Question

【題目】

Is running a marathon in under two hours possible? Will a human ever be able to run that fast? Currently, the world record for the 42.195 km (26.219 miles) distance is held by Kenyan Dennis Kimetto. His time of 2:02:57 hours was achieved at the Berlin Marathon of 2014.

For many years, long-distance runners have been trying to get nearer and nearer to the magical mark of two hours. Studies published in the past by medical and athletic experts have come to the conclusion that running a marathon in under 2 hours can be done. They even see a time of around 1:57 as the fastest a human can ever run. However, we will have to wait at least a decade or longer for this to happen.

Many things must fit together to deliver an under two-hour marathon. An athlete would have to have the perfect body size and weight, the right running strategy and of course, the right nutrition. Today's most perfect runners come from Kenya and Ethiopia, countries that have dominated (統(tǒng)治) long-distance races for decades. East African athletes have long legs and lungs that can take in lots of oxygen. Training at high altitudes gives them a strong heart and a very large blood volume (容量).

Ideal weather conditions with cool temperatures and almost no wind will also be needed to attempt such a quick time. An ultra-fast marathon would only be possible on flat city courses, like Berlin or London, with few curves (彎道).

Since the beginning of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, athletes have tried to run long-distance races as fast as possible. In 1900, the marathon world record was around 3 hours. In the following 30 years, men were able to reach a mark of 2:30. As time went on achieving faster times became more and more difficult. In the last 15 years, for example, the world record has improved by only 3 minutes.

On the other hand, some experts think that such fast performances will only be possible with the help of illegal drugs or substances (物質(zhì)). In the past years, several East African runners have been tested positive and many of them banned.

【1】What are Paragraphs 3 & 4 mainly about?

A.The benefits of running a marathon.

B.The conditions for an under two-hour marathon.

C.The development of modern long-distance races.

D.Perfect runners who can compete in a marathon.

【2】Which of the following does the author agree with?

A.East Africans are born to be long-distance runners.

B.It's impossible to beat the marathon world record again.

C.More and more athletes are losing their interest in marathons.

D.It's easier to achieve a marathon world record in Berlin than in London.

【3】What's the author's attitude towards running a marathon in under 2 hours?

A.Hopeful.B.Doubtful.

C.Uncertain.D.Uninterested.

【4】What's the main purpose of the text?

A.To inform.B.To discuss.

C.To educate.D.To persuade.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】A

【3】C

【4】B

【解析】

這是一篇議論文。作者主要就能否在兩小時內(nèi)跑完馬拉松，和人類是否可以跑得更快進(jìn)行了討論。

【1】主旨大意題。根據(jù)文章第三段的Many things must fit together to deliver an under two-hour marathon.和第四段的Ideal weather conditions with cool temperatures and almost no wind will also be needed to attempt such a quick time.可知，這兩段主要講了兩個小時內(nèi)完成馬拉松所需要的條件。B. The conditions for an under two-hour marathon.（兩小時內(nèi)完成馬拉松所需條件）符合以上說法，故選B項。

【2】推理判斷題。根據(jù)文章第三段的Today's most perfect runners come from Kenya and Ethiopia, countries that have dominated (統(tǒng)治) long-distance races for decades. East African athletes have long legs and lungs that can take in lots of oxygen. Training at high altitudes gives them a strong heart and a very large blood volume (容量).可知東非的田徑運動員腿長、肺活量強，而且高海拔的訓(xùn)練增強了他們的心臟功能和血容量，且近年的優(yōu)秀長跑運動員大都來自東非。故推測作者認(rèn)為東非人天生適合長跑。A. East Africans are born to be long-distance runners.（東非人是天生的長跑運動員）符合以上說法，故選A項。

【3】推理判斷題。根據(jù)文章第三段的Many things …the right nutrition.第四段的Ideal weather conditions….like Berlin or London, with few curves (彎道).以及第五段的As time went …the world record has improved by only 3 minutes.可知要想在兩分鐘之內(nèi)跑完馬拉松需要天時地利人和，且在過去的15年里，世界紀(jì)錄里顯示只快了3分鐘。故推測作者認(rèn)為想要在2小時內(nèi)完成馬拉松是不能確定的。故選C項。

【4】推理判斷題。根據(jù)文章第一段的Is running a marathon in under two hours possible? Will a human ever be able to run that fast? 和下文提到的兩小時跑完馬拉松需要的條件，馬拉松的世界紀(jì)錄等可知作者寫這篇文章的目的主要是對第一段的兩個問題進(jìn)行討論。故選B項。