1 . Torsongan Bullik is a 28-year-old cross-country skier. When he was a freshman in junior high school in 2009, he excelled at long-distance running. As an amateur in 2016, he finished third in the Xinjiang Wusu International Marathon. And then a passion for cycling revealed itself as his hometown hosted the Tour of Sayram Lake, a national road race for amateur cyclists.
“The high-spirited cyclists, their flashy costumes and helmets fascinated me,” he recalls. “I felt that cycling was really cool.”
In 2012, Torsongan’s father gave him a mountain bike that cost 5,000 yuan ($695), which was a lot of money for his family. He loved the bicycle so much that he used it at every opportunity. Two years later, he entered his first competition, although there was no fairy-tale ending as he lost his balance on a steep slope. But he was determined and kept testing his limits. This paid off as he has won medals at all levels of the sport in China.
On Oct 18, 2018, Torsongan was the first to cross the finish line during a high-altitude bike race in the Xizang autonomous region. But surprisingly, it was the national cross-country skiing team that he impressed with his endurance (耐力). They were in search of new talented athletes for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Accepting the invitation from the team marked a turning point for Torsongan’s career, but challenges remained. “After training with the team during the day, I had to go to the gym to level up my upper-body strength in the evening,” Torsongan said in an earlier interview.
He didn’t make the final list, but worked as a technician assisting (帮助) in the operations of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Regardless of the outcome of the 14th National Winter Games, Torsongan enjoyed the challenge of competing, and has his eyes set on the next race.
“I will continue with my efforts. As long as I don’t give up, I still have a chance to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics,” he says.
1. What set Torsongan on the cross-country skiing road?A.He felt that skiing was really cool. |
B.He studied on cross-country skiing. |
C.A professional team looked for someone with talent. |
D.He hoped to fulfill his father’s expectations. |
A.Determined and hard-working. | B.Cautious and responsible. |
C.Strong and humorous. | D.Talented and productive. |
A.He used to be a professional long-distance runner. |
B.His hard work of bike training didn’t paid off. |
C.He didn’t accept the invitation from the team. |
D.He was a technician in the Beijing Winter Olympics. |
A.Encouraging others to join in his activity. |
B.Becoming a technician assistant in his hometown. |
C.Continuing his dream at the next Winter Olympics. |
D.Becoming a long-distance running player. |
2 . 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 |
3 . 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. |
4 . Tai chi, a traditional, slow-moving form of Chinese physical exercise, is known to increase flexibility and improve balance. New research has been conducted to determine whether tai chi has an influence on lowering blood pressure in people with prehypertension (高血压前期).
In the study, Chinese scientists put 342 adults with prehypertension into two groups. The average age of people taking part in the study was 49. About half the participants (参与者) took part in aerobic exercise, including jogging, climbing stairs and cycling. The other half was trained to practice tai chi. Both groups got hour-long exercises four times a week.
Nearly 22% of the people who practiced tai chi saw their blood pressure fall to be normal, compared with nearly 16% of people in the aerobic exercise group. And fewer patients in the tai chi group went on to develop high blood pressure than patients in the aerobic exercise group.
So what is it about tai chi that helps lower blood pressure? “The practice tends to get more of a response from the parasympathetic (副交感的) nervous system, which is the network of nerves that relaxes your body after periods of stress or danger,” says Ruth Taylor-Piliae, a professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Nursing.
“I think the beauty of tai chi is that you don’t have to have a special gym membership, you don’t have to have special clothing,” Taylor-Piliae says. “Once you learn tai chi, you can do it anytime and anyplace. And it does provide a calming and relaxing effect.”
Evidence suggests it can also help protect against cognitive fall and even improve memory. But you have to practice it continually to get the most benefit.
1. What is the function of paragraph 1?A.To offer some examples. | B.To explain a definition. |
C.To introduce the topic. | D.To give people suggestions. |
A.They were divided into two groups. | B.They suffered from heart disease. |
C.They were 49 years old. | D.They got exercises five times a week. |
A.It can make people calm down. |
B.It requires training and specialized equipment. |
C.It has no influence on the parasympathetic nervous system. |
D.It is suitable for individuals with aerobic exercise experience. |
A.A Traditional Sport | B.The Benefits of Aerobic Exercise |
C.Exploring Chinese Physical Exercise | D.Managing Blood Pressure with Tai Chi |
5 . 听下面一段独白,回答以下小题。
1. How long do the fitness classes in Italy last?A.A week. | B.Two weeks. | C.Nearly a month |
A.Building up muscles. | B.Reducing stress. | C.Losing weight. |
A.The equipment of the gym. |
B.The place for the exercise classes. |
C.The personalized diet programme. |
A.In Ireland. | B.In France. | C.In Morocco. |
6 . 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. |
7 . 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 |
8 . As China’s first ever full-time Formula One (世界一级方程式锦标赛) driver, Zhou Guanyu makes a living by doing the sort of things many people can only dream about: traveling the world and racing in a fast car.
“I think the only
Zhou has been putting his all into
It was back in Shanghai in 2004 that-at just 5 years old-Zhou
There was a
Zhou is often
A.problem | B.difference | C.difficulty | D.importance |
A.guessing | B.controlling | C.proving | D.declaring |
A.reading | B.playing | C.driving | D.swimming |
A.growing up | B.getting up | C.going up | D.staying up |
A.simple | B.interesting | C.available | D.popular |
A.watched | B.followed | C.researched | D.examined |
A.lose | B.stress | C.develop | D.measure |
A.stayed | B.dealt | C.fought | D.taken |
A.way | B.lack | C.role | D.loss |
A.received | B.imagined | C.composed | D.created |
A.reached | B.chose | C.left | D.forgot |
A.continue | B.discover | C.consider | D.manage |
A.matched | B.compared | C.adapted | D.devoted |
A.career | B.hobby | C.influence | D.result |
A.normally | B.naturally | C.regularly | D.definitely |
1. When will the swim classes begin?
A.On May 1st. | B.On April 30th. | C.On April 29th. |
A.10. | B.15. | C.20. |
A.Those who have no Level 3 certificate. |
B.Those who want to pass the skill level test quickly. |
C.Those who have never attended Community Pool classes. |
A.The speaker. | B.The instructors. | C.The local community. |
10 . Common Mistakes New Runners Make
Running is a great way to get in shape and just about everyone can do it. However, many make a number of common mistakes, which can interfere (妨碍) with training or lead to injury.
·Doing too much too soon
One of the biggest mistakes new runners make is doing too much too soon. Slowly easing into a training program will help reduce the risk of injury, so you can continue on with your new running routine
·
Beginners might think they need to run every day (or nearly every day) to meet their fitness or weight-loss goals, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Running is a high-impact activity which can be really hard on your body. So it’s important to give your body a rest between workouts.
·Not wearing the right equipment
•Running through pain
A.Not taking rest days |
B.If you’re just starting out |
C.Comparing yourself to others |
D.Running can be uncomfortable at times |
E.It’s important not to use the same muscles |
F.While it may be true that you don’t need expensive equipment to take up running |
G.Experts suggest increasing your running distance by no more than 10% each week |