The final event in the Olympics is the marathon. It is also usually the most exciting. As the leader comes into the stadium to run the last few meters ofthe 42-kilo-metre race, the crowd rises to its feet toshout and cheer. The name of the race comes from abattle in Ancient Greece. According to the story, asoldier ran from the scene of the battle,Marathon, toAthens, to bring the news of a Greek victory againstthe Persians. He died just after arriving.
The marathon has been an Olympic event sincethe modern Games started in 1896. At first the distance was 40 kilometres — the distance betweenMarathon and Athens. In 1908, however, at theLondon Olympics, it was changed. The King ofEngland wanted the runners to leave from his castlein Windsor and arrive m a new stadium in central
London. The distance was 26 miles — about 42kilometres. In fact, the 1908 marathon endeddramatically(戏剧性地). When the leader, an Italian,
entered the stadium he turned the wrong way and fellonto the ground. Officials picked him up and helpedhim to the finishing line,just as the second runner, anAmerican, entered the stadium. The Americans
protested （抗议） and in the end the American runnerwas declared(宣布)the winner. Since then, there havebeen many more exciting marathons.
In fact, you don't have to wait for the OlympicGames to run or watch a marathon, as there aremarathons in over sixty countries and hundreds ofcities around the world today. One of the mostfamous marathons is in New York, and is watched bytwo million people around the streets and across thebridges of the city's five boroughs(纽约市的行政区),and past New York's famous landmarks. But perhapsone of the most beautiful and extraordinary(最特别的) marathons ever is the Great Wall Marathon,which most competitors find is the toughest course torun.
The marathon is the final Olympic event becauseit is thought to be the hardest. But experts believe that most people — even people who are notparticularly good at sport — can run a marathon, ifthey train for it. When the leader came into the stadium, the crowd ______.
| A．ran to his feet happily |
| B．shouted with excitement |
| C．carried him to the line |
| D．sang and dance |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The name of the race comes from a game in Greece. |
| B．The soldier who ran from Marathon to Athens won a gold medal. |
| C．The marathon events in the Games have the same length all the time. |
| D．From 1908, the marathon events are of the same length. |
Which is the most special of the marathon events in the world?
| A．The Marathon in New York. |
| B．The Marathon in the Beijing Olympic Games. |
| C．The Great Wall Marathon. |
| D．The Marathon in London in 2012. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the marathon?
| A．Marathon is the most important event. |
| B．Marathon is the most popular event. |
| C．Marathon is the easiest event. |
| D．Marathon is the final Olympic event. |
Some novels simply entertain and others contain a powerful message in the story line and characters. In his first novel, A Wind In Montana, Mitch Davies tells a story about young adults and how they accept responsibility for their lives.
A Wind In Montana is a marvelous tale of two teenagers, Rory Coleman and Victoria Beach, high school students at the same school, who struggle to make the right decision for themselves. As each of them nears adulthood, they become more concerned with the future and setting goals that will bring them happiness and fulfillment.
Without any advice from his parents, Rory chooses to pursue a profession in chemistry, applies for a chemistry scholarship, and determines to do everything he can to achieve it. Along the path, Rory finds that even though he has a plan, there are obstacles that could prevent him from realizing his goals. Victoria’s struggles are different from Rory’s. Although her father has decided that she should become a professional musician, Victoria has other plans for her life. Together, Rory and Victoria attempt to follow their dreams, despite the obstacles in their paths. A Wind In Montana contains a lesson for all teens about to enter adulthood － that disappointment and setbacks (挫折) are going to occur no matter how determined they are and that they need to develop skills along the way that will help them deal with them effectively.
There are so many major decisions facing teens today －social, parents, other influencing adults and school work － and there’s no guarantee that their plans will succeed, even if they make the so-called “right” decisions. A Wind In Montana explores how two teenagers struggle with their own unique decisions and how the choices they make affect their lives.
