Many people thought 41-year-old Dara Torres couldn't complete in another Olympic games, but at the 2008 Olympic Games, she showed what persistence and experience can do for an athlete.

As a five-time Olympian and the oldest American 36 ever, Dara got three silver medals in   Beijing. Her victory was  37considering she had retired(退役) a second time after the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Not content with her past achievements, she would prove that  38  is only a number. At the Beijing Games, Dara raced against competitors more than 20 years 39 than her while competing in the 50 meter freestyle, 4×100 medley relay, and 4×100 freestyle relay, eventually  40  silver medals in all the three events.

Dara has 41  that she is far from a(n)  42  athlete since her first international race in 1981, While 43 the University of Florida, she earned a number of the NCAA All-American swimming awards. As the first US swimmer to  44  in four Olympic Games, Dara set three World records and won nine Olympic  45 , including four golds. Despite a seven-year break from  46  swimming, in the Sydney Olympic Games alone, Dara won two golds and two silvers, after  47  Dara decided to retire and start a  48 , but she dove right back into swimming. In the 2006 Masters Nationals, she amazingly 49 a new world record, just three weeks after her daughter’s 50. In August 2007, Dara won 51  National title and broke her own seven-year American Record in the 50 Freestyle. In July 2008, Dara  52  broke her record at the Olympic trials(選拔) in Omaha, where she  53  her spot on the Olympic team to compete in Beijing.

54  swimming, Dara is famous as a TV commentator(評論員) and a print model. She is the first athlete to  55  in the sports program in 1994. She is a feature reporter for Good Morning America, working on-air for ESPN and Fox News Channel.  

It was 11:40 at night when we finished hairdressing. 36  to miss the time of our school closing the door, we quickened our steps. As we  37   the door of the apartment building, we saw our headmaster standing outside.    38   smiles on our faces, we rushed towards the door guarded by a teacher.   39   the teacher could clearly see us. She shouted, “Where have you been? Why are you not answering my calls? Your   40  have gone out to look for you. Now please call them back immediately!”

Just then, in the dim moonlight, we saw two familiar   41  moving slowly towards us. By their stature，we   42  they were our roommates. Finally, Linda and Rosemary came back with a group of strangers. “ What happened to you? Are you OK?” Linda asked worriedly and  43 .

Seeing Linda and Rosemary in pajamas and slippers, we all felt   44  , bowing our heads for our mistake. At the same time, we were   45    the pure love we owned and the faithful friends we had. We were feeling very   46  .

“We did not do this   47  . Maggie and Wendy didn’t take their cellphones and my cellphone was uncharged.   48  , we couldn’t make any calls,” I   49   . The teacher cut me short, “It is too  50  . Please go back to your dormitory now.”

As we were approaching our dormitory, we all tiptoed in order not to  51   others’ sleep. But to our   52  , none of our roommates were asleep. They were all sitting up worrying about us.

Before closing my eyes, I thought a lot about this little   53  . It suddenly dawned on me that we are actually part of one big family. Whatever we do may  54   others’ lives. I felt safe and satisfied,  55   I knew my friends would always be there for me.

       Dean could hear the voices from around 40 feet below him .  “ Don’t give up , Dean ! ” Uncle Jim shouted encouragingly .  “ You can do it ! ” “ You’re almost there , ” Kurt called as he pulled on the 36  that ensured his cousin’s safety .  

       Kurt and Dean had just finished helping Uncle Jim 37  a climbing wall at a community gym in Canterville , Texas .  The wall , made of concrete and crushed granite (碎石) , looked like a sandstone cliff .  Despite his 38  of heights , Dean had volunteered to e the 39  to climb the new wall .

       Dean heard his cousin and uncle 40  him on from below , but he didn’t reply .  He was 41  the last section of the artificial rock wall to determine an approach for scaling it .  He 42  he was only a few feet from the top , 43  if he failed to concentrate on what he was doing , he could fall .  

       Dean 44  Kurt to serve as his belayer ,which is the person who controls a climber’s safety rope .  While Dean 45  , Kurt took the slack ( part of a rope that is not tight ) out of the safety rope that was attached to the 46  of the wall .  In that case , if Dean started to slip , he would fall only a few feet 47  the rope caught him .  However , Dean didn’t want to fall even a few feet ; he was too close to his 48  

       As Dean held on to the rock face , calculating each move with great 49  , Uncle Jim and Kurt watched intently .  50  , with a burst of energy , Dean climbed over the last outcropping and shouted , “ I did it ! ”

       Uncle Jim and Kurt 51  wildly .  Dean smiled broad , and then grew 52  again .  Falling to the ground was the 53  part for him , and his uncle and cousin knew it .  The last time Dean had scaled a climbing wall , it had taken 15 minutes for him to get the 54  to come down .  As the others watched in expectation , Dean 55  his tense muscles , took a deep breath , and backed over the edge .  In seconds he had dived more than 40 feet to the gym floor .  

