B2 Unit 3 課文重點

Unit 3  The Last Runner

1. 課文

In my town, the 1_____ marathon is very popular. One year, I joined the marathon 2_____ team. My job was [to follow the runners in an ambulance and give them medical 3_____ if they needed it]. There were a hundred runners in the race. “Remember to drive slowly,” I told the ambulance driver as we began moving 4_____, “because we 5__________ stay behind the last runner.” As the fastest runners 6_____ in the 7_____, I noticed a 8_____ who was moving very slowly. 9_____, I knew she would be our last runner. Both her feet were turned in, but her left knee was turned out. Her legs were so 10_____ that it was probably difficult for her to walk. It would be even more difficult for her to run a marathon. The driver and I watched in 11_____ and in 12_____ as she 13_____ forward. We drove slowly behind her. Every time she stopped, we would just stop and wait for her to continue. Before long, she was the very last runner 14__________. We stayed behind her, and the strong 15_____ that she showed 16_____ me 16__________. In the last few miles of the marathon, she still stopped once in a while, but then she would 17__________ running in a slow, determined way. Several hours later, we finally reached the finish line. Most of the 18_____ had already gone home. However, at the finish line stood a man who was still waiting for the last runner. He looked very proud of her. In his left hand was one end of a paper ribbon, and the other end was fastened to a post. Very slowly, the woman crossed the finish line and broke the ribbon into two pieces like a winning runner. I never knew this woman’s name, but since then, she has changed my 19_____ toward 20_____ in life. For her, the marathon was not about 21__________ in the race. It was about finishing something that she had started, 22__________ it might be difficult. Now, when I feel that things are too difficult or time-consuming, I think of that amazing woman, the “last runner.” Then, I realize how small my own problems really are.

[Ans.] 1. annual   2. medical   3. treatment   4. forward 5. are supposed to   6. disappeared   7. distance   8. participant 9. Immediately   10. bent   11. silence   12. amazement 13. struggled   14. in sight   15. determination 16. moved; to tears   17. go on   18. crowd   19. attitude 20. challenges   21. coming in first   22. even if

Reading

在我居住的小鎮，一年一度的馬拉松賽跑非常盛行。有一年，我加入馬拉松醫療團隊。我的工作就是要在救護車裡跟隨這些跑者，在他們需要的時候給予醫療協助。

1­1 My job was [to follow the runners in an ambulance and give them medical treatment if they needed it].
(1) 此為不定詞片語當主詞補語的用法，用 

來說明主詞的內容。例：
‧Karen’s dream is to study abroad after

she graduates from college.

(2) ...if they needed it.
這裡的if子句屬於直說語氣的條件子句，表示假設情況有可能發生，因在過去時間發生，故用過去式；教師可提醒學生，此句不是與現在事實相反的假設語氣。

有一百位跑者參與這場賽跑。「記得要開慢一點，」當我們開始往前移動時，我這樣告訴救護車駕駛，「因為我們應該要待在最後一位跑者後面。」

2­1 “Remember to drive slowly,” I...as we began moving forward....
(1) remember + to V 表示「記得要……(表

動作尚未發生)」，而remember + V­ing

則是「記得已經……(表動作已發生

過)」。例：

‧Remember to turn off the light when

you leave the room.

‧I remember seeing Toby walking out

of the office an hour ago.

(2) as在此為連接詞，表示「當……的時候」，意義等同when或while。例：
‧As Joan was doing her homework, her  

brother came home.

當速度最快的跑者們身影消失在遠方時，我注意到一位移動非常緩慢的參賽者。我立刻就知道她會是我們的最後一位跑者。她的兩腳都向內彎曲，但是她的左膝卻往外彎。她的雙腿是如此彎曲以至於她連走路可能都有困難。參加馬拉松賽跑對她來說一定更加艱難。

3­1 As the fastest runners...a participant [who was moving very slowly].
(1) as在此亦為連接詞，表示「當……的時

候」。
(2) who was moving very slowly為關係子

句的限定用法，修飾先行詞a participant，詳細用法請參見本課句型解析一。

3­2 ...so bent that it was probably difficult for her to walk.
(1) so + Adj/Adv + that...為「如此……以至 

於……」之意。例：
‧It was so cold that we decided to stay

home.
‧Alan studied so hard that he got good

grades on the final exams.

(2) ...it was probably difficult for her to

walk.

文法一點通

It + be + Adj + for sb + to V.... it為虛主詞，代替後面真正的主詞to V。例： ‧It is important for students to have breakfast every morning.

3­3 ...run a marathon.
 run/take part in a marathon為「跑/參加馬

拉松」之意。例：
‧More than two thousand people are going  

to run the marathon tomorrow.

