I started powerlifting when I was 65. I worked in real estate in Michigan for about 35 years, and when I retired I decided to lose a bit of weight. A friend’s husband, Art Little, who is a personal trainer, invited me to his gym. He introduced me to powerlifting and he is still my trainer now.
The first time I went, he gave me a broomstick to lift. The next day I told myself I wouldn’t return, but I heard a voice in my head telling me to go back. So, I ended up returning day after day. After a few weeks, my trainer encouraged me to go to a tournament to watch others compete. I was really amazed, but there was no one of my age. I asked my trainer if he thought I could do it, and he said, “Oh, sure.” The first time I competed was at a state meet. I was amazed that I won, because the others had been doing it far longer. I just came in after two months’ practice and defeated them all. After that, I knew powerlifting was for me.
My trainer had me going to the gym three times a week. I improved so quickly because I was consistent. If I was supposed to be there on Monday, I would be there, regardless of whether it was a holiday, or rainy or snowy day. I didn’t miss a day—and that’s how I’m up to the weight I’m lifting now, although the gains happened slowly. Each year, I was getting better.
I’m 79 now and I tell people of my age that they can do this, too; they just have to be consistent and start with something small.
1. Why did the author go back to the gym?| A．She felt ashamed of her behavior. |
| B．The trainer persuaded her to go back. |
| C．The broomstick was easy for her to lift. |
| D．The inner power from her heart made her to go on. |
| A．She could go to the gym and practice. | B．She had a win in the competition. |
| C．She gained confidence from the trainer. | D．She was the oldest one in the competition. |
| A．Diligent and curious. | B．Determined and smart. |
| C．Hard-working and humorous. | D．Persistent and devoted. |
| A．No pains, no gains. | B．Better late than never. |
| C．A little labor, much health. | D．Do things consistently. |
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【推荐1】A Florida teen is gaining national attention with her graduation speech and a basket of strawberries. “Care for some strawberries?” Brenda said at her graduation from Mulberry High School. After jokingly admitting there might not be enough, she went on, “These are no ordinary strawberries.” She held up a series of strawberries, revealing what each represents: sweat, dirt aches, and pains — they’re her motivators.
Brenda described herself as the daughter of two tireless farmers who immigrated (移民) from Mexico and spent most of their days working in fields of strawberries, blueberries, and cucumbers. “My motivation has been rooted in my immigrant culture.” Because of this, she chose to focus on that in her address. “Many students used to be ashamed of their upbringing but today, we’re proud of what makes us.”
She explained how she grew up under poor conditions. “I’m motivated by my parents’ hands that lose feeling from farm work. Despite the hot sun and body pains, they back me up heart and soul in my education, which weighs more strongly with me than anything else. I must work hard and succeed.” Brenda’s heading to Stanford University this fall. She also credited some of her outstanding achievements to her teacher Higgins, who helps immigrant students and the poor.
Her speech has been viewed by thousands online. “Hearing it touched other people’s hearts who said they understood my message, I’m struck the same,” Brenda said later. The principal of Mulberry High School, Michael Young, was one member of the audience getting emotional “The speech was very powerful-her fruit did help paint a good picture of things she wanted to convey,” Young said.
As for her message to young people struggling, Brenda said, “Past circumstances aren’t in charge of your future. If you’re from a poor family, use every resource and try to better yourself. You’re the author of your story.”
1. Why did Brenda bring strawberries to her graduation?| A．To share her home-grown fruit. |
| B．To better explain her speech’s topic. |
| C．To show hardship her parents faced. |
| D．To stress the importance of motivators. |
| A．Her native culture. | B．Her life experience. |
| C．Support from her parents. | D．Help from her teacher. |
| A．Your life is what you make it. |
| B．Every cloud has a silver lining. |
| C．Everyone deserves a good life story. |
| D．Resources in hand decide your future. |
【推荐2】How to Carry out Consistent Practice
Consistency is a great characteristic to build in your life. The key to consistency is setting and achieving specific goals. Here are some ways to help you through the process.
Create specific and realistic goals.
Create a schedule. It can be easy to pile on tasks and promises, but a calendar, planner, or schedule will keep you on track. A schedule will help you plan your day so that you get everything done on time.
Make promises only if you can keep them. Consistency often involves making commitments and keeping them. It is easy to fail, however, if you make too many promises.