A man was driving at 70 miles in a 40-mile zone（區(qū)域）, when a   36   came behind him. Right away the man started thinking of   37   to give.

       As the policeman came to him, he said, “Hi, officer, I guess you   38   me a little bit over the speed limit（限制）. I was in a rush to get   39  , to be with my wife and kids. You know my younger son wasn’t feeling too   40   when I left home this morning. I’m afraid he’s ill.”

       The policeman said, “Well, I guess so,” and started   41   something in his notebook. As minutes went by, he could see from the side view mirror, the policeman was   42   writing. When the man was wondering why he hadn’t asked for his driving   43   so far, the policeman came to his window,   44   him a piece of paper, and returned to his car without saying a single word. The man wondered: how much was this   45   going to be? However, the man was   46   it was not a ticket at all and he began to   47  :

       “I had a daughter who was   48   by a speeding car at the age of six by a speeding driver. He got a fine, a few months in   49  , and then was free, free to hug（擁抱） his two daughters. I only had one, and now I have to   50   until I get to heaven before I can hug her again. I have tried to   51   that man a thousand times, and I thought I had. Maybe I really did forgive (原諒) him. So pray (祈禱) for me, and be   52   when you drive again. My son is all I have been left with.”

       The man was completely   53   and could not move for the next few minutes. When finally he did, he drove   54  , even a few miles   55   the speed limit, praying for forgiveness.

A. truck              B. mail car             C. police car                 D. taxi

A. excuses      B. information        C. advice                D. views

A. remembered         B. recognized         C. mistook                     D. caught

A. to school        B. home             C. out                 D. to hospital

A. well            B. happy             C. free                      D. healthy

A. writing           B. looking for         C. listing                D. looking up

A. even              B. really              C. still                 D. never

A. insurance      B. license            C. journal                D. route

A. sent              B. handed               C. rewarded            D. pushed

A. paper            B. note               C. ticket                    D. notice

A. excited         B. upset               C. angry                     D. surprised

A. laugh            B. smile              C. read                        D. think

A. hit              B. knocked             C. trapped              D. killed

A. fear             B. trouble                   C. prison               D. danger

A. wait             B. stay                   C. remain                   D. escape

A. attack           B. forgive               C. educate              D. support

A. honest          B. thankful            C. patient                 D. careful

A. disappointed B. nervous            C. shocked           D. frightened

A. quickly     B. slowly             C. fortunately          D. rapidly

A. under       B. over               C. to                D. with

A man was driving at 70 miles in a 40-mile zone（區(qū)域）, when a   36  came behind him. Right away the man started thinking of   37  to give.
As the policeman came to him, he said, “Hi, officer, I guess you   38  me a little bit over the speed limit（限制）. I was in a rush to get   39  , to be with my wife and kids. You know my younger son wasn’t feeling too   40  when I left home this morning. I’m afraid he’s ill.”
The policeman said, “Well, I guess so,” and started   41  something in his notebook. As minutes went by, he could see from the side view mirror, the policeman was   42  writing. When the man was wondering why he hadn’t asked for his driving   43  so far, the policeman came to his window,   44  him a piece of paper, and returned to his car without saying a single word. The man wondered: how much was this   45   going to be? However, the man was   46  it was not a ticket at all and he began to   47  :
“I had a daughter who was   48  by a speeding car at the age of six by a speeding driver. He got a fine, a few months in   49  , and then was free, free to hug（擁抱） his two daughters. I only had one, and now I have to   50  until I get to heaven before I can hug her again. I have tried to   51  that man a thousand times, and I thought I had. Maybe I really did forgive (原諒) him. So pray (祈禱) for me, and be  52  when you drive again. My son is all I have been left with.”
The man was completely   53  and could not move for the next few minutes. When finally he did, he drove   54 , even a few miles   55  the speed limit, praying for forgiveness.

【小題11】

A．excited B．upset C．a(chǎn)ngry D．surprised