题目内容
Skiing on snow is an old idea. People have been skiing for more than 4,000 years! But skiing on water is relatively new. How did waterskiing begin? Who thought up the idea in the first place?
Waterskiing didn’t begin until boats had motors (发动机) that provided enough power to tow (牵引) someone on waterskis (滑水橇). The idea of skiing on water probably began in Hawaii with surfboarding, a sport in which a person rides a board on waves near the seashore.
The first person to waterski was, most likely, Ralph Samuelson. He wore boards tied to his feet and was towed around Lake City in Minnesota. That was in 1922. After that, the sport of waterskiing took off.
Equipment changed quickly. Skiers looked for faster skis, faster boats, and new challenges. Some skiers thought of some very original ideas. A waterskier of Florida came up with a new idea. In 1947 he waterskied without waterskis! He skied with bare (赤裸的) feet. Thirty years later, in 1977 Billy Nicholaus also skied with bare feet. In fact, he set a record because he skied barefoot for two hours, forty-two minutes and thirty-nine seconds!
Waterskiers have done amazing things on skis too. In 1971 Danny Churchill skied at a speed of more than 125 miles per hour. That was the highest speed in the 1970s. Six years later Will Coughey skied 1,124 miles without stopping! In 1979, Sammy Duvall, jumped 182 feet off a ramp (斜坡), landing on the water.
The sport hasn’t stopped changing. Today boats tow waterskiers wearing parachutes. When the boat picks up enough speed, the skiers leave the water and start flying. Other people ride a jet-powered ski and ski across the water on their own.
49. The passage is mainly about _____.
A. the best way to learn waterskiing
B. the comparisons between waterskiing and snow skiing
C. the beginning and development of waterskiing
D. the rapid development of waterskiing equipment
50. Which of the following skiers skied fastest per hour according to the passage?
A. Billy Nicholaus B. Danny Churchill.
C. Sammy Duvall. D. Will Coughey.
51. Which of the following events happened last?
A. People used a jet-powered ski.
B. A man of Florida skied with bare feet.
C.Ralph Samuelson tried waterskiing.
D. Billy Nicholaus set a record.
52. We can infer from the passage that _____.
A. waterskiing is a sport as old as snow skiing
B. waterskiing has a history of less than 100 years
C. waterskiers must wear water skis when skiing
D. waterskiers must wear parachutes when skiing
CBAB
Looking for some inspiration or the “write” kind of ideas for your creative stories? To start with, some writers describe winter by using their five senses or their imagination. Others write on their favorite winter activity. Whatever you choose to write about, working on a winter story can always help to improve your writing skills. Now read the following story and see if it helps get rid of any icy writing block you’ ve been struggling with.
A Winter Adventure
Beep, beep. Beep-beep: the alarm clock rang. Slowly, I got out of warm bed down onto the wooden floor which the winter had thrown its cold upon. The bitter cold temperature penetrated （穿透）my socks and I hurried to put my feet in shoes.
Looking out of the window, I watched the white snow, soft and thick, drop onto rooftops and trees. Half an hour later, finishing the last of my hot chocolate, I prepared to enter the adventure that waited for me outside. I buttoned my jacket and fastened my boots. Hat on, I opened the door and was greeted by the winter coldness.
In the depths of winter, the early morning did not have the rush of the rest of the year. Most of my neighbours were put off by the cold, and stayed in bed until the sun had climbed higher into the sky.
Unseen by those who remained locked inside their homes, warm in their beds, I enjoyed being alone with the beauty of the wintertime. Those indoors were unable to appreciate the snow-scapes, ice crystals, frost and the crisp（清新的）breeze. For them, the coming of winter meant just the arrival of the cold.
Appreciation depends on contrasts. One cannot love the warmth of April if one has not known the freezing cold of winter. Later that year, the heat of the sun on my skin would be all the more wonderful for my memories of that cold morning and others like it.
【小题1】The underlined word “adventure” refers to____________.
| A．getting out of bed on the cold winter morning. |
| B．enjoying the loveliness of the winter outdoors |
| C．going skiing on the cold winter morning |
| D．throwing snowballs with friends. |
| A．didn’t work in winter | B．stayed up late in winter |
| C．missed the beauty of winter | D．enjoyed the seasons except winter |
| A．Of all the seasons, the writer loves winter most. |
| B．The writer regrets that he went out on the freezing cold winter morning. |
| C．The writer believes contrast makes our experiences of the seasons lovelier. |
| D．The writer values the autumn and summer more than the winter |
| A．To share some winter thoughts with readers. |
| B．To show readers how to work on a winter story. |
| C．To inspire readers to take more exercise in winter |
| D．To tell readers how to appreciate the beauty of winter. |