1 . Open water swimming

I had only swum in open water a few times, and always in gentle lakes, so I wasn’t prepared for how rough Lake Windermere appeared on a cold day. A swimmer told me the water felt colder than it had been measured, and that the water was a bit rough. But I, along with 10,000 others, was about to complete the challenge.

Most of the people taking part were doing a one-mile race, and 10 races were planned over the weekend. There seemed to be a mix of open-water enthusiasts alongside complete beginners—which is precisely the aim of the swims, to get as many people as possible completing their own challenge. The oldest woman competing was 77, taking part in the two-mile race, alongside a man who last year had swum in every one-mile race.

I had chosen the third one-mile race of the day. There were over 600 people in my race. We were taken through an acclimatization area, a children’s paddling pool-sized part of the lake where we moved in to feel how cold the water was. “Not too bad” was everyone’s thought! Then we headed out towards the middle of the lake.

We’d been warned that the first 100 metres would be really rough. However, somewhere near the 750m mark I was still waiting for the calm; it felt more like swimming in the sea than a lake. I tried to focus on my breathing and technique, and just keep going. As I approached the 400m-to-gomark my lower right leg became painful. I recalled overhearing people talking about how they kept swimming through the pain, so I tried. But it didn’t work. I began to feel the entire leg tight and painful. I didn’t want to stop, so I bent my right knee and just kicked with the left leg.

Finally I saw the finishing post, and I just concentrated on getting there—still one-legged. My finishing time was 38 minutes 25 seconds but that didn’t matter—the atmosphere was fantastic and everyone felt a sense of achievement, whatever their time. I’m hooked, and want to give it another go. I’ve already signed up for my next open-water swim.

1. What does the word ROUGH in the first paragraph means?

A．wild

B．good

C．pleasant

D．calm

2. How did the author feel before the race?

A．Scared(恐惧的)	B．Disappointed
C．Happy	D．Determined(坚定的)

3. The author suggests in Paragraph 4 that ______.

A．the race would cause breathing problems

B．the race became harder than she had expected

C．it was really necessary to prepare for tough swims

D．it would have been easier if she had taken others’ advice

4. What does the author talk about in the last paragraph?

A．Her confidence in her own ability.

B．Her eagerness to repeat the experience.

C．Her pride in having swum so quickly.

D．Her surprise at having managed to finish.

3 . The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included on December 17, 2020 China's Tai Chi on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was announced during the online meeting of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held from December 14 to 19 in Kingston, capital of Jamaica.

“Born in the mid-17th century in a small village named Chenjiagou located in Central China's Henan province, Tai Chi is not only a kind of traditional Wushu integrated with slow movements and deep breathing, but is also deeply rooted in many areas of Chinese culture, such as medicine and philosophy,” Zhu Xianghua says, who is the son of the famous Tai Chi master Zhu Tiancai.

Although it has spread to more than 150 countries and regions, attracting more than 100 million people to practice, the idea that Tai Chi is for the elderly has stopped many young people practicing the ancient Wushu. They think of it as a slow exercise, which is specially made and better suited for their grandparents. Instead, many young people are turning to the Indian practice of yoga to relieve stress, which was placed on the UNESCO's List in 2019.

In order to promote Tai Chi, joint efforts have been made from individuals and the Chinese government in the last decades. Xi'an Jiaotong University requires students to learn Tai Chi. Wang Yunbing, a professor in the university's sports center, stressed that Tai Chi is not only good physical exercise-researchers from the American College of Rheumatology find that it can help manage several diseases but is also conned ted to ancient Chinese civilization. Since 2014, the World Tai Chi Championships have been held every two years by the International Wushu Federation. It provides a platform for communication and learning between the Tai Chi masters and Tai Chi lovers around the globe. In January 2020, Tai Chi became an official event in the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games.

1. What does Zhu Xianghua say about Tai Chi in paragraph 2?

A．It originated from fast Kung Fu action.

B．It was born around the 1750s in a village.

C．It is related to other cultural fields of China.

D．It integrates Chinese medicine and western philosophy.

2. Why do some young people choose to practice yoga instead of Tai Chi?

A．They think it easier to practice yoga to keep fit.

B．The elderly stop young people practicing Tai Chi.

C．They consider Tai Chi is custom-built for old people.

