It’s 10:00 on a beautiful Sunday morning in California. To my left is some of the most beautiful coastline. I’m walking along a road ordinarily packed with cars on days like this, but today, thanks in part to my $135 entry fee, it is closed to traffic.

There’s only one problem: I should be running, not walking. Over the past year, I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on running gear(设备) and race entry fees. I’ve jogged than 1,600 miles training for this event.

Dozens of runners pass me on either side, each of them experiencing varying degrees of sadness similar to my own. Most of them, like me, have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles to get here, spending $500, $1,000 or more to participate in this event.

Actually I’m by no means a competitive athlete. My best finish ever was fourth place, in a 5-kftometer race with only 74 participants, many of whom were walking the entire course.

Last year, over 500,000 runners completed a marathon in the U.S. alone. Nearly all of these runners had absolutely no chance of victory. The PR-personal record-is everyone’s definition of a “good race,” whether he finishes in first or 301st.

I should buy a new watch that not only tracks my location by GPS, but also by counting steps. This can more accurate and much more expensive. Finally, I have reached the finish line. I know that the official race photographers will be taking photos as I cross the line, so I raise my arms in “victory” I finish, in a time of 3:37:55, good for 354th place.

A few days after the race, the race organizers email me a link to a site where I can preview my official photos 一 and download them, for a fee, of course.

I wish I could say the feeling was unique; it’s probably not Indeed probably a feeling most runners get in most marathons. Running a lot of marathons 9 in fact, may not even be good for your health.

In America, marathoning is a rich person’s sport.

1.Which of the following is free of charge for the marathoners according the passage?

A. Race entry.

B. Coastal scenery.

C. Running gear.

D. Official photos.

2.What was the author sure of before entering for the marathon?

A. His winning the victory.

B. His improvement of speed.

C. His falling behind many others.

D. His setting up a new record.

3.How did other runners feel while running on the coastline road according to the author?

A. Happy B. Unhappy.

C. Unique. D. Excited.

4.What would the author agree with?

A. Marathons are not worth it.

B. Marathon can improve our PR.

C. Marathons are based on attitudes.

D. Marathons are good for our health.

Online clothes shoppers will be told exactly what size is best for them using new software which combines with their webcam(网络摄像头) or smart phone to form a 3D tape measure.

Scientists from Surrey University and design experts from the London College of Fashion are developing a program which can take precise waist, hip, chest and other measurements from camera images.

Using the person's height as a starting point, the software will be able to build up a 3D image and estimate their size at various different points on the body, based on their overall proportions. The result will be a more accurate sizing guide than previous systems based on waist size or a “small/medium/large” scale, which rely on limited measurements and the buyer's perception of their own body size.

Shoppers and retailers(零售商) who choose to sign up for the project could save millions of pounds a year in postage costs by removing the need to order multiple sizes of the same garment and send back illfitting clothes, researchers claimed. The project, sponsored by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council(EPSRC), is expected to be brought to market within two years.

After choosing an item, the shopper will activate the software, enter their height, stand in front of their webcam or smart phone in their underwear and take a photograph.

The software will not store or transmit the image to the Internet, but will use it to judge the person's dimensions at various points on their body.

Philip Delamore of the London College of Fashion said, “The potential benefits for the fashion industry and for shoppers are huge. Currently, it's common for online shoppers to order two or three different sizes of the same item of clothing at the same time, as they're unsure which one will fit best.”

1.What is the essential part of a 3D tape measure?

A. A webcam. B. A software.

C. A microphone. D. A smart phone.

2.What can we learn about the 3D tape measure?

A. It will store or transmit the image to the Internet.

B. It is based on the buyer's perception of their size.

C. It will be a co-working production.

D. It uses a person's weight as a starting point.

3.How can the 3D tape measure benefit online shoppers?

A. Online shoppers will get their ordered garment in time.

B. Online shoppers will get their ordered garment more quickly.

C. Online shoppers will get an ordered garment of high quality.

D. Online shoppers will get an ordered garment to their measure.

4.What is the right order for a shopper to form a 3D tape measure?

①to take a photo with a webcam

②to activate the software

③to enter his/her height

④to judge his/her size by analysing his/her image

A. ②③①④ B. ②①③④

C. ①②③④ D. ②③④①

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