1 . Pickleball, which combines elements of badminton, Ping-Pang, and tennis, has two characteristics that make it a good choice for older adults. It’s slower than other racket (球拍) sports, and it’s easier to learn.
With a play area about a quarter the size of a tennis court and a plastic ball that doesn’t bounce as high or as fast as a tennis ball, you don’t have to run as much or as quickly. The bats are lighter and shorter than tennis rackets, making them easier to swing and control. There are fewer rules than tennis.
Plus, pickleball is more social than many types of exercise and it’s fun. In one study, participants rated pickleball 150 percent higher for enjoyment than walking. “People are finding it’s not boring,” says Cedric Bryant, PhD, chief science officer at the American Council on Exercise, who has played pickleball for more than 20 years. “It’s not something they’re doing just because they should, but because they enjoy it and want to do it.”
Pickleball is an effective workout, and like walking, you can adjust the intensity to your preferences. A friendly doubles match can qualify as proper exercise. A competitive singles match is likely to be tighter.
And pickleball offers plenty of health pluses. After six weeks of playing an hour of pickleball three times a week, older adults improved their cardiorespiratory (心肺的) fitness and blood pressure, according to a study published in 2018 in the International Journal of Research in Exercise Physiology. Another study found that the activity may keep you mentally sharp. “You’re making a lot of quick decisions while engaged in a physical task,” says study author David Bolton, PhD, assistant professor at Utah State University in Logan. “It is effectively training cognitive (认知的) ability.”
But it is not without risks of getting injured. Don’t just hit the court and go right into having a game. A warm-up is the best defense against injury, so take at least 5 minutes to prepare your body.
1. What is one of the reasons for the popularity of pickleball among older adults?| A．Its slow pace. | B．Its great intensity. |
| C．Its complex rules. | D．Its cheap equipment. |
| A．It is demanding. | B．It is enjoyable. |
| C．It is beneficial. | D．It is practical. |
| A．Making quick decisions. |
| B．Training cognitive ability. |
| C．Brain activity during physical exercise. |
| D．The proper frequency to play pickleball. |
| A．Pre-workout preparations. | B．The rules of this exercise. |
| C．Comments on this game. | D．Disadvantages of pickleball. |
It is hard not to desire victory in all your efforts when the world seems so competitive and especially if you’re a boy growing up with those values. A boy grew up in a similar environment where winning was all that was valued and he longed to succeed. The boy was good at running, so he called everyone in the nearby villages for a race. A large group of people came to see this exciting event!
The boy had been training hard for this race. He ran among the strongest boys from around the villages and it looked like heat on a finish line, but the young boy came out victorious! The crowd went wild with delight as they cheerfully waved banners(横幅) praising him. The boy loved the attention. It made him feel happy.
There were several types of races, sprint, long distances, relays etc. The boy was unbeatable in all the races he competed in. The crowd loved him even more after each victory; they clapped with excitement. The boy felt very proud of his accomplishments.
But among the crowd was a wise older man who did not seem as impressed with the boy’s victory as the rest. Just as the boy thought all the races for the day were over. The old man shouted from the crowd, “there is one more race left—the most important one.” The boy was surprised by the additional race, but he was confident he could win any race.
The old man brought two new competitors for the boy, a blind man and a weak old lady. “What type of race is this? I can easily win them.” the boy exclaimed. “The most important one,” said the old man. So, the boy ran the race as he knew he would win this time too. When the boy crossed the finish line, the blind man was still at the start and the old lady had just started to move. The boy raised his hands after his victory, waiting for the familiar cheering.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
To his disbelief, the crowd was silent.
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The boy raced again.
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3 . Recent studies found that smiling at London bus drivers increases happiness. However, on the Number 24 bus to Hampstead Heath, Londoners are sceptical. “Bus drivers,” says. Liz Hands. a passenger. “are generally annoying me.”
It might seem improbable that a report on London’s buses could change behaviour. But it has happened before. London’s buses have an underappreciated role in the history, of medical science. In the 1940s, a single study of London’s transport workers transformed epidemiology(流行病学), medicine and the way we live now. Every time you go on a run, check your step-count, or take the stairs instead of the lift, you are following a path pioneered by the feet of the workers on London’s buses.
