1 . 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.

2. What is Ben Singh’s attitude towards physical activity in treatment for depression?

A．Doubtful.	B．Negative.
C．Uncertain	D．Approving.

3. What does the underlined phrase “zero in on” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Adapt to.	B．Give up.
C．Focus on.	D．Put off.

4. How does the author develop the text?

A．By making comparisons.

B．By presenting research findings.

C．By offering suggestions.

D．By conducting some experiments.

5 . Soccer, basketball, baseball, and the like are popular all around the world, However, do you look for something a bit different? There may be some new sports that you want to try out!

One of the new sports is regball. It is a Russian sport adding basketball, wrestling (摔跤) and rugby. As in basketball, the players have a ball that they try to shoot through a hoop (篮筐) . But nobody will be calling “that’s a travel” while watching this sport, because there is no need to dribble (运球) . Players also wrestle with each other during the game.

Another kind of sport you don’t see every day is soapbox racing. Handmade vehicles are pushed down a hill, and competitors have to drive their vehicles through a course with different kinds of things in their way. Not all competitors are engineers, so the vehicles are easy to break apart. Competitors are judged for their soapbox’s creativity. Therefore, speed is not everything, and creativity plays the most important role. Competitors often design their vehicles based on themes from pop culture or history. Of course, the competitors dress up to play the role, too.

Cheese rolling race is not seen very often, but it is exciting. This is a game that is extremely funny for audience, but painful for competitors. During the game, competitors race down a very steep (陡峭的) hill, chasing after a round of Double Gloucester cheese that can weigh up to nine pounds and can travel some 70 miles per hour. Whoever gets to the bottom first wins the cheese.

1. What can we know about regball?

A．It mixes three kinds of sports.

B．Its competitors race down a hill.

C．Wrestling is not allowed during the game.

D．Its rules are exactly the same as basketball.

2. What does the underlined word “course” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．A lesson.

B．A track.

C．An action.

D．A period of time.

3. What is valued most about competitors in soapbox racing?

A．Their speed.	B．Their clothes.
C．Their creativity.	D．Their driving experiences.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A new study about sports.

B．A presentation of sports skills.

C．An introduction to three new sports.

D．The difference between traditional and new sports.

6 . Working out during the height of a heatwave is one way to make your heart rate rise. But does it really burn more calories? Here’s everything you need to know about working out in extreme heat.

Is it safe to exercise in hot weather?

    1    In fact, it might even help you get a better night’s sleep. Make sure to stay hydrated (含水的) throughout your session and try to time the workout either at the start or end of the day when the temperatures have dropped. The heatwave makes it all the more important to listen to your body when it’s telling you to stop.     2    All of these are symptoms of heatstroke (中暑) which can be deadly, after all.

Do you burn more calories in a heatwave?

Working out in hot weather not only pushes your body to work harder to cool down, it also burns more calories in the process.     3    Thus your heart works harder in hotter temperatures than it would in cooler temperatures, providing an increased calorie and fat burn.

But while working out in a heatwave does in fact burn calories, chances are the heat will also cut your gym session short.     4    Because your body is working hard to keep you cool while the weather itself means you can exercise for longer.

What is the best form of exercise during a heatwave?

Although boxing has been considered as the best calorie -burning exercise around, it’s more efficient to choose an outdoor sport during a period of hot weather.     5     Running outside is close behind with 700. Just imagine how calorie-burning they must be in the heat.

A．Make sure you exercise safely in the sunshine.

B．Ideally, warm is the best temperature for burning calories.

C．Generally speaking, it is totally safe to exercise in hot weather.

D．After all, in normal conditions rowing is said to burn 740 calories per hour.

E．An early morning workout is therefore always a better option in the hot weather.

F．If you start feeling dizzy or find your heartbeat rapidly increasing, it’s time to stop.

G．The hotter your body gets, the more blood your heart needs to pump (输送) to force out heat.

7 . Who won first place in the English spelling competition?

A．Tom.

B．Ella.

C．Alice.

