1 . A new report presented at a European Society of Cardiology conference finds that people in the habit of climbing stairs had about a 39% lower likelihood of death from heart disease, compared to those who didn’t climb stairs. They also had a lower risk of heart attacks and extended longevity (寿命).

“It was beyond my expectation that such a simple form of exercise can reduce all-cause death,” says study author Dr. Sophie Paddock.

She and her colleagues looked at data from about 480,000 participants, ranging in age from mid-30s to mid-80s — about half were women. Paddock says the findings fit with a body of evidence pointing to the benefits of moderate-intensity exercise.

So, how much stair climbing is enough? One study found climbing six to ten flights (台阶) a day was linked to a reduced risk of premature death. And another study found climbing more than five flights a day lowered the risk of cardiovascular (心血管的) disease by 20%.

To calculate this, researchers analyzed participants’ risk of heart disease based on factors including blood pressure, smoking history, and family history. Participants filled out questionnaires about their lifestyle and exercise habits including stair climbing. Over the course of 12 years, the stair climbers were less likely to have heart disease. Notably, people who stopped climbing stairs during this time saw their risk rise. It’s a reminder that in order to benefit from exercise, you’ve got to keep doing it.

The benefits can kick in pretty quickly. A review published earlier this year found a minimum of four to eight weeks are needed to start improving your cardiometabolic risk.

If you’re trying to incorporate more movement into your day, adding stair climbing is a good way to get quick bursts of aerobic exercise, says Dr. Carlin Long, a cardiologist at University of California. “I think if people are able to achieve six to ten flights of exercise on stairs a day,that would be a good target. But this will depend on your personal level of fitness,” Long says.

1. How did Dr. Sophie Paddock feel about the new report?

A．Surprised.

B．Puzzled.

C．Doubtful.

D．Embarrassed.

2. What did the researchers do in the study?

A．They recorded their own daily routine.

B．They analyzed the participants’ related data.

C．They organized people to climb stairs for 12 years.

D．They regularly checked the participants’ health condition.

3. Which statement agrees with Dr. Carlin Long’s opinion?

A．Developing a habit of taking exercise is not easy.

B．The amount of exercise relies on individual fitness.

C．People should climb at least 10 flights of stairs a day.

D．The benefits of stair climbing take long time to show up.

4. What can be the best title for the passage?

A．Ways to Work out? Let’s Explore Together

B．Want a Healthy Heart? Choose to Work out

C．Stair Climbing or Walking? Both Are Beneficial

D．Climb Stairs or Not? Your Choice May Extend Longevity

2 . Officials have unveiled the gold, silver and bronze medals that will be awarded at this summer’s Olympic games in Paris, and each one contains a unique souvenir: a fragment (碎片) of waste iron from the Eiffel Tower.

“It’s the opportunity for the athletes to bring back a piece of Paris with them,” Thierry Reboul, creative director of Paris 2024, told reporters last week. “The absolute symbol of Paris and France is the Eiffel Tower.”

The Eiffel Tower opened in 1889 and during the later repair work, some of the original iron was cut off and preserved over time. Now, some of those preserved metal fragments have found new homes.

Each new Olympic me dal features a piece of Eiffel Tower iron — though the signature “Eiffel Tower brown” paint has been removed. These pieces have been shaped into hexagons (六边形), which is the “shape of France”. Besides, there are words “Paris 2024”, the Olympic rings and the Games logo, which looks like a flame or the face of a woman with a bob haircut.

How did they think of such an idea? Joachim Roncin, head of design at the Paris Games organizing committee told the press, “We talked about the design many times and realized that there’s one symbol known across the world, which is the Eiffel Tower. We said to ourselves, ‘Hey, what if we approached the Eiffel Tower Operating Company to see if it’s possible to get a bit of the Eiffel Tower to integrate into the medal?’”

When the Eiffel Tower Operating Company agreed to volunteer pieces of original iron, “the dream became reality,” adds Roncin.

The medals, designed by the luxury Paris jewelry house Chaumet, make people think of the Eiffel Tower in several other ways. The pieces of iron are secured by what looks like special nails that hold the structure together, and the medals’ ribbons are decorated with patterns of the tower’s latticework structure.

The iron fragments are set in recycled silver, gold and bronze disks. Over 5,000 medals are being made.