In the late 1940s, doctors were worried. Britain was suffering from an “epidemic” of heart disease and no one knew why. Various hypotheses(假设), such as stress, were suggested; but one thing that was not exercising researchers was exercise. The idea that health and exercise were linked “wasn’t the accepted fact that we know today”, says Nick Wareham, a professor of epidemiology at Cambridge University. Some even felt that “too much physical activity was a bad thing for your health”. Navvies, miners and farmers who did physical exercise also suffered from various diseases and died young.
At this time a young doctor called Jerry Morris started to suspect that the excess deaths from heart disease might be linked to occupation. He began studying the medical ‘records of 31, 000 London transport workers. His findings were breathtaking: conductors, who spent their time running up and down stairs, had an approximately 30% lower possibility of disease than drivers, who sat down all day. Exercise was keeping people alive.
Morris’s research was eventually published in 1953, just three years after a study by Richard Doll proving the link between smoking and lung cancer. Morris’s work had consequences both big and small. Morris now also took up exercise, handing his jacket to his daughter and just running. “People thought I was bananas.” Slowly, the rest of the world took off its jacket and followed.
1. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?| A．The former study made much difference. |
| B．Running was regarded as harmful behavior. |
| C．Smiling at drivers can cure passengers’ diseases. |
| D．London passengers can understand bus drivers well. |
| A．Interrupting. | B．Responding. | C．Worrying. | D．Delighting. |
| A．By carrying out surveys among numerous workers. |
| B．By observing the routines of drivers and conductors. |
| C．By analyzing the medical records of transport workers. |
| D．By interviewing doctors about their theories on heart disease. |
| A．Londoners’ Views on Bus Drivers’ Happiness |
| B．Smiling and Its Effects on London Bus Drivers |
| C．The Evolution of London’s Transportation System |
| D．The Revolutionary Impact of London’s Bus Studies |
Dave had loved basketball for as long as he could remember and he had never had a day without playing it. At primary school and junior high school he joined basketball clubs, attended training programs and watched basketball games, from which he learned the moves of the star players, wishing to play in a professional team like them and shine on the court.
Now as a senior high school student, however, his dream of becoming a professional player was dimming (变暗) because he was only of average height. He had to give up the hope of joining the school team. The guys on the school team were all tall boys who played matches and won honors for the school. They were like heroes. Dave watched them play and cheered them but he knew he would never be one of them.
Dave felt it a pity not to be tall enough, but this didn’t stop him from pouring his passion into basketball. He just played for the love of the sport. He played in the school gym with other boys or by himself every day, even during holidays and weekends, when it was open for two hours in the morning. He enjoyed every minute on the court making every effort to play better.
It was one Saturday morning. Dave was playing in the gym by himself, as all the other boys were busy with other weekend affairs. Then he noticed a tall boy approaching. It was Lankas. Everybody knows him as captain of the school basketball team. “Hi, Lankas,” Dave greeted him. “My name is Dave.” “Hi, Dave,” Lankas replied as he got closer. “Nice to see you here. Do you need an opponent to play against?” Dave was shocked, frozen right there, unable to believe his ears but somehow, he answered, “Why not?”
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
So, a game of two players began.
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The next Saturday, when Dave was playing in the gym, Lankas appeared shouting, “Dave, I have good news for you.”
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5 . Nenad Bach, an American composer and singer who lives with Parkinson’s disease (帕金森病) is the founder of “Ping-pong Parkinson”, a movement that promotes ping-pong as a therapy (疗法) to improve the lives of Parkinson’s patients worldwide.
After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2010, Bach found that his tremors (颤抖) and other symptoms were keeping him from playing his guitar. But a friend introduced him to ping-pong, also known as table tennis, and he soon found that both his motor skills and his mood seemed to improve when he played. Bach’s doctor confirmed his improved state. And that’s when the idea for “Ping-pong Parkinson” took root.
In 2017, Bach worked with well-known New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz. Shortz also happens to be the owner of the Westchester Table Tennis Center. In October of 2019, the first Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championship was held at the Center, attracting people with Parkinson’s disease from as far away as Sweden, Japan, Brazil, Croatia, England, and China.
Recently, a small study was conducted by scientists at Fukuoka University in Japan. People with Parkinson’s disease participated in a table tennis exercise program once a week for six months. Participants experienced significant improvements in facial expression, posture rigidity, speed of movement and hand tremors. They also experienced improvements in speech, handwriting, getting dressed, getting out of bed and walking.
Dr. Ken-ichi Inoue, the study’s author, comments, “While this study was small, with twelve participants, the results are encouraging because they show ping-pong, a relatively inexpensive form of therapy, may improve some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.” Dr. Inoue is planning a much larger study to confirm his findings.