Reward yourself when you get something done. If you do complete your goals, give yourself a reward. For example, if you’ve managed to complete your work by 5 pm every day for a week, take an evening off.
| A．Find a suitable place. |
| B．Place reminders around. |
| C．Go to a movie or treat yourself to a special dinner. |
| D．If you think a request may be difficult to do, say no. |
| E．If you can not keep your promises, your friends won’t be rewarded, either. |
| F．It will also help you understand what tasks you do and do not have time for. |
| G．It’s hard to be consistent if you don’t have a strong idea of what you need to do . |
【推荐3】Before I turned 10, I lost my parents. I lived alone in a room that a family member allowed me to use rent-free. To support myself, I began to deliver newspapers.
I would be up every morning by 5 am and walk five kilometers to the newspaper office. By 6 am, I would collect 50 copies of Manzil. After distributing (分发) the copies, I would rush home—another 3 kilometers—quickly eat and be off to high school.
One winter morning in 1945, I got home after my deliveries to find a boy of my age at my doorstep. He introduced himself as Afzal and said his father wanted to see me.
I was greeted at the door by Afzal’s mother, Naseem. She served tea and snacks as Afzal’s father, Mr. Kader, joined us. She gently asked me about my daily routine. I told her about my morning job.
Later, as I was about to leave after thanking them, Mr. Kader asked me to wait. Naseem asked me, “How many miles do you walk every day?”
“A little more than six,” I replied.
My reply shocked her. I saw Mr. Kader wheeling a new bicycle.
“This is for you!” he said.
It took a few seconds for the love to sink in. I didn’t realize tears were rolling down my face.
Mr. Kader said, “Your newspaper editor is a friend of mine. He gave me your address, so I knew you lived close by. Then Afzal told us more about you.”
I bowed, gratefully, shook hands with Afzal and left. This time I did not have to walk—I had the bicycle.
The bicycle saved my life for many years thereafter and taught me a lifelong lesson: Help should always be need-based. Never try to feed a person who is dying of thirst.
1. What difficulty did the author have when he delivered the newspaper?| A．His bike is too broken to use. | B．He had no money to rent a room. |
| C．He did have enough time to school. | D．It is a long way to deliver newspapers. |
| A．Confused | B．Uninterested |
| C．Moved | D．Satisfied |
| A．From his friend. | B．From newspaper. |
| C．From his neighbors. | D．From the authors teacher. |
| A．Do whatever you can to help others. |
| B．Know what others need when giving help. |
| C．Helping should avoid hurting other’s feelings. |
| D．You should be grateful for whoever helps you. |
【推荐1】An estimated 1 to 2 million people work out in virtual reality monthly. If you’re like me and find it hard to spend meaningful time in the gym, VR fitness might be for you. Here are my picks from the apps I’ve tested:
①Les Mills BodyCombat: Les Mills BodyCombat is great for beginners with a lot to offer—the works center around punching, squatting, and knee-striking targets. While the update added workouts and a new mixed reality mode showing you the room around you, I still look to other apps and games for variety. It also doesn’t have a “cool down” after the workouts—so I’ll typically switch to another app after my workout to relax. $30/ one time purchase
②FitXR: FitXR is a subscription-based app with a diverse line of workouts. A recent update added Zumba and a mixed reality mode called Slam to a list that includes boxing, combat, high-intensity interval training, sculpt and dance. I enjoy FitXR quite a bit, but it’s not my top recommendation due to the cost, the poor pictures, and some missing mixed-reality options. $9.99/month
③Supernatural: Supernatural is one of the most popular VR fitness apps. Unsurprisingly, it’s a polished experience with beautiful locations from around the world, popular music you’ll recognize, and energetic trainers with two main workout types—Boxing and Flow.$3.00/one time purchase
④Xponential + : Xponential +, the newest offering for Quest platforms, has partnered with other workout studios to bring their workouts to reality. I love how the app brings the work out into your living room by displaying a small version of the trainer on your floor or ceiling when it detects that you’re in a plank, pushup, or lying on your back. $9.99/month-also includes access to workouts via app or web.
1. What do Les Mills BodyCombat and FitXR have in common?| A．Both provide mixed reality mode. | B．Both are at a high price. |
| C．Both are suitable for beginners. | D．Both provide various workouts. |
| A．①② | B．①③ | C．③④ | D．②③ |
| A．A course plan. | B．A sports website. |
| C．A science magazine. | D．A tourist brochure. |
【推荐2】Benefits of Sports
Doing sports is a physical, mental and social adventure. It’s a great way for children to take a break from studies and release extra energy. It also helps them lead fuller and happier lives as regular sports have proven beneficial to overall well-being.
