She had been in hospital twice. In November I was finally able to get her back to her “home” into an “assisted living facility”（养老院）.
Alice has dementia(痴呆症) and thought her daughter was coming to visit her on Christmas day and that they were going to have the whole family together like the old days. When she finally realized that the happy moment was not going to happen， she was so tearful. Knowing that her daughter was coming after Christmas was not enough to cheer her up, I hated the idea of her being alone on the holiday!
On Christmas Eve, I gave her a surprise by asking if she would like to go to a candlelight service at church that night. Instead of taking her to my church, I took her to her old neighborhood church where all her friends were. We got there early and I got each of us a seat where her friends could see her as they came in. The plan worked out very perfectly. All of her friends seemed to be there and rushed over to greet her and sit with her. The candlelight service was a beautiful, tearful affair and Alice got a lot of hugs and love from her old and new friends there.
The truth of the story is that I am the one who got the best gift:the smile on Alice’s face and the feeling that I made a difference.What does the underlined word “tearful”in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
| A．surprised | B．Hateful |
| C．Moved | D．Sad |
From the text we know that Alice_____________.
| A．had been operated in the hospital twice |
| B．didn’t remember her daughter at that time |
| C．preferred to live alone especially at Christmas |
| D．expected to spend Christmas with her daughter |
Where did Alice spend her Christmas Eve？
| A．Alice’s old house |
| B．Alice’s old neighborhood church |
| C．A church in the author’s neighborhood |
| D．A church in Alice’s daughter’s neighborhood |
What was the best gift that the author got on Christmas Eve?
| A．Holding the party |
| B．the praise given by Alice’s friends |
| C．Alice’s happiness |
| D．His concern for Alice |
What is the best title for this text?
| A．An Extra Special Candlelight Christmas Eve |
| B．My Experience With an Old Lonely Lady |
| C．Alice’s Special Time on Christmas Eve |
| D．A happy moment on Christmas Eve |
Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself. But many of the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings.
The expression “to be in hot water” is one of them. It is a very old expression. “Hot water” was used 500 years ago to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle．
That no longer happens. But we still get in “hot water”. When we are in “hot water”, we are in trouble. It can be any kind of trouble---serious or not so serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with the police. A young boy can be in hot water with his mother if he walks in the house with dirty shoes．
Being in “deep water” is almost the same as being in hot water. When you are in deep water, you are in a difficult position. Imagine a person who cannot swim being thrown in water over his head. You are in deep water when you are facing a problem that you do not have the ability to solve. You can be in deep water, for example, if you invest in stocks without knowing anything about the stock market.
“To keep your head above water” is a colorful expression that means staying out of debt. A company seeks to keep its head above water during economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his head above water until he finds a new job．
“Water over the dam” is another expression about a past event. It is something that is finished. It cannot be changed. The expression comes from the idea that water that has flowed over a dam cannot be brought back again．
Another common expression, “to hold water”, is about the strength or weakness of an idea or opinion that you may be arguing about. It probably comes from a way of testing the condition of a container. If it can hold water, it is strong and has no holes in it. If your argument can hold water, it is strong and does not have any holes. If it does not hold water, then it is weak and not worth debating.
“Throwing cold water” also is an expression that deals with ideas or proposals. It means that one doesn’t like an idea. For example, you want to buy a new car because the old one has some problems. But your wife throws cold water on the idea because she says a new car costs too much.
This is our Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. It was written by Marilyn Christiano. I’m Rich Kleinfeldt. See you next time.According to the passage, expressions about water __________.
| A．are very common | B．have unpleasant meanings |
| C．are very interesting | D．are easy to understand |
The expression “hot water” _________.
| A．is not used nowadays |
| B．has a long history |
| C．means arguing with others |
| D．only means serious trouble |
Which of the following expressions have the similar meaning?
| A．“Throwing cold water” and “deep water” |
| B．“Hot water” and “water over the dam” |
| C．“Deep water” and “water over the dam” |
| D．“Hot water” and “deep water” |
If you signed an agreement with Tom yesterday and want to change it now, Tom may say “_______”.
| A．You should keep your head above water |
| B．You can’t throw cold water |
| C．It is water over the dam |
| D．Don’t be in deep water |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Water |
| B．Expressions about water |
| C．Several common expressions |
| D．Water and everyday English |
There are some very good things about open education. This way of teaching allows the students to grow as people, and to develop their own interests in many subjects. Open education allows students to be responsible for their own education, as they are responsible for what they do in life. Some students do badly in a traditional classroom. The open classroom may allow them to enjoy learning. Some students will be happier in an open education school. They will not have to worry about grades or rules. For students who worry about these things a lot, it is a good idea to be in an open classroom.