1. Why did Bach pick up ping-pong?| A．He found it great fun. |
| B．He followed his doctor’s advice. |
| C．He wanted to improve his conditions. |
| D．His friend needed someone to play it with. |
| A．“Ping-pong Parkinson” met with wide objections. |
| B．Doing word puzzles benefits people living with Parkinson’s disease. |
| C．Bach taught people living with Parkinson’s disease to play the guitar. |
| D．The first Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championship was held in the US. |
| A．Small subject number. | B．Short studying period. |
| C．Incomplete study aspects. | D．Limited subject performances. |
| A．To promote a sports event. |
| B．To tell the story of Nenad Bach’s struggle. |
| C．To introduce a therapy for Parkinson’s disease. |
| D．To present the findings of Nenad Bach’s research. |
1. 问题的严重性;
2. 发出倡议等。
注意：1. 词数80词左右;
2. 开头结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear teachers and fellow students,
It’s my great honour to stand here and present a speech about the worrying situation in our school.
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That’s all! Thanks for all your attention!
Once upon a time, there was a young athletic boy who is really hungry for success. For him, winning was everything and success was measured just by winning. He practised hard every day to win every race lying ahead of him.
One day, the boy was preparing himself for a running competition in his small village. A large crowd had gathered to witness the sporting event. A wise old man had travelled far to bear witness also. The race began. The boy with his determination, strength and power took the winning line and came to the first. The crowd were excited, cheering and waving at the boy. However, the wise man remained still and calm, expressing no excitement. The little boy, however, felt proud and important.
A second race was called and two new young fit challengers came forward to run with him. The race was started and sure enough the little boy came through and finished first. Once again the crowd was excited again, and cheered and waved at the boy. The wise man remained still and calm again, expressing no excitement. The little boy, however, felt proud and important.
Another race, the wise old man stepped forward and presented the little boy with two new challengers, an elderly weak lady and a blind man. “What is this?” the little boy was puzzled. “This is no race!” he claimed. “Race,” said the wise man.
注意：1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The race was started and the boy was the only finisher.
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“Race again,” replied the wise man, “this time finish together with all three of you.”
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8 . If you have watched the amazing Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, chances are that you have fallen in love with some winter sports and you’re already making sure your equipment is ready for them.
But there are still some other things to think about. Skiing and snowboarding are great winter sports that provide a total body workout.
| A．Maybe you haven’t bought all the equipment. |
| B．And that is when injuries are more likely to occur. |
| C．Exercising in the cold decreases your body temperature. |
| D．You should take advantage of this opportunity to have a rest. |
| E．Probably, you have got your skis tuned and skates sharpened. |
| F．All of them are areas that can be trained before the winter season. |
| G．However, it can be hard on the body the first time you hit the slopes. |
9 . Seventy-eight-year-old Nora Langdon spends multiple days a week at the gym, training for lifting competitions three hours at a time. Now, she has become a(n)
At the age of 65, Langdon was
After joining the gym and watching her trainer prepare for a powerlifting meet, she
Although Langdon has won 20 of her powerlifting meets and has state, national and world records under her belt, she shows no signs of
“She’s really been a
She wants others to know that with motivation and strong faith, anyone of her age can get into
| A．opponent | B．model | C．amateur | D．headache |
| A．determined | B．satisfied | C．stressed | D．worried |
| A．attempted | B．refused | C．struggled | D．hesitated |
| A．study | B．change | C．visit | D．break |
| A．reported | B．witnessed | C．organized | D．entered |
| A．test | B．fix | C．try | D．adopt |
| A．eventually | B．naturally | C．directly | D．temporarily |
| A．destination | B．reference | C．task | D．passion |
| A．improving | B．stopping | C．recovering | D．winning |
| A．lifestyle | B．competition | C．goal | D．success |
| A．leader | B．memory | C．coach | D．treasure |
| A．threatening | B．convincing | C．inspiring | D．confusing |
| A．debt | B．shape | C．trouble | D．position |
| A．exercise | B．fight | C．develop | D．suffer |
| A．calm | B．relaxed | C．optimistic | D．healthy |
1. What’s the man doing?
| A．Studying for an exam. | B．Watching a match. | C．Playing computer games. |
| A．She has no confidence in herself. |
| B．She is late for the fitness training. |
| C．She’s too fat for the dancing club. |
