A．The triathlon is a demanding sport．Many say that it is a real test of an athlete's body and mind．It is difficult because it is three sports in one．It includes swimming for 2．4 miles（3．84 kilometers），bicycling for 112 miles（180 kilometers），and running for 26．2 miles（41．9 kilometers）．It takes a lot of strength and willpower to compete．The top triathletes finish all three events in about 8 hours．This sport is a real challenge．First，it takes time and stamina to train for competitions．Some people spend up to 8 months training for the race．The training demands a lot of physical energy and strength．During training，the althetes will bike 320 km，swim 10 km，and run 56 km every week．Second，it takes money to compete．The equipment is not cheap．Bicycles for this event can cost up to ＄10．000．Top quality swimming gear and running shoes are expensive．Athletes have to pay to enter the race．Third，athletes must have strong minds．It takes willpower to push themselves to keep training to reach their goal．
B．The triathlon is a recent sport．Triathlons began in California in the early 1970s．There，some athletes started the three-sport race because they wanted to make their training exciting．One of these athletes moved to Hawaii and took the sport with him．In 1978，competitors held the first professional triathlon race in Hawaii．It was called the Ironman World Championship．In 1982，this race became famous because of the televised performance of Julie Moss．She was twenty-three years old，and it was her first competition．Exhausted，she was running toward the finish line．Suddenly，3 meters before the line，she fell down．She tried to get up，but she kept falling．She finally crawled across the finish line．Television cameras showed the world her dramatic struggle．She lost that year，but she tried again．This was the start of the Ironman's popularity．
C．Today，triathlons are much more popular among ordinary athletes．People of all ages—from teens to seventies—can compete，as long as they are in good physical condition．In fact，it has become a GREat family sport，with fathers and mothers training with their sons and daughters．Triathletes are special people who have time in their lives for careers and families．Most are highly educated and earn top salaries in their jobs．They are people who are very competitive．Many triathletes are happily married．In fact，two-thirds of triathletes say that training has a positive influence on their marriages．Today，the triathlon is an Olympic sport and a respected event worldwide．
A）Write the letter of the paragraph that best fits each of these main ideas．
1．_________ Today，the triathlon is a sport that many people can train to competein．
2．_________ Triathlon competitions are a new development in the history ofsport．
3．_________ A triathlete has to be very strong in many different ways to practice this sport．
B）Complete the following statements．
1．The triathlon is a test of an athlete's _________ ．
A．mind．B．body．C．mind and body
2．The triathlon is a combination of _________ sports．
A．two B．three C．eight
3．People need up to _________ months to train for a competition．
A．8 B．7．C．6
4．The first Ironman competition was held in Hawaii in _________ ．
A．1970 B．1978 C．1982
5．People can compete in a triathlon _________ ．
A．at a young age B．at an old age C．at any age
C）Answer the following information questions．
1．What does it take to compete in the triathlon？
2．Why did athletes introduce a three-sport race into their trianing？
3．How did the Ironman become famous？
4．How did Julie Moss finish her first competition？
5．What are two positive qualities of triathletes？
参考答案：A）1．C 2．B 3．A
B）1．C 2．B 3．A 4．B 5．C
C）1．It takes a lot of strength and willpower to compete．
2．Because they wanted to make their training exciting．
3．In 1982，it became famous because of the televised performance of Julie Moss．
4．Three meters before the line，she fell down．She tried to get up，but she kept falling．She finally crawled across the finish line．
5．Special people who have time in their lives for careers and family．Many triathletes are happily married．
