FIVE UNUSUAL SPORTS
What sports are you into? Football? Tennis? Swimming? If you’re looking for a change, you might like to try one of these.
Octopush
Octopush (or underwater hockey as it’s also known) is a form of hockey that’s played in a swimming pool. Participants wear a mask and snorkel and try to move a puck (水球) across the bottom of a pool. The sport has become popular in countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. An ability to hold your breath for long periods of time is a definite plus.
Zoobombing
Zoobombing involves riding a children’s bike down a steep hill. The sport originated in the US city of Portland in Oregon in 2002. Participants carry their bikes on the MAX Light Rail and go to the Washington Park station next to Oregon Zoo (which is why it’s called “zoobombing”). From there, they take a lift to the surface, and then ride the mini-bikes down the hills in the area.
Office Chair Racing
Office Chair Racing consists of racing down a hill in office chairs that can reach speeds of up to 30kph. Strict rules are in place for competitors: they’re allowed to fit in-line skate wheels and handles to their chairs, but no motors. “We check each chair carefully in advance,”one of the organizers explained. The participants race in pairs wearing protective padding as they launch themselves from a ramp (坡道). Prizes are given to the fastest competitors and also for the best-designed chairs.
Fit 4 Drums
Fit 4 Drums is a new form of cardio-rhythmic exercise. Led by an instructor, the class involves beating a specially-designed drum with two sticks while dancing at the same time. It’s the first group fitness activity where you get to play a drum while getting an intense workout. A sense of rhythm is a definite advantage!
Horse Boarding
Horse Boarding involves being towed behind a horse at 35mph on an off-road skateboard. Professional stuntman Daniel Fowler Prime invented the sport after he strung a rope between his off-road “mountain board” and a horse. Participants stand on a board while holding onto a rope, attempting to maintain their balance as the horse gallops (疾驰) ahead. “The horse rider and the horse have to work together because if they don’t, the horse goes flying,”Daniel explained.
So, which sport would you like to try?
1. What do you need to do if you want to play Octopush?A.Swim on the surface of the water. | B.Hold your breath before the sport. |
C.Play it by the side of the seashore. | D.Wear underwater breathing devices. |
A.Zoobombing | B.Office Chair Racing |
C.Fit 4 Drums | D.Horse Boarding |
A.The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. |
B.Never let your feet run faster than your shoes. |
C.The bigger they come, the harder they fall. |
D.Every chess master was once a beginner. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】According to a recent report, about 15% of the people in the UK are members of gyms. But are they more likely to be fit?
A study found that gym members were 14 times more active than people who didn’t belong to any health club. Gym members did six hours more exercise a week, and this activity did make them fitter than non-gym members. They also spent less time sitting down every day than non-gym members. The results were the same for men and women.
The study included 405 people between the ages of 30 and 64, and the main characteristics of those who were gym members were the same as those who were not. “But gym members did more training than non-gym members,” said the lead author, Elizabeth Schroeder of the University of Illinois.
While it might seem clear that gym members exercise more and are healthier than non-members, Schroeder says this has not been directly shown before. However, the study is only designed to show a tie between gym membership and more exercise. It may be that active people like to join gyms. In the study, people who exercised as much as gym members were also in good health.
You can get the same benefits wherever you exercise. This study shows a gym membership can make you do more exercise, but other research shows that exercising outside has other help. Outdoor activity can make you feel happy about lifeespecially if you run through a forest.
Outdoor exercise is also more enjoyable than going to the gym. The first five minutes of outdoor exercise is especially helpful in making people feel good. But Schroeder says that a gym may also encourage greater exercise because it can be social and fun.
1. What did the new study find out?A.Gym members had healthier eating habits. |
B.There were fewer women gym members than men. |
C.Gym members did at least eight hours of exercise a week |
D.Gym members were more active than non-gym members. |
A.help | B.need | C.advice | D.injury |
A.Women should do more gym exercise. |
B.We should be careful with outdoor training. |
C.Outdoor exercise is better than gym exercise. |
D.It is easier to keep exercising if you go to the gym. |
【推荐2】Rock climbing is not just for grown-ups. Your children can also enjoy this fun-filled activity as well as getting its advantages. Aside from its heart-health benefit, it is also known to increase their self-confidence and esteem(尊重). While it may not be an impromptu(即兴的) activity like running or biking, there are many climbing walls that are now available, especially with the development of fitness centers and camps.
