Marathon fever is sweeping this country. In recent years, China's ever-growing passion for marathons has been triggered by its economic development and health-conscious middle class. A large number of marathon runners are white-collar workers, civil servants and business people that are keen on leading a healthy lifestyle. Government support, social participation and strong marketing by the sports industry have gradually led to the rapid development of the marathon industry, which is currently valued at 70 billion yuan ($10.77 billion). Due to its large participation and nationwide media report, marathons are considered by local governments an important part of marketing their cities. Thus, many cities list unique routes across local scenic spots and historical attractions, not only to boost people's fitness, but also to promote local tourism.
For many runners, marathons are a way of life." As we get older, the places and opportunities to meet new people decrease. I find that participating in marathons is a simple way to make friends," said Wu, who made many friends in the Xstop Running Community, a running club with 48,000 members established by Xtep, one of the leading distributors of sports merchandise in China.
"The sense of belonging and the mutual encouragement that exists within the running community are very attractive to many people. We easily befriend one another, since we have the same goal: to keep running and never stop," Wu said. Besides, a marathon can be a great way to explore new places. For a runner who also loves traveling, marathons are a solid choice. "Competing in an international marathon is a chance to experience a city or a country you've never visited before," said Meng, an experienced runner from north China's Tianjin Municipality, who often runs in London, New York and Melbourne.
There's a unique perspective that people get running through the streets of a city, distinct ancient buildings or amazing natural settings, he explained, things that somehow just can't be seen by rushing in a car. In addition, during a race, streets are often closed off so you don't have to battle traffic.
1.Which word has the closest meaning to the underlined word "triggered" in the first paragraph？___
A. motivated B. solved C. battled D. increased
2.Who is most likely to take part in the marathons___
A. John，a company manager
B. Jack，a middle-aged farmer
C. Rose，a high school student
D. Maria，a retired teacher
3.According to paragraph 3&4，which of the following statement is NOT true？___
A. A marathon can be a great way to explore new places
B. There is few traffic in the streets during a marathon race.
C. You see common sights by running through the streets of a city
D. Many people are attracted to mutual encouragement of the running community.
4.Why do local governments support the marathons？___
A. Because nationwide media coverage can make them famous.
B. Because they realize the benefits for their citizens.
C. Because local scenic spots and historical attractions can have unique routes.
D. Because they want to make people healthier and boost tourism.
If you rent an apartment in Beijing, you also rent the landlord or landlady for at least a year. It's important you find a good match because you have to deal with them in the long term. For me, it was love at first sight with the elderly couple who owns my apartment.
It was quite a tough trying to find the right apartment when I first arrived in Beijing. The apartments were either unsuitable or I find fault with the owners who looked indifferent at best and unfriendly at worst. But that all changed when the renting agent's car stopped in front of a hutong house in the heart of the capital.
I saw an elderly couple, in their 70s perhaps, waving to me. They were warm and welcoming at first glance, and when I saw them attentively hanging up the curtains in what would become my bedroom, I was just about sold on the place and the owners!
Chinese people talk about yuanfen, meaning fate that brings people together. Before I met my current landlords, I thought the concept of yuanfen was overrated. A generous landlady who liked me and wanted me to move into her apartment had used the term in reference to me. But it was this lovely couple that changed my mind about the concept.
We have become accustomed to visiting each other at home. The couple's apartment is lovingly decorated, boasting a recent wedding photo of themselves taken in bridal wear. The landlord likes to smoke and sip tea, while the landlady takes great pride in her appearance.
After three years, I dare say they treat me a bit like a “daughter”, despite having two grown sons, one of them close by. They give me gifts of tea or clothes, and I bring them souvenirs from my trips. A match made in heaven, indeed!
1.How did the author feel about renting an apartment in Beijing?
A. It was a piece of cake.
B. There were lots of unfriendly owners.
C. It was worth trying different apartments.
D. It was not so easy to find a suitable apartment.
2.What did the elderly couple do when they first met the author?
