Heroes come in many different shapes, sizes, and abilities. But they all have the same superpower: To lift the hopes of others. 14-year-old Caleb Prewitt of Jacksonville, Florida, had a closed mindset on what he could accomplish with Down Syndrome(唐氏综合征) until he met Chris Nikic. “If we had a poster of Chris, it would be in Caleb’s room. Chris is Caleb’s hero,” Caleb’s mom Karen Prewitt said.
Last November, Chris finished a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run at the Ironman Florida competition in Panama City Beach in 16 hours, 46 minutes and 9 seconds. “I don’t remember when I stopped crying after Chris crossed the Ironman finish line, to be honest,” Karen said. “I couldn’t help but just cry and cry. And I know that Caleb felt it, too. Those tears were there because he did it against all the odds, against all the barriers. Not only the barriers of society, but the barriers of his physical body. There were moments when we weren’t sure if Chris was going to finish, moments where we knew he was struggling during the run. And the fact that he crossed the finish line with time to spare was something I’ll never forget. It felt like in that moment he was carrying the Down Syndrome community on his shoulders.”
But what Chris did next was even more herculean. He took this young fan under his wing, became a mentor, worked out with him and planted a dream. Caleb met Chris at a bike camp in Orlando. It can be difficult for kids with Down Syndrome to ride a bike because of their balance. One month after the bike camp, Caleb had mastered riding a bike. “I couldn’t believe it, but I could. He was inspired by Chris. That encounter made an impact on him,” she said. It wasn’t long before Caleb started participating in triathlon clinics(铁人三项比赛).
Last weekend, Caleb finished his first mini-triathlon. He is believed to be the youngest person with Down Syndrome to ever do so. He also received an invitation to compete on Florida’s Special Olympics triathlon team — the same team Chris is on.
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1.What can we know from the first paragraph?
A Chris Nikic taught Caleb how to control his mind.
B Caleb Prewitt looked on Chris as his role model.
C Caleb’s mom was unbelievable about her son’s ability.
D Caleb Prewitt couldn’t control himself due to Down Syndrome.
解析:选B。B 细节理解题。根据第一段If we had a poster of Chris, it would be in Caleb's room. Chris is Caleb’s hero可知,克里斯是卡莱布的偶像。故选B。
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 2?
A Chris made Karen see the hope of life again.
B The Down Syndrome community was treated unfairly.
C Karen shed happy tears because of Chris’s victory.
D Difficulties and pressures shaped Chris into a strong man.
解析:选C。C 推理判断题。根据第二段可知,凯伦表示她忍不住哭了又哭。她知道卡莱布也感觉到了。眼泪就在那里,因为他克服了所有的困难,所有的障碍。不仅是社会的障碍,还有他身体的障碍。她永远也忘不了Chris能在剩余时间内越过终点线。由此推断她为Chris的胜利流下了幸福的眼泪。故选C。
3.What does the underlined word “herculean” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A Precise.
B Tough.
C Obvious.
D Profound.
解析:选B。B 词义猜测题。根据下文He took this young fan under his wing, became a mentor, worked out with him and planted a dream.可知,克里斯把这个年轻的粉丝放在自己的翅膀下,当了导师,和他一起锻炼,种下了一个梦想。由此推断克里斯接下来所做的更加“艰巨”,选项B与之同义,故选B。
4.Chris pushed Caleb to achieve many goals except that________.
A Caleb overcame the difficulty to master how to ride a bike
B Caleb constantly challenged himself to bring glory to his family
C Caleb finished a mini-trianthlon as a person with Down Syndrome
D Caleb became a member of Florida’s Special Olympics triathlon team
解析:选D。D 细节理解题。根据全文可知,卡莱布克服了种种困难掌握了自行车骑行,他作为一名唐氏综合症患者成功完成了迷你铁人三项赛,他通过不断挑战自我为自己的家庭赢得了荣耀,文中并未提及他成为佛罗里达州特奥会铁人三项队的一名成员。故选D。