Climbing Without Ropes
The popular image of the mountain climber is of a person carefully climbing a steep cliff with a network of safety ropes, but it is not the only kind. Many climbers now enjoy bouldering. It’s more accessible and better for the environment.
What is bouldering? Bouldering is a sport that involves climbing on, over, and around boulders up to approximately twenty feet above the ground. Participants employ no safety ropes. | ||
Why boulder? • improve your climbing skills by focusing on basics • places to climb, such as climbing walls at gyms and parks, easy to find • less time commitment to bouldering than to mountain climbing • intellectual and physical enjoyment as one solves problems |
| Bouldering Terms crimp: a very small handhold foothold: a place where one may place a foot to aid in climbing boulder jug: a very large handhold that is easy to use problem: The path up a boulder is referred to as the “problem” that one must solve. The “solution” is the sequence of moves one makes up and over a boulder. |
Here is an example of a climber addressing a bouldering problem.
Figure 1: The climber has two routes she could take, one to the left and one to the right. The left one appears easier because it has a jug within easy reach, but look what happens if she chooses that direction. She gets stuck on the rock and has to go back down. Sometimes that is even more difficult than going up.
Figure 2: The climber takes the one to the right this time. Using a foothold and placing her right hand in a crimp, she is able to lift herself up and locate other handholds. After only a few moves, she is able to throw her leg over the top of the boulder and pull herself up.
1.According to the passage, bouldering ________.
A. is an indoor sport B. has no safety protection
C. needs maps and equipment D. is a steep cliff climbing
2.Bouldering becomes popular because ________.
A. it challenges the limits B. it costs less
C. it builds minds and bodies D. it is a team game
3.According to the example, the right route is ________.
A. a shortcut B. a dead end
C. tough but to the top D. lined with jugs
4.The passage is likely to appear in ________.
A. a book review B. a science report
C. a newspaper advertisement D. a sports magazine
A Good Man
It’s a late Saturday afternoon in early March, and I am sweating in search of the only gift my son wants from Los Angeles: a ______ to the homes of the stars such as Brad Pitt and Jet Li.
A cheerful taxi driver says, “No problem. Map sellers are everywhere!” When the taxi stops, a fellow ______ with a thin folded sheet and says: “Ten dollars.”
Ten dollars! With absolute ______, I inform him, “That’s too much.” The map man leaves. I begin walking, certain I’ll find a (an)______ star map soon.
I am ______. There’s hardly anybody on the street. There don’t seem to be many real stores, just cars and bars. No maps. No stars. Blocks pass. The sun begins to sink. At the edge of West Hollywood,______ fellow wanders ahead, selling star maps to some teenage girls.
Ten dollars ______. Forget it. My son will ______.
That night, I call my wife. “Did you get one of those maps to the stars? He’s been talking about ______ else.”
This ______ is hard to ignore, It’s late. At all-night markets: no maps. I head back to the hotel. Morning is coming. There will be one last ______. After I check out, I take a taxi. But at nine in the morning, map sellers are ______ to be found.
“You know,” says the driver, “The guys with the maps just ain’t up yet!” He’s right.
“Forget it. Let’s go to the airport.”
“Well,” says the driver, “I could ______ you one if you like.”
Sure. Trust this guy? I might as well throw cash onto the freeway. But exiting the taxi, I ______ my last chance. I hand him $13 and my business card. Three weeks pass. I’ve ______ on the star map. My son has stopped mentioning it.
Then one afternoon, sticking out from under piles of flyers, there it is: a big white envelope. There is a small note. I can hardly read it,______ I make out a few phrases一“forgive ______,” “taxi’s been down” and, finally, “here’s map for your son.” There’s no return address. It’s signed, “kind regards, M.”
I hold the note in my hand,______ what my son said to me when I got back from Los Angeles.
“Did you meet any ______, Dad?” he asked.
Now I know what to tell him.
“Yes, I did. I met a guy named M.”
If you never ______ anybody, you’ll never find the good guys.
1.A. decoration B. map C. book D. symbol
2.A. argues B. requests C. competes D. approaches
3.A. assurance B. permission C. anxiety D. bargain
4.A. perfect B. inexpensive C. proper D. detailed
5.A. shocked B. confused C. impatient D. wrong
6.A. one B. some C. another D. either
7.A. still B. even C. almost D. yet
8.A. believe B. regret C. understand D. admit
9.A. anything B. everything C. something D. nothing
10.A. idea B. news C. change D. reason
11.A. try B. journey C. action D. minute
12.A. everywhere B. somewhere C. anywhere D. nowhere
13.A. give B. mail C. show D. spare
14.A. create B. recognize C. deserve D. blow
15.A. given up B. thrown doubts C. refused offers D. dropped in
16.A. and B. or C. but D. for
17.A. fault B. delay C. carelessness D. rudeness
18.A. remembering B. reminding C. reviewing D. realizing
19.A. admirers B. friends C. stars D. heroes
20.A. look up to B. turn to C. have faith in D. agree with
What is your main reason for choosing one restaurant another?
A. over B. of
C. from D. for
David didn’t attend his daughter’s graduation ceremony, but he does wish he there.
A. should be B. would be
C. had been D. were
She doesn’t speak our language, she seems to understand what we say.
A. yet B. and
C. or D. so
Beijing’s new international airport into operation in 2019 will serve 72 million passengers annually.
A. being put B. to be put
C. put D. to put