當她艱難地一點一點往前進時，我跟救護車駕駛沉默又驚訝地看著。我們慢慢地開在她身後。每次她停下來，我們也會停下來，然後等她繼續前進。不久後，她成為視線所及的最後一位跑者了。

4­1 Every time she stopped, we would just stop and wait for her to continue.
(1) every time為連接詞，表示「每次，每 

當」，相當於whenever之意。例：
‧Every time Lesley feels sad, she eats

chocolate.

(2) wait for sb/sth to V表示「等待某人或某事……」。例：

‧The children are waiting excitedly for the summer vacation to come.

4­2 Before long, she was the very last runner....
(1) before long = soon ，為「不久」之意。

例：
‧My cousin told me he would visit me

before long.

(2) the very後面可搭配first、last、same、

own或最高級best、latest、worst等字以

加強語氣，表示「最為……，極

其……」。例：
‧It is interesting that my good friend

and I were born on the very same day.
‧These poor people live in the very

worst conditions.

我們繼續跟在她後面，而她所展現出來的強烈決心讓我感動落淚。在馬拉松賽程的最後幾英里，她有時候還是會停下來，但是又繼續用緩慢、堅定的方式向前移動。

5­1 ...the strong determination [that she showed] moved me to tears.
that she showed為關係子句的限定用法，修飾先行詞the strong determination，詳細用法請參見本課句型解析一。

5­2 (every) once in a while = from time to time = sometimes，表示「有時候」之意。例：

‧Peter studies in the library once in a while, but he usually studies at home.

幾個小時後，我們終於抵達了終點線。大部分人群早已回家。然而，就在終點線那裡站了一位仍然在等待這名最後跑者的男人。他非常驕傲地看著她。他的左手拿著紙緞帶的一端，而緞帶的另一端則是繫在柱子上。非常緩慢地，女跑者越過了終點線，像勝利的跑者一樣將緞帶截斷成兩半。

6­1 Most of the crowd had already gone home.
這裡用過去完成式表示動作比前一句we finally reached the finish line更早發生。

6­2 ...at the finish line stood a man....
這裡是地方副詞倒裝句構，詳細用法請參見本課句型解析二。

6­3 In his left hand was one end of a paper ribbon, and the other end was fastened to a post.
(1) in his...ribbon為地方副詞倒裝句構，詳 

細用法請參見本課句型解析二。
(2) the other表示「另一……」，當人、事、

物明確只有兩者時，先提到的用one  

指稱，後提到的則用the other指稱。 例：
‧One of my parents likes outdoor

activities, while the other just enjoys

staying at home.

(3) A be fastened to B表示「A被繫在B

上」。例：
‧The dog that was fastened to the tree

kept barking.

6­4 ...broke the ribbon into two pieces....
break sth into pieces表示「使……碎裂成片」。例：
‧George dropped the plate and broke it into  

several pieces.

我從未得知這名女子的名字，但是從那時候開始，她改變了我面對人生挑戰的態度。對她而言，這場馬拉松目的不是要在賽跑比賽中贏得第一名，而是將她開始進行的事情完成，即使它可能很艱難。現在，當我覺得事情太困難或是太費時的時候，我便會想起那位令人讚嘆的女性，那「最後一位跑者」。然後，我便了解自己的問題是多麼微不足道。

7­1 ...since then, she has changed my attitude toward challenges in life.
(1) since then為「since + 過去某個時間點」 

的用法，表示「從過去某個時間點持續

到現在的動作或狀態」，因此句子的時

態多用現在完成式。例：
‧I met Terry five years ago. Since then,

we have been good friends.

(2) attitude toward/to sth/sb意指「對於……的態度」。例：
‧Although Eddie was very poor, he still had a positive attitude toward life.

7­2 about為介系詞，表示「目的是……，為了……」之意，後接名詞或動名詞。例：
‧For me, work is not about making   

money. It is about self­worth.

7­3 It was about finishing something [that she had started]....
(1) it是指前一句提到的the marathon。
(2) that she had started為限定用法的關係 

子句，修飾先行詞something。要特別

注意的是，因先行詞為不定代名詞

something，故that不可用which取代。

7­4 ...I think of that amazing woman, the “last runner.”
(1) think of為「想起，想到」之意。例：
   ‧I remembered meeting that girl the   

other day, but I couldn’t think of her name.

(2) the last runner為that amazing woman的同位語。

7­5 ...I realize [how small my own problems really are].
此為疑問詞how引導的間接問句，作realize的受詞。例：
‧Danny has realized how lucky he is to   

have a happy family.