Head held high, hands firmly gripping her walker, Mary Arnott, 99, walks slowly with dignity through the women’s changing room at the Etobicoke Olympium pool, past the teenage girls who have been blow-drying their hair for half an hour, into the mist of the showers, then out the door and first one into the heated pool. She jumps over to the shallow end, stopping to talk to friends—everyone knows Arnott here;she swims twice a week and treats it as a job—about their children, the viciousness（谬误）of bridge and their health.

 In fact, Arnott is an exception to the exception. Not only has she lived 20 years past the average lifespan for Canadians, she’s healthy, her mind is sharp and she lives independently.

Born in Brooklyn on May 28, 1909, Arnott was raised on Staten Island. She survived scarlet fever（猩红热）, helped bring up four siblings（兄弟姐妹）after her mother died in 1923 and worked as a secretary in New York City for 12 years, earning＄35 a week and a＄150 bonus at Christmas.

 Now she’s happy living in a one-room apartment with a kitchen and a bathroom in her daughter’s house. She wears a hearing aid, does the cryptic crossword（有隐义的纵横字谜）with a magnifying glass, and can’t really explain why she has lived so well so long.

Until recently, she has still liked to drink red wine—she used to drink two glasses before supper each day. It’s more likely genes, she admits. Her interest in other people and life in general may have had something to do with it. Asked if a star photographer can take her picture at the pool, Arnott seems cheerful.

“I look good in a swimsuit, ” she says, nodding her head firmly. “I look better in a swimsuit than I do in pants. ”

31. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A. Mary Arnott likes to swim and is known to the local people.

B. Mary Arnott is afraid to swim at the swimming pool.

C. Mary Arnott can’t swim but she likes water.

D. Mary Arnott just likes to talk to her friends at the bank of the swimming pool.

32. Which of the following is TRUE as for Mary Arnott as an exception to the exception?

A. She has lived 30 years past the average lifespan for Canadians.

B. She’s healthy and her mind is sharp.

C. She lives with her daughter.

D. She likes to live with her children and has a happy life.

33. What happened when Mary Arnott was 14?

A. She had a disease called scarlet fever but survived.

B. Her mother died and she had to help her father to bring up her sisters and brothers.

C. She found a job as a secretary in New York City.

D. She was born in Brooklyn.

34. What may Mary Arnott think of her living alone?

A. Bitter.                        B. Happy.

C. Meaningless.               D. Boring.

35. If someone asks about swimming, Mary Arnott may ________.

A. like pants                  B. like swimsuit better

C. like to sit at the bank         D. like to swim with girls

Head held high, hands firmly gripping her walker, Mary Arnott, 99, walks slowly with dignity through the women’s changing room at the Etobicoke Olympium pool, past the teenage girls who have been blow-drying their hair for half an hour, into the mist of the showers, then out the door and first one into the heated pool. She jumps over to the shallow end, stopping to talk to friends—everyone knows Arnott here;she swims twice a week and treats it as a job—about their children, the viciousness（谬误）of bridge and their health.

 In fact, Arnott is an exception to the exception. Not only has she lived 20 years past the average lifespan for Canadians, she’s healthy, her mind is sharp and she lives independently.

Born in Brooklyn on May 28, 1909, Arnott was raised on Staten Island. She survived scarlet fever（猩红热）, helped bring up four siblings（兄弟姐妹）after her mother died in 1923 and worked as a secretary in New York City for 12 years, earning＄35 a week and a＄150 bonus at Christmas.

 Now she’s happy living in a one-room apartment with a kitchen and a bathroom in her daughter’s house. She wears a hearing aid, does the cryptic crossword（有隐义的纵横字谜）with a magnifying glass, and can’t really explain why she has lived so well so long.

Until recently, she has still liked to drink red wine—she used to drink two glasses before supper each day. It’s more likely genes, she admits. Her interest in other people and life in general may have had something to do with it. Asked if a star photographer can take her picture at the pool, Arnott seems cheerful.

“I look good in a swimsuit, ” she says, nodding her head firmly. “I look better in a swimsuit than I do in pants. ”

31. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A. Mary Arnott likes to swim and is known to the local people.

B. Mary Arnott is afraid to swim at the swimming pool.

C. Mary Arnott can’t swim but she likes water.

D. Mary Arnott just likes to talk to her friends at the bank of the swimming pool.

32. Which of the following is TRUE as for Mary Arnott as an exception to the exception?

A. She has lived 30 years past the average lifespan for Canadians.

B. She’s healthy and her mind is sharp.

C. She lives with her daughter.

D. She likes to live with her children and has a happy life.

33. What happened when Mary Arnott was 14?

A. She had a disease called scarlet fever but survived.

B. Her mother died and she had to help her father to bring up her sisters and brothers.

C. She found a job as a secretary in New York City.

D. She was born in Brooklyn.

34. What may Mary Arnott think of her living alone?

A. Bitter.                        B. Happy.

C. Meaningless.               D. Boring.

35. If someone asks about swimming, Mary Arnott may ________.

A. like pants                  B. like swimsuit better

C. like to sit at the bank         D. like to swim with girls

How to Be a Winner

      Sir Steven Redgrave

      Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals

      “In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes（糖尿病）．Believing my career was over, I felt extremely low．Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing．That was it ——the encouragement I needed．I could still be a winner if I believed in myself．I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes．But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't finished yet．Nothing is to stand in my way．”

      Karen Pickering

      Swimming World Champion

      “I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week．I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary．This is the key to success ——you can’t follow a career in any field without being well-organized．List what you believe you can achieve．Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them．”

      Kirsten Best

      Poet & Writer

      “When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve something．Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies．The key is to concentrate．When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘calm’, ‘peace’ or ‘focus’, either out loud or silently in my mind．It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence．This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological tool．”

45．What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?

      A．Difficulties influenced his career．

      B．Specialists offered him medical advice．

      C．Training helped him defeat his disease．

      D．He overcame the shadow of illness to win．

46．What does Karen Pickering put on top of her diary?

      A．Her sports career．                    B．Her achievements．

      C．Her daily happenings．                  D．Her training schedule．

47．What does the underlined word “distractions” probably refer to？

      A．Ways that help one to focus．

      B．Words that help one to feel less tense．

      C．Activities that turn one's attention away．

      D．Habits that make it hard for one to relax．

48．According to the passage, what do the three people have in common?

      A．Self-confidence．    B．Hard work．     C．Devotion．     D．Courage．