1 . Starting a daily running routine needs determination. Looking back on my old running routine, it wasn’t so much the passion that affected my sticking to a regular schedule — but it was the environment. There had to be no rain pouring down, there had to be not many people on the basketball court and the ambient (周围的) temperature had to be just right. Or maybe I was just making an excuse for myself not to get up at 5 in the morning?
I was quite successful at doing so when I was 15 and when it was summer. When I was overweight, I ate more snacks than the actual full meals in a day, and I hardly got off the sofa. One summer day, I decided that it was time to put a stop to the idea that I was just the fat kid. I didn’t want to put in that box anymore. There was a tipping point (临界点) where inspiration happened, and discipline (自律) just took over from there. I needed to make sure that I ran 10 laps of the park a day — this was the contract (契约) I made with myself that summer. And if I achieved that, I knew I’d be closer to my goal of being just a kid with normal weight.
Ten laps, six days a week — sometimes no breakfast, hardly a bite at dinner, one snack a day—this lasted two months. I’d lost over 30 pounds that summer, which was roughly a quarter of my body weight. Some days, I didn’t have the motivation. But the contract I made with myself kept reminding me — if I’d break it, would I even bother making future self-contracts anymore? There were sleepy days, and there were days when I should have rested my trembling knees, but discipline won over them all.
1. What do we know about the author’s past running routine?| A．It was made by the author’s parents. | B．It mainly depended on the environment. |
| C．It referred to many people at site. | D．It failed in the end. |
| A．The author didn’t live a healthy lifestyle. |
| B．Summer is a season for people to be fat. |
| C．Good eating habits could make one put on weight. |
| D．Getting up late made him a fat kid. |
| A．He felt looked down upon when he was fat. |
| B．He couldn’t find a right word to describe his size. |
| C．He made up his mind to achieve his goal of losing weight. |
| D．He was too fat to find the right size of clothes or shoes. |
| A．My Running Routine Was Affected by the Environment. |
| B．It Was Unpleasant to Be Overweight. |
| C．I Made a Contract on Running. |
| D．Discipline Helps Achieve My Goal. |
（1）俱乐部的活动内容：
①每周一次的基础训练，有教师辅导，安排在课外体育活动时间；
②每月一次的户外活动，安排在月末双休日；
（2）参加俱乐部的好处：内容自拟，至少两点；
（3）如何加入俱乐部：到6号大楼1层102房间报名。
注意：短文不少于100词。
参考词汇：自行车俱乐部Cycling Club
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3 . Many people run for exercise. But what if you are not a “born” runner or jogger? You may still want a kind of exercise that’s inexpensive and easy to do. Why not try walking?
Walking is something that almost any normal, healthy person can do. It requires no special equipment. Walking can give you many of the same benefits as jogging or running; it will just take longer. Jogging and running make your heart and lungs work harder than walking. They also put more stress on your legs and feet than walking does.
The problem with walking as a kind of exercise is that most people don’t take it seriously. But there’s a big difference between serious walking and the kind of walking that most of us do. Walking, like jogging, should have a steady and continuous motion.
If you’re going to get your exercise by walking, you need to have your own walking program. After all, runners and joggers set goals for themselves. Walkers need goals, too.
Set a definite course to walk. Start by walking about 15 — 30 minutes a day. Build up your time and distance slowly. Try increasing your walking speed little by little.
If you prefer to jog or run, follow the same advice. Start off slowly. Spend most of the first few days just walking. Then, start walking and running on the same day. Run or jog a short distance, then walk for a while, then run, then walk. Follow that pattern for 15 — 30 minutes a day. Slowly make each run longer and each walk shorter. Later on, you can increase your distance, speed, and exercise time.
