| A. competing B. incredibly C. issued D. influential E. barely F. hosting G. highlight H. stage I. diagnosis J. related K. commitment |
Shanghai Is Full Speed Ahead
After decades of experience in the field, Shanghai is strengthening its reputation as a global leader in
Last month’s Shanghai Sailing Open, held from March 26—31 on Dishui Lake, was a typical example of the city’s world-famous excellence, attracting over 300 competitors, including a six—time world champion of Poland, a gold medalist at the Hangzhou Asian Games, and China’s former Olympic champion Xu Lijia;
Shanghai’s
According to the “2023 Shanghai sports event influence
This year, besides the recent Shanghai Sailing Open and various district-organized half marathon events, the city will continue to
The success of sports development in Shanghai is closely
2 . There are few shirts in football as celebrated as the Manchester United No. 7, a grand tradition that is generally considered to go all the way back to George Best. The reality, though, is a little more complex.
At Manchester United, the No. 7 clearly means something to supporters and the club itself. From Best to Ronaldo, this is the story of United’s No. 7 shirt.
George Best played in the days before permanent squad numbers, when it wasn’t uncommon for footballers to wear multiple numbers in the same season. Best certainly did wear the No. 7 on occasion, most famously during the 1968 European Cup final victory over Benfica, but he didn’t actually wear it particularly often — only in 30 per cent of his Manchester United games. The idea that Best started United’s grand history of the No. 7 shirt isn’t entirely unfair, but Best himself evidently didn’t actually care.
Another United Legend, Eric Cantona did care — although he played a variety of numbers during his days in France, he insisted on wearing the No. 7 shirt at United. So it was Eric Cantona, rather than Best, who really made the No. 7 iconic at Manchester United. It was rare to see that number being worn by a forward, instead of a midfielder, but that somehow fitted into the aura of Cantona: a player who interpreted his role in an unusual way.
When Cantona left, Alex Ferguson decided to honour David Beckham with the No. 7 at his request. As a right-sided midfielder, Beckham fitted the No. 7 perfectly. He became so associated with the number that he incorporated it into his own fashion brand known as DB07. He enjoyed six years with the No. 7 shirt until his move to Real Madrid.
Upon Beckham’s departure in 2003, United signed the perfect replacement as No. 7 — Cristiano Ronald. Ronaldo played on the right of midfield, so the shirt number made sense, although he had initially requested No. 28. However, Ferguson insisted on him taking No. 7. It proved a fine decision. Not only did Ronaldo shine on the pitch, but he also replicated Beckham by incorporating the number into a fashion range: CR7.
After Ronald’s transfer to Real Madrid and Ferguson’s retirement, it became clear that United, a club increasingly’ obsessed with branding, wanted to further the legacy and history of the No.7. However, then there was a period when no one seemed to want it. To fill the huge gap left by Ronald’s departure, to be frank, is always something extremely challenging. And whoever comes next must be a confident player who is happy to invite that added scrutiny.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?| A．The number 7 in the football world is usually worn by a forward player. |
| B．George Best often wore the No. 7 during his time at Manchester United. |
| C．In 1960s, players started to wear fixed numbers during the same season. |
| D．Eric Cantona truly helped United’s No. 7 become a famous sporting icon. |
| A．Both of them have played for Manchester United and Real Madrid in their career. |
| B．They each have successfully created a fashion brand related to their No. 7 shirt. |
| C．Neither of them has voluntarily asked their coach Sir Alex for the No.7 shirt. |
| D．When representing United, they played the same position on the football pitch. |
| A．the value of United’s No.7 has been decreasing significantly |
| B．United has shifted attention from football to gaining commercial success |
| C．the pressure brought by fans’ heightened expectation is overwhelming |
| D．Sir Alex Ferguson has officially retried from the football world |
| A．The Story of Great Players. | B．The Legendary Number. |
| C．Who’s the Next United’s No.7? | D．Glory Glory Man United. |
3 . The tennis ball is such an unassuming object in our lives that we take its appearance for granted. Who hasn’t stumbled upon one of them, forgotten, in the far corner of their closet or garage? Despite its passive presence, one of the most crazy internet debates of 2018 centered on its distinctive color: Is it actually yellow, or is it green? The shade in question originates from an unlikely source: David Attenborough, the legendary British documentarian known internationally for his Planet Earth series, played a central role in how we see the tennis ball today.
