Mary likes to run. When she was in thirdgrade, she began training to run long distances. When she was in eighth grade,her parents agreed to let her run in the Banana Classic. The Banana Classic isa ten-kilometre race. It takes place every year in Mattydale. The winners get alifetime supply (提供) of peanuts and fruit juice.
Marypractised by running ten kilometres, twice every day. On the average run, shewould finish in thirty minutes. Last year's winner finished the race intwenty—six minutes and ten seconds!
On the day of the race, Mary ran fasterthan she ever had in the past. As she came across the last kilometre, she wasin the fourth place. She picked up the pace (步伐) and quickly reached the second place,just as she could see the finishing line. She ran as fast as she could in a maddash (冲刺) to the finishing line, but she just wasn'tfast enough to catch up with the first runner.
