【题目】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.

1Which 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.

2What 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.

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

A. Happy B. Unhappy.

C. Unique. D. Excited.

4What 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.

【题目】Science textbooks around the world have become suddenly out of date. Four new chemical elements(元素)have been added to the periodic table. A big decision now lies ahead-elements 113,115,117 and 118 need to be given their official names and symbols.

New elements can be named after a mythical(神话的) concept, a mineral, a place or country, a property(性质) or a scientist. The names have to be unique and maintain “historical and chemical consistency”. This means a lot of “-iums”.

“They’re Latinising the name,” explains chemist Andrea Sella. “The most recent tradition is to name them after places or people.” The places chosen tend to be where the element was discovered or first produced.

No one has yet named an element after themselves but many elements are named in honour of important scientists. Albert Einstein was given einsteinium. This can also be a way of righting the wrongs of the past. “Lise Meitner was really the chemist who spotted nuclear fission(核裂变)but she was never really recognised for it because she was Jewish and a woman, ” says Sella. “Giving an element a name that reminds us of her is greatly important. ”

The naming process isn’t quick. The scientists who discovered them will start things off by suggesting a name. But it will be down to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) to approve it. A special division of the US-based group has to accept the suggestion. Then there is a public review period of five months before the IUPAC gets the final approval. Once it’s ready, the name is announced in the scientific journal Pure and Applied Chemistry.

Naming an element is not just about functionality. Names are always important.

1What is the function of Paragraph 1?

A. To introduce the topic.

B. To present a finding.

C. To point out a problem.

D. To call for a decision,

2Why was Lise Meitner mentioned in the naming process in Paragraph 4?

A. To praise her.

B. To build her reputation.

C. To correct the wrongs of the past.

D. To end racial discrimination

3Who has the final say in the naming process of an element?

A. The scientist who discovered them.

B. The special division of US-based group.

C. The scientific journal Pure and Applied Chemistry,

D. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

4What i$ the passage mainly about?

A. How elements get their names.

B. Why science textbooks are out of date.

C. How new elements are discovered.

D. How functional naming an element is.

【题目】The New economy has brought great business opportunities besides great challenges. Not since the Industrial Revolution has managing with change been so urgent a matter. Indeed, the Information Age has accelerated the pace of market and business changes to the point where some firms have set up "change departments" whose job is to constantly look for opportunities to change the firm and make it more productive.

Most firms have accepted the fact that they must make major changes. To remain competitive, companies recognize that they need to be in a constant process of changing themselves. This change is accompanied by the need to be willing to take risks in management style. Managers with such spirit have called themselves "change agents".

Despite some remarkable successes, however, introducing managing change has not been a simple matter. Firms have tried to introduce change to achieve its attendant efficiencies (节省幵支)through new technologies, restructuring, or outsourcing. Yet, this has cost a great deal of time and money, but often led to at best mixed results: approximately 75% of all change activities failed.

The reason for most of these failures is that change often lacks a central focus. Managers become confused by all different and sometimes conflicting advice they receive about change management. The result is a loss of central focus and disorganized policies. To improve their chances of success, it is extremely important that managers should understand the nature and process of the whole company's change and its challenges much better.

1What is the article mainly about?

A. Developing strong marketing plans.

B. Bringing in top technologies.

C. Ways for companies to hire better managers.

D. Changes of companies' operations.

2The words "change agents" in Paragraph 2 are closest in meaning to “_____ ”.

A. instructors B. customers

C. reformers D. performers

3According to the article, why do companies frequently fail to change?

A. Managers are conservative. B. Not enough attention is paid.

C. Employees generally fight change. D. Policies are not well directed.

4What does the article suggest managers do?

A. Spend more time and money. B. Improve their knowledge.

C. Buy more advanced technologies. D. Face their challenge directly.

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