The sport of modern tennis was born out of the English game of lawn tennis, which by most accounts was invented in the 1870s. Lawn tennis was an outdoor adaptation of the indoor racket game “real tennis,” which itself was an adoption of the French pastime jeu de paume, or “the palm game.” After many iterations (迭代), including balls made of cork, wool, and even human hair, the tennis ball found what was then its ideal form: a ball made of a rubber core encased in white or black melton, a tightly woven and felted fabric.
For nearly a century, tennis balls were white or black. It wasn’t until 1972 that tennis balls took on their bright neon colour. At the time, Attenborough was working as a studio controller for the BBC. In the late 1960s he had led the charge for the BBC to broadcast Wimbledon, perhaps the most iconic of tennis tournaments, in color for the first time ever.
Broadcasting tennis in color brought the matches to life, but it made tracking the ball on screen difficult—especially when it fell near the white courtlines. So the International Tennis Federation undertook a study that found that yellow tennis balls were easier for home viewers to see on their screens. An official 1972 ITF rule change required that all regulation balls have a uniform surface and be white or yellow in color. However, Wimbledon did not change the ball color to yellow until 1986.
In 1991, the Chicago Tribune ran a story about white tennis balls making a comeback. In reality, most manufacturers never stopped producing white balls in smaller quantities. Grant Golden, a former United States clay court champion, declared that the comeback of white tennis balls would “go right down the toilet” because “the yellow ball is perfect.”
The unmistakable shade of the tennis ball is officially called “optic yellow” by the ITF. The next time a tennis ball comes rolling out from the recesses of your closet, take a moment to regard the power of its humble design.
1. According to paragraph 2, tennis originated from _________.| A．English real tennis | B．French palm game |
| C．English lawn tennis | D．French indoor racket |
| A．The comment made by Grant Golden. |
| B．The production of tennis balls with a rubber core. |
| C．The proposal raised by David Attenborough. |
| D．The finding of a study conducted by ITF. |
| A．Tennis balls at Wimbledon adopted a bright neon color in 1972. |
| B．Attenborough was the first to convince BBC to broadcast Wimbledon on TV. |
| C．It wasn’t until the late 1960s that Wimbledon was broadcast in color. |
| D．Golden suggested that white tennis balls make a comeback to Wimbledon. |
| A．The new color of tennis balls |
| B．The unmistakable history of modern tennis |
| C．The evolution of broadcasting tennis matches |
| D．David Attenborough’s contributions to Wimbledon |
The Women’s National Basketball Association (W. N. B. A) is an American professional basketball league. Women’s college basketball never saw the scale of talent that
The extremely famous and successful stars leading Iowa and Louisiana State to the N. C. A. A. women’s basketball championship game on Sunday — a first for both teams — are two of
The opportunities in basketball for many female athletes peak at the Final Four. The spotlight is rarely brighter, and beyond the trophy (奖品)
Each spring the W. N. B. A. faces a problem
Clark has continuous 41-point performances, and her semi-final win came against the tournament’s odds-on (很可能发生的) favorite, South Carolina. Reese,
Even with the sport setting records for game attendance and TV viewership, there remains a sky-high barrier for entry into the W. N. B. A., where there are just 12 teams. In last year’s competition, just 17 players chosen
5 . Whether it is tossing the Frisbee (掷飞盘) on the campus or representing your town in the local baseball league, sports remain prevalent in American society.