1. Which of these statements supports the idea that walking is an inexpensive sport?| A．It is a kind of exercise. |
| B．It requires a regular program. |
| C．It has many of the same benefits as running. |
| D．It requires no special equipment. |
| A．in stop sand starts | B．as fast as possible |
| C．at a steady pace | D．at the same time as jogging |
| A．They require goals. | B．They cause the same amount of stress. |
| C．They have the same effect on the heart. | D．They take the same amount of time. |
| A．Walking 15 minutes a day. | B．Walking while window shopping. |
| C．Increasing your speed little by little. | D．Walking just before jogging. |
| A．Don’t run too fast. | B．A “born” runner. |
| C．How to build up your time? | D．Why not try walking? |
4 . Two roller skaters were crouched(蹲伏) low, knees bent and bodies pressed together, fighting to stay glued to prevent a third skater slip through and break their wall. This was a roller derby(轮滑阻拦赛) practice for the Tiny Terrors, a team of skaters aged 8-11 in the Gotham Girls Junior League of New York City. “They want to fight and get really fast, and they find so much confidence,” said Kristen Campbell, director of the junior derby program.
Roller derby is played with two teams of five skaters on a track. One player on each team serves as the jammer whose job is to race around the track and score points without getting blocked by the other team. The match is made up of two 30-minute periods that each consists of shorter plays or jams. Each jam lasts two minutes or until the lead jammer calls it off, usually a move made to stop the other jammer from catching up and scoring points.
You have probably heard of adults playing roller derby, but a growing number of young people are attracted by the fast-paced sport. Campbell owes the increase in interest partly to a popular novel called “Roller Girl.”
Campbell described the junior league as a shelter for girls who aren’t sure where they fit in at school. “I’ve had so many parents tell me their child was having trouble with anxiety or bullying(欺负) or that they didn’t fit into any sport or art club or whatever it is,” she said. “And then they find roller derby and everything is solved.”
Many of the girls said they got much more out of the sport than just exercise. As Campbell tells it, those extra lessons are really the point. Strength, confidence and body positivity have long been values of roller derby, even if it’s subliminal rather than open and direct.
Of course, like any contact sport, injuries are unavoidable.
“They don’t go for big hits,” Campbell said. “Now we focus more on hip blocking and using lateral(横向的) movement to block—leaning each other out with light contact.” Besides, the girls don’t mind the occasional bump. “It’s sort of like a medal,” Campbell said, smiling.
1. What can we learn about roller derby?| A．It is played with five skaters on a track. |
| B．It is the most dangerous sport especially for kids. |
| C．It lasts an hour with some short plays in a game. |
| D．The jammer’s job is to stop others getting scores. |
| A．Girls often get injured in roller derby practice. |
| B．Roller derby is the most competitive sport at school. |
| C．Roller derby helps girls free from being bullied at school. |
| D．A novel contributes to the popularity of roller derby among girls. |
| A．people can gain a lot from roller derby |
| B．roller derby has fewer values than we think |
| C．it is easy to show the values of roller derby |
| D．many people are not aware of the values of roller derby |
| A．do better than adult players |
| B．wear their wounds with pride |
| C．fear nothing but fierce bumps |
| D．won’t learn full contact until they’re 12 |
| A．Girls build confidence in the tough world of roller derby. |
| B．Roller derby becomes popular among kids around the world. |
| C．How roller derby changes the life of girls in the US. |
| D．The Tiny Terrors calls for more brave girls to join. |
5 . Natural disasters can cause environmental changes. How will cities use technology to maintain (维持) power during natural disasters in the future? Some smart middle school students are already thinking about this question.
Teams of students from around the world explained their ideas on this topic at the Future City competition, which recently took place in Washington, DC. Students from Justice Page Middle School in Minneapolis, US, were on one of the teams.
Instead of using popular technologies like flying cars and AI, the students from Justice Page Middle School took a more simple approach to the topic. They spent weeks developing their ideas and building a model to show them. They chose the city of Maui in Hawaii as the setting for their project. They chose this city because several different kinds of natural disasters had happened there in the past.
In their project, they covered roofs in the city with solar panels (太阳能电池板), which can produce and store power. When a power failure happens, the stored power can be sent to different neighborhoods.
The students brought their model to life with 3D printing technology. They printed the parts they needed. To make the model more real, they made a base out of wood and grass. The model has lights and even a small train that travels back and forth.
The team did not win the competition, but the experience was valuable. One competitor of the team, Ryan Rowell, 13, said he thought it was cool to think about things that he hadn’t considered before. He also saw how other teams advertise their models and interesting ideas. He said he wanted to keep learning about engineering.