The physical benefits of doing sports are probably the most obvious. Regardless of your fitness level when you start playing sports, you’ll notice an increase in your overall fitness once you’re involved.
Children who participate in sports might also benefit from the social aspect, feeling part of a group, building up responsibility and leadership.
Discipline is another social advantage. Most organized sports require a strict training and practice schedule. As a student-athlete, you need to balance studies and athletics.
There is no shortage of reasons to find a sport to get involved in. Are you ready to go? Pick one and get moving!
| A．It’s not just your body that benefits from sports. |
| B．Therefore, playing sports is going to make you more fit. |
| C．But remember, a child’s self-worth should not be distinguished by victory or loss. |
| D．If you play group sports, you’ll be part of a team that takes direction from a coach. |
| E．Nearly every sport requires physical activities and the competitive skills. |
| F．Among these, learning how to function as part of a team is the most important advantage. |
| G．Only with strict discipline can you be successful both in the classroom and in the sports field. |
【推荐3】Reasons to Love Sports
There are some truly inspiring stories every day in the world of athletics. All of the followings are parts of reasons for people to love sports.
An Optimistic Attitude Towards Life
While Chris Moulding was receiving treatment for cancer, he saw an Ironman race on TV. At that moment, he told himself that he would compete once chemo(化疗) was over. Twelve marathons and several half-Ironmans later, he successfully completed a full Ironman race.
Keeping on Running and Sharing Your Stories .
Solving Problems
With a family history of Alzheimefs(老年痴呆症), Boston local Carrie Allen wants to be a young female who appeals to the concern on this disease. Her surprising tool? Cleats(防滑钉鞋). She brought a women football league, which is in its 10th year of raising money and awareness of Alzheimer's research across the country, to her city. Last year, a team called Blondes was technically the winner in Carrie's league.
| A．He continues to live an impressively active life |
| B．You may worry that your privacy will be invaded |
| C．While it seems like phones make us disconnected |
| D．But the Alzheimer's Association clearly came out on top |
| E．Read stories and get your sneakers ready to do sports together |
| F．Though it took efforts to get into the habit of doing sports every day |
| G．Besides, the app offers a built-in social community for other master runners |
【推荐1】I am from Athens, Greece, and am currently a PhD law student at the University of Geneva (UNIGE). I once applied for an exchange semester in UNIGE in 2010. Completely satisfied with my short-term exchange experience, I decided to return and further advance my legal studies here.
Geneva offers an ideal (理想的) multicultural environment. Socialising with my international classmates was quite easy at the start, and I soon expanded my social network by joining several student groups that often organise activities! However, socialising with the local students seemed to be more difficult, perhaps because of the “temporary” status of the international students. As for my compatriots (同胞), Greeks, I met only a few, so there were not many chances to communicate in Greek. As a matter of fact, this turned out to be a plus, because I managed to significantly improve my skills in French and English.
UNIGE has a very efficient administration structure that goes beyond the enrolment (登记入学) procedure. The capable staff were very helpful with official documents, the residence permit and other procedural issues. In advance of my arrival, they had provided me with practical information and guidance, including lists of student residences and particular rooms I could rent. Upon arrival, we were properly guided through well-organised orientation days (迎新日), informative meetings, and advanced language courses.
As I progressed with my studies, I greatly appreciated courses and classes being interactive and not purely theoretical, with opportunities for written essay assignments, educational trips and conferences. The majority of courses were taught in French while only a few were offered in English. The professors were highly respected in their field.
I would describe Geneva as a relatively small “metropolis” — an international business centre, where so many global organisations operate. Yet, despite all this business activity, Geneva remains human‑scaled and friendly to its inhabitants (居民) who, any time and only by travelling a short distance, may easily benefit from calm open areas and the incomparable lakefront. The quality of life and the vast professional and academic activities attract a great number of foreigners who come for work or studies. Personally, I had the opportunity to gain a lot of professional experience in my area of interest.