Athletics begin at a young age. As they learn to walk and talk, kids in America also learn to run, throw and kick. They are
Athletics continue at more
At the professional level, spectator sports have become a staple (重要部分) of American tradition and culture. Families and friends gather around the television or endure hours of
Professional sports in the U.S. are largely
Soccer has
International competition is rare and often considered not as
| A．exposed | B．treated | C．devoted | D．attributed |
| A．young | B．active | C．hopeful | D．positive |
| A．enjoying | B．pushing | C．supporting | D．protecting |
| A．For example | B．However | C．Consequently | D．Furthermore |
| A．force | B．warn | C．allow | D．advise |
| A．sportsmanship | B．curiosity | C．creativity | D．citizenship |
| A．friendly | B．amateur | C．competitive | D．international |
| A．winners | B．professionals | C．managers | D．rivals |
| A．competition | B．traffic | C．labor | D．argument |
| A．divided | B．dominated | C．owned | D．followed |
| A．entering | B．representing | C．sponsoring | D．occupying |
| A．blindly | B．secretly | C．religiously | D．leisurely |
| A．attempted | B．refused | C．aimed | D．struggled |
| A．decreased | B．remained | C．slowed | D．grown |
| A．predictable | B．respectable | C．significant | D．extensive |
6 . It's fight night in Berlin club. The lights go down, the door opens and out walks a salesman from San Francisco, David “Dowble D” Depto has travelled 8,000 kilometres in search of glory. As he first walks, then jogs, towards the boxing ring, the muscular, bare-chested American looks cool and confident. But so does his opponent. Waiting for him in the blue corner is Frank Stoldt, a tall, strong German policeman, who calls himself “anti-terror Frank”. For obvious reasons, the crowd is on his side.
The bell rings. Round one! The fighters come out. But then, something rather strange happens. The two players sit down at a table which has a chessboard on it and start playing chess-in the middle of the boxing ring.
“Why?” you may ask yourself. Well, this is chessboxing, and tonight is the final of the first chessboxing World Championship.
The rules of a chessboxing match are simple. There is one round of chess and then one round of boxing. Punching power alternates with brain power. All in all, you have 11 rounds in which to checkmate your opponent-or knock him out.
Two sports in one means double the pain, and double the pressure. Before this big fight, Frank spent hours doing exercises that prepared his mind as well as his muscles. Winners in chessboxing are people whose mental strength equals their physical strength.
But why do it in the first place? Why put yourself through this physical and mental torture? For David Depto, it is all about proving that you can be a boxer and still have a brain. The sport has taken off in Germany, where they are preparing the next generation of chessboxing champions. It is even being taught in a Berlin school.
Back in the ring, it is round seven and the players are locked in battle around the chessboard, sweat pouring from their foreheads. Suddenly, Frank Stoldt sees an opening and moves in to finish the match. Queen to G7… checkmate!
The referee stops the match, the crowd erupts-the local hero has won and is given the world title belt, which proves that, when it comes to mixing brains and muscle, Germany really is the Grand Master.
1. Why is it "obvious" that the crowd wants Frank Stoldt to win?| A．He is a policeman. | B．He has powerful muscle. |
| C．He is a host player. | D．He fights against terrorism. |
| A．Either checkmate the opponent or knock him out. |
| B．One of the players gives up or is sent to hospital. |
| C．The referee counts down eight to zero in the round of chess. |
| D．The player finds the opening into the court which is locked. |
| A．Compared with boxing, it means half danger and half stress. |
| B．It requires more mental strength than physical strength. |
| C．The sport is popular in Germany, where it is a school subject. |
| D．The players play chess in the middle of the boxing ring. |
| A．leave the stadium | B．burst into cheers |
| C．interrupt the ceremony | D．fight with the opposing fans |
Walking Is Not Enough
All of us need to exercise. However, not everyone has the time or desire to join a gym. Everyone can walk, though! But how can a person with an inactive lifestyle walk for exercise? The key is to set an attainable goal. Just by doing daily chores, an inactive person probably already takes around two thousand steps per day. For exercise purpose, the aim should then be to walk more over time. A popular exercise goal for people these days is ten thousand steps per day.
Reaching a certain number of steps is not enough, however. Casual, slow walking does not really exercise the heart. It does not burn many calories, either. Health benefits result from at least thirty minutes of daily moderate-intensity exercise.
The intensity of a workout only needs to be enough to increase a person’s heart rate. Simply walking fast can do that. Keep in mind, though, that such fast walking needs to continue for at least ten minutes. Five minutes of fast walking six times a day will not benefits one’s health. Three 10-minute sessions can total thirty minutes per day. And that daily goal should be met five times per week.