1. What does Thierry mean by saying “bring back a piece of Paris”?

A．The athletes will buy souvenirs about Paris.

B．The athletes will take many photos of Paris.

C．Part of the athletes’ medal is from the symbol of Paris.

D．The Eiffel Tower will be left in the athletes’ memory.

2. What is mainly talked about in paragraph 4?

A．The symbolic meaning of the hexagons.

B．The shape and material of the Olympic medal.

C．The processing technique of the Eiffel Tower iron pieces.

D．The design of the Eiffel Tower iron fragment on the medal.

3. How did the designers get the idea of adding the waste iron?

A．From a strange dream.	B．By asking for the public.
C．Through their discussion.	D．By studying the Eiffel Tower.

4. What can we infer about the new Olympic medals?

A．They are innovative.	B．They are light.
C．They have six sides.	D．They are golden-colored.

3 . It is recommended that people get 150 minutes of exercise a week. That means that a person should exercise for about 30 minutes a day, five days a week. A half hour of brisk (轻快的) walking can easily help someone meet that goal. You don’t need to walk 30 minutes all at one time to start. An expert recommends that beginners start with three short 10-minute walks. Finally, longer walks will become easier.

One great benefit of walking is that you do not need special equipment (装备). You do not even need to go to a special area to walk. Don’t have workout clothes to wear? You are lucky because what you are wearing right now is probably perfect for walking. Besides, you can walk anywhere at a quick speed.

Many studies show the value of walking and its benefits for your body.

According to a study carried out by Harvard Medical School, brisk walking for 30 minutes can burn over 100 calories (卡路里). Walking also makes your legs strong. Although it may not seem like it, walking is weight training because your legs carry the weight of your upper body whenever you walk. The study also shows that those who walk at least 20 minutes a day, at least five days a week, have 43% fewer sick days than those who exercise once a week or less. And if they do get sick, they become well sooner.

Walking is good for your mind. Walks can be taken in quiet places like parks and forests. Walking in these areas can help a person feel calm. Going on a daily walk gives your mind a break from the busy time of each day as well. A good walk lets you clear your mind and makes you feel better.

1. What can we know from the first paragraph?

A．People have trouble finding time to walk.

B．Longer walks may be hard for beginners.

C．Half an hour’s walk every week is enough.

D．Walking slowly makes the activity enjoyable.

2. What do the findings of the Harvard Medical School’s study show?

A．Walking is better than medicine.	B．Walking has wonderful benefits.
C．The distance people usually walk.	D．The right time for people to walk.

3. What does the last paragraph tell us about walking?

A．It is helpful to one’s mind.	B．It helps discover new places.
C．It makes one’s body busy.	D．It helps save one much money.

4. Why does the writer write the passage?

A．To show how often we can walk.

B．To show why walking is great exercise.

C．To show us the findings of a famous study.

D．To show us what to prepare before walking.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does Ann say about her performance in the World Championships?

A．She did better than she had expected.

B．She regretted not preparing well enough.

C．She was disappointed to win a silver medal.

2. How often does Ann practice?

A．Once a week.

B．Every day.

C．Six days a week.

3. What is Ann’s attitude towards the other competitors?

A．She avoids close contact with them.

B．She likes to communicate with them.

C．She has made good friends with them.

4. What does Ann enjoy doing in her free time now?

A．Flying kites.

B．Reading.

C．Skiing.

5 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Cun BA basketball tournament, one of China’s popular grassroots sports competitions, plans more interactions with NBA professionals in the current season. “We plan to take the championship team to     1     exchange program with the NBA, allowing them     2     (experience), learn from and interact with professional NBA players,” Cen Jianglong, head of Taipan and co-organizer of the tournament, said on Friday.

The basketball games, originally held to mark a local festival,     3     (go) viral in 2022, garnering online views of more than 1.5 billion that year. In 2023, the event received over 55 billion views,     4     (far) consolidating its status as a cultural and sporting phenomenon.

In its     5     (three) year, Cun BA remains both a basketball competition and a carnival. On opening day, singers performed,     6     the aim of conveying cultural confidence to the audience and improving awareness of preserving traditional culture, according to the organizers,     7     hope that such activities will attract even more     8     (spectator) to the games.

