I tried to ask why, but he had already set off. I tried to catch up; as I got closer, he took it as a challenge and sped up. We raced along the road. I rode a little faster and I was just behind, about to catch up with him. With a smile, he sped up and was away, leaving me breathless.

　　【语篇解读】　本文是记叙文。文章主要介绍了作者在非洲马达加斯加骑行遇到困难的时候，一位当地人激励自己继续骑行的故事。

　　1．What was in the author's mind when he was in the mud?

　　A．He considered his experience a special pleasure.

　　B．He made up his mind to continue challenging himself.

　　C．He tried to think out a new road for cycling in Antalaha.

　　D．He regretted having the cycling holiday in Madagascar.

　　答案与解析：D　推理判断题。根据第一段中的"I wondered what had forced me to come here"及下文对马达加斯加当地路况的介绍可知，作者来到这里骑行发现路况很差，这让他后悔不已。

　　2．What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?

　　A．The author chose another road.

　　B．The author decided to ask for help.

　　C．The author lay on the road for a rest.

　　D．The author had no confidence to ride on.

　　答案与解析：D　句意理解题。根据第二段中的"but my dream of a smooth road... for days"及Tired可知，泥泞的道路使作者疲惫不堪，让他失去了继续骑行的信心。

　　3．How did the Malagasy man help the author?

　　A．By showing him the right way.

　　B．By wiping the mud from his bike.

　　C．By riding in front of him all the way.

　　D．By teaching him how to ride in the mud.

　　答案与解析：C　推理判断题。根据第三段中的"Studying my quick guide"及第四段中的"I tried to catch up; as I got closer, he took it as a challenge and sped up"可知，那个马达加斯加男人一直在作者前面骑行来鼓励他。

　　4．What's the best title for the text?

A．A lonely trip B．A bicycle race