Come prepared: When you arrive at a race, your bike should be in race-ready condition.

Chain Management: Chain damage is still the number one problem with mountain bikes. Keeping your chain clean and well-oiled will help, as will frequent chain replacement. Periodic inspection of your chain for wear, stretch and damage may save you a long walk home.

Packing Tape: This can be used for rims trips, boots for fractured tyres and a dozen more makeshift repairs. If you’ve flown to the race, it also saves you from having to borrow tape to close up your bike box for the flight home. Other musts: safety pins and plastic zip ties.

Pre-race: Visual inspections before any serious off-road ride, carefully examine the area where the tyre hooks onto the rim and remove any foreign objects which could cause premature（比预期早的）tire wear.

Tire Pressure: Check tyre pressure before race start. The recommended pressure is noted on the tyre sidewall, usually 40 lbs（磅）, but many racers run 50 lbs, or more for less rolling resistance.

Be Self-Contained: Make sure you are self-contained. Bring your own drinking water, food and first aid kit. Also have tools, spare parts, tubes, quick fills and a chain tool. Never suppose you can just borrow these items from a friend.

Post-race Visual Inspections: Inspect your bike after completing each event, especially before competing in a downhill event. Re-inspect before packing your bike for the trip home.

Have Fun!

1．This passage is written for those who _______.

       A．go in for outdoor activities                    B．love cycling in other places

       C．join in mountain bike races                    D．are preparing for a marathon

2．The writer tends to advise the racers ________.

       A．not to replace chains frequently             B．not to take an extra chain

       C．to bring less for their race                   D．to have higher tyre pressure than noted

3 The passage is organized in order of _______.

       A．importance          B．time                    C．readers’ interest   D．place

4．From the passage we can safely say that _______.

       A．a foreign tyre is a guarantee for the cyclist to win the race

       B．the biggest trouble for the race is that nobody will help you

       C．a downhill event causes more damage to the bike than an uphill one

       D．regular inspection is a must before, during, and even after the race

It was a cold night in September. The rain was drumming on the car roof as George and Marie Winston drove through the empty country roads towards the house of their friends, the Harrisons, where they were going to attend a party to celebrate the engagement of the Harrisons' daughter, Lisa. As they drove, they listened to the local radio station, which was playing classical music.

Suddenly the music on the radio was interrupted by a news announcement: "The Cheshire police have issued a serious warning after a man escaped from Colford Mental Hospital earlier this evening. The man, John Downey, is a murderer who killed six people before he was captured two years ago. He is described as large, very strong and extremely dangerous. People in the Cheshire' area are warned to keep their doors and windows locked, and to call the police immediately if they see anyone acting strangely.”

Marie shivered. "A crazy killer. And he's out there somewhere. That's scary.”

"Don't worry about it,” said her husband. "We're nearly there now. But this car is losing power for some reason.”

As he spoke, the car began to slow down. Finally they rolled to a halt, as the engine died completely. Just as they stopped, George pulled the car off the road, and it came to rest under a large tree,

"Blast!” said George angrily. "Now we'll have to walk in the rain.”

"But that'll take us an hour at least,” said Marie, "And I have my high-heeled shoes and my nice clothes on. They'll be ruined!”

"Well, you'll have to wait while I run to the nearest house and call the Harrisons. Someone can come out and pick us up," said George.

"But George! Have you forgotten what the radio said?"

"You'll have to hide in the back of the car. Lock all the doors and lie on the floor in the back, under this blanket. No one will see you. When I come back, I'll knock three times on the door. Then you can get up and open it. Don't open it unless you hear three knocks," George opened the door and, slipped out into the rain. He quickly disappeared into the blackness.

Marie quickly locked the door and settled down under the blanket in the back for a long wait.

Suddenly she heard three slow knocks, one after the other, also on the roof of the car. Was it her husband? Should she open the door? Then she heard another knock, and another. This was not her husband. It was somebody or something else. She was shaking with fear, but she forced herself to lie still. The knocking continued----bump, bump, bump, bump.

Many hours later, as the sun rose, she was still lying there. The knocking had never stopped all night long. She did not know what to do. Where was George? Why had he not come for her?

Suddenly, she heard the sound of three or four vehicles, racing quickly down the road. Someone had come! Marie sat up quickly and looked out of the window.

