When I entered Oxford University, I wasn’t particularly interested in joining the rowing club. I just wanted to know what it is like to row in one of those narrow boats, so I signed up with the intention of quitting after the first session. At least that’s what I thought.
Six months later, I found myself sitting in a rowing boat with three teammates, waiting for a 2000-meter race to start. In the boat alongside us sat a crew from the university’s team, two of whom had won medals at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. My crew was only rowing at college-level and we had only trained a few times as a team, so facing such strong athletes was quite terrifying. I tried to focus my mind on the race, not on my opponents.
Go! We pushed off with all our might and rowed as fast as we could. As we reached the halfway mark, the other crew was ahead of us. But to my amazement we were gaining on them. If we could win the race, we would get through to the final! We pushed even harder, ignoring the pain in our legs and drawing energy from the cheers of our college friends. I could already sense the sweet taste of victory.
But then, disaster. One of my teammates lost control of his oar (桨), knocking him nearly out of the boat. We came to a sudden stop, and watched as our opponents crossed the finishing line. It was the most disappointing moment in my life. I wanted to punch my teammate who had ruined everything and push him into the water. But when I saw how angry he was with himself, I gave him a hug.
Although we lost, I’m still proud of how well we did that day facing a much stronger team. What I remember now is the thrill of racing, not the pain of defeat.
【小题1】What was the author’s attitude to rowing in the beginning?| A．He was curious about rowing. | B．He was fond of rowing. |
| C．He was eager to win in a rowing race. | D．He was tired of rowing. |
| A．Worried. | B．Terrified. | C．Disappointed. | D．Surprised. |
| A．A group member made a mistake. | B．The opponents were too strong. |
| C．They were worn out. | D．They hurt their legs. |
| A．Nothing is impossible. | B．Trying your best is the best award. |
| C．The early bird catches the worm. | D．Never quit until the last minute. |
