2 . 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.

5 . As a way to connect the mind, body and spirit, now, yoga is practiced or celebrated all over the world by adults and teens.     1     How can yoga actually benefit children in the long run? Here are some benefits of yoga for kids.

·It helps with self-control.

Self-control is an important part of a child’s development. Kids who can practice self-control are better at maintaining friendships and making decisions. Studies show that kids who routinely practice yoga are also less impulsive (易冲动的).     2    

·It reduces stress and anxiety.

Kids need stress relief tools, too! In fact, reports show that children’s anxiety levels may have doubled as a result of stress in daily life and school.     3     These techniques help kids comfort their minds, which in turn comforts their bodies, so yoga is a great tool for kids to use to work through their stress and anxiety.

·It improves focus and attention.

Concentration is a tough skill for many young kids to master!     4     After a while of practicing yoga, children develop the ability to concentrate for longer periods of time. This is a skill that will greatly benefit children when they enter school.

·    5    

Another incredible benefit of yoga is that regular practice helps children learn to believe in themselves and their own capabilities. They will feel proud of themselves when they master a new move and can demonstrate (演示) all the different poses that they know.

A．It affects relationship with parents.

B．It is also practiced by young children.

C．It boosts self-respect and confidence.

D．Doing yoga can help kids have a deep sleep.

E．Yoga lets children focus on one manageable task at a time.

F．They also have more patience while waiting for positive rewards.

G．Yoga helps children practice breathing techniques to calm anxious nerves.

6 . 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。

The prize may go to the fastest, but sometimes, the first one to cross the finish line isn’t the only winner. Nowhere was that more true than at a recent 5K invitational (邀请赛) in Shelbyville, Indiana.

There were two players in the match: Levi LaGrange and Axel Aleman, who hadn’t known each other before. Levi LaGrange, an 18-year-old student from Western Boone High School, has been expecting to be a professional sportsman for many years. Axel Aleman, who is from Sheridan High School, is a friendly and generous person and he is always more concerned about others than himself. Axel once said to his classmates, “When you are standing at a crossroad, you can choose the path of self-interest, or you can go the extra mile for someone in need. As a teen athlete, the choice is extremely clear.”

The game went very well at first. However, with less than half a mile to go, Levi LaGrange slipped, twisting his ankle. He said, “I was running up the little rolling hill and I hurt my ankle. I felt something was wrong with my ankle.”

Levi stopped and signed to Axel to pass him. Generally, winning a match should be the mission for a sportsman, But at that moment, the race became a secondary concern for Axel. “I was able to see he was in a lot of pain,” Axel recalled. “As I got closer to him, he narrowly fell down. I asked if he was all right. He said he felt like something broken in his leg.”

Rather than running ahead, in an extraordinary act of true sportsmen, Axel refused to leave Levi behind. “As soon as I saw him, I knew I had to do something,” Axel said. “It just seemed like the right thing to do. That mattered more than the race. I told him I wasn’t going to leave. I wanted to help him finish the match.”

注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Minutes later, Axel walked closer to Levi.

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Axel gained a lot from the incident.

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8 . All parents know exercise is important for children: It can lower heart risks, control weight and help kids do better in school. Experts have also proved that outdoor activities at an early age can help children form healthy habits for life. But don’t expect kids to understand about those things. Some kids just aren’t into exercise, but that shouldn’t mean they have to be addicted to the TV. So parents could do something to help inactive kids fall in love with physical activity.

If parents sit in front of the TV every night, kids aren’t likely to respect restrictions(限制) you set on their screen time either. So check your own behavior and serve as a role model by putting physical activity into your everyday life. Walk instead of driving if possible. Regularly join in activities that you enjoy and let your kids see how much you enjoy them. In this way, they may “do as the Romans do”. Make sure that children’s fitness is included in the family schedule as well as school, work and shopping. Then you and your children are more likely to stick to an exercise plan. And your children will begin to expect that Sunday morning usually means a hike ride, and on a couple of nights after dinner the family takes a light walk through the neighborhood.

Children who aren’t naturally good at physical activity may be worried about their lack of physical skills and even fear public failure. They need all the support and encouragement from parents. Negative comments don’t work and will only make them feel bad. Remember, focus on the effort—choosing to be active or trying to improve a skill—rather than the result.

1. What’s the second paragraph mainly about?

A．When parents can watch TV.	B．What activity parents can join in.
C．Why children should enjoy exercise.	D．How parents can lead children to exercise.

2. What does the text tell us?

A．It is the result that always comes first.

B．Kids can choose either exercise or the TV.

C．Exercise is necessary for healthy development.

D．Children having few physical skills should be punished.

3. For whom is the text written?

A．Parents.

B．Children.

C．PE teachers.

D．Experts.

4. How can we describe the author’s attitude to children’s enjoying exercise?

A．Doubtful.

B．Opposed.

C．Supportive.

D．Unconcerned.

10 . 阅读下面文章，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一个完整短文。

Anne would take part in a swimming competition the next morning and she was too nervous to sleep well. She tossed and turned all night.

She was no stranger to competition. In fact, she loved it. Anne was very athletic and her strong will and diligent spirit brought her respect and love. She was not only part of a swim team, but a soccer team, as well. Before she took up swimming, she had been playing soccer. She got along well with her teammates in the soccer team, and they usually encouraged each other before games. Just two days before the swimming competition, she had a regular soccer practice. Her soccer teammates noticed her anxiety and asked her about it. She lowered her head, murmuring. “I’ll take a swimming competition, and this particular competition was important. I had made it all the way to the finals and didn’t want to let my teammates down.” One of her soccer teammates patted her shoulder, “Just be yourself?” When Anne walked away, her soccer teammates looked at her back. They just couldn’t let it go.

The morning finally came. Having slept so poorly, Anne was not at all ready for the day. She was terribly anxious about the competition, so much so that she couldn’t even eat breakfast. It felt as though her stomach was doing somersaults (翻腾).

Anne’s mother looked concerned. “You have to eat something,” she said. “It’s important to keep your strength up.”

“I know, I’m just not hungry this morning,” Anne replied, picking at her eggs with a fork. All she could think about was facing the competition. What if she performed poorly? What if she disappointed her coach and teammates? She wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.

“Honey, drink the milk and have some bread. I’ll wait for you in the car. We just have 10 minutes left.” Hearing that, Anne had a quick breakfast, grabbed her gym bag and got into the car.

Half an hour later, she got to the athletic club where the swim meet was being held. She went to the locker room to prepare for the competition, but when she opened her gym bag, she was quite surprised.

注意：
1. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
2. 所续写短文的词数应为150 词左右；
Paragraph 1:
She didn’t expect to find a handwritten note from her soccer teammates.
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Paragraph 2:
She saw her soccer uniform and realized she had grabbed the wrong bag.
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