题目内容：

Open water swimming

I had only swum in open water a few times, and always in gentle lakes, so I wasn’t prepared for how rough Lake Windermere appeared on a cold day. A swimmer told me the water felt colder than it had been measured, and that the water was a bit rough. But I, along with 10,000 others, was about to complete the challenge.

Most of the people taking part were doing a one-mile race, and 10 races were planned over the weekend. There seemed to be a mix of open-water enthusiasts alongside complete beginners—which is precisely the aim of the swims, to get as many people as possible completing their own challenge. The oldest woman competing was 77, taking part in the two-mile race, alongside a man who last year had swum in every one-mile race.

I had chosen the third one-mile race of the day. There were over 600 people in my race. We were taken through an acclimatization area, a children’s paddling pool-sized part of the lake where we moved in to feel how cold the water was. “Not too bad” was everyone’s thought! Then we headed out towards the middle of the lake.

We’d been warned that the first 100 metres would be really rough. However, somewhere near the 750m mark I was still waiting for the calm; it felt more like swimming in the sea than a lake. I tried to focus on my breathing and technique, and just keep going. As I approached the 400m-to-go mark my lower right leg became painful. I recalled overhearing people talking about how they kept swimming through the pain, so I tried. But it didn’t work. I began to feel the entire leg tight and painful. I didn’t want to stop, so I bent my right knee and just kicked with the left leg.

Finally I saw the finishing post, and I just concentrated on getting there—still one-legged. My finishing time was 38 minutes 25 seconds but that didn’t matter—the atmosphere was fantastic and everyone felt a sense of achievement, whatever their time. I’m hooked, and want to give it another go. I’ve already signed up for my next open-water swim.

1.How did the author feel before the race?

A. Scared of the most challenging race.

B. Disappointed by the difficult conditions.

C. Concerned about the other swimmers in the race.

D. Determined to be as tough as the people around her.

2.Why does the author mention the two people in Paragraph 2?

A. To stress the importance of the race.

B. To praise the experienced swimmers.

C. To show the wide range of the participants.

D. To introduce the various events of the race.

3.The author suggests in Paragraph 4 that ______.

A. the race would cause breathing problems

B. the race became harder than she had expected

C. it was really necessary to prepare for tough swims

D. it would have been easier if she had taken others’ advice

4.What does the author talk about in the last paragraph?

A. Her confidence in her own ability.

B. Her pride in having swum so quickly.

C. Her eagerness to repeat the experience.

D. Her surprise at having managed to finish.