D．Yoga was included in the world culture earlier than Tai Chi.

3. What is the main purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To promote contemporary Chinese civilization.

B．To show many efforts made to popularize Tai Chi.

C．To stress the importance of Chinese Tai Chi masters.

D．To advise people to practice Tai Chi to cure diseases.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A．Tai Chi Steps on the UNESCO's List.

B．Tai Chi is Competing against Yoga.

C．Tai Chi Has Regained populate Globally.

D．Opinions Greatly Differ on Tai Chi and Yoga.

4 . Why play sports? You might say “to get exercise” and you would be right. To have fun? That's true, too. But there's more.     1     According to the Women's Sports Foundation, girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.

Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time.     2     Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.

Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills.     3     When working with coaches, trainers , and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you're learning how to be successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.

Sports are good for a girl's health. In addition to being fit and keeping a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis(骨质疏松症).

Playing sports improves self-confidence.     4     Why? It builds confidence when you know you can practice, improve, and achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape, keep a healthy weight, and make new friends.

    5     Playing sports can reduce stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals leased during exercise improve a person's mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being in a team creates tight bonds between friends. It's good to know your teammates will support you-both on and off the field!

A．Exercise cuts the pressure.

B．Sports teach valuable life skills.

C．Regular exercise increases quality of life.

D．In fact, there are at least five more reasons.

E．Girls who play sports feel better about themselves.

F．Playing sports offers children more than just physical benefits.

G．But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don't.

6 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the woman think of her basketball experience?

A．Helpful.

B．Interesting.

C．Terrible.

2. What sport does the woman probably play now?

A．Football.

B．Tennis.

C．Badminton.

3. When did the man fall in love with football?

A．At 10 years old.

B．At 12 years old.

C．At 18 years old.

7 . 假定你是李华，你市将于1月举办国际马拉松比赛，请你给外教John发一封电子邮件，邀请他一起报名参加。内容包括：
1. 告知马拉松比赛的具体信息。
2. 说明邀请理由。
3. 希望对方参加。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
参考词汇：international marathon
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 . When I was 13 my only purpose was to become the star on our football team. That meant _______ Miller King, who was the best player at our school.

Football season started in September and all summer long I worked out. I carried my football everywhere for _______.

Just before September, Miller was struck by a car and lost his right arm. I went to see him after he came back from hospital. He looked very _______, but he didn’t cry.

That season, I _______ all of Miller’s records while he _______ the home games from the bench. We went 10-1 and I was named most valuable player, but I often had crazy dreams in which I was to blame for Miller’s _______.

One afternoon, I was crossing the field to go home and saw Miller _______ going over a fence — which wasn’t _______ to climb if you had both arms. I’m sure I was the last person in the world he wanted to accept _______ from. But even that challenge he accepted. I assisted him move slowly over the fence. When we were finally ________ on the other side, he said to me, “You know, I didn’t tell you this during the season, but you did fine. Thank you for filling in for ________.”

His words freed me from my bad ________. I thought to myself, how even without an arm he was more of a leader. Damaged but not defeated, he was ________ ahead of me. I was right to have ________ him. From that day on, I grew ________ and a little more real.

1.

A．cheering for

B．beating out

C．relying on

D．staying with

2.

A．comfort

B．show

C．practice

D．pleasure

3.

A．pale

B．calm

C．relaxed

D．ashamed

4.

A．held

B．broke

C．set

D．tried

5.

A．reported

B．judged

C．organized

D．watched

6.

A．decision

B．mistake

C．accident

D．sacrifice

7.

A．stuck

B．hurt

C．tired

D．lost

8.

A．steady

B．hard

C．fun

D．fit

9.

A．praise

B．advice

C．help

D．apology

10.

A．dropped

B．ready

C．trapped

D．safe

11.

A．us

B．yourself

C．me

D．them

12.

A．memories

B．ideas

C．attitudes

D．dreams

13.

A．still

B．also

C．yet

D．just

14.

A．challenged

B．cured

C．invited

D．admired

15.

A．healthier

B．bigger

C．cleverer

D．cooler

9 . “When I grow up, I want to be a runner.” These words are spoken by thousands of Kenyan children. 50 percent of the Kenyan top runners are members of Kalenjin, one minority race of the country. They make up less than two percent of Kenya’s population. This fact has puzzled sports scientists. They have spent considerable time and effort trying to answer one question: What enables the Kalenjin people to run so fast?