Mitch Davies’ book stands out among today’s teen books that deal with imaginary situations. A Wind In Montana is a real story about real people facing real-life situations. It’s entertaining and also helps readers think about their own lives and offers various ways to handle situations that may arise.According to the passage, both Rory and Victoria _____.
| A．have a strong sense of self | B．work hard at their courses |
| C．go against their parents | D．get along well with others |
The third paragraph is mainly about _____.
| A．the value of A Wind In Montana |
| B．Mitch Davies’ achievements |
| C．Mitch Davies’ writing style |
| D．the content of A Wind In Montana |
Unlike other teen books, A Wind In Montana ______.
| A．involves some imaginary situations |
| B．is based on real-life experiences |
| C．focuses on responsibilities teens should take |
| D．discusses the future of young adults |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To speak highly of an author. | B．To report a piece of news. |
| C．To review a book | D．To collect materials for a book. |
Tired of living in the same location but don’t want to leave the house you love? That wouldn’t be a problem if architect Felipe Campolina had his way.
The Brazilian architect has designed a concept for a home tower consisting of portable, stackable (可叠起堆放的) apartment units, which he says opens up new possibilities for ways of living in the city.
His design would allow owners to take their home with them when they travel — whether for a weekend away or for longer periods, he said.
The mobile home tower project is at the concept stage, and it could be years before it is built, if ever at all.
But if it is realized, it would offer an eco-friendly solution to living in urban areas, Campolina said.
“We have enough technology to build with fewer materials and minimize (使减至最小) the impact on nature,” he said.
His vision would call for units with a green roof and walls and a system for recycling water.
The tower, whose first floor would be built nine meters above ground, would also make it possible to save space in thickly populated areas.
“It is designed to facilitate (使便利) its application in dense urban centers, where space is very limited,” he said.
Still just a concept, Campolina — who designed the building for architecture journal eVolo’s Skyscraper Competition — said with enough public interest, it just might become a reality one day.We can learn from the first four paragraphs that the tower _____.
| A．is now being built |
| B．is intended for people in the countryside |
| C．will be made up of mobile living units |
| D．was designed by a US architect |
Which of the following is TRUE about the home tower?
| A．All its walls will be painted blue. |
| B．It will have a waste paper recycling system. |
| C．It will be made of recycled rubbish. |
| D．It will do little harm to the environment. |
The building’s first floor would be built high above ground _____.
| A．to save space in crowded cities | B．to make the building attractive |
| C．to build the house solidly | D．to fix its units more easily |
While watching a swimming competition one night, I came across an unbelievable sight. It was not a gold medal, or a world record broken, but a show of courage.
The event started with only three men on the blocks. For one reason or another, two of them false started, so they were disqualified. That left only one to complete. In fact, it is difficult enough, not having anyone to race against.
I watched the man dive off the block and knew right away that something was wrong. I’m not an expert swimmer, but I can tell a good dive from a poor one, and this was not exactly medal quality. When he resurfaced, it was obvious that the man was not out for gold — his arms were waving in an attempt at freestyle. The crowd started to laugh. Clearly this man was not a medal competitor.
I listened to the crowd beginning to laugh at this poor man who was clearly having a hard time. Finally he made his turn to start back. It was pitiful. He made a few desperate strokes (划水) and you could tell he was exhausted.
But in those few awful strokes, the crowd had changed.
No longer were they laughing, but beginning to cheer. Some even began to stand and shout “Come on, you can do it!” and he did.
This young man finally finished his race. The crowd went wild. Even though he recorded one of the slowest times in swimming history, this man gave more heart than any of the other competitors.
Just a short year ago, he had never even swum, let alone race. His country had been invited to the competition.
