A group of sweaty kids ran around a field last week at Total Soccer Arena in Landover, Maryland. They talked in English. but also in Pashto. Arabic and other languages.
What made them different is that all of the kids are refugees(难民 ). They were playing as part of a camp that gives them a chance to develop their soccer skills and to meet other kids who had to start their lives over in the United States. The camp is run by an organization called LACES, which stands for Life and Change Experienced through Sports. The group uses soccer to help bring together communities that have experienced hardships.
Seren Fryatt, 38, got the idea for LA CES while playing on a women’s soccer team in Liberia, an African country that had been at war with itself for 14 years. Fryatt, whose from Muncie, Indiana, saw that soccer brought joy to the Liberian women on her team, even though their lives off the field were very difficult. After starting a soccer program for kids in Liberia, she decided to start a similar camp in Maryland. where she moved in 2015. Coaches volunteer their time, and the costs are paid mostly by donations. This year.95 kids signed up.
The camp for ages 9 to 14 is split between training that helps kids develop skills, such as passing and ball control, and meeting where they discuss life skills. One of the coaches. Louisa Pitney, said she likes seeing how the kids grow just from being together.
At the end of the camp’s last day, all the kids gathered in the middle of the field Fryatt asked them to raise their hands and say what they had learned that week. Some kids talked about soccer skills-one girl said shed learned not to use her hands; a boy said he’d learned how to score a goal.
When a coach called on one shy girl. she smiled before answering in a soft voice Celebrate each other. she said.
1. What was special about the kids in the field?| A．They couldn’t speak English | B．They had faced hardships |
| C．They hadn’t been to America before | D．They were attending an international soccer match |
| A．It gives coaches great pay | B．It was started for girls only |
| C．It was organized in Liberia first | D．It teaches life lessons as well as soccer skills |
| A．A soccer program for kids. | B．The long-term war in Liberia. |
| C．A women’s soccer team in Liberia. | D．Coaches’ volunteer work. |
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【推荐1】When Sally Millsopp, 53, with her 17-year-old daughter, Eleanor, participated in Race for Life in 2019. She had no idea if she would get to see her mother Jennifer Earnshaw again, who was desperately ill with a form of lung cancer, but she encouraged the pair to take part in the event as she knew the fundraising would help others.
They managed to make it back to her bedside just in time to show her the photographs. Jennifer, who was a former head teacher, passed away the following day, aged 76.
Ms Millsopp and her daughter are once again participating in the Race for Life on May 13 this year to the memory of Jennifer, and will be speaking on stage to inspire others.
“Mum was a selfless person. I knew she really wanted us to do Race for Life but it was hard not knowing if I would be there with her at the end. When we reached the finish line, Eleanor and I both felt elated that we’d done something so positive at such a sad time. We had a big hug and knew it was something Mum would be proud of,” said Ms Millsopp.
One in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer, but the good news is more people are surviving the disease now than ever before. Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with Tesco, is an inspiring women--only series of 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy and Hiking events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer sooner by funding vital research.
Gemma Turpin, Cancer Research UK’s Norwich event manager, said, “We are very grateful to Sally and Eleanor for their story that highlights how special Race for Life is to people. By following them, women in Norfolk can make a real difference in the fight against cancer. Money raised through Race for Life is helping beat over 200 different types of cancer ——that’s why every step, every person and every penny raised counts.
1. What do we know about Jennifer Earnshaw?| A．She used to take part in Race For Life. |
| B．She had a sense of social responsibility. |
| C．She died without seeing Sally and Eleanor. |
| D．She worried about her cancer’s influence on Sally. |
| A．Really interested. | B．Desperately tired. |
| C．Extremely excited. | D．Deeply embarrassed. |
| A．To add some background information. | B．To summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| C．To report news about cancer treatment. | D．To introduce a new topic for discussion. |
| A．Running in memory of mother. | B．Living life with a selfless heart. |
| C．Joining the race to keep healthy. | D．Struggling to survive from cancer. |
【推荐2】How Helping Others Helps You
Volunteering has a positive effect on your community.
Gain valuable life experiences and skills.
Whether you build houses for the homeless or mail flyers for a local politician, you can experience the real world through hands-on work.
Meet interesting people.
Get academic credit.
Some high schools offer academic credit for volunteer work through service learning.