A. They looked indifferent and find fault with the author.
B. They gave a warm welcome and took good care of the house.
C. They liked the author and wanted her to move into their apartment.
D. They were nice and gave her gifts of tea or clothes.
3.Which one is correct about the elderly couple?
A. They are newly married. B. They are nice and easy to get along with.
C. They love drinking tea. D. They live together with their two sons.
4.Which one is the best title for this text?
A. Love at first sight B. My experience in Beijing
C. A lovely couple D. Heaven on earth
Last year, when our three-year-old great-granddaughter Kylie was taken to see Santa Claus, she made sure to give him her wish list of toys. A week later, she ran into a different Santa in a mall. He stopped to ask what she wanted for Christmas. Kylie was surprised and let him know: "If you can't remember what I told you last week, how are you going to remember on Christmas Eve?!"
(---Mary Paul, Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
As my son Mike and I drove to the mall, we passed a Salvation Army Santa ringing his bell. "Mike," I said, "there's Santa!" He shook his head. "That's just some guy in a Santa suit," he said. It saddened me to think that maybe my son no longer believed in Santa, and we drove the rest of the way in silence. At the mall, we spotted another Santa greeting young believers. Suddenly, Mike took off toward him. Turning back to me, he shouted. "Now, there's the real Santa!"
(---Michael E. Fahey, Huntley, Illinois)
We immigrated to America from China when I was six. Because I was shy and didn't speak English, I had few friends. My days were spent at home with my brother. Sometimes we'd help our neighbor Mr. Mueller pull weeds. One Christmas Day, there was a knock at the door. Grandma opened it, and there stood a big fellow in red with a snow-white beard, laughing, "Ho, ho, ho!" He handed out presents and made us laugh. I had so much fun. It was years later when I learned that our special Santa was our neighbor Mr. Mueller.
(---Joanne Tang, Litchfield Park, Arizona)
1.Why was Kylie surprised when running into a different Santa？
A. Because she got what she wished.
B. Because she knew who the Santa was.
C. Because she wished to get another toy.
D. Because she thought they were the same Santa.
2.What would Mike's parent feel as to Mike's different attitudes towards Santa？
A. Angry B. Confused C. Sad D. Unbelievable
3.What did Mr. Mueller do on Christmas Day？
A. He stood outside our house.
B. He stayed with us in our home.
C. He continued to pull weeds.
D. He gave out gifts by acting as Santa
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What did customers use to complain about?
A. Not getting through to the restaurants.
B. Paying a lot for delivery.
C. Slow service.
2.What is special about DoorDash?
A. You can order from many places at once.
B. You can check the progress of the delivery.
C. The prices are lower than from the restaurants.
3.What do we know about the work of DoorDashers?
A. The hours are flexible.
B. The pay isn’t very good.
C. It’s a good way to promote themselves.
4.Why do many restaurants like DoorDash?
A. They don’t need to hire their own delivery workers.
B. They don’t need to find correct change to pay the driver.
C. They can pay for things up front like a delivery car and gas.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How long before the scheduled time did the bus leave?
A. Ten minutes. B. Thirty minutes. C. An hour.
2.When did the woman probably get on the next bus?
A. At 4:35. B. At 4:45. C. At 5:05.
3.What is the man worried about?
A. The daily expense. B. The woman’s safety. C. The public transportation.
4.What does the woman decide to do in the end?
A. Buy a car.
B. Work for the newspaper.
C. Complain to the local government.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where are the speakers talking?
A. In a classroom. B. On the beach. C. In an apartment.
2.Why did Mary go to Xiamen?
A. To learn some business skills.
B. To escape Wuhan’s heat.
C. To spend time with her uncle.
3.What does Mary probably think about seafood?
A. She thinks it was terrible.
B. She doesn’t like it.
C. She thinks it was delicious.