The great thing about having your kids join these activities is that it follows up on their natural quality. As you know, children are natural climbers. You can see them going up on trees or climbing tall ladders. With rock climbing, you can satisfy their urges to be a climber.
What’s more, it is fairly easy for the kids compared with adults. With a high strength-to-weight rate, they have less body weight to pull up, and they are more flexible(灵活的).
It is also a low-impact workout that tests your children’s endurance(耐性). It’s easy on their joints(关节) as they burn energy during their ascent. In addition, climbing walls are like giant puzzles begging to be solved. Not only does it test the physical aspects of your children’s development, but it also wakes their mental abilities.
This exercise also helps develop your children’s essential strength and flexibility. Kids are challenged physically as they pull, lift, stretch, and twist their way up. This activity also develops their eye-hand coordination(协调) as they perform their climb.
Almost anyone can do it although it may vary in skill level, namely beginner, intermediate, or advanced. But despite its reputation as an extreme sport, children can do this. One does not need to be super-fit to join a rock climbing class. However, good technique is more necessary than strength when doing this sport.
1. When it comes to climbing, compared with children, adults______.A.find it much easier |
B.must bear more body weight |
C.have a higher weight-to-strength rate |
D.follow up more on their natural quality |
A.test | B.climb |
C.challenge | D.improvement |
A.What technique children need to climb rocks. |
B.What more advantages climbing has for children. |
C.How much strength people need to climb rocks. |
D.What training classes there are to teach children. |
【推荐3】Running is an excellent form of aerobic exercise. It’s a convenient activity that can be tailored to your lifestyle and goals. Plus, a regular running routine can reduce your risk for disease.
Some people like to run on an empty stomach. They often do this in the morning, after at least 6 to 8 hours of overnight fasting. It’s sometimes called “fasted running”.
When you haven’t eaten, your glycogen (糖原) levels are low. Glycogen is the storage form of carbohydrates. It’s what your body primarily uses for energy.
Fasted running is most known for its amazing effect on fat burn. The idea is that your body uses more fat as energy because your carbohydrate stores are low. The result is higher fat burn, or “oxidation (氧化)”.
In a small 2015 study of 10 male participants, exercise increased fat oxidation over 24 hours when the workout was done before breakfast.
The same scientists found similar results in a small 2017 study with nine female participants. According to the researchers, this is due to the body’s response to low carbohydrate levels. The lack of carbs stimulates genes that control fat oxidation.
If you’re trying to lose weight, fasted exercise may help control your energy intake. In a small 2016 study, 12 male participants who ran on an empty stomach consumed less energy over 24 hours.
Another small 2019 study with 12 male participants found that fasted exercise lowered energy intake over 24 hours. The scientists attributed this to the liver, which also stores glycogen.
Yet, running on an empty stomach may not be safe for everyone. It might even hold back your fitness goals.
1. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “fasting” in Paragraph 2?A.Staying up late. | B.Not eating anything. |
C.Lying awake. | D.Accelerating your pace. |
A.Objective. | B.Approving. |
C.Doubtful. | D.Critical. |
A.Examples of athletes who practice fasted running. |
B.Further research on the benefits of regular running. |
C.Harmful effects of running on an empty stomach. |
D.Other benefits that fasted running can bring about. |
A.To present the research results concerning regular running. |
B.To advise readers to run on an empty stomach every morning. |
C.To raise readers’ awareness of the harmful effects of fasted running. |
D.To inform the readers of the benefits and drawbacks of fasted running. |
【推荐1】Aside from exercising and staying outside, light lamp therapy can be used to treat seasonal affective disorder(SAD) in people who must remain indoors for work. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that one has seasonal affective disorder. It is a simple confusion in the brain arising from changes in seasons and can affect anyone.