The three vehicles were all police cars. Several policemen leapt out. One of them rushed towards the car as Marie opened the door. He took her by the hand.

"Get out of the car and walk with me to the police vehicle. Miss! You're safe now. Look straight ahead. Keep looking at the police car. Don't look back. Just don't look back.”

Something in the way he spoke filled Marie with cold horror. She could not help herself. About ten yards from the police car, she stopped, turned and looked back at the empty vehicle.

George was hanging from the tree above the car, a rope tied around his neck. As the wind blew his body back and forth, his feet were bumping gently on the roof of the car-bump, bump, bump, bump.

1．What was the reason for the news announcement on the radio?

A．Some people had been seen acting strangely in the Cheshire area.

B．The police were warning of accidents on the roads in the bad weather.

C．Six people, including John Downey, had been murdered.

D．A dangerous prisoner had escaped.

2．Why did Marie stay in the car when George left?

  A．She was afraid to go out in the dark.   

  B．So no-one would steal the car.

  C．Her clothes weren't suitable for the rain.  

  D．She wanted to get some sleep.

3．Why did the policeman tell her not to look back when he brought her out of the car?

  A．The killer was waiting behind her.

  B．He wanted her to forget everything that had happened during the night.

  C．He didn't want her to see the damage done to the car.

       D．He didn't want her to see the body of her husband.

　　A minister went to the home of the rich members of his community (社团). It was 1 outside, so he was dressed in warm clothes. The minister was 2 to go into the 3 room and removed his coat. They 4 for a short while and then the minister prepared to go back. He put on his 5 overcoat and asked his host (主人) to go with him to the outer 6 , as he wanted to say something to him in great privacy (=secret). The host, 7 that he would be coming back in a minute or so, did not bother to put on his own overcoat, although he was going out into the 8 hall. The minister kept himself busy with a small talk, 9 to the discomfort of the host. He became so cold that his teeth began to chatter. But the minister continued 10 his small talk. Several times the host asked the minister to 11 to the living room, but 12 time the minister replied that in another minute he would 13 . 14 , the rich man said, “If you do not tell what we have come out here for, I'll freeze to 15 ”.

　　“I'll tell you what I have come for,” replied the minister.“I 16 fifty dollars to buy some 17 which will go to some poor people.”

　　“ 18 is the money, but did we have to come outside for you to tell me this?”

　　“Inside, perhaps you would not have realized what it means to 19 cold. Now you must have come to know what it 20 like,” replied the minister.

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It was on a cold night of December. The rain was pouring on the car roof as Albert and Andy drove through the empty country roads towards their friends’ house, the Harrisons,where they were going to attend a party to celebrate the engagement of the Harrisons’ daughter,Lisa. When they drove, they listened to the local radio giving a news announcement:The New York police have issued a warning after a man escaped from Shangdi Mental Hospital earlier this morning .The man ,John, is a murderer who killed six people.

Andy felt frightened, “A crazy killer is out somewhere.” “Don’t worry about it ,” said her husband. “We’re nearly there now. Anyway, we have more important things to worry about. This car is losing power for the engine.” As he spoke, the car began to slow down. Finally the engine died completely. “Now we’ll have to walk in the rain.” “But that’ll take us an hour at least,” said Andy, “And I have my high-heeled shoes and my nice clothes on, which will be ruined!”  “Well, you’ll have to wait while I run to the nearest house and call the Harrisons. Someone can come out and pick us up,”said George. “But George! Have you forgotten what the radio said? There’s an insane person out there!” “You’ll have to hide in the back of the car. Lock all the doors and lie on the floor in the back. When I come back, I’ll knock three times on the door. Then you can open it.” Albert opened the door and disappeared into the darkness.

Some time later she heard the sound of vehicles, running quickly down the road. The three vehicles were all police cars. One of them rushed towards the car as Andy opened the door. A policeman said, “Get out of the car and walk. You’re safe now. Just don’t look back.” something in the way he spoke filled Andy with cold horror. About ten yards from the police car, she stopped , turned and looked back at the empty vehicle. Albert was hanging from the tree, a rope tied to his neck.

41.Where would the Albert and Andy go before this incident happened?

  A.To the mental hospital to visit their friend.

  B.To the police station to report the murder

  C.To their friend’s home for the party

  D.To the radio station for the programme

42.The underlined part “an insane person” in the passage refers to ____.

