1 . There’s no doubt that football is the global sport. Though basketball, tennis, and other sports are popular too, nothing comes close to football. Being played in every country in the world, football provides dozens of superstars. The numbers are greater when compared to any other sport, and this drives the popularity of football up. Have you ever wondered when the sport started and became popular?
Football has its origin (起源) in China and has a history of more than 2,000 years. However, modern football originally appeared in Britain in the 19th century. Folk football matches had been played before in many cities and towns, but never on a professional level.
Football became a winter sport game played in different schools. The rules were carried out by each school, and this made it difficult for players to play an official game with each other. It all changed in 1849 at the University of Cambridge that invented a set of standard rules known as the Cambridge rules of football. From that moment, a new star sport was born.
By the early 20th century, football had spread all across Europe. In 1904, FIFA was set up. There are seven original members, including France, Denmark and Spain, FIFA became the governing body for many associations in Europe.
England’s international success improved the popularity of the sport in the country. The league (联赛) in Britain was set up in 1992. From the 1990s, it became a truly impressive piece of football organization, becoming the world’s top football league in the process.
Football is obviously the most popular sport in the world. It is impossible for any other sport to take its place, especially with leagues spending billions of pounds every year to stay in the focus.
1. What is the author’s purpose of writing paragraph 1?| A．To describe the level of football. |
| B．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| C．To debate the main idea of the text. |
| D．To introduce famous football leagues. |
| A．In China. | B．In France. |
| C．In Britain. | D．In Spain. |
| A．The rules always changed. |
| B．There were no common rules. |
| C．The season made players hard to win. |
| D．Officials made players misunderstand the rules. |
| A．By time order. | B．By space order. |
| C．By listing numbers. | D．By giving examples. |
2 . Sobhi from Egypt, who has worked as a bodybuilder for almost 60 years, often says that age is just a number. Whenever people ask him when he is going to retire, his only answer is “never”.
It is generally accepted that people grow less active and lose passion for life as they age. However Sobhi believes that age can never block ambitions if people still have strong wills.
Sobhi’s love for sports started when he joined his school gymnastics team. He once won the third place in Cairo’s Gymnastics Championship. In university, he started to pay more attention to bodybuilding, not only for a better shape, but also for a better health.
His body is so well-shaped that it even helped him appear in a famous film. Sobhi played a minor role of a muscleman in the film, which was filmed in Egypt and tells the story of an Ancient Roman soldier who was sent to Egypt by Julius Caesar to monitor one of his commanders.
As an 80-year-old man, Sobhi said training hard and having a good exercise schedule as well as a healthy diet are the real foundations of bodybuilding. He warned young people that taking bodybuilding supplements (补充剂) can lead to health risks. He recommended them to go for vitamins and other all-natural supplements that do not cause harm.
“Sobhi is 40 years older than me, but he does his exercises as if he is much younger than me,” Gabr, an athlete, said. He also said Sobhi is a great example for all athletes at the club, where Sobhi has been working out for the past 40 years. They are lucky to do sports with such a “hero” “We watch him working out in shock. We wish we could just be like him when we are at his age,” Gabr added.
1. What does the underlined word “passion” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Production. | B．Encouragement |
| C．Love. | D．Dislike. |
| A．An advisor. | B．An actor. |
| C．A teacher. | D．A fitness trainer. |
| A．Train as hard as they can. | B．Exercise whenever they like. |
| C．Pay more attention to body shape. | D．Take all-natural supplements. |
| A．Admiration. | B．Indifference. |
| C．Dissatisfaction. | D．Disagreement. |
3 . A poetry competition has been launched for pupils. It invites young people to reflect on the “many ways we are connected to the universe”. The competition is aimed at pupils aged 4-18.
Winners will receive a range of other prizes, including books and chocolate, plus continued development and coaching opportunities from the Poetry Society. The rules are as follows:
1. The competition is free to enter. Entries will be accepted from anywhere in the UK. Entries from outside the UK are not accepted. If you are aged 4-12, your parents will need to give permission for you to enter.
2. Your entry must be the original work of the creator. Your work is accepted on the basis that this will be its first appearance anywhere in the world.
3. Poems must be written in English or Welsh, but you can include phrases in your mother tongue or another language. Poems must not be longer than 20 lines. You are free to write in any style or form.
4. You may enter either online via website or by post to the Poetry Society, 22 Betterton Street, London. All online entries must be received by 23:59 GMT on 19 December 2022. All poems entered by post must be post-dated on or before 19 December 2022.
If you would like to enter online, please continue through the online system on this website. Email AboutUspoetrysociety.org if you have problems with your submission.
1. What is the theme of the competition?| A．Reflection on the environment. |
| B．Connection to the universe. |
| C．Young people’s passion for poetry. |
| D．National celebration of creativity. |
| A．4-12. |
| B．4-18. |
| C．Over 18. |
| D．Below 4. |
| A．Enter their original works. |
| B．Pay for their entries. |
| C．Send their poems by email. |
| D．Ask their parents for permission. |
