Paula Radcliffe, chasing (角逐) a third London marathon title (马拉松冠军), says she has become a stronger person after her terrible experience at the 2004 Athens Games.
Radcliffe, who failed to complete the Olympic marathon and the 10,000m last August, said: “Athens made me a stronger person and it made me care less about criticism.”
“In the past I wanted to please everyone, but now I am going to listen even more to the people around me.”
She didn’t care about criticism made at the weekend by Liz McColgan, who felt Radcliffe should have rested and let her body recover after her failure in Athens.
“Liz is someone I look up to but she hasn’t spoken to me since last year and if she really cared for me, I'm sure she would have contacted me.”
Instead Radcliffe won the New York City marathon just 11 weeks after Athens.
“In New York I wasn’t in my best state but I did know I was good enough to win the race.” Radcliffe insisted her only goal in Sunday’s race would be winning a third title and not chasing world records.
However, Radcliffe has not ruled out (排除) in the future chasing her "final" world record time and questioned sayings that marathon runners have the ability in their career to produce only four or five world-class times.
“I don't think that—although I can't put a number on it,” said Radcliffe. “That changes from person to person.”
Radcliffe is sure she can better her winning London 2003 performance at some point in the future. Following a successful three-month training period in the United States, the 31-year-old will chase a third title on Sunday after her first victory in 2002 and again 12 months later.
Radcliffe clocked a time of 2:18:56 in her first 42.2-kilometer race three years ago.
Afterwards she set a "mixed course" mark of 2:17:18 five months later in Chicago before lowering that to a time of 2:15:25 in the 2003 London event.
1.Radcliffe’s failure in Athens made her .
A．develop respect for Liz. B．love people around her more.
C．rest for five months. D．face criticism calmly.
2.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．Radcliffe broke the world record in the New York City marathon.
B．Radcliffe didn't fully recover before the New York City marathon.
C．Radcliffe won her first marathon title in the New York City marathon.
D．Radcliffe had a 3-month training before the New York City marathon.
3.By saying “I can't put a number on it,” Radcliffe means she’s not sure .
A．if she has the ability to set a new world record.
B．if she can win another race though she has won many times.
C．how many times a marathon runner can set the world record.
D．if she has the ability to produce four or five world-class times.
4.What can we learn from Radcliffe's story?
A．Practice makes perfect. B．Well begun is half done.
C．A friend in need is a friend indeed. D．Where there is a will there is a way.
Princeton University
Location
The University is in Princeton, New Jersey. It is an hour's train ride south of New York City and an hour's train ride north of Philadelphia.
Students
There are 4,600 undergraduates (本科生). There are also 1,900 graduate students, but Princeton is unusual among universities in having a student body made up largely of undergraduates.
Faculty
Princeton has about 700 full-time faculty members (教员). There are another 300 or so part-time and visiting faculty. All faculty members at Princeton are expected to teach and research.
Degrees
Princeton offers two undergraduate degrees：the bachelor (学士) of arts (A. B. ) degree and the bachelor of science in engineering (B. S. E.) degree.
Academic Year
An academic year runs from September to late May and lasts two terms (fall and spring). A normal course load is four or five courses per term, although many students take extra courses.
Residences
Princeton provides housing for all undergraduate students. Freshmen and second-year students are required to spend their first two years in one of five colleges. Each college has its own dining hall, common rooms and computer centers.
Fees and Expenses (Academic Year 2011-2012)
Tuition (学费): $29,910
Room and board: $ 8,387
Other expenses (books, telephone, etc．): $ 3,083
Total: $ 41,380
1.How many kinds of faculty members are there in Princeton University?
A．One B．Two C．Three D．Four
2.In Princeton University, an undergraduate will have to pay ______for the Academic Year 2011-2012.
A．$11,470 B．$ 52,850 C．$ 41,380 D．$ 8, 387
3.In what way is Princeton University different from other American universities according to the text?
A．It has five colleges.
B．Its students are mainly undergraduates.
C．It provides housing for all undergraduate students.
D．All the faculty members at Princeton are expected to teach and research.
4.Which of the following is NOT true?
A．Princeton offers two undergraduate degrees.
B．An academic year lasts about nine months in Princeton University.
C．Undergraduates should spend their first two years in one of five colleges.
D．It's about an hour's train ride from Princeton University to the north of New York City.
Recently, one of my best friends, whom I’d shared just about everything with since the first day of kindergarten, spent the weekend with me. Since I moved to a new town several years ago, we’d both always looked forward to the few times a year when we could see each other.