1. How did the author feel about socialising less with her compatriots?| A．It annoyed her intensely. |
| B．It saved much of her precious time. |
| C．It contributed to her foreign language learning. |
| D．It prevented her developing interpersonal skills. |
| A．They carried out work with an inflexible attitude. |
| B．They focused entirely on student residence permits. |
| C．They helped and supported students wholeheartedly. |
| D．They taught international students language courses. |
| A．It is a thickly populated city. |
| B．It has a highly varied geography. |
| C．It has a fiercely competitive business atmosphere. |
| D．It is resident-friendly with an international character. |
【推荐2】I started playing the piano when I was around four years old—that was 15 years ago!—and since then, the longest I haven’t touched piano keys was probably two months. This was an enormous amount of devotion to something that I wasn’t even planning to make money off of—so there must have been something worth holding on to, right?
The easy guess is that I was always so purely in love with music and piano that I couldn’t bear to let them go. However, it’s a bit more complicated than that. I struggled a lot with piano. I felt pressure to improve, innovate, and be the best in order to prove something to others. The seed of my musical interest was grown with competition and doubt.
It’s difficult to learn to love something that you didn’t choose in the first place. But somehow, sometime, love grew. And by high school, it was strong enough that I found the strength to hold on tighter, dig further, and find something of my own to grow. In a way, I had to start over.
And so, I took a pause. I switched teachers, and got incredibly lucky with one who encouraged me and helped me tunnel into what I loved, not what I was told I should learn. Anything I had was good enough to be loved.
This summer, I started learning the guitar. I deliberately wanted to learn on my own—this was just for me, to form a new relationship to music. Even though my guitar skills are miles lower than my piano skills, I feel I can express myself even more wholly through strings than keys. There’s just something about doing it all for myself that has helped me heal the damages to my relationship to music.
The love and hate I’ve had for the piano were both planted and grown. If you too have learned to hate something you once loved—or something you never chose—remember that with dedication, it can be uprooted, and love can make a home in its place. There is always time. There is always room.
1. What can we learn about the author’s experience from Paragraph 1?| A．He probably spent two months in playing the piano. |
| B．He began to play the piano when he was 15 years old. |
| C．He thought it necessary to start playing the piano early. |
| D．He committed himself to the piano not for financial factors. |
| A．Bittersweet. | B．Harmonious. | C．Painful. | D．Passive. |
| A．His teacher’s constant encouragement. | B．His desire for a new relationship with music. |
| C．His interest in strings rather than keys. | D．His talent for playing musical instruments. |
| A．Practice makes perfect | B．Love cannot be forced |
| C．Love is a thing that grows | D．There is no end to learning |
【推荐3】I developed postpartum depression (PPD) (产后抑郁症) after giving birth to my first son. Actually I started feeling bad before I even had my son. The night I arrived home after giving birth, I had my first panic attack. I doubted I was having a slight heart attack. The next day, a public health nurse visited our home to see if everything was fine with me. She reassured me that I didn’t have a heart problem, and informed me that it was likely a panic attack. The nurse visit was part of a program that provided support for new moms. Sadly, it didn’t include any information on PPD.
By my six-week postpartum checkup, I knew something was wrong. I was having difficulty falling asleep and I felt like I was slowly going crazy. Panic attacks were more frequent. I talked with my obstetrician (产科医师), but unfortunately, she was not trained to recognize or cure PPD. Now I didn’t know whom to turn to for help.
I told my situation to my mom and my husband but they didn’t understand what I was really experiencing. They figured that being a new parent was tough for anyone, so feeling a little down after giving birth — “baby blues” — was just normal and not necessarily a sign of depression. But my cousin, also a new mom, knew me well, and she could see that something was wrong.
With my cousin’s encouragement, I went to see my family doctor and I was finally diagnosed (被诊断为) with PPD. I started taking medication, and began to feel better. Eventually, I rehabilitated, feeling like my old self again.
It is common for new moms to get the “baby blues” mixed up with PPD. I do think more attention should be drawn to the latter. After all, a new research finds that about 1 in 7 new mothers will be seriously troubled by PPD.
1. Why did the nurse visit the author?| A．To care for her baby. | B．To cure her of her heart disease. |
| C．To help check her condition. | D．To offer her information on PPD. |
| A．She was really suffering from PPD. |
| B．Her obstetrician couldn’t really help her. |
| C．She should have received training in PPD. |
| D．Her obstetrician didn’t really care about her. |
| A．recovered. | B．succeeded. |
| C．resigned. | D．returned. |
| A．To tell about her suffering “baby blues”. |
| B．To express her ideas about giving birth. |
| C．To call for attention to postpartum depression. |
| D．To show the importance of family to new moms. |
