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Question 5: Every year since 1986, some of the world's most daring runners have gathered in the desert ofMorocco.
They are there to take part in one of the most difficult races in the world. The Marathon of the Sands,
as it
is called, covers over 125 miles of desert and mountain wilderness. The runners complete the course
in
fewer than seven days, and they run with their food, clothing, and sleeping bags on their backs. The
Marathon of the Sands was founded in 1986 by Patrick Bauer. His idea was to give the runners, who
come from all over the world, a special kind of adventure. Most of the runners in this race have found
that
they form deep friendships with the other runners during their days and nights in the desert. Facing
terrible heat and complete exhaustion, they learn much about themselves and each other. For most
of the
runners, though, the challenge of the race is the main reason for coming. On the first day, for
example,
they run fifteen miles across a desert of sand, rocks, and thorny bushes. Few runners finish the day
without blistered and raw feet. They also suffer from a lack of water. (They are allowed less than nine
quarts of water during each day of the race.) Most of all, they are exhausted when they arrive at the
campsite for the night. The second day, the runners are up at 6:00 A. M. Within a few hours, it is 100
degrees F, but the runners do not hesitate. They must cover eighteen miles that day. That night, they
rest.
They must be ready for the next day's run. On the third day, the runners must climb giant sand
dunes- the
first they have faced. Dust and sand mix with the runners' sweat. Soon their faces are caked with
mud.
After fifteen miles of these conditions, the runners finally reach their next camp. The race continues
like
this for four more days. The fourth and fifth days are the worst. On the fourth day, the runners pass
through a level stretch and a beautiful, tree-filled oasis, but then, on this and on the next day, they
cross
more than twenty-one miles of rocks and sand dunes. The temperature soars to 125 degrees F, and
many
runners cannot make it. Helicopters rush fallen runners to medical help. Runners who make it to the
end
of the fifth day know that the worst is over. On the sixth day, heat and rocks punish the racers
terribly. In
the Valley of Dra, the wind picks up and, as the desert heat is thrust against them with great force,
they
grow more and more exhausted. The seventh day is the last, with only twelve miles to be covered.
The
dusty, tired, blistered runners set out at daybreak. Near the finish line, children race along with the
runners, for everybody has caught the excitement. The ones who have run the whole marathon know
they
have accomplished what most people could not even dream of. "During the hard moments," says on
e
contestant who has raced here twice, "I'd think, 'Why am I here?' Then I'd realize I was there to find
my
limits."
What is the main idea of this passage?
A. The Marathon of the Sands race tests the limits of human endurance.
B. The runners run at their own pace.
C. The race causes the strong to stumble and the weak to not finish.
D. The seventh day is the hardest day of the race.
E. Every runner runs the race to find their human limits.
Correct Answer: A