It’s eye-opening(令人瞠目的) to realize that doing even small things can have a big impact on others. Rhea, a college sophomore(大二学生), still remembers a visit she made to a senior home with a choir when she was in middle school. “An elderly man in a wheelchair looked up at me and said in a gravelly(粗哑的) voice, “You’ve made my day. This means so much.”She recalls, “No one had ever thanked me in such a way for doing something so small, and a stranger no less!”
| A．Make a difference. |
| B．It’s good for you too. |
| C．It can help you learn more about yourself. |
| D．Giving back to your community is valuable in itself. |
| E．And you can explore your major or career interests at the same time. |
| F．It’s a program that offers hands-on learning through service to the community. |
| G．Both the people you are helping and your fellow volunteers can give you new understanding. |
【推荐3】That morning, I dropped our eldest at kindergarten and returned home to let our two younger children play while I worked on my medical report. It was a wonderful chance to work from home, but it hit me that my career in hospital wasn't making a difference in anyone's life. I needed something that would stretch my limits and push me to grow. My career enabled me to work from home. I could work from home, and become a foster mother, providing safety for a child who needed it desperately.
On Monday morning. I picked up the phone and dialed the number I had Googled for the nearest Department of Children's Services. The man on the other end was receptive to my questions and explained the next step of training, involving eight weeks of classes designed to prepare and educate foster parents. We continued through all the classes, the home visits, background checks, and seemingly endless steps.
Five long months after we were approved, the phone rang. In the middle of the night, I woke my husband and rushed to East Tennessee Children's Hospital. Our placement was waiting for us in the emergency room, sick and lack of nutrition. It didn't take long for us to realize the full depth of her suffering. Six months later, her half-brother came to us by our request. We now had five children under our care.
On August 12, 2016, our family of seven walked into a small courtroom. The children's lawyer and social worker were there. With just a few words, our adoption was finalized. These two amazing children weren't going home, because they were already home. We are their forever family, and they are our forever children. We may not be able to change the entire world, but we have changed the world entirely for our new children.
1. How did the author feel about her hospital work?| A．Lacking of motivation. | B．Filled with challenge. |
| C．Highly motivating. | D．Unusually Demanding. |
| A．She felt sympathetic for abused children she knew. |
| B．She wanted to make a difference in other people. |
| C．She felt confident about her ability to raise children. |
| D．She experienced training to raise children properly. |
| A．The child to be adopted. | B．The need to get trained. |
| C．The approval of adoption. | D．The official at the hospital. |
| A．To put the adopted kids elsewhere. | B．To receive another adopted child. |
| C．To make the adoption officially legal. | D．To begin the kids' adoption in her home. |
【推荐1】Personality is , to large extent, inherent (天生的). A-type parents usually bring about A-type offspring (产物). But the environment must also have a big effect, since if competition is important to the parents, it is likely to become a major factor in the lives of their children.
One place where children soak up A characteristics is school, which is, by its very nature, a highly competitive institution. Too many schools adopt the “win at all costs” moral standard and measure their success by sporting achievements. The current passion for making children compete against their classmates or against the clock produces a two-layer system, in which competitive A types seem in some way better than their B-type fellows. Being too keen to win can have dangerous consequences: remember that Pheidippides, the first marathon runner, dropped dead seconds after saying: “Rejoice, we conquer! ”.
By far the worst form of competition in school is the improper emphasis on examinations. It is a rare school that allows pupils to concentrate on those things they do well. The merits of competition by examination are somewhat questionable, but competition in the certain knowledge of failure is positively harmful.
Obviously, it is neither practical nor desirable that all A youngsters change into ‘B’s. The world needs types, and schools have an important duty to try to fit a child’s personality to his possible future employment. It is top management.
1. What affects the building of personality according to the passage?| A．inheritance, employment and examination. |
| B．inheritance, competition and environment. |
| C．competition, employment and questions. |
| D．environment, knowledge and examination. |
| A．abstract | B．accept |
| C．absorb | D．accomplish |
| A．express the positive attitude toward the examinations |
| B．express his approval for the competition |
| C．show that he was too keen to win the game |
| D．show the consequence of the severe competition |
| A．positive. | B．negative. |
| C．doubtful. | D．acceptable. |
| A．All students at schools should be made into competitive A types. |
| B．A child’s personality be considered according to his possible future job. |
| C．All students should be changed into B characteristics. |
| D．All kinds of schools should get rid of all examinations. |
【推荐2】Running is a very popular sport. Millions of people run because they enjoy it or want to be in good physical shape. A runner does not need special skills or equipment.