Boston University claims 10 million Americans are in low spirits in the winter months, when, across a large part of the continental U. S. , the sun sets at about 5:30 pm. All kinds of small problems can occur if someone stays inside all day. Research on office workers shows that there are changes in mood, dietary preferences, vitamin D deficiencies(缺乏), and more, and winter has people staying indoors more than they would be in summer.
Often, one of the reasons why SAD can affect people so strongly in the wintertime is that the sky is more often cloudy. Cells in our eyes known as melanopsin(黑视蛋白) detect light spectrums(光谱) to determine what time of day it is, and a sky that is cloudy all day can disturb their calculations.
One method for treating this is to, so to speak, get an artificial sun—one that can shine right into your home or office. When the brain senses that the light from the sun is gone, it signals the creation of melatonin(黑色素). Of course, at 5:00 pm, few people in the modern world are ready for bed. Some people use light lamps to trick their brains into thinking it's still daytime. However, it's not only the detection of falling sunlight that determines melatonin production. It's also the presence of sunlight during the day that helps produce melatonin at night.
One needs a strong lamp to copy the kind of sunlight exposure examined in this study. If one were to combine the use of a light lamp during the daylight hours with use of blue-light filters(过滤器) to remove the sunlight spectrum from devices and computers around the time that the sun would go down in summer, for example around 8:30 pm, the positive effect could be stronger.
Katie Sharkey at Brown University told a news website the pros and cons of using a light lamp, namely that they truly work for treating SAD, but that one has to be careful about using it at the right moment of the day. If used too early in the day you'll find yourself becoming tired before your normal bedtime, while using it too late can prevent you from falling asleep.
Despite this, a therapy lamp is definitely an option, like vitamin D or exercise, for treating SAD, and while Sharkey warns they can cause side effects like headache or interference with some medicines, it's a cheap treatment option that can be discussed with mental health professionals.
1. Which is one of the characteristics of SAD?A.It occurs in people who work outdoors. |
B.It pushes people to stay inside all day. |
C.Its effect on people is much worse in winter. |
D.It causes complex confusion in the human brain. |
A.They make objects visible even in the dark. |
B.They help the brain feel the changes in seasons. |
C.They change people's mood and dietary preferences. |
D.They help people judge the time through light spectrums. |
A.It disturbs the creation of melatonin and tricks the brain. |
B.It makes people believe that the sun is still shining in the sky. |
C.It prevents people from going to bed too early in the evening. |
D.It makes people feel tired when it is the normal time to go to bed. |
A.Light lamps may be not a treatment option for SAD. |
B.Taking medicine when using light lamps is strictly prohibited. |
C.Light lamps should be used at proper times when treating SAD. |
D.A therapy lamp might be more than people are able to afford. |
【推荐2】Life has gone mostly online for many people around the world. With more people going online during the COVID-19 pandemic, global Internet traffic has become a big problem. Between January and late March, an increase in Internet traffic made many major. cities experience Internet traffic jams.
Video meetings, online classrooms and stay-at-home entertainment have become a daily routine. This increase in traffic is testing the Internet's strength. In March, major phone networks in the UK experienced mass outages(断供). People were not able to take calls, receive messages or use mobile data.
In the US, major telecommunications companies like AT&T said traffic was up 21 percent month over month. Video streaming services like You Tube, Netflix and Facebook have cut their picture qualities and download speeds. This is being done to reduce network traffic jams.
China has seen an Internet traffic increase of around 50 percent compared to the end of 2019. The country's network speeds went down sharply in early February. However, they returned to normal soon afterwards and have been working well. This is due to China's work in building network infrastructure(基础设施), especially 5G technology. By the end of February, 164, 000 5G base stations had been built nationwide. This has given Chinese networks the power to handle increased traffic.
“If there were no such development in the Internet network field, people could hardly enjoy such a colorful life at home. Online working and teaching could never be realized so smoothly,” said Wen Kun, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
1. What happened to the Internet due to COVID-19?A.Internet traffic was jammed. | B.Internet access was cut off. |
C.Internet service was ruined. | D.Online videos were stopped. |
A.To increase Internet strength. | B.To improve picture qualities. |
C.To avoid Internet breakdown. | D.To reduce the number of users. |
A.give way to | B.stir up | C.lead to | D.deal with |
A.suffered bigger losses | B.recovered faster | C.cost less money | D.started earlier |
【推荐3】Many employees must be tempted to query on a daily basis when they see their bosses headed down the wrong track. But caution, for fear of appearing insubordinate or foolish and thus possibly at risk of losing their jobs, often leads workers to keep silent.
