How did I become a marathoner

陕西榆林市第一中学 武晓燕

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难词探意

1.flee/fliː/v.逃离

2.equivalent/ɪ'kwɪvələnt/n.相等的东西

3.sibling/'sɪblɪŋ/n.兄；弟；姐；妹

4.excel/ɪk'sel/v.擅长；突出

5.stiff/stɪf/adj.僵硬的

My name is Meb Keflezighi.I'm no longer surprised at people recognizing me.I'd run marathons since 2002,the only runner to have finished first in New York and Boston and medal at the Olympics.

Growing up in San Diego,California,I'd never imagined myself as a world-class runner.I was born in Eritrea,a small wartorn country on the Horn of Africa.We lived in a stone hut with no running water,no electricity.When I was five,my father,a freedom fighter in a war against Ethiopia—hadfledfor his life.He'd walked 225 miles over seven days to get to the Sudan—theequivalentof a marathon every day for a week.Seven years later,we immigrated to the United States. “God has great plans for you,” my father said.He insisted that my siblings and I excel at school.He woke us up at 4：30 am to study.

I'd been in America for a year when my seventh-grade gym teacher said,“Today we're going to run the mile.Do your best and I'll give you an A.”I finished first.The teacher stared at his stopwatch. “You ran a 5：20 mile without any training,” he said.He called the high school coach.“We've got a future Olympian here.”

I kept winning races,in high school and college,at UCLA,running 5 kilometers and 10 kilometers.In 2001,I set the US record for 10,000 meters.My coach convinced me I had the potential as a marathoner.I started training and,in 2002,finished ninth in the New York City Marathon.It was November.I was cold,with my bodystiffand aching.My parents had come to watch.“You don't need to do marathon,” my mother said.

Two weeks later,I traveled with my mom to rural Eritrea for the first time since I'd left.I watched how people carried water from wells miles away.I remembered again the distance my father walked so we could escape this life.Running was the talent God had blessed me with.I would honor that gift.Two years later,I finished second in the world at the 2004 Athens Olympics Marathon.My hard work had paid off.But when I told people I was a marathoner,they'd say,“You've run Boston?”So that's what I set my sights on.When my wife,Yordanos,and I were looking to buy our first house,I considered how many hills were nearby,thinking of the Boston Marathon.Then I ran Boston in 2006 and finished third.

I've retired from professional running,but I haven't left the sport.I serve as a race ambassador at marathons,encouraging those runners,and even running the occasional charity marathon.For me,it's a kind of ministry,a way of paying back all the people who were there for me.

ReadingCheck

1.What can be inferred from paragraph 2?

A.Meb grew up in a war-torn country.

B.Meb dreamed of becoming a runner when he was young.

C.Meb's father encouraged him to become a freedom fighter.

D.Meb's father attached great importance to children's study.

2.Which of the following words can best describe Meb?

A.Selfless. B.Responsible. C.Ambitious. D.Generous.

Language Study

Sentence for writing

He insisted that my siblings and I excel at school.他坚决要求我和我的兄弟姐妹在学校要表现优异。

【信息提取】insist that sb(should)do...意为“坚决要求某人做……”。

【句式仿写】我们坚决要求他和我们一起去。