1 . A woman about 100 years old just proved that age means nothing by breaking three amateur(业余的) swimming world records.
On Saturday, Jan. 20, Betty Brussels
Betty Brussel didn’t get into
Betty finished her 50m backstroke in 1:24.91, which was almost five
“I was surprised by my own
Even though Betty Brussels only just
“I live life every day and
A.set aside | B.called on | C.headed for | D.engaged in |
A.group | B.court | C.period | D.department |
A.challenging | B.demanding | C.appropriate | D.competitive |
A.regain | B.reach | C.commit | D.recall |
A.building upon | B.carrying out | C.relying on | D.showing off |
A.minutes | B.seconds | C.moments | D.meters |
A.formerly | B.regularly | C.temporarily | D.interestingly |
A.improving | B.completing | C.raising | D.stopping |
A.behavior | B.function | C.restriction | D.swim |
A.fascinated | B.attracted | C.touched | D.affected |
A.records | B.dreams | C.beliefs | D.failures |
A.happy | B.anxious | C.sorry | D.thankful |
A.declined | B.proved | C.revealed | D.marked |
A.novel | B.advertisement | C.documentary | D.interview |
A.cue | B.enjoy | C.purchase | D.deserve |
2 . Scientists are now digging into precisely why exercise holds so many benefits for our mental health and memory. The answer, studies say, lies in our brain chemistry.
Each time you work up a sweat, your body releases feel-good happy hormones (荷尔蒙), including endorphins, dopamine and endocannabinoids, the latter being responsible for the so-called runner’s high. Now researchers are also pointing to myokines (肌肉因子) as an important contributor to the mental health benefits of exercise. When our muscles contract, myokines are released into the bloodstream, helping your muscles and organs communicate. They think this communication increases resilience to stress, reduces symptoms of mental suffering and anxiety and has a direct effect on depression.
A 2021 scientific report published in Neuropharmacology showed evidence that myokines boost brain function, like improving memory and mood. “Myokines reduce systemic inflammation (炎症), which is especially beneficial for people with drug-resistant depression whose low mood is linked to high inflammation,” explains Dr Jennifer Heisz, an expert in brain health and associate professor in the department of kinesiology at McMaster University in Canada.
A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that treatment for depression can be much more effective when physical activity is added to the usual care. Participants found benefits after 12 weeks of exercising for 30 to 60 minutes a day. “While exercise is not a replacement for professional mental health treatment, physical activity can complement and enhance the effects of the treatment,” says lead researcher Ben Singh, a research fellow at the University of South Australia.
“It is amazing to consider how moving our bodies can heal our minds,” says Heisz. Whether you’re cycling, walking around your neighbourhood or doing yoga, getting sweaty is good for your body and mind. To get the biggest overall health boost, the key is to zero in on sports and activities you enjoy, so you’ll keep going back to them.
1. How do myokines boost our mental health?A.By bonding muscles with organs. |
B.By slowing down our bloodstream. |
C.By contracting muscles through the body. |
D.By releasing happy hormones in our brain. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Negative. |
C.Uncertain | D.Approving. |
A.Adapt to. | B.Give up. |
C.Focus on. | D.Put off. |
A.By making comparisons. |
B.By presenting research findings. |
C.By offering suggestions. |
D.By conducting some experiments. |
1. When does Gomez watch a football game on TV?
A.When the stadium is crowded. |
B.When his friends are too busy. |
C.When he fails to get a ticket. |
A.$ 20. | B.$25. | C.$50. |
4 . Attention! We need to put a stop to parents doing harm to youth sports. It has gotten out of hand.
A recent study showed 26 million American children took part in non-school sports. By the age of 13, about 18.2 million quit.
No wonder kids are quitting. Many parents show no sportsmanship. They often shout happily at an injury if the injured player is on the other team. My brother Mario Widdowson got hit in the face during a soccer game. The parents from the other team were shouting gladly at his pain. All of the players were down on one knee waiting for Mario to get up, out of respect and it was the right thing to do. The kids did much better than these parents.
There are different types of parents. In the book “Parenting with Love and Logic” the authors describe two different types of parents. The first is helicopter parents, who don’t allow their kid to succeed or fail on their own. The other type is lawnmower parents, who clear anything in their child’s path to make life as easy as possible.