Dr Vicki Harber is a researcher at the University of Alberta in Canada. She says, “People might not pay much attention to the pace or effort invested in taking those steps.” With a ten-thousand step daily target, Harber recommends that about one-third of those daily steps should be at a faster pace.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8 . Bicycle tour and race
A bike tour and race will be held on August 26 and 27 (Sat & Sun) at 5:30 am, the riders will leave Tian’anmen Square and ride the first 35 kilometers as a training leg. Then the next 55 kilometers leg, from Yanjiao to Jixian, will be the first competitive part of the tour. The riders and their bikes will then be taken from Jixian to Changli.
The second racing leg of the tour will be from Changli to seaside of Nandaihe, covering a distance of 20 kilometers. Saturday night includes the stay at Nandaihe and supper. Sunday morning is free for play at the seaside. At noon all the people and their bikes will be taken back to Beijing.
Cost: 200 yuan
Telephone: 4675027
Brazilian footballers
The Brazilian Football Club play Beijing Guo’an Team at the Workers Stadium on August 26. The club has four nation team players. Also coming is 1994 US World Cup star Ronario who has promised to play for at least 45 minutes.
Ticket prices: 60, 100, 150 yuan
Time / date: 4:30 pm, August 26 (Sat.)
Telephone: 5012372
Rocking climbing
The third National Rock Climbing Competition will be held on August 26—27 at the Huairou Mountain-climbing Training Base. More than 10 teams from Beijing, Wuhan, Dalian, Jilin and other places will take part in it. A Japanese team will give an exhibition climbing. Free for spectators (观众).
Take a long-distance bus from Dongzhimen to Huairou.
Time / Date：9:00—12:00, August 26 and 27
Telephone: 7143177, 7144850
1. The article is mainly about ________.| A．visiting teams | B．things to do for the weekend |
| C．famous players | D．prices to pay for the sports events |
| A．35 | B．55 | C．75 | D．110 |
| A．4675027. | B．7143177. | C．5012372. | D．7144850. |
| A．A foreign team takes part in it. |
| B．You can watch it without paying. |
| C．You don’t have to be a sportsman to take part in. |
| D．The bus trip to the place of the competition is free. |
There is a photo hanging above my desk. Whenever I look at that photograph, it takes me back to those early years
I can still remember the shouts of the spectators as I
While I was walking across to the start, I began
I ran as fast as I could, not looking at anything but the finishing line. By the time I crossed the line, I was so exhausted that I
“Well done!” said
10 . “Runners, to your mark, Get set…” Bang! And I was off, along with a bunch of other teenage cross-country runners from high schools across the county. The day was like any other fair-weather autumn day in Maryland. But the race that day felt unique from the get-go. For one thing, I liked the course. It was my team’s home course, one I was used to running during practices. It took runners along an area of land that included open fields, hills and even winding dirt paths through a small forest. It was a beautiful 5-kilometer course. This particular race was our team’s invite, and I was proud to be sharing the course with competitors from other schools. It also meant a lot―more than normal that my parents were there to cheer me on.
With so much to expect that day, I was ready to run! And I didn’t want to be stuck with the pack of other runners, as is typical at the beginning of most cross-country races. So when the gun sounded, I took off running, leaving everyone else in the dust.
The first part of our course followed the outside edge of a large open field before disappearing into the forest. Within seconds of the start, I was far ahead of everyone, and all of the fans could see it. It felt magnificent.
But that feeling didn’t last long. Little did I know my coach was laughing to himself, thinking, “Gabe is done for!” And I was. My body was telling me to slow down. My pride, however, said “No! Not until you’re out of sight of the spectators!” I was in agony, but I kept up my pace until I reached the forest. Once in among the trees. I slowed way down.
I enjoyed most races, even while pushing myself, but this one was not enjoyable in the least. I finished the race, but in nowhere near the time I could have if I’d paced myself well from the beginning. Every time I reflect on that cross-country season, I’m reminded of something: Pride is no substitute for pace.
1. What is special to the author about the race?| A．The weather condition was good for runners. |
| B．He was familiar with the home course. |
| C．He took pride in competitors from other schools. |
| D．His parents came to support him as usual. |
| A．suffering | B．comfort | C．relief | D．contest |
| A．He left everyone behind and took the first place. |
| B．He took the lead first and disappeared among trees. |
| C．He won the race under the pressure of his coach. |
| D．He finished the race but failed to reach his record. |
