ANCHORAGE, Alaska--The 2004 winner of Alaska’s famous 1,000-mile sled-dog race, the Iditarod, won again at age 53 to become the oldest champion in 2013, a year after his son became the youngest winner.

Mitch Seavey got his dogs to the finishing line first in 9 days, 7 hours, 39 minutes and 56 seconds. His son, Dallas Seavey, now 26, ended up ranking fourth, behind the older competitor, 43-year-old Aliy Zirkle, who followed four-time champion Jeff King, now 57.

Mitch Seavey, who lives in Seward, Alaska, operates a seasonal sled-dog touring business. The race was Mitch Seavey’s 20th Iditarod.

This year’s contest was marked by unusual conditions and unseasonable rain in the northern part of the trail, and conditions that Seavey said helped his team. “It seems like the tougher it is, the better we can do.”

He also thought highly of Zirkle, a New England immigrant（移民）who now lives in Two Rivers, Alaska. “She’s a great musher（赶狗拉雪橇的人）, and she’s going to win the Iditarod sometime, and probably more than once. We just had a little more energy, I think.” Zirkle, one of the most popular mushers, was greeted by shouts of  “Aliy, Ally” from the fans as she drove her dog team approaching the finishing line on Nome’s Front Street. “I am pretty happy to be here,” she said. “I was going for it.”

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is one of the few major U. S. sports events in which men and women compete on an equal footing. The name “Iditarod” dates from a local Athabascan term meaning “a far, distant place”. Youthful mushers in the race may have some physical advantages--they can do some things more easily. But more importantly, winning the race needs the experience in dog race.

The year’s event started on Saturday, March 2 with a ceremonial nm in Anchorage. Of the 66 mushers who started the race, 10 had dropped out of competition as of Tuesday night. For his victory, Mitch Seavey will take home $50,400 and a new truck.

1.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Mitch Seavey is the oldest competitor in the sled-dog race in 2013.

B. Mitch Seavey, who operates a touring business, is a New England immigrant.

C. Mitch Seavey won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 2004 and 2013.

D. Mitch Seavey managed to help his son become the youngest winner in 2012.

2.On which day did Mitch Seavey probably win the champion in the 2013 Iditarod?

A. On Saturday, March 2.               B. On Monday, March 11.

C. On Saturday, March 9.               D. On Tuesday, March 13.

3. Who ranked the 2nd place in the 2013 Iditarod according to the passage?

A. Aliy Zirkle.     B. Dallas Seavey.

C. Mitch Seavey.     D. Jeff King.

4. According to the passage, we can learn that ________.

A. the sled-dog race is the most important sports event in the US

B. experience also has a major influence on the result of the race besides age

C. men and women can’t compete in the sled-dog race together at the same time

D. all the athletes in the sled-dog race are limited by age to win the sled-dog race

Life is different in Anchorage, Alaska, at the beginning of March. Every year at this time, the downtown streets become crowded with people. But these are not just regular pedestrians. In addition to the people walking through the streets, there are hundreds of dogs. It is time for the Iditarod—the famous dogsled race of Alaska.

The name of the race comes from the name of an Alaska gold rush town, Iditarod. It means “distant” or “distant place.” It comes from one of the languages of native Alaskans.

More than sixty sled teams begin the race in Anchorage. When the teams reach the outskirts of town, they get a taste of Alaska’s wilderness. For about two weeks, they will ?ght the unbearable cold, wind, snow, and ice to ?nish the race. The temperature on the trail is often well below zero degrees.

The Iditarod trail stretches for about a thousand miles. It has many rendezvous points. At these meeting places, race teams “check in” to let of?cials know how they are doing. Some teams get into trouble along the way. Of?cials will stop them on the trail and give them the help they need. For example, of?cials might stop a team’s progress to give ?rst aid or to collect an injured or tired dog. These dogs are cared for and reunited with their owners after the race.

The Iditarod trail is an important part of Alaska’s history. A part of the trail was used by some heroic dogs and humans in 1925. In Nome, Alaska, many people were catching the deadly disease diphtheria. The whole town was in quarantine, or isolation, in order to stop this disease. The only way to get medicine to Nome was by dogsled. About twenty “mushers,” or dogsled drivers, offered to help. They wanted to save the people of Nome from this terrible trouble.