A culture of silence can be dangerous, argues a new book, “The Fearless Organization”, by Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School. Some of her examples are from the airline industry. One was its deadliest accident: a crash between Boeing 747s in the Canary Islands in 1977 when a co-pilot felt unable to query his captain’s decision to take off based on a misunderstanding of instructions from air-traffic control.
The risks may be lower than life or death in most organizations, but companies also suffer when people keep silent, Ms Edmondson believes. Volkswagen was caught up in a scandal(丑闻) over diesel(柴油)emissions from 2015. The engines of its diesel models did not meet American emissions standards and engineers devised a system to fool the regulators. Ms Edmondson says the company’s culture had been one based on threaten and fear; Ferdinand Piëch, its longtime boss, boasted of telling engineers they had six weeks to improve the bodywork fitting on pain of dismissal. In the circumstances, engineers were understandably unwilling to mention the bad news on emissions standards and instead worked around the problem. In a corporate culture based on fear and intimidation, it may appear that targets are being achieved in the short term. But in the long run the effect is likely to be counterproductive. Studies show that fear inhibits learning. And when confronted with a problem, scared workers find ways of covering it up or getting around it with inefficient practices.
The answer is to create an atmosphere of “psychological safety” whereby workers can speak their minds. In a sense, this is the equivalent of Toyota’s “lean manufacturing” process, which allows any worker who spots a problem to stop the production line. This does not mean that workers, or their ideas, are immune from criticism, or that they should complain incessantly.
As mundane(平凡的)tasks are automated, and workers rely on computers for data analysis, the added value of humans will stem from their creativity. But as Ms Edmondson’s book amply demonstrates, it is hard to be either constructive or creative if you are not confident about speaking out.
1. The underlined word “insubordinate” means .A.being inferior | B.disobeying a superior |
C.getting aggressive | D.being ignorant |
A.Volkswagen’s engineers designed a system to meet American emissions standards |
B.when facing problems, scared workers resolve them directly |
C.Volkswagen’s engineers were at risk of losing jobs |
D.the culture of fear and intimidation must be counterproductive in the long term. |
A.A culture of being silent can be life-threatening. |
B.The risk of keeping silent is not necessarily associated with life and death. |
C.Volkswagen’s culture is on the basis of fear. |
D.The value of humans lies in originality in today’s highly-automated world. |
A.An introduction to Amy Edmondson’s new book. |
B.The disadvantages of fear and intimidation culture. |
C.Companies will perform better if employees are not threatened into silence. |
D.People need to be confident when they are speaking out. |
【推荐1】Various sports attract fans for different reasons: Spectator sports draw even more fans who just love to watch. Here are some of the most beloved sports worldwide.
Football - 4 billion fans
Football, better known as soccer in the US, is by far the most popular sport in the world. Experts estimate that the origin (起源) of football may go as far back as two thousand years, beginning in ancient China during the Han Dynasty. One major reason for football’s global popularity is that, unlike other sports that require expensive equipment, all you need to play football is a ball and your feet.
Volleyball - 900 million fans
Volleyball pits two teams across a high net, each attempting to smash the ball onto the opponent’s (对手的) floor. A popular variant, beach volleyball, is competed on sand by pairs rather than the regular six players per team. The crowd appeal of beach volleyball has grown greatly in recent years.
Tennis - 1 billion fans
An estimated one billion people worldwide follow professional tennis tournaments and matches. In tennis, players on both sides of a net try to hit a ball with a racket so that it either goes past their opponent or bounces twice on their opponent’s side of the court to score points. Tennis superstars like Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams are now household names around the world, with huge international fan bases.
