Teamwork is an important part of the health and fitness program at Spirit Club, where most of the participants have disabilities.
Jared Ciner created the program two years ago, “Our main focus is the same thing as any other gym’s, which is to help people be active and healthy, but the difference is that we do change a little bit to make sure that it is right pace for the people we are working with, so that everybody can follow along.”
Ciner used to work as a director for a local organization aimed at helping people with disabilities and as apart-time personal trainer at gyms. “I noticed that many of the people who I was working with who had disabilities did not exercise, struggled with weight problems, and were looking for more physical methods and more social ways,” he said.
His volunteer experience in Ethiopia working with children from very poor families helped him understand the influence of organized physical activity, too. “That helped me realize how much organized physical activity can help people connect to each other and increase people’s self-esteem (自尊),” Ciner said.
Classes at Spirit Club are interactive, and students can come with parents. They participate in partnered workouts and learn balance, strength, speed and agility (灵活性). They are also encouraged to eat right.
Alan Bradshaw, who is mentally disabled, has been coming to classes for two years. “He recently lost 21 pounds,” said his mother. “He is more outgoing. When he first started, he couldn’t sit on the floor, get down on the floor. He is doing that now. Great changes have happened to him and it is an important step forward for him. He likes the gym because he can make friends easily and exercise at the same time,” she said.
1. What is the main purpose of the program at Spirit Club? (no more than 8 words)2. What was Jared Ciner before he created Spirit Club? (no more than 15 words)
3. What is Jared Ciner’s view on organized physical activities? (no more than 13 words)
4. How does the underlined part in the last paragraph mean? (no more than 2 words)
5. What do you think of Spirit Club? Give reasons in your own words. (no more than 25 words)
2 . Youth Speech Competition
UNICEF is working towards a world where every child has what they need to survive and develop. But we can’t do it without big ideas from young people — young people who are brave enough to share their brilliant ideas with the world. UNICEF USA and TED-Ed invite young people to create their own talks on the rights of children and the problems young people face around the world.
One winner will be invited to UNICEF USA’s Annual Student Summit to make his/her speech on stage!
Criteria (标准)Youths aged 10-18 (if you are under 13, you must have a parent or teacher to help you register (报名)).
Must register online.
Your video must be under 2 minutes.
Deadline (截止时间): Your video must be handed in by midnight, January 27, 2023.Topics of Discussion:
●Migration ●Sustainable (可持续的) Development ●Values and Beliefs
Prizes
Winners will be announced on February 4, 2023.
One winner will be invited to make his/her speech on stage on UNICEF USA’s Annual Student Summit in Washington, D. C. on March 16-17, 2023!
UNICEF USA will pay for all travel expenses (flights and hotels). The student will be responsible for personal meals and personal expenses. If you are under the age of 18, you will need to travel with a responsible adult chaperone (监护人). UNICEF USA will pay for the chaperone’s travel expenses as well.
How to RegisterCreate an account (账户) using this link: ed.ted.com/unicefusa.
Once your account has been created, return to the TED-Ed Student Talks page and register!
Once you’ve handed in your registration, allow 2-3 days for processing.
Once you’ve recorded your talk, upload it using the “Upload” tab in your Resource Library on the TED-Ed website.
1. What will UNICEF USA and TED-Ed welcome?A.Excellent paintings. | B.Brilliant articles. |
C.Interesting stories. | D.Creative ideas. |
A.Pay an entry fee. | B.Attend a training class. |
C.Send a speech video within 2 minutes. | D.Perform on stage in Washington, D. C. |
A.It has no age limit. | B.It focus on social issues. |
C.It provides free meals. | D.It is held every two years. |
A.On January 27, 2023. | B.On February 4, 2023. |
C.On April 18, 2023. | D.On March 16-17, 2023. |
A.visit TED-Ed’s website | B.send an e-mail |
C.sign up in a library | D.call workers from TED |
3 . Last year, I raced the Acura Ten Miler in Toronto. With 1-2 miles left, I noticed a female runner ahead of me who was weaving (穿行) in and out of a group of people, looking pale. Realizing something was wrong, I found a police officer and told him about it, and waited until she was close enough that I could point her out. He immediately called for an ambulance. I ran off and wondered how many people passed me, but I knew I did the right thing.
This Saturday, I raced the Canada Day 5K in Burlington. I’ve raced the course many times. My friend Monica and I went together with a goal to run competitively. I wanted to finish faster than I did in June, when my 5K time was 21:57. I felt it realistic to beat that time.
When the starting gun sounded, I went out fast and happened to run shoulder to shoulder with Monica’s daughter, but I soon pulled ahead. Shortly after, though, I heard “Please help me” from behind. Monica’s daughter is athletic, but she’s learning to run faster with her asthma (哮喘). Knowing that she had trouble, I stopped.