Over the weekend, we spent hours and hours, staying up late into the night, talking about the people she was hanging around with. She started telling me stories about her new boyfriend, about how she experimented with drugs and was into other bad habits. I was blown away! She told me how she had been lying to her parents because they didn’t want her around him.
I tried to convince her that she was ruining her future and heading for big trouble. But she didn’t believe me. Her self-respect seemed to have disappeared. I just couldn’t believe that she really thought it was acceptable to hang out with such a loser.
By the time she left, I was really worried about her. It had been so discouraging, and I had come close to telling her several times during the weekend that maybe we had just grown too far apart to continue our friendship—but I didn’t. I put the power of friendship to the ultimate(最终的)test. We’d been friends for far too long. I had to hope that she valued me enough to know that I was trying to save her from hurting herself. I wanted to believe that our friendship could conquer (克服)anything.
A few days later, she called to say that she had thought long and hard about our conversation，and then she told me that she had broken up with her boyfriend．I just listened on the other end of the phone with tears of joy running down my face. It was one of the truly rewarding moments in my life.
Never had I been so proud of a friend.
1.From the beginning of the text，we can learn that the author .
A．lost touch with the girl several years ago.
B．used to spend weekends with the girl.
C．moved to the same town as the girl.
D．kept in touch with the girl.
2.It can be inferred that the girl .
A．knew she was in danger. B．took the author seriously.
C．lost hope of a bright future. D．used to quarrel with her parents.
3.What’s the author’s purpose in telling the story?
A．To show the power of friendship.
B．To describe the troubles of friendship.
C．To tell the necessity of trusting friends.
D．To tell the importance of keeping up with friends.
“ Just sign here, sir,” the deliveryman said as he handed Oscar Reyna a packet.
The package consisted of a long, narrow box 36 wrapped in brown paper. 37 the box, Oscar saw an umbrella inside—a very old one with a beautifully carved wooden handle. 38 he had not seen it in more than 20 years, he recognized it 39 .
Oscar was 16 when he first saw the 40 umbrella. He had gone to a concert with his grandparents. As they were leaving, he noticed an umbrella on an empty seat. Impressed by its 41 Oscar felt a strong desire to find its 42 .
Oscar 43 the manager to look in the record of advance ticket sales. Just as he thought, a man matched the seat 44 Oscar had found the umbrella. The name was Mrs. Katie O’Brien.
Oscar talked his grandparents into going by Mrs. O’Brien 45 on their way home. He rang the bell, the door opened, and an elderly woman appeared. “May I 46 you?” she asked.
“I’d like to return it if it’s yours,” Oscar said, 47 the umbrella as if presenting a 48 that had long been wished for.
“ Why, yes ! It’s mine,” replied Mrs. O’Brien with a 49 smile and shining eyes. “It was given to me by my father years ago. Thank you so much for returning it. May I offer you a reward for your 50 ?
“No, ma’ma, ”he said , “My grandmother says that a good deed is its own reward.”
“Well, that’s 51 what my father used to say. What is your name, young man?”
Years later Oscar was staring at the finely carved handle of the umbrella as he remembered Mrs. O’ Brien. It was in perfect condition, considering how 52 it was. Why had it arrived here today?
As if 53 , a note fell from the paper. It read：Mrs. O’Brien wanted you to 54 this umbrella as a present for a kind, 55 gesture long ago.
1. A．strictly B．carefully C．roughly D．casually
2. A．Opening B．Seizing C．Observing D．Searching
3. A．After B．When C．Since D．Although
4. A．clearly B．fully C．immediately D．suddenly
5. A．average B．unusual C．plain D．typical
6. A．beauty B．shape C．origin D．history
7. A．designer B．seller C．user D．owner
8. A．convinced B．forced C．encouraged D．advised
9. A．until B．before C．which D．where
10. A．family B．theatre C．house D．neighborhood
11. A．invite B．help C．bother D．know
12. A．putting up B．turning out C．picking up D．holding out
13. A．chance B．fact C．gift D．result
14. A．wide B．confident C．proud D．shy
15. A．patience B．kindness C．courage D．determination
16. A．obviously B．naturally C．exactly D．probably
17. A．old B．rare C．precious D．nice
18. A．in contrast B．in return C．in exchange D．in answer
19. A．possess B．accept C．carry D．value
20. A．attractive B．significant C．unselfish D．sympathetic
Come and see me whenever ．
A．it is convenient for you B．you will be convenient
C．you are convenient D．it will be convenient for you
Lucy is a very optimistic girl． she is faced with a difficulty, she always sees the bright side．
A．Now that B．Every time C．As soon as D．On condition that