The Cun BA phenomenon has not only energized the local economy, but has also contributed to the overall development of Taipan village and the surrounding regions. Sports events,     9     (combine) with entertainment activities at the grassroots level,     10     (drive) local cultural and tourism development in a number of regions across the country.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the woman?

A．An athlete.

B．A hostess.

C．A coach.

2. Who influenced Noah to start horse riding?

A．His mother.

B．His brother.

C．His sister.

3. How has Noah benefited from horse riding?

A．He is fitter.

B．He is calmer.

C．He is happier.

4. What will Noah probably choose to do when he gets older?

A．Train horses.

B．Teach children.

C．Take part in more races.

7 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Jumping Over Boundaries

When I was in elementary school, we had an annual sports day. Girls could do many things like hopscotch, jump rope, tetherball, and dodgeball, except high jumping. Only boys could do high jumping.

That’s what I wanted to do — high jumping. So I went to the coach.

“Girls don’t do high jumping,” the coach said. “Girls have all these other things they can do.” He excitedly described how much fun it would be.

I’d been high jumping in the backyard with my five brothers for years. Although I am a girl, I did high jumping pretty well. My brothers could rarely beat me. Whenever my back crossed the bar, that feeling is extremely wonderful. I went home and told my mother what the coach had said. My mother, a small, thin woman only four feet eleven inches tall, said, “I think we should go visit him.”

“Visit who?” I asked confusedly.

“The headmaster.”

“Visit the headmaster?” I was terrified. Would I get in trouble? Would my mother and I be crossing boundaries we shouldn’t cross?

My mom and I went to Mr. White’s office. “Linda wants to do the high jump,” my mother said.

“Mrs. Martinez, you don’t understand. This is the tradition of our Annual Sports Day,” he said.

“But Mr. White, I don’t know where it says that girls cannot do this.”

The headmaster couldn’t find any rules that said girls couldn’t do the high jump. “I have to think about this,” he said at last.

When we got home, my mom told me something I would always remember: this wasn’t just about me. “Maybe other girls want to do this, too,” she said.

My mother waited a week, but still didn’t get the headmaster’s reply. So she walked over to the school again. “Mr. White, please. I ask you this not for me and not for Linda, but let’s just see how it works.” In the end, Mr. White agreed.

I stood on the field of the high jumping competition.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

To my surprise, some of the cheers I got were from boys!

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What prize did the woman win in the national competition?

A．First prize.

B．Second prize.

C．Third prize.

2. Who does the woman focus on in the competition?

A．The judges.

B．The audience.

C．Other skaters.

3. What was the woman’s first love before skating?

A．Horse riding.

B．Tennis.

C．Swimming.

4. What is the woman going to do next week?

A．Compete in another match.

B．Be a judge in a TV show.

C．Teach some skaters.

9 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The basketball finals of the Village Basketball Association (VBA), an amateur inter-village event     1    (originate) from Taijiang county in Guizhou province, concluded on Oct 28 in Guizhou. Just one month later, another basketball match reawakened     2     passion for the sport in the hearts of Guizhou residents.

On Nov 29, two teams took to a brand-new basketball court-the Gatorade Dream Court     3     (construct) by Gatorade, a sports beverage brand. The spectator stands     4     (fill) with cheering fans, adding to the vibrant atmosphere as the players showcased their skills. Coming from diverse corners of China and representing     5    (vary) professional backgrounds, the players showcased a remarkable unity and impressive athleticism the moment they     6     (step) onto the court, bound together by their shared passion and love for the game.

In 2016, the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council released the “Healthy China 2030” blueprint,     7     serves as a general guideline for promoting the public’s health over the next 15 years. China is     8    (steady) advancing towards overall better health for the nation, as well as becoming an international sports powerhouse,     9     grassroots sports playing a crucial role. The VBA has sparked a trend of organizing village basketball events across the country, reflecting the     10     (enthusiastic) of the Chinese people for grassroots sports.

10 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What did the woman think of her performance in the race?

A．Satisfying.

B．Disappointing.

C．Surprising.

2. Where does the woman usually go runing?

A．On the roads.

B．Around a lake.

C．Through the woods.

3. How many days does the woman train a week?

A．Five.

B．Six.

C．Seven.

4. What is the woman’s hobby?

A．Reading.

B．Skating.

C．Traveling.