We finished the last 2K together. It troubled me when some runners passed me, and I had to stop to walk with her for a bit. But I thought making sure she was okay was more important, so I talked to her through the rest of the race. We finished together and cheered for her mom as she crossed the finishing line.
At last, my time was a bit longer than I wanted, but I was okay with that. If I had based my time on my age group’s winning time, I would have met my goal time. But I thought I made the right decision to help this girl get to the finishing line safely. For me, that was what mattered on Sunday morning. There will always be another race.
1. What did the author do during the Acura Ten Miler race?A.She made new friends. | B.She helped a woman get rescued. |
C.She broke her past record. | D.She stopped halfway due to illness. |
A.Cautious. | B.Nervous. | C.Bored. | D.Confident. |
A.By keeping her company. | B.By finding her mother. |
C.By calling her an ambulance. | D.By cheering for her courage. |
A.Honest and dependable. | B.Amazing and hard-working. |
C.Helpful and kind. | D.Talkative and cheerful. |
A.Learn to walk before you run. | B.Actions speak louder than words. |
C.All roads lead to Rome. | D.Winning is not everything. |
Gary McKee ran 365 marathons in as many days to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support and Hospice at Home West Cumbria.
Gary McKee, 53, from Cleator Moor in Cumbria raised his arms in victory and was cheered by a crowd of supporters as he completed his 365th marathon of the year on New Year’s Eve. As of 4 pm on Saturday, he had raised more than £ 890,000 for the charities Macmillan Cancer Support and Hospice at Home West Cumbria, just shy of (缺少) his £1 million fundraising target. The father of three has gone through 22 pairs of sports shoes and has run 9,563 miles in rain, snow and sunshine to raise money for the charities.
“The support has been amazing and it always is and the West Cumbrians get behind us, but cancer affects everybody so it isn’t just a West Cumbrian thing, it’s a national thing,” said Gary. “I just hope that people do get behind us and we do raise those million pounds.” Gary has not only raised money for two fantastic charities, but he has also sprinkled magic on the local community and brought people together to support him with the challenge.
Chris Young, 29, ran 90 marathons with Mr. McKee. “Gary set a good example to me this year when I began running frequently with him and has given me both physical and mental resilience (适应力) that I don’t know if I would have ever discovered in myself in a million years. I know I don’t just speak for myself on that front as he has inspired not just me or the few, but the entire local community and beyond,” said Chris, “This challenge has raised a great amount of money for two fantastic charities, but the impact Gary has provided to the community and people around him is immeasurable. A lot of people’s lives will be much better off thanks to Gary’s efforts, mine included.”
1. What did Gary do when he completed his 365th marathon? (no more than 10 words)2. What is Gary’s goal of running 365 marathons? (no more than 10 words)
3. How do you understand the underlined part in Paragraph 3? (no more than 10 words)
4. In what ways has Gary McKee influenced Chris Young? (no more than 5 words)
5. What does Gary’s story inspire you? Put it in your own words. (no more than 20 words)
5 . London has already hosted the Olympics twice before and the 2021 Olympics will make it the first city in history to have held three Olympic games.
The first London Olympics in 1908
These games were going to be held in Rome but, because of a volcano, Rome wasn’t ready. London agreed to stage the games and the White City Olympic Stadium was built in just 10 months. What was new at these Olympics was the opening ceremony where athletes paraded (列队行进) with their teams behind their national flags. Only 22 countries took part and the profits were just over £21,000!
The second London Olympics
Because of the Second World War, the 1944 Olympics were cancelled. Four years later the war was over and London was able to hold the Games in 1948.Things were very different in London during these Olympic Games and many years of war had left the UK poor and hungry. People called them the “Austerity Games”. But there were still some great sports and some exciting events!
59 countries took part, more than at any other Olympics before and the USA won the most medals with 84. For the first time, cameras filmed the games and broadcast them on television so that people could watch them in their own homes.
The third London Olympics in 2021
The Games this year are going to be bigger, better and more exciting than ever before. There will be more than 10,000 athletes from 204 countries taking part!
London wants to make sure that the benefits of the Olympics don’t just last for a few weeks in summer but go on much longer. The buildings have been designed and constructed so that they can be used for different things when the Games are over.