I have observed helicopter parents. When my brother was playing club soccer, one of his teammate’s parents shouted at their son. “Shoot the ball”. It was from about half field. He did it and the coach stopped him from playing and asked him to leave the field.
The parents are trying to coach their kids. The players on the field follow blindly and many mistakes happen. It’s not good for kids’ confidence. What is the purpose of youth sports anyway?
Problems happen in youth sports all over the United States. Parents need to behave themselves. Then the number of students who quit at the age of 13 will drop greatly.
1. What does the author want to show by using numbers in Paragraph 2?A.American kids are sports lovers. |
B.Parents can’t behave themselves. |
C.Most kids give up sports half-way. |
D.Non-school sports are popular among teens. |
A.They lent a helping hand. | B.They cheered at his injury. |
C.They waited for him to get up. | D.They kept shouting at their kids. |
A.He made a mistake. |
B.He missed his goal. |
C.He turned to the coach again. |
D.He didn’t want to go on with the sport. |
A.Parents Should Respect Sports. | B.Non-school Sports Is Popular. |
C.Encouragement Is Important for Kids. | D.Kids Need to Love Sports. |
5 . Felicia Grimmenhag of Sweden doesn’t let anything get in her way — even a life-changing injury. After surviving a serious car accident, Felicia had to
Felicia was 17 when she was
Felicia has since taken part in competitions around the world, proving she doesn’t need
It’s true that when you want something, all you need is the
A.give up | B.worry about | C.adjust to | D.speak of |
A.forgetting | B.pursuing | C.losing | D.describing |
A.pick up | B.searched for | C.sent away | D.knocked down |
A.magically | B.immediately | C.logically | D.hopelessly |
A.rang up | B.stood up | C.woke up | D.turned up |
A.tough | B.additional | C.forbidden | D.acceptable |
A.swum | B.skated | C.cycled | D.ridden |
A.excuse | B.accident | C.mistake | D.conflict |
A.technically | B.biologically | C.mentally | D.intellectually |
A.disabled | B.frightened | C.disciplined | D.focused |
A.cars | B.motorbikes | C.horses | D.legs |
A.hesitates | B.fails | C.intends | D.pretends |
A.suspect | B.challenge | C.evaluate | D.protect |
A.preferences | B.schedules | C.principles | D.limits |
A.pressure | B.desire | C.budget | D.responsibility |
1. What should the club members wear?
A.Golf shoes. | B.Golf pants. | C.Club sweaters. |
A.$20. | B.$40. | C.$80. |
A.It has a swimming pool. |
B.Teachers often give group lessons. |
C.Club members can invite guests to play there. |
7 . Reasons to Put on Your Rollerblades and Hit the Pavement
Rollerblading (旱冰) is great for building balance, strengthening muscles, and improving mental health. It’s also a cheap, fun, and eco-friendly way to get your daily exercise in.
It’s fun
We all know that we should be exercising several times a week, and picking a workout that is fun naturally motivates us to get up and get going.
It’s cheap
Rollerblading is also a great exercise choice because it costs very little.
It’s eco-friendly
Skater and climate activist, Gerhard Ladstatte explains why he started Friday Night Skating, a free street skating event. “We want to move without burning fuel.” People looking for an oil-free way to get to a workplace that isn’t too far from home, while combining daily exercise into their routine, can consider rollerblading to work.
It’s good for your mental health
Like any form of aerobic exercise, skating is associated with a number of wellness benefits.
A.In other words, rollerblading has it all. |
B.Exercise and fresh air can reduce stress. |
C.Not only is skating cheap, it also benefits nature. |
D.All you need is a pair of skates and some safety equipment. |
E.Rollerblading is an exciting way to get in fresh air and exercise. |
F.It’s easy to see why so many people are discovering the joys of skating. |
G.Unlike a bicycle, you don’t need to find a place to store your skates while you work. |
8 . It might be a shock, but video games might be added to the 2024 Olympics. The debate over this gives both sports and video game fans something to consider.
The Olympic Games were created in the 1890s with the inspiration of replicating (重现) the ancient Olympic Games which were a celebration for the ancient Greek God, Zeus. Thereafter, it changed to be a great competition to show off the athletes’ strength, physical abilities, and skills. On the other hand, video games were first made for entertaining the people. It wasn’t until 1972 that the first competitive video game was created. Afterwards, people held competitions to exhibit players’ skills: hand-eye coordination (手眼协调), quick thinking, and even teamwork. With these two types of similar events, it’s easy to see why people are considering combining the two.