1. Which word can be used to describe the competition?| A．National. | B．Unfair. | C．Meaningless. | D．Technological. |
| A．model | B．way | C．service | D．task |
| A．explain how a power failure happens | B．show how the students’ project works |
| C．list the ideas that the students used | D．explain why the students’ model succeeds |
| A．They won the competition in the end. |
| B．They made great efforts for their project. |
| C．They chose Minneapolis as the setting for their project. |
| D．They wanted to use popular technologies in the competition. |
| A．He learned a lot in the competition. | B．He was a teacher in Justice Page Middle School. |
| C．He thought advertising his team’s idea was hard. | D．He was disappointed at losing the competition. |
6 . The National Association of Teachers of Singing(NATS) celebrates the art of singing through a series of competitions and programs. They are designed to showcase the talented singers and performers who are soon to be rising stars in the profession.
National Student Auditions
Students of NATS members will begin by performing during their regional auditions. Five singers from each regional category will advance lo a national online screening round, where entrants will submit a video of their performances for judgment by a group of national judges.
Entry Fee: $75 per category
Prizes: S35,000 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in total.
Deadline for Applications: April 13, 2021(applications by emailed invitation only; following regional auditions)
NATS Artist Awards(NATSAA)
Preliminary competitions are held at the regional level, with one winner picked out of each of the 14 NATS regions. The 14 semifinalists then gather at the site or the NATS Winter Workshop for the final two rounds of the competition.
Entry Fee: $75
Prizes: The winner is awarded $13,000; the 2nd place, $6,000.
Deadline for Applications: September 5,2021
Art Song Composition Award
The competition is open to any composer whose submined work meets the requirements. The winning composer will receive a cash award and a performance of the winning composition at the next scheduled NATS National Conference.
Entry Fee: $30
Prizes: The winner is awarded $5,000; the 2nd place, $2,500.
Deadline for Applications: December 1, 2021
National Music Theater Competition
The competition is seeking the best rising music theater soloists, those who just need one break to move their careers forward. Applicants must be between ages 20-28. Preliminary rounds of the competition are scheduled to take place in fall 2021 and about 24 singers advance to the semifinal and final rounds.
Entry Fee: $90.
Prizes: The first prize is awarded 55,000; the 2nd place, $52,000.
Deadline for Applications: May 15, 2021
1. What is the purpose of these NATS competitions?| A．To decide who can join NATS. |
| B．To celebrate important music festivals. |
| C．To test and grade NATS teachers' professional skills. |
| D．To let NATS members and their students show musical talent. |
| A．NATS Artist Awards | B．National Student Auditions |
| C．An Song Composition Award | D．National Music Theater Competition |
| A．1,7500 dollars. | B．6,000 dollars. | C．2,500 dollars. | D．2,000 dollars. |
| A．April 13,2021. | B．May 15,2021. | C．Septembers,2021. | D．December 1,2021. |
| A．The best music theater managers. | B．Senior artists who have live concert experiences. |
| C．Solo performers aged 20-28. | D．Those who are good at playing musical instruments. |
7 . Only positive thinking is not enough to attain our goals. Our
In the 2008 summer Olympics, Michael Phelps was ready to
In psychology, the
Mental contrasting can make sure we consider realistic obstacles when
| A．concepts | B．evaluations | C．dreams | D．wishes |
| A．life | B．night | C．situation | D．path |
| A．break | B．establish | C．hold | D．write |
| A．shut off | B．stood against | C．filled with | D．took on |
| A．neglect | B．adjust | C．update | D．remove |
| A．and | B．but | C．as | D．if |
| A．slow | B．memorable | C．precious | D．short |
| A．prepare | B．rescue | C．refresh | D．control |
| A．contributed | B．discovered | C．kept | D．created |
| A．fact | B．turn | C．detail | D．addition |
| A．partly | B．precisely | C．generally | D．rapidly |
| A．counted | B．imagined | C．designed | D．remembered |
| A．trial | B．task | C．effort | D．practice |
| A．original | B．deep | C．positive | D．strange |
| A．requires | B．allows | C．urges | D．commands |
| A．unrealistic | B．accidental | C．desired | D．delayed |
| A．reforms | B．decisions | C．budgets | D．progressions |
| A．supporting | B．explaining | C．transforming | D．developing |
| A．warm | B．lead | C．remind | D．forbid |
| A．eventually | B．astonishingly | C．abruptly | D．secretly |