1. The text is mainly about _____.A.London will host the Olympics again | B.London’s Olympic history |
C.London’s Olympics will last much longer | D.London is ready for the Olympics |
A.London could build a stadium in 10 months | B.only 22 countries took part |
C.there was a volcano eruption in Rome | D.London could make more profits than Rome |
A.the UK were poor and hungry then | B.there were some great sports |
C.the previous Olympic Games was cancelled | D.about 59 countries took part |
A.the 59 countries | B.the 84 gold medals |
C.all the athletes | D.the games |
A.the benefits of the Olympics used to last for months afterwards |
B.the 2nd London Olympics attracted more countries than any other Olympics |
C.the buildings for the 3rd London Olympics have more functions for future use |
D.the 2nd London Olympics were cancelled because of the Second World War |
6 . Exercise and I had never had a good relationship due to my fear of sports. From a young age, my dad
When I entered the University of Regina, my dad
The spring semester came. A friend of mine
I went, and that was it. Zumba became my
A.expected | B.allowed | C.forced | D.invited |
A.therefore | B.though | C.instead | D.besides |
A.avoided | B.risked | C.regretted | D.kept |
A.in shape | B.for fun | C.at ease | D.on business |
A.refused | B.happened | C.bothered | D.decided |
A.hardly | B.merely | C.constantly | D.gradually |
A.eager | B.content | C.embarrassed | D.disappointed |
A.cheated | B.comforted | C.asked | D.annoyed |
A.happy | B.proud | C.careful | D.sure |
A.cup | B.part | C.share | D.mouth |
A.curiosity | B.passion | C.fear | D.confidence |
A.perfect | B.positive | C.adorable | D.official |
A.accept | B.feel | C.display | D.compare |
A.witness | B.separate | C.discourage | D.save |
A.trouble | B.sense | C.peace | D.contact |
7 . Four Fun Runs Even Non-Runners Will Enjoy
Even people who swear they hate running will manage to enjoy these races that somehow make the sport fun.
Hot Chocolate 5K
Do you want a steaming cup of cocoa and lots of chocolate on a cold morning run?At the Hot Chocolate 5K series those are exactly what await you at the finish line.There are prizes given to the top three male and female finishers,but casual participation is encouraged.The events are scheduled in the cooler months in major cities around the country.
The Color Run
The Color Run,also known as the Happiest 5K on the Planet, is an event where runners wear white clothes and are painted from head to toe in different colors at each kilometer, crossing the finish line in a variety of colors.The runners are not be timed, which removes runners’ pressure of keeping a specific pace or worrying about the placing.
Disney Running Series
Why not combine a trip to the happiest place on earth with a little exercise?Run Disney offers a number of half-marathon and marathon weekend packages, many of which also feature the more accessible 5K distance.On Disneyland’s Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend, Friday features a Spiderman-themed 5K, while the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend runs a family-friendly 5K through Epcot.
Running with the Balloons
This cross-country 3.1-mile race in Reddington Township, New Jersey, aims to create a new challenge.But,the highlight is the launch of more than 100 hot air balloons during the New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America. The motivation? The top male finisher and the top female finisher will each win a free ride in a hot air balloon!
1. What is special about The Color Run?A.It brings you lots of fun. |
B.It combines running with music. |
C.There are no winners. |
D.There are a series of runs. |
A.Hot Chocolate 5K. |
B.The Color Run. |
C.Disney Running Series. |
D.Running with the Balloons. |
A.A hot air balloon. |
B.A hot chocolate. |
C.A free ticket to the festival. |
D.An exciting ride. |
8 . When Vance Hinds learned of comedian Bert Kreischer’s no-wine October challenge last year, he felt inspired. Hinds decided to prove to himself that he could also achieve something
The Georgia native began his weight loss journey weighing in at 475 pounds. To make sure he stayed on
From the very beginning of his decision to change his life, Hinds’ friends willingly
Day after day, Hinds made his
With Page’s help, Hinds
When he weighed himself one year after beginning his challenge, he felt really
Hinds’ excitement and
A.as if | B.so that | C.as long as | D.in spite of |
A.found | B.made | C.began | D.admitted |
A.top | B.line | C.track | D.average |
A.posted | B.watched | C.studied | D.criticized |
A.support | B.laughing | C.requirement | D.misunderstanding |
A.asked | B.joined | C.invited | D.recommended |
A.use | B.lose | C.need | D.gain |
A.afraid | B.anxious | C.careful | D.able |
A.regretfully | B.secretly | C.proudly | D.accidentally |
A.cheering | B.fighting | C.sleeping | D.arguing |
A.joy | B.health | C.education | D.reputation |
A.forgetting | B.planning | C.refusing | D.starting |
A.agreed | B.stopped | C.offered | D.remembered |
A.failed | B.hated | C.dreamed | D.continued |
A.gave up | B.melted away | C.passed on | D.ran out |
A.reaching | B.setting | C.changing | D.considering |
A.shy | B.thrilled | C.embarrassed | D.frightened |
A.nearly | B.only | C.at least | D.as many as |
A.desire | B.love | C.patience | D.energy |
A.friendly | B.serious | C.positive | D.curious |
9 . The benefits of regular exercise are well documented but there’s a new bonus to add to the ever-growing list. New researchers found that middle-aged women who were physically fit could be nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia in later life, and as they did, it came on a decade later than less sporty women.