In a competition, we usually watch the brilliant athletes competing for medals, but it is nice to watch an underdog.From the passage we learn that the young man _____.
| A．made his turn to start back pitifully |
| B．was skillful at freestyle swimming |
| C．swam faster than the average swimmer |
| D．seemed unlikely to win a gold medal |
The crowd changed their attitude because _____.
| A．they felt sorry for the young man |
| B．they wanted to show their interest |
| C．they were moved by the young man |
| D．they meant to please the young man |
According to the passage, “it is nice to watch an underdog” probably means ____.
| A．it’s amusing to watch a skillful swimmer swimming |
| B．it’s amazing to watch a good loser challenging himself |
| C．it’s good for athletes to act proudly |
| D．it’s difficult for some athletes to remove medals |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Go for it！ | B．Try again! | C．Compete for gold! | D．Break a record! |
| International Language Center French & Japanese Summer Intensive (速成的) Also commencing (开始) July 2012 * Mandarin * Cantonese * Thai * Vietnamese * Korean * Indonesian * English For further details contact: Admissions & Information Office 5, Bligh Street, Sth. Sydney, 2000 Tel: 295 4561 Fax: 2354714 |
Global Language Learning Center One of The World’s best Language Schools Is Now In Sydney Learn A New Language In 10-20 Weeks Latest Methods Full-time Courses Business, Hospitality Or Travel Phone for Appointment 938 0977 |
| Do You Want To Learn English Somewhere Different? Then come to Perth, the picturesque Capital City of Western Australia, Perth offers you … * Mediterranean climate * Lovely Indian Ocean beaches * Every sport imaginable High standards of facilities and staff Intensive English Courses Available * 5 intakes per year * 10 week modules * Optional programs Cost: $2,000 AUD per 10weeks WE PLAN THE PROGRAM TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS For further details, contact TAFE International Level 5, 1 Mill Street, Perth 6000, Western Australia Telephone: 619 320 3777 |
French SUMMER COURSES Adults Crash Course 9-19 August Intensive 3 or 4 hrs a day, morning or evening, $250 (Beginners and Low Intermediate only) Adults Normal Course 9 July-4 September 10 levels from Beginner to Advanced Once a week, Saturday 9am-1pm 32hrs $278 High School Crash Course 8-15 August Intensive 3 hrs a day, 1pm-4pm Years 8 to 12 24hrs $200 Starts Wednesday 8.8 2012 Club Francais 27 Claire St, Sydney， Phone 227 1746 |
Where can you experience the latest way of teaching languages?
| A．International Language Center. | B．TAFE International. |
| C．Club Francais. | D．Global Language Learning Center. |
The underlined word “picturesque” is closest in meaning to _____.
| A．cultural | B．beautiful | C．traditional | D．industrial |
Which of the following is true of Club Francais?
| A．Adults Normal Course lasts about eight weeks. |
| B．Adults Normal Course is intended for beginners. |
| C．Adults Crash Course can be attended in the afternoon. |
| D．You should pay $50 an hour if you attend High School Crash Course. |
In which column of a newspaper can you most probably find this text?
| A．News. | B．Knowledge. | C．Advertisement. | D．Health. |
Many language learners think their pronunciation is good enough because their teacher doesn’t correct them too often or because other students can 36 them.
Pronunciation is the area which is 37 the least attention to in language learning. Most teachers 38 just let their students speak. The teachers stop them 39 the students say something completely wrong. Working on each student’s pronunciation in class is just 40. Also, the students who are 41 at pronunciation may be afraid that it will embarrass their classmates if they help 42 their mistakes.
Although you believe your pronunciation is good enough to 43, you may be 44 when you actually go to a foreign country. One of my friends was the best student in his 45 class in Poland. However, when he went to America, he found Americans didn’t understand 46 of what he said.
Your pronunciation may still be quite 47 that of a native speaker. If this is the 48, other people will find it 49 to understand what you’re saying and will not be comfortable with you.
50, don’t think you can communicate in a foreign language 51 you’ve tested your skills on real native speakers. 52 for native or nearnative pronunciation so that people you talk to can communicate with you 53. In order to achieve this goal, there’s no 54 that you will need to start thinking about pronunciation and 55 time on it.
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