Daily running improves a person's physical condition. It helps oxygen circulate (循环) through your body and makes your heart and leg muscles stronger.
Many runners like taking part in long distance races like marathons (马拉松).
There are no official world records in marathon races because courses are different all over the world.
| A．He needs to be well-prepared and train a lot. |
| B．Marathons are the most popular running events. |
| C．During a marathon, you should keep a right pace. |
| D．Sometimes the raceway is flat and runners run faster. |
| E．The fastest marathon race took place in Berlin in 2018. |
| F．He only needs a pair of trainers and comfortable clothes. |
| G．It also helps you fight off stress after a tiring day in school or at work. |
【推荐3】Eight years ago, Special Olympics Georgia Forsyth County was introduced to Britt Hall.Britt Hall is a Special Olympics Georgia athlete."The first sport I started competing in with Special Olympics Georgia was softball.I was with the Forsyth Golden Gloves, and we were a pretty good team," said Britt as he looked back upon his first state game.
Since then, the athlete has competed in much more than softball.Britt has gone on to compete in bocce, basketball, athletics, table tennis, volleyball and flag football during his Special Olympics Georgia career (职业生涯).And he performed well in these games."Athletics has always been one of his favorite sports to compete in," said Britt's father."He likes the different competitions within athletics, especially the races (赛跑)."
"I like athletics, but I am excited for flag football this year.We are going to play just as well as the Falcons," Britt said.This year, Britt and his teammates will be returning to Emory University as the Special Olympics Georgia Forsyth County Mean Machine, one of the two flag football teams from Special Olympics Georgia Forsyth County.Despite the word "mean" being in their name, Britt says that their aim is not to be mean to their competitors."We want to win the gold, but we want to be nice to the other teams and encourage them.They are our friends and have worked just as hard as we have for the state competitions," Britt explained.
While athletes are encouraged to try their very best and go for the gold, Special Olympics Georgia centers on sportsmanship and friendship during competitions.Britt has always been a good team player, but he is also very competitive.Special Olympics Georgia has helped him gain confidence as an athlete, which shows him how to cheer on his teammates and the opposing athletes.
"I've learned a lot from being in Special Olympics Georgia.I think there is a lesson for everyone who competes," said Britt.
1. What do we learn about Britt Hall?| A．He's good at many sports. |
| B．He was born in Georgia. |
| C．He preferred softball to other sports. |
| D．He disliked the Forsyth Golden Gloves. |
| A．Bocce. |
| B．Basketball. |
| C．Flag football. |
| D．The 1,000meter race. |
| A．He thinks highly of them. |
| B．He is surprised at them. |
| C．He's strongly against them. |
| D．He's concerned about them. |
| A．Special Olympics Georgia is famous around the world |
| B．Special Olympics Georgia has played a big role in Britt's life |
| C．Britt succeeds as an athlete mainly because of his gifts |
| D．Britt not only won many gold medals but made many friends |
【推荐1】Press your fingers into the back of your head, just above your neck. If you feel a small bony bump (突起), you may find evidence of human evolution: it could be your body responding to common smartphone use in the 21st century.
According to a recent study, published in Scientific Reports, young people increasingly have bony bumps at the base of their skulls, right above the neck, Medical professionals call them enlarged external occipital protuberances. (EEOPs, 枕外隆突)
Australian health scientist David Shahar, author of the study, told the BBC that over the past 10 years he’s seen more and more patients with EEOPs. Together with other researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, they examined 1200 skull X-rays from people aged 18-30. They also measured the bumps and noted each person’s posture (坐立姿势).
They found that one in four people had developed these growths. This led to their theory that smartphones are the cause.
According to their research, looking down at our phones adds stress onto the top of our spines (脊柱). To prevent damage to our spines, Shahar believes our bodies add fresh bony bump to help reduce the extra stress.
In his report, Shahar said the results showed the need for intervention. In other words, we need to change our posture while using our phones.