8 . Last December, sixteen teams took part in the first rugby championship (橄榄球锦标赛) for primary and middle school students in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. Young players all enjoyed themselves in the games.

The event was held in Fuzhou No. 10 High School. The school set up the city’s first high school students’ rugby team in December 2020. And from September last year, it started to give rugby classes and students are very interested in them.

The event played an important role in developing students’ interests in sports, teaching students about team spirit and supporting the development of rugby in China. “Rugby is a good way to develop teamwork (合作) skills, said Yeh Chao-hsiang, a rugby teacher at a university in Fujian. “Students are taught to respect their teammates and opponents (对手).”

When playing rugby, players must follow strict rules. And since rugby is a sport that needs body contact students safety has to be put first. So when the students are playing a rugby game, they are requested to follow an important rule - when there is a touch on the body of the player who carries the ball, the player should put the ball down and let a teammate continue. “With this rule, rugby is a safe sport for both boys and girls and people of any age.” said WuLusheng, head of the Fujian Rugby Association.

“The sport is easy to learn and the rules are easy to understand. Even small children can take part in rugby training and competitions,” said Wu. “They are curious and excited when they see the egg-shaped ball and the special ways the game is played.”

1. What do we know about the rugby championship mentioned in the passage?

A．It was held in 2020.

B．20 teams took part in it.

C．It was for primary and middle school students

D．The team from Fuzhou No. 10 High School won at last.

2. What does paragraph 3 focus on about the championship?

A．Its plan.

B．Its theme.

C．Its meaning.

D．Its popularity.

3. The important rule mentioned in paragraph 4 is to deal with the problem of

A．team spirit.

B．body contact.

C．training time.

D．age difference.

4. From which part of a newspaper can we read the text?

A．Sports.

B．History.

C．Health.

D．Technology.

9 . M-U-R-R-A-Y-A is the word that pushed Zaila Avant garde, 15, to victory in the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee. The annual event took place in July, 2021, in Florida.

After correctly spelling Murraya, which is a type of flowering tree, Zaila became the first Black American contestant ever to win the national title. She is the second Black winner, after Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica, who won the bee in 1998.

Since 1925, the Scripps spelling bee has promoted literacy. Competing in the event helps students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies and develop self-confidence.

Zaila, who is from Harvey, Louisiana, put in a lot of work to become the top speller. She studied for two years. ”I worked with a tutor and studied some days up to seven hours,“ she said.

In addition to being an award-winning speller, Zaila enjoys juggling, playing basketball and inspiring other students. ”Whether I’m studying for spelling bees or playing basketball,“ she said, ”the main motivation for me is to inspire others.“

In the months following her spelling bee win, Zaila made several television appearances. She was also named the 2021 SportsKid of the Year by Sports Illustrated.

The rising star is not finished. She has big goals for the future. “I’d like to play basketball at Harvard, play in the WNBA, become a head coach in the WNBA, and work for NASA,” she said.

Zaila’s parents introduced her to basketball when she was a young child. After receiving a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records on her eighth birthday, she set her sights on becoming a record holder. “When I looked in the book,” she said, “I decided that I wanted to be in it.” Now, at the age of 15, Zaila holds three world records.

1. What is the main purpose of the Scripps spelling bee?

A．Getting good grades in school.	B．Raising reading efficiency.
C．Improving spelling ability.	D．Grasping new learning ways.

2. When did Zaila start to prepare for the spelling competition?

A．At the age of 8.	B．At the age of 13.
C．At the age of 14.	D．At the age of 15.

3. What is known about Zaila’s big goals?

A．They are about spelling.	B．They are easy to achieve.
C．Being a star is her favourite.	D．Being a head coach is one of them.

4. What inspired Zaila to bold many world records?

A．A birthday gift.	B．Her parents’ hope.
C．Her teacher’s guide.	D．Her wild imagination.

10 . 许多人认为“生命在于运动”，谈谈你个人的运动经历，要点如下：
1.谈谈你平时最喜爱做的运动；
2.运动给你带来的好处；
3.你认为运动应该注意什么。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________