Today the Iditarod race honors this heroic journey and all of the journeys on the famous trail. As the race organizers say, the Iditarod is “the last great race on Earth.”

65.　 Which of the following is TRUE about the Iditarod race?

　　　 A. It is held every year in the downtown streets in Anchorage.

　　　 B. It usually lasts about two weeks in freezing cold weather.

　　　 C. It is held to honor the gold seekers who once lived in Iditarod.

　　　 D. Its trail is totally different from the one used by some heroic dogs

66.　 In the race, it’s possible for a seriously injured dog _____.

　　　 A. to finish the race unnoticed　　　　　　　　　 B. to meet its owner again

　　　 C. to work for a new owner 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. to get timely treatment

67.　 When a town is in quarantine (in paragraph 4), people in the town _____.

　　　 A. can get whatever they want easily

　　　 B. have to exchange gold for medicine

C. are not allowed to go out freely 　　

D. will be remembered as heroes

68.　 The passage is mainly about _____.

　　　 A. life in Alaska　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. a dogsled race of Alaska

　　　 C. a period of Alaska’s history　　　　　　　　　 D. heroic dogs and people in Alaska

Before Alaska became part of the U.S., it had been owned by Russia. Trading posts and small settlements were scattered along the coast. The rest of land was left unexplored. The Russians were mainly interested in the wealth of furs from the vast herds of seals they found there.

By the mid-1800’s, most of the seal herds had been wiped out, and Russia no longer wanted to keep Alaska. William Seward, Secretary of State for President Johnson, believed the United States should buy Alaska from Russia. President Johnson wasn’t so sure it was a wise way to spend U.S. money, but he agreed to let Seward discuss it with the Russians. Acting quickly, Seward made a deal. On March 30, 1867, he signed an agreement for the U.S. to pay seven million dollars for the land.

Many people thought it was a foolish waste of America’s money. They called the deal “Seward’s folly”. Then gold was discovered in Alaska and public opinion changed quickly.

Seward did not live to see the true value of Alaska. He died in 1872, five years after making the purchase (购买). Each year, Alaska’s natural resources have brought in many times the $7,000,000 paid for it. Natural gas, coal, oil, lumber, seafood and other minerals, besides the gold first found, have made it a valuable addition to the United States. In 1959, Alaska became the 49th state of the United States.

1.The Russians wanted to sell Alaska because ______.

A．they thought it wasn’t a good place

B．they thought it didn’t belong to Russia

C．they couldn’t find enough seals there

D．they wanted to earn more money from the U.S.

2.When Seward signed the agreement, many people thought ______.

A．he wasted U.S. money                    B．it had its true value

C．it was a successful deal                   D．he was clever

3.Which of the following things was found first in Alaska? 

A．Gas.              B．Coal.             C．Oil.              D．Gold.

4.Before 1959, the United States had ______.

A．37 states          B．48 states          C．49 states          D．50 states

5.The best title for this passage would probably be ______.

A．Alaska, a beautiful place                  B．Alaska with natural resources

C．Alaska, home to seals                     D．Alaska, the 49th state of the U.S.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska--The 2004 winner of Alaska’s famous 1,000-mile sled-dog race, the Iditarod, won again at age 53 to become the oldest champion in 2013, a year after his son became the youngest winner.
Mitch Seavey got his dogs to the finishing line first in 9 days, 7 hours, 39 minutes and 56 seconds. His son, Dallas Seavey, now 26, ended up ranking fourth, behind the older competitor, 43-year-old Aliy Zirkle, who followed four-time champion Jeff King, now 57.
Mitch Seavey, who lives in Seward, Alaska, operates a seasonal sled-dog touring business. The race was Mitch Seavey’s 20th Iditarod.
This year’s contest was marked by unusual conditions and unseasonable rain in the northern part of the trail, and conditions that Seavey said helped his team. “It seems like the tougher it is, the better we can do.”
He also thought highly of Zirkle, a New England immigrant（移民）who now lives in Two Rivers, Alaska. “She’s a great musher（赶狗拉雪橇的人）, and she’s going to win the Iditarod sometime, and probably more than once. We just had a little more energy, I think.” Zirkle, one of the most popular mushers, was greeted by shouts of  “Aliy, Ally” from the fans as she drove her dog team approaching the finishing line on Nome’s Front Street. “I am pretty happy to be here,” she said. “I was going for it.”
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is one of the few major U. S. sports events in which men and women compete on an equal footing. The name “Iditarod” dates from a local Athabascan term meaning “a far, distant place”. Youthful mushers in the race may have some physical advantages--they can do some things more easily. But more importantly, winning the race needs the experience in dog race.
The year’s event started on Saturday, March 2 with a ceremonial nm in Anchorage. Of the 66 mushers who started the race, 10 had dropped out of competition as of Tuesday night. For his victory, Mitch Seavey will take home $50,400 and a new truck