Apart from EEOPs, other noticeable recent changes in human bodies include smaller jaws, narrower elbows and generally smaller bones. The human body is adapting to modern life, so who knows what people in the future might look like?
1. What did the recent study find about EEOPs?| A．They grow on one’s neck. |
| B．They may stop growing when you reach 30. |
| C．They could lead to many health problems. |
| D．They increasingly occur among young people. |
| A．Gene problems. | B．Aging bone layers. |
| C．Cellphone use. | D．Spine injury. |
| A．EEOPs increase the stress on our spines. |
| B．EEOPs are actually helpful to our spines. |
| C．Young people’s bones adapt in similar ways. |
| D．Young people should exercise to improve their posture. |
| A．To persuade readers to protect their spines. |
| B．To recommend some healthy habits of using phones. |
| C．To explain why human bodies develop EEOPs. |
| D．To show some recent changes in human bodies. |
【推荐2】Last night’s meteor shower (流星雨) left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. According to Gabe Rothschild, Emerald Valley’s mayor, people gathered in the suburbs of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.
“My family was so frustrated, ” admitted town resident Duane Cosby, “We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment. ”
Astronomers-scientists who study stars and planets-have been complaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.
There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats, frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting badly affects migrating (迁徙) birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association, “100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers. ”
Countless more animal casualties (伤亡) result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings. But some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase a person’s chances of getting cancer.
Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to help astronomers at the Lowell Observatory with a good observation condition. Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is under way to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night.
1. What do the astronomers complain about?| A．Meteor showers occur less often than before. |
| B．Light pollution has remained unsolved for years. |
| C．Their observation equipment is in poor repair. |
| D．Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting. |
| A．Positive. | B．Calm. | C．Worried. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．create a good observation condition |
| B．lessen the chance of getting cancer |
| C．ensure citizens a good sleep at night |
| D．enable all creatures to live in harmony |
| A．Great efforts should be made to save energy. |
| B．Saving wildlife is saving ourselves. |
| C．New equipment should be introduced for space study. |
| D．Human activities should be environmentally friendly. |
【推荐3】Humans are born and wired to compete with one another. People compare how many “likes” they have on social media. Billionaires envy multibillionaires. The legendary NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt once stated, “Second place is just the first loser”.
Although the competitive spirit may be as natural as breathing air, it does not always lead to human prosperity. On the contrary, left unmanaged, it can create misery for ourselves and others. Fortunately, there is a formula to solve this problem without unrealistically suggesting that we entirely dispense with our competitive urge: Instead of always going for gold, shoot for the bronze.
To expand on the wisdom of Earnhardt, although second place may be the first loser, third place can be the real winner — at least when it comes to happiness and longevity (长寿). Recent research suggested that the bronze winners appeared consistently happier on average than the silver medalists. Regarding the life span of all three medalist categories, it was found that the athlete whose best performance was silver lived to 72. Gold medalists beat this by a solid four years, living to 76. But first prize in longevity went to the bronze medalists, who lived to 78.
The study had a handy explanation for this distinction: “Dissatisfactory competition outcomes may badly affect health.” In other words, silver medalists see themselves as the first loser because they only look up to the top step, whereas the bronze winners compare themselves favorably with all the others who never made it onto the podium (领奖台) at all.
One of the problems with most competitions against others is that it tends to lower one’s inner motivation, and thus enjoyment. Decades ago, researchers showed this by asking people to solve puzzles and then measuring the interest they reported: They found the puzzles less rewarding when competing against others rather than against the clock. Simply having a time limit means competing against themselves — which is often more fun. The principle at work here is that trying to improve your own past performance provides a sense not of “winning” but of progress. And the only person to whom you will have to compare yourself is you.
1. What does the underlined words “dispense with” in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Stick to. | B．Get rid of. | C．Depend on. | D．Take charge of. |
| A．Treat competitions as all or nothing. |
| B．Aim to outperform others in competitions. |
| C．Check out others’ victories on social media. |
| D．Compare themselves with those less fortunate. |
| A．achieving personal bests | B．making peer comparisons |
| C．gaining public recognition | D．pursuing downward competition |
| A．Always Going for Gold | B．The Victory of Coming in Third |
| C．Finding Satisfaction in Comparison | D．Second Place is Just the First Loser |