With this addition to the Olympic Games, it gives the competitors more competing events, gives different types of entertainment to viewers, and allows more people to join the Olympics. Besides, allowing video games in the Olympics will not only exhibit physical strength, but also bring intelligence, reaction speed, and more teamwork to the competition.
However, every coin has two sides. One disadvantage of this extension of the Olympic Games is the increase of “Haters”. There have already been cases of people who dislike video games in their everyday lifestyle. If the two activities were to combine, the popularity of this event would be lowered.
The worst downside appears. If video games were to enter the Olympics, it would not be the competition that it was originally made to be. The Olympics were made for great athletic abilities and skills, not for pushing buttons to control something that isn’t physically real.
With both positive and negative effects, it will be a hard choice whether or not to place video games in the Olympics. Although the final decision hasn’t been made yet, we’d better keep open-minded about that.
1. Which of the following shows the structure of the text?A.①②/③/④⑤/⑥ | B.①②③/④⑤/⑥ |
C.①/②③④/⑤/⑥ | D.①②/③④/⑤/⑥ |
A.Some other events will be got rid of. |
B.The atmosphere will be more harmonious. |
C.The inclusiveness of the Olympics will increase. |
D.The chance of winning in the Olympics will decrease. |
A.Video games will become widely popular with children. |
B.People will lose interest in great athletic abilities. |
C.The original purpose of the Olympics will be lost. |
D.The popularity of the Olympics will fade. |
A.Should the events of the Olympics be expanded? |
B.Should the Olympics be encouraged to change? |
C.Should video games be further encouraged? |
D.Should video games be in the Olympics? |
9 . What are the limits of the human body? Is there a point at which it is physically impossible to do something?
“One thing we’ve all learned in the last 30 years or so is that just about anything is humanly possible,” says Dr. Jack Wilmore, author of Physiology of Sport and Exercise. “As time goes by, I think you’ll see more records continue to fall in every sport. The talent pool is better than ever. With more and better athletes involved and competing, records will fall and new standards will be set.”
Many believed it was physically impossible for a human to run a mile in under four minutes, but Roger Bannister proved that theory wrong with a three-minute, 59-second mile in 1954. Today, sub-four-minute miles are considered routine even in high school. And Bob Beamon stretched human performance in the 1968 Olympics with his historic long jump of 8.90 metres. In an event where a record is usually broken by mere inches, he broke the previous jump record by more than 21 inches, but even his record was broken in 1991.
One factor is now becoming more understood and heavily emphasized: sports psychology. Getting inside the athlete’s head can be as effective as training and long workouts. According to Wilmore, the psychological aspect of sports has become more and more esteemed. He points out that most professional teams have hired sports psychologists for their players.
In addition, every aspect of athletics --- training, nutrition, injury treatment --- is far better than it’s ever been. “Besides, children today tend to specialize in one or two sports instead of competing in several as was common twenty-five years ago,” Wilmore says. “That means they start concentrating on a sport much earlier and more intensely, and they become much better at it.”
“There’s a lot we don’t know yet about the human body,” he adds. “And one of those things is the full range of human potential. It would be foolish to try and put limits on what the human body can do.”
1. Which statement will Wilmore probably agree with?A.It is preferable to set universal standards for athletes. |
B.Athletes will become the most sought-after celebrities. |
C.It is necessary for athletes to learn the limits of the body. |
D.Athletes will continue to surprise us with their achievements. |
A.To introduce two great athletes. |
B.To show some of the latest world records. |
C.To prove the limits of the body can be pushed. |
D.To explain what athletes can achieve under stress. |
A.Similar. | B.Valued. |
C.Complex. | D.Specialized. |
A.They participate in far more sports. |
B.They are less likely to get injured in sports. |
C.They begin playing sports at a much earlier age. |
D.They become more skilful at one particular sport. |
1. Where does the man live?
A.In the city. | B.Near the club. | C.In the countryside. |
A.Prizes. | B.Games. | C.Festivals. |
A.Club members. | B.Experienced persons. | C.Running beginners. |
A.Practise step by step. | B.Train with old players. | C.Run as much as possible. |