1 . “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.

2. The underlined word “agony” (paragraph 4) most probably means________.

A．suffering

B．comfort

C．relief

D．contest

3. What result of the race can be concluded about the author from the passage?

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.

2 . A recent study shows that more years of school could help students get higher scores on intelligence tests. That was the finding of a study of teenage males in Norway. Now, other research shows that_______activity may help students do better in their classes.

The research comes as educators in some countries are reducing time for activities like physical education. They are using the time instead for_________subjects like math and reading.

Researchers at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam_______the results of fourteen studies, which included more than fifty-five thousand children, aged six to eighteen.

Research Amika Singh says the studies showed a _______between physical activity and scores on subjects such as Math, English and reading. “Based on the results of our study we can conclude that being physically active is_______for academic performance.”

Ms. Singh_________some possible explanations. “There are, first, physiological explanations, like more blood flow, and so more oxygen to the brain. Being physically_______means there are more hormones produced like endorphins（内啡肽）. And endorphins make your stress level lower and your mood improved, which means you also_______better.”

Also, students_______in organized sports learn rules and how to follow them. This could improve their classroom________and help them keep their mind on their work.

The study__________some questions unanswered, however. Ms. Singh says it is not possible to say whether the amounts or kind of activity________the level of academic improvement. This is because of differences among the studies.

Also, they were mostly observational studies. An observational study is where researchers do not do controlled comparisons. They only describe what they observe. So they might observe a link that students who are more active often have better grades. But that does not__________mean being active was the cause of those higher grades. Therefore, more high-quality studies are needed to ________their findings.

Still, the general finding was that physically active kids are more likely to do better in school. Ms. Singh says schools should consider that finding before they________physical education programs.

1.

A．mental

B．emotional

C．physical

D．potential

2.

A．academic

B．imaginative

C．objective

D．useful

3.

A．previewed

B．reviewed

C．preserved

D．concealed

4.

A．record

B．explanation

C．treatment

D．link

5.

A．risky

B．beneficial

C．affordable

D．inevitable

6.

A．offers

B．discovers

C．reveals

D．recognizes

7.

A．passive

B．active

C．patient

D．anxious

8.

A．excuse

B．respect

C．perform

D．debate

9.

A．involved

B．supposed

C．attempted

D．separated

10.

A．action

B．awareness

C．recognition

D．behaviour

11.

A．leaves

B．plans

C．urges

D．holds

12.

A．load

B．permit

C．accept

D．affect

13.

A．permanently

B．frequently

C．accordingly

D．necessarily

14.

A．convert

B．confirm

C．confess

D．convey

15.

A．promote

B．cut

C．develop

D．encourage

3 . The first basketball game was played in the late 19th century in Massachusetts, America. On a cold winter day,_______it was impossible to do much outdoor sports, Canadian Doctor James Naismith came up with the idea of a new ball game,_______he hoped people would enjoy during the long winter months.

James wrote some simple rules for the new ball game, most of_______rules are still in place today. But some of the rules have changed a bit. For example, in the original game rules, bouncing the ball was prohibited.

After the new ball game was introduced to the public, it was such a hit_______attracted many people’s attention. Many people came to indoor sports centers in groups______they could avoid the extremely low temperature outdoors to play this new ball game together. The first basketball game_______consisted of 18 players was standard to the baseball teams of the day.

Since Naismith didn’t have the money to design a new ball, early games used the soccer ball,______the price was relatively low. Later on,William R. Chase made the ball go into the basket, and thus became the first player to ever score in a basketball game. It was during this game_______someone suggested a name for this new sport --- basketball.

1.

A．at which

B．where

C．when

D．that

2.

A．and

B．which

C．that

D．what

3.

A．that

B．its

C．whose

D．which

4.

A．what

B．as

C．which

D．that

5.

A．where

B．with whom

C．who

D．which

6.

A．where

B．that

C．which

D．what

7.

A．and which

B．and its

C．whose

D．of which

8.

A．where

B．when

C．that

D．which

4 . For the first time in its history, the International Olympic Committee has allowed a team of refugees to compete at the Games. All of the team’s members were forced to leave their home countries. Now they’ve come together to compete under the Olympic flag instead.

Making it to the Olympics is something eighteen-year-old swimmer Yusra has always dreamed of. But just last year, she was swimming for her life. She and her sister were forced to leave their home in Syria because of the war there. They were trying to get to Greece in a rubber dinghy (橡皮艇) with eighteen other refugees, when their boat broke down and began filling with water. Most of the people on board couldn’t swim, so she and her sister jumped in to help push it to shore.

Three hours later, they made it to safety, and eventually to Germany as refugees. Refugees are people who have left their home country because their lives are threatened by war, bad treatment or violence---often because of their race, gender or beliefs. Around the world, more than 60 million people are in this situation. And some of them, like Yusra, are elite athletes who have trained all their lives to compete at the highest level, only to have that chance taken away.

Now, a team of ten, including swimmers, runners, and judokas from Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Congo have been given the chance to compete at the Games under the Olympic flag. They’ve also been given their own coaches, officials, uniforms and a chef, all paid for by the IOC. And in the past few months they’ve been training hard. The IOC says it wants the team to inspire and give hope to other refugees, and draw attention to the issues millions of other around the world are facing. And these guys say they are up to the task whether they win gold or not.

