Easy isn’t a word the disabled use very much. Nothing is easy when you’re in a wheelchair or when you’re blind. But Karen Mitchell knows legs aren’t needed to walk the waves. “I forget about my disability, ”Mitchell says about sailing. And Janice Bartleson doesn’t need eyes to see the wind.

     US Olympic gold medalist Magnus Liljedahl says sailing is one of the few sports where the disabled can leave their disability on the dock and be as good as anyone else. “The first half of my life, I was mainly concerned about myself, ” Liljedahl says. “But when we leave we can’t take anything with us, so it’s important to give back to the community. ”

    Working in partnership with Miami’s non-profit Shake-a-Leg Foundation, more than 3, 000 disabled people every year are getting a chance to forget their disabilities and feel spray (浪花)in their faces.

     Liljedahl believes the reward is in the journey. And for him, this journey has been a rich one. “I’ve really learned to appreciate life by seeing what they’ve got to deal with, ”he says. And he’s also become a better sailor. It’s a story you often hear from volunteers. Helping others often helps them more. It reawakens senses dulled over time because the able-bodied take those senses for granted.

    At the dock, all seem to enjoy the chance to get their feet wet. “It gives me a feeling of independence and freedom, ”Manuela Hoyos says, “I feel free from my wheelchair. ”

56. Which of the following is TRUE about Shake-a-Leg Foundation?

A. It helps the disabled make money.

B. It was established by Magnus Liljedahl.

C. It offers the disabled sailing chances.

D. It helps the disabled meet with Olympic champions.

57. By doing volunteer work, Liljedahl _______ .

A. forgets his disability completely

B. wins an Olympic gold medal

C. has a better understanding of life

D. finds many people with a talent for sailing

58. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 4 refers to _______.

A. the disabled

B. the volunteers

C. US Olympic champions

D. Magnus Liljedahl and Manuela Hoyos

59. It can be inferred from the text that _______.

A. Mitchell has a disability with her legs

B. Janice Bartleson moves around in a wheelchair

C. Liljedahl won his first Olympic gold medal in Miami

D. Manuela Hoyos is a volunteer at the dock

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming lake behind his house.

In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind his shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swan toward the middle of the lake, an alligator(鳄鱼) was swimming toward the shore.

His mother in the house was looking out the window and saw the two as they got closer and closer. In extreme fear, she ran toward the water, yelling(大叫) to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him.

From the dock(码头)，the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched(夺取) his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-water(拔河). The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate(有感情的). A farmer happened to drive by, took aim and shot the alligator.

After weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. The newspaper reporter asked if he would show him his scars(伤疤). The boy lifted his legs, then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, “but look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my mum wouldn’t let go. ”

Some scars have caused us deep regret, but some scars are because of love.

1.From the second paragraph we can infer that_____.

2.The incredible tug-of-water is between _______.

3.Which of the following statements is true?

4.Why was the boy proud when he showed the scars on his arms？

Beijing—（13, July） China sent up a new data relay satellite（数据中继卫星）, Tianlian I-02, on Monday at the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in South-western Sichuan province．The new satellite will promote the country’s satellite communication network for space docking（对接）．
The satellite was launched on a Long-March-3C carrier rocket at 11:41 p．m．, sources at the centre told Xinhua News Agency．The satellite separated from the rocket 26 minutes after its launch and was then successfully delivered into a geostationary transfer orbit （地球同步转移轨道）．
Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the satellite is the country’s second data relay satellite．The first, Tianlian I-01, was launched on April 25．2008．
The two satellites will form a network to improve communications between China’s spacecraft and bases on Earth, according to the centre．They will also be used to help the nation’s first space docking, scheduled for the second half of this year．
As planned, China will launch space module Tiangong-I, which was designed as a platform that will dock with an unmanned spaceship, Shenzhou, for the county’s first space-docking mission this year．
Two more Shenzhou spaceships will dock with Tiangong-I next year, and one will be manned by two or three astronauts, according to China Manned Space Engineering Office, which was the main user of the Tianlian I series data relay satellites．
“The new satellite can cover a greater area to track and command the country’s space vehicles in low-Earth orbits, such as manned spacecraft and remote sensing satellites, from a higher position in outer space．Only three satellites of this kind are needed to form a global communication network, and China has two now．” Pang Zhihao, a researcher and deputy editor-in-chief of Space International, said．
The satellite could also equip astronauts with real-time communications, which will benefit the country’s future manned space flights, he said．
【小题1】What is the main purpose to send up Tianlian I-02 ?

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator (美洲鳄) was swimming toward the shore.

His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.

Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U – turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug – of – war (拔河) between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father’s fingernails dug into his fresh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy asked if he would show his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my dad wouldn’t let go.”

You and I can identify with that boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because someone has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, someone has been there holding on to you.

If you have the scars of someone’s love on your arms, be very, very grateful. Someone in your life did not and will not ever let you go.

Never judge another person’s scars, because you don’t know how they got them.

1.Which of the following is the most closely related to the underlined word “passionate”?

A. determined  B. anxious   C. frightened   D. courageous

2.When the boy told the newspaper reporter about the scars on his arms, he felt     .

A. painful and fearful   B. regretful and panic

C. proud and grateful   D. excited and thankful