But many students will not do well in an open classroom. For some students, there are too few rules. These students will do little in school. They will not make good use of open education. Because open education is so different from traditional education, these students may have a problem getting used to making so many choices. For many students it is important to have some rules in the classroom. They worry about the rules even when there are no rules. Even a few rules will help this kind of students. The last point about open education is that some traditional teachers do not like it. Many teachers do not believe in open education. Teachers who want to have an open classroom may have many problems at their schools.
You now know what open education is. Some of its good points and bad points have been explained. You may have your own opinion about open education. The writer thinks that open education is a good idea, but only in theory. In actual fact, it may not work very well in a real class or school. The writer believes that most students, but of course not all students, want some structure in their classes. They want and need to have rules. In some cases, they must be made to study some subjects. Many students are pleased to find subjects they have to study interesting. They would not study those subjects if they did not have to.Open education allows the students to _________.
| A．grow as the educated |
| B．be responsible for their future |
| C．develop their own interests |
| D．discover subjects outside class |
Open education may be a good idea for the students who __________.
| A．enjoy learning |
| B．worry about grades |
| C．do well in a traditional classroom |
| D．are responsible for what they do in life. |
Some students will do little in an open classroom because __________.
| A．there are too few rules |
| B．they hate activities |
| C．open education is similar to the traditional education |
| D．they worry about the rules |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Some traditional teachers do not like it. |
| B．Many teachers do not believe in open education. |
| C．Teachers may have problems in open classrooms. |
| D．The teacher’s feelings and attitudes are important to the students. |
Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
| A．Open education is a really complex idea. |
| B．Open education is better than traditional education. |
| C．Teachers dislike open education. |
| D．The writer thinks that open education is a good idea in practice. |
Our library offers different types of studying places and provides a good studying environment.
Zones
The library is divided into different zones. The upper floor is a quiet zone with over a thousand places for silent reading, and places where you can sit and work with your own computer. The reading places consist mostly of tables and chairs. The ground floor is the zone where you can talk. Here you can find sofas and armchairs for group work.
Computers
You can use your own computer to connect to the wi-fi specially prepared for notebook computers; you can also use library computers, which contain the most commonly used applications, such as Microsoft Office. They are situated(位于) in the area known as the Experimental Field on the ground floor.
Group-study places
If you want to discuss freely without disturbing others, you can book a study room or sit at a table on the ground floor. Some study rooms are for 2-3 people and others can hold up to 6-8 people. All rooms are marked on the library maps.
There are 40 group-study rooms that must be booked via the website. To book, you need an active University account and a valid University card. You can use a room three hours per day, nine hours at most per week.
Storage of Study Material
The library has lockers for students to store course literature. When you have got at least 40 credits(学分), you may rent a locker and pay 400 SEK for a year’s rental period.
Rules to be Followed
Mobile phone conversations are not permitted anywhere in the library. Keep your phone on silent as if you were in a lecture and exit the library if you need to receive calls.
Please note that food and fruit are forbidden in the library, but you are allowed to have drinks and sweets with you.The library’s upper floor is mainly for students to __________.
| A．read in a quiet place |
| B．have group discussions |
| C．take comfortable seats |
| D．get their computers fixed |
Library computers on the ground floor __________.
| A．help students with their field experiments |
| B．contain software necessary for schoolwork |
| C．are for those who want to access the wi-fi |
| D．are mostly used for filling out application forms |
What condition should be met to book a group-study room?
| A．A group must consist of 8 people |
| B．Three-hour use per day is the minimum |
| C．One should first register (注册) at the university |
| D．Applicants must mark the room on the map |
A student can rent a locker in the library if he __________.
| A．can afford the rental fee |
| B．attends certain courses |
| C．has nowhere to put his books |
| D．has earned the required credits |
What should NOT be brought into the library?
| A．Mobile phones | B．Orange juice |
| C．Candy | D．Sandwiches |
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