“These refugee athletes will show the world that despite the unimaginable tragedies that they have faced, anyone can contribute to society through their talent, skills and strength of the human spirit,” the statement continues.

1. What does the underlined sentence mean?

A．She trained all her life.

B．She swam for the glory of life.

C．She swam to escape being drowned.

D．She swam to escape from other refugees.

2. Where do Yusra and her sister live as refugees now?

A．Syria

B．Germany

C．Congo

D．Ethiopia

3. Which of the following is NOT a reason why the refugees are threatened to their country?

A．Race

B．Violence

C．Religion

D．Nationality

4. The IOC allowed a team of refugees to complete in the Olympic Games in order to ________.

A．help the refugees to fulfill their dreams of winning the Olympic gold medal.

B．offer the refugees a chance to earn bread by themselves.

C．light a candle of hope for all the refugees in the world.

D．curse the darkness of the society by forcing them to pay attention to the life of refugees.

5 . Directions: Read the passage carefully. Fill in each blank with a proper sentence given in the box. Each sentence can be used only once. Note that there are two more sentences than you need.

Boxing is a popular sport that many people seem to be fascinated by . Newspapers , magazines and sports programmes on TV frequently cover boxing matches . Professional boxers earn a lot of money , and successful boxers are treated as big heroes.

It seems to me that people , especially men ,find it appealing because it is an aggressive sport . When they watch a boxing match , they can identify with the winning boxer , and this gives them the feeling of being a winner themselves . It is a fact that many people have feeling of aggression from time to time , but they cannot show their aggression in their everyday   lives .     1    

However , there is a negative side to boxing .     2     Although boxers wear gloves during the fights , and amateur boxers even have to wear helmets , there have frequently been accident in both professional and amateur boxing , sometimes with dramatic consequences . Boxers have suffered from head injuries , and occasionally , fighters have even been killed as a result of being knocked out in the ring.     3     Sometimes even if a boxer has never been knocked out, he might have suffered severe brain damage without knowing it.

    4     I think it would be better if less time was given to aggressive sports on TV, and we welcomed more men and women from non-aggressive sports as our heroes and heroines in our society . I believe that the world is aggressive enough already ! Of course , people like competitive sports , and so do I , but I think that hitting other people in an aggressive way is not something that should be regarded as a sport.

A．Watching a boxing match gives them an outlet for this aggression .

B．I am personally not at all in favor of aggressive sports like boxing .

C．In my personal opinion, boxing can be so thrilling that many people dare not to have a try.

D．Professional boxers are much more at risk than their amateur counterparts.

E．Furthermore , studies have shown that there are often long-term effects of boxing

F．It is likely to threaten personal safety of people.

6 . IV. Summary Writing

Take Care of Your Spine (脊柱)

The spine stands at the center of your health, providing your body with structure and support. It also contains your spinal cord, a massive collection of nerves that sends electric signals from the rest of your body to your brain. Therefore, it’s important to take care of it.

Maintaining your good posture is one of the most important things you can do to keep your spine healthy. Proper posture means standing or sitting while keeping your spine straight, except for its natural curves. Posture comes into play even when you’re asleep. Sleeping on your side puts less stress on your spine than most other positions. Having a comfortable bed is also very important as sleeping in a position that isn’t comfortable can leave your back feeling sore the next day.

Exercise is also an important factor in the health of your spine. Staying still for too long—even if your posture is good—can be hard on your back. Especially if you work at a desk most of the day, it’s important to get up and stretch periodically. Stretches can help the muscles around your spine relax and allow bones to shift into better positions. Strength exercises with light weights or bodyweight exercises like pushups can also help by strengthening the muscles around your spine. However, don’t overdo the exercise, as repeated motions can hurt the muscles around your spine.

Your diet also affects the health of your spine because many vitamins are necessary for bones and nerves. In particular, B vitamins help keep nerves healthy, so you may want to consider taking a supplement (补充物). Another important factor is vitamin D, which is essential for strong bones, but it’s also absorbed from sunlight, so it may help to do some of those back exercises outside.

7 . SPECIAL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Captain Goodfellow
Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games, and exciting dances? Captain Goodfellow will be ready to teach all these things to children of all ages at the City Theatre on Saturday morning at 10:00, free.
Walking Tour of the Town
Forget your worries on Saturday morning. Take a beautiful walk and learn about its history. Meet at the front entrance of City Hall at 9:30. Wear comfortable shoes!
Films at the Museum
Two European films will be shown Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theatre. See Broken Window at 1:30. The workers will be at 3:45. For further information, call 4987898.
International Picnic
Are you tired of eating the same food every day? Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 pm.
Do You Want to Hear “The Zoo”
“The Zoo”, a popular rock group from Australia, will give their first US concert tomorrow night at 8:00 at Rose Hall, City College.
1. You can probably eat Chinese, Italian, and Arab food __________..

A．at the front entrance of City Hall	B．at the game
C．at 5:00 pm	D．at Central Park on Saturday

2. Walking Tour of the Town will be taken __________.

A．in the City Hall

B．outside

C．at the gate

D．at the zoo

3. “The Zoo” is __________.

A．a park with lots of animals there	B．a US concert
C．a music group	D．an interesting event