1. 1.

   Which of the following is true according to the passage?

   1. A.
      Mitch Seavey is the oldest competitor in the sled-dog race in 2013
   2. B.
      Mitch Seavey, who operates a touring business, is a New England immigrant
   3. C.
      Mitch Seavey won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 2004 and 2013
   4. D.
      Mitch Seavey managed to help his son become the youngest winner in 2012
2. 2.

   On which day did Mitch Seavey probably win the champion in the 2013 Iditarod?

   1. A.
      On Saturday, March 2
   2. B.
      On Monday, March 11
   3. C.
      On Saturday, March 9
   4. D.
      On Tuesday, March 13
3. 3.

   Who ranked the 2nd place in the 2013 Iditarod according to the passage?

   1. A.
      Aliy Zirkle
   2. B.
      Dallas Seavey
   3. C.
      Mitch Seavey
   4. D.
      Jeff King
4. 4.

   According to the passage, we can learn that ________

   1. A.
      the sled-dog race is the most important sports event in the US
   2. B.
      experience also has a major influence on the result of the race besides age
   3. C.
      men and women can’t compete in the sled-dog race together at the same time
   4. D.
      all the athletes in the sled-dog race are limited by age to win the sled-dog race

Winterlake Lodge
Winterlake lodge, located at mile 194 along the historic Iditarod Trail, offers good accommodation in Alaska's remote wilderness. Join owner and cook Kirsten Dixon in the kitchen for a wine tasting or cooking class, soak(泡) in the hot tub or relax by the fire or in the lakeside wood burning sauna(蒸气浴室).
ITINERARY(旅行计划)
Day 1: Anchorage to Winterlake
Depart from Anchorage's Lake Hood via ski plane for your one hour flight to Winterlake Lodge. We will take you to your comfortable cabin.
Days 2+: Winterlake Lodge.
Each day is free to enjoy all the activities included with your stay. Activities include dog mushing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, yoga, meditation and massage.
Lodge owner and famous cook Kirsten Dixon also offers daily cooking classes in the large kitchen.
Departure Day: After breakfast, depart on a scenic flight back to Anchorage. Tour ends on arrival.
ACTIVITIES
Outdoor activities include sled dog rides, guided cross country skiing and snowshoe excursions(远足), snowmobiling, and exploratory trips through Rainy Pass. If you prefer a more thorough dog sledding experience, try the 4-day sled dog school. Lodge-based activities include cooking classes, wine tasting, yoga, meditation, stretching and massage. If you are not able to participate in the culinary(烹任的) weekends, don't worry－when you visit the lodge, you will have plenty of opportunity to cook and share you culinary skill.
DATES OF OPERATION
December 15, 2009 to March 31, 2010: Daily departures
Lodge is NOT available from March 6, 7 or 8, 2010, due to being an Iditarod Check-Point.
PRICE PER PERSON

2009/2010 Winter Rates
	Per Person
Regular Winter 2 day/ 2 night stays	$ 1,500
Regular Winter 3 day/ 3 night stays	$ 2,000
Regular Winter 4 day/ 4 night stays	$ 2,500
Culinary weekend stays	$2, 317
** Rates are based on a 2-person minimum and on 24-hour periods. Single rates upon request.

A．To provide travel information.	B．To introduce a cooking school.
C．To provide guide service.	D．To introduce a sled dog school