Hockey - 2 billion fans
Hockey, both on ice and on a field, wins a following of two billion enthusiastic fans worldwide. Field hockey is mainly played in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, while ice hockey is particularly popular in Canada and the US, where kids grow up playing pond hockey. Unlike ice hockey, field hockey usually does not have body contact in the form of checking and hitting.
1. What makes football popular all over the world?A.Its long history. | B.Its huge fan bases. |
C.Its unique origin. | D.Its great convenience. |
A.Football. | B.Hockey. | C.Volleyball. | D.Tennis. |
A.Football is American people’s favorite sport. |
B.Playing ice hockey has body contact. |
C.Beach volleyball has attracted the most sports fans recently. |
D.A tennis player loses one point if his ball goes past his opponent. |
【推荐2】Winter sports have lots of fun! But you have to know how to be safe.
Keeping toasty warm
You are going skating. You want to prepare your snowballing for the next big fight. But you have to remember to wear warm gloves and boots.
Fun in the sun
Sunscreen (防晒霜) may look funny in wintertime, but don’ t forget to put it on. Sunlight re - flects off all that bright white snow and ice and back onto your face. That’ s why you need to cover up with sunscreen, and lip balm (润唇膏) even if it’ s cloudy outside.
Sled safety
Going down a hill at an amazing speed can be great. But you must be safe when you’ re sledding. When you choose your sled (雪橇), make sure it’ s strong and safe. Never use things from home like garbage - can lids, plastic bags or pool floats for sleighs (雪橇). These are dangerous while you’ re sledding. Also, never use a sled that has any sharp, jagged edges or broken parts.
Also, a bike helmet (头盔) can protect your head.
Make sure the bottom of the hill must not be anywhere near cars or roads. This is important.
1. If you want to go skating or have a snowball fight, you have to wear warm ________ and boots.A.T – shirts | B.blankets | C.gloves | D.socks |
A.make sure you are interested | B.keep you warm |
C.make you look cool | D.protect you from strong sunlight |
A.Sunlight may hurt even when it’ s cloudy. |
B.We should always be careful while having fun. |
C.We needn’ t avoid cars and roads while sledding. |
D.We must wear warm gloves and boots when going skating. |
A.How to have fun while sledding. | B.Why we keep warm. |
C.How to keep safe in winter sports. | D.Why we should keep safe. |
【推荐3】Basketball, baseball and soccer are classic sports that people will always enjoy. And yet we keep changing popular games like these in new ways to keep them fresh.
Underwater hockey
This game is played in swimming pools with two teams of six players. Each player wears flippers (蛙鞋) and uses a stick to hit a puck (圆盘). Each team earns points by hitting the puck into its underwater goal. Other team members must be ready to take the puck when a team member goes up for air. That makes underwater hockey a true team sport.
Cycleball
Another fun game to watch, cycleball is like indoor soccer on wheels but with only two male players for each team. Each player rides a special bike designed for the game. Like soccer, a team must put the ball in a goal. However, there is a catch. The ball can only be touched with the bikes’ wheels or the players’ heads. This game requires a lot of practice to learn the skills needed.
Chessboxing
A sport can also be revised by mixing it with another game. In chessboxing, two players compete with each other on the chess board and in the ring. First, their minds are tested in a game of chess. Then they use their strength in a round of boxing. They repeat this for 11 rounds. The winner beats the loser in chess, knocks him out while boxing or gets more boxing points.
Bossaball
This exciting sport is part volleyball and part soccer. But unlike both of those sports, players jump up and down throughout the game. That’s because it’s played on an inflatable (可充气的) volleyball court with a trampoline on either side of the net. One player bounce on the trampoline while up to four others stand around it. A team can touch the ball six times before sending it back across the net. Each player may touch the ball once with arms or twice with other body parts.
Though these sports may not be common, give them a look or even a try.
1. What can we learn about Cycleball according to the text?A.Cycleball has nothing in common with soccer. |
B.Male or female players cooperate with each other to earn scores. |
C.The players are not allowed to touch the ball with their hands or feet. |
D.Cycleball is designed for disabled players as they have to ride special bikes. |
A.10. | B.8. | C.6. | D.4. |
A.Underwater hockey. | B.Cycleball. |
C.Chessboxing. | D.Bossaball. |