  A.terrible storm   B.crazy killer   C.busy road   D.policeman

43.Why did Andy stay in the car when Albert left?

  A.She wanted very much to get some sleep.

  B.She daren’t go out on a cold night.

  C.She was afraid that the car would be stolen.

  D.Her clothes were unfit for the weather.

44.Why did the policeman tell her not to look back when he brought her out of the car?

  A.He wouldn’t like her to see her husband’s body

  B.A man acting strangely was waiting behind her.

  C.He wanted her to forget everything that had happened

  D.He didn’t wish her to see the damage done to the car.

Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-handled brush. He stopped by the fence in front of the house where he lived with his aunt Polly. He looked at it, and all joy left him. The fence was long and high. He put the brush into the whitewash and moved it along the top of the fence. He repeated the operation. He felt he could not continue and sat down.
He knew that his friends would arrive soon with all kinds of interesting plans for the day. They would walk past him and laugh. They would make jokes about his having to work on a beautiful summer Saturday. The thought burned him like fire.
He put his hand into his pockets and took out all that he owned. Perhaps he could find some way to pay someone to do the whitewashing for him. But there was nothing of value in his pockets —nothing that could buy even half an hour of freedom. So he put the bits of toys back into his pockets and gave up the idea
At this dark and hopeless moment, a wonderful idea came to him. It filled his mind with a great, bright light. Calmly he picked up the brush and started again to whitewash.
While Tom was working, Ben Rogers appeared. Ben was eating an apple as he walked along the street. As he walked along, he was making noises like the sound of a riverboat. First he shouted loudly, like a boat captain. Then he said “Ding-Dong-Dong”, “Ding-Dong-Dong” again and again, like the bell of a riverboat. And he made other strange noises. When he came close to Tom, he stopped.
Tom went on whitewashing. He did not look at Ben. Ben stared a moment and then said: “Hello! I’m going swimming, but you can’t go, can you?”
No answer. Tom moved his brush carefully along the fence and looked at the result with the eye of an artist. Ben came nearer. Tom’s mouth watered for the apple, but he kept on working.
Ben said, “Hello, old fellow, you’ve got to work, hey?”
Tom turned suddenly and said, “Why, it’s you, Ben! I wasn’t noticing.”
“Say —I’m going swimming. Don’t you wish you could? But of course you’d rather work — wouldn’t you? Of course you would.”
Tom looked at the boy a bit, and said “What do you call work?”
“Why, isn’t that work?”
Tom went back to his whitewashing, and answered carelessly.
“Well, maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. All I know is, it suits Tom Sawyer.”
“Oh come, now, you don’t mean to say that you like it?”
The brush continued to move.
“Like it? Well, I don’t see why I shouldn’t like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”
Ben stopped eating his apple. Tom moved his brush back and forth, stepped back to look at the result, added a touch here and there, and stepped back again. Ben watched every move and got more and more interested. Soon he said,
“Say, Tom, let me whitewash a little.”
Tom thought for a moment, was about to agree; but he changed his mind.
“No —no —it won’t do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly wants this fence to be perfect. It has got to be done very carefully. I don’t think there is one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it well enough.”
“No —is that so? Oh come, now —let me just try. Only just a little.” “Ben, I’d like to, but if it isn’t done right, I’m afraid Aunt Polly … ”
“Oh, I’ll be careful. Now let me try. Say —I’ll give you the core of my apple.”
“Well, here —No, Ben, now don’t. I’m afraid …”
“I’ll give you all of it.”
Tom gave up the brush with unwillingness on his face, but joy in his heart. And while Ben worked at the fence in the hot sun, Tom sat under a tree, eating the apple, and planning how to get more help. There were enough boys. Each one came to laugh, but remained to whitewash. By the time Ben was tired, Tom sold the next chance to Billy for a kite; and when Billy was tired, Johnny bought in for a dead rat —and so on, hour after hour. And when the middle of the afternoon came, Tom had won many treasures.
And he had not worked. He had had a nice idle time all the time, with plenty of company －and the fence had been whitewashed three times. If he hadn’t run out of whitewash, Tom would have owned everything belonging to his friends.
He had discovered a great law of human action, namely, that in order to make a man or a boy want a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to get.
【小题1】How many characters are mentioned in this story?