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READING 4 Cycling for a Cause
CYCLING
for a CAUSE
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Cyclists during the Sac Valley World AIDS Day Bike Ride in Davis, California, USA
Read the following article. Pay special attention to the words in bold. 8.6
In 1994, a Californian named Dan Pallotta saw many people around him die of AIDS. He decided to see what he could do to raise money for AIDS research. He organized a bike ride from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Each rider asked friends and relatives to give donations to support the ride. His AIDS rides continued to grow. After nine years, 182,000 riders had participated, raising almost $600 million for charity research. Many more organizations started to have AIDS bike rides, raising millions of dollars.
Mimi Gordon, who has done several AIDS rides, wrote this in her journal:
I used to think that one person’s contribution was not very important. But I was wrong. In 1998, I went on my first AIDS ride, from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Even though I bike to and from work every day (20 miles round trip), I wasn’t used to riding long distances all at once. Also, I live in Chicago, where I was used to riding on flat land. I trained for about six months before the ride, riding at least 150 miles a week.
I used to own just a 10-speed road bike, but I realized that I would need a suitable bike for the long, hilly ride. I bought a new 24-speed mountain bike. I completed the ride and raised almost $5,000 for AIDS research. I felt so good about it that I started looking for more rides to do.
In 2001, I did the Alaska ride, which was especially difficult. It was mountainous, but that was not all: It was much colder than expected. Some of the riders couldn’t get used to the cold and had to quit. But I’m proud to say that I finished it. I can’t believe I used to doubt what one person can do.
COMPREHENSION Based on the reading, write T for true or F for false.
1. In the first year of the AIDS ride, Dan Pallotta raised $600 million. 2. The first AIDS ride was from Los Angeles to San Francisco. 3. Mimi did a total of four AIDS rides.