Lead researcher Dr. Helena Horder, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said : "These findings are exciting because it’s possible that improving people's cardiovascular (心血管的)fitness in middle age could delay or even prevent them from developing dementia. "
For the study, 191 women with an average age of 50 took a bicycle exercise test until they were exhausted to measure their peak (最大值的) cardiovascular capacity. The average peak workload was measured at 103 watts.
A total of 40 women met the criteria for a high fitness level, or 120 watts or higher. A total of 92 women were in the medium fitness category; and 59 women were in the low fitness category, defined as a peak workload of 80 watts or less, or having their exercise tests stopped because of high blood pressure, chest pain or other cardiovascular problems.
These women were then tested for dementia six times over the following four decades. During that time, 44 of the women developed dementia. Five percent of the highly fit women developed dementia, compared to 25 percent of the women with medium fitness and 32 percent of the women with low fitness.
"However, this study does not show cause and effect between cardiovascular fitness and dementia, it only shows an association. More research is needed to see if improved fitness could have a positive effect on the risk of dementia and also to look at when during a lifetime a high fitness level is most important. " She also admitted that a relatively small number of women were studied, all of whom were form Sweden, so the results might not be applicable to other groups.
1. What is on the ever-growing list mentioned in the first paragraph?A.Positive effects of doing exercises. |
B.Exercises suitable for the middle-aged. |
C.Experimental studies on diseases. |
D.Advantages of sporty woman over man |
A.To predict their maximum heart rate. |
B.To assess their cardiovascular capacity |
C.To change their habits of working out |
D.To detect their potential health problems |
A.It aimed to find a cure for dementia. |
B.Data collection was a lengthy process. |
C.Some participants withdrew from it. |
D.The results were far from satisfactory. |
A.More Women Are Exercising to Prevent Dementia |
B.Middle-Aged Women Need to Do More Exercise |
C.Fit Women Are Less Likely to Develop Dementia |
D.Biking Improves Women's Cardiovascular Fitness |
10 . Standing at the finish line, 70-year-old Bob Long spent a while reflecting on the achievement he’d just made. Behind him was the wild, endless Mongolian grassland extending into the distance. This American had just become the oldest person ever to complete and win the Mongol Derby, the world’s longest horse race.
Long, a rider all his life, entered the race after being inspired by All the Wild Horses, a movie based on the grueling event.
Fearing that he wouldn’t be able to complete it, he set about preparing his mind and body for this “hardest, toughest, most demanding thing you can do on a horse”, an annual 1,000-kilometer race that was recognized as the world’s longest horse race by The Guinness Book of Records in 2011.
Although Long had been riding horses for many years, the hardship and uncertainty of the task pushed him to his limit and forced him to depend entirely on his own will. The race organizers had provided an extensive support network to keep an eye on the participants from afar. Despite that, the physical strain of riding such a long distance made simple things like squatting (蹲) down at the end of the day almost impossible.
Along the vast race course there were unpredictable circumstances beyond Long’s control, however well prepared he’d been. Weather was one of them, which could switch from heavy rain to burning sun unexpectedly.
Above all else, the biggest obstacle was the state of mind. Without a living soul in sight, Long was desperate for interaction, guidance, and comfort. This feeling of loneliness accounted for his hope that one of his fellow competitors would catch up.
Regardless of the hardship, Long felt a sort of spiritual adventure while traveling through the wilderness. He was provided with some memorable moments while connecting with nature. Still holding the passion for riding, Long never dismisses the idea of competing in another Mongol Derby.
1. What distinguished Bob Long from other competitors in the Mongol Derby?A.He rode the whole race course alone. |
B.He was the oldest participant of the horse race. |
C.He was most likely to enter the competition again. |
D.He was made into The Guinness Book of Records in 2011. |
A.Pains-taking but senseless. | B.Comfortable and pleasant. |
C.Difficult and exhausting. | D.Romantic but time-consuming. |
A.The changeable weather. |
B.The mental state in the course. |
C.The difficulty in finding the right route. |
D.The physical strain of riding a long distance. |
A.An introduction to the Mongol Derby. |
B.A review of a film based on the longest horse race. |
C.The contributions Bob Long made to the horse race. |
D.The experience of the Mongol Derby’s oldest winner. |