Although the question seems simple, finding the answer has proven to be difficult and controversial (有争议的). A team of Danish sports scientists spent 18 months and discovered the Kalenjins had remarkably slow heart rates even when running long distances. The Kalenjins live in high-elevation (高海拔) villages in the Rift Valley in western Kenya. People living at high elevations produce more red blood cells, which aid in the transport of oxygen throughout the body. Because the air is thinner and contains less oxygen at high elevations, the body produces more red blood cells. Scientists believe there is a connection between increased red blood cells and low heart rates and that both may enable high-altitude athletes to outperform those who train at low altitudes. The Danish scientists also studied the bodies of the Kalenjins and compared them to those of the Danes. They found that the Kalenjins have longer “birdlike” legs. The Kalenjins also have lower body mass indexes (a measure of body fat based on weight and height) and shorter bodies than Danish people.

As a result of the Danish study, some scientists made the conclusion that the Kalenjins possess what is called a “speed gene (基因)”. However, Kenyan runners were offended by this conclusion. They owed their success to hard work and endless hours of training.

Although the controversy over the “speed gene” remains unsolved, British runner Mo Farah’s experience offers an interesting perspective on the subject. In 2005, he realized he wasn’t meeting his potential as a runner. A group of Kenyan runners were training in England then. After he accidentally observed the Kenyans’ strict training routines and dedication to their sport, Farah said it was like a switch had been turned on in his head. He began eating healthy foods, going to bed early, and training harder than he had ever trained in his life. As a result, Farah’s running career exploded. He has won seven world and Olympic titles in the 5000m and regularly beats Kenya’s top runners!

Farah’s story proves what Kenyans have known all along. Regardless of genetics, their success would not be possible without hard work, dedication, sacrifice, and mental toughness. Their “secret” is simple. Train hard, run fast and never give up.

1. What interested the sports scientists?

A．Kenyan sports history.	B．Kanlenjins’ running ability.
C．Kanlenjins’ training methods.	D．Kenyans’ enthusiasm for sport.

2. According to Danish scientists, what leads to the Kanlenjins’ success?

A．Physical condition.	B．Hard training.
C．Healthy lifestyle.	D．Strong will.

3. What did Kenyan runners think of Danish research result?

A．Satisfactory.

B．Typical.

C．Unacceptable.

D．Important.

4. Why is Mo Farah’s story mentioned in the passage?

A．To show running methods count.	B．To encourage British athletes.
C．To prove effort pays off.	D．To support gene theory.

10 . When I was 13 my only purpose was to become the star on our football team. That meant_______Miller King, who was the best _______at our school.

Football season started in September and all summer long I worked out. I carried my football everywhere for _________.

Just before September, Miller was struck by a car and lost his right arm. I went to see him after he came back from _______. He looked very pale, but he didn^’t cry.

That season, I_________all of Miller’s records while he _______ the home games from the bench. We went 10-1 and I was named most valuable player, _______I often had crazy dreams in which I was to blame for Miller’s _______.

One afternoon, I was crossing the field to go home and saw Miller stuck going over a fence—which wasn’t _______to climb if you had both arms. I’m sure I was the last person in the world he wanted to accept assistance from. But even that challenge he accepted. I________ him move slowly over the fence. When we were finally ________ on the other side, he said to me, “You know, I didn’t tell you this during the season, but you did fine. Thank you for filling in for________ .”

His words freed me from my bad ________. I thought to myself, how even without an arm he was more of a leader. Damaged but not defeated, he was________ahead of me. I was right to have admired him. From that day on，I grew ________ and a little more real.

1.

A．cheering for

B．beating out

C．relying on

D．staying with

2.

A．coach

B．student

C．teacher

D．player

3.

A．practice

B．show

C．comfort

D．pleasure

4.

A．school

B．vacation

C．hospital

D．training

5.

A．held

B．broke

C．set

D．tried

6.

A．reported

B．judged

C．organized

D．watched

7.

A．and

B．then

C．but

D．thus

8.

A．decision

B．mistake

C．accident

D．sacrifice

9.

A．steady

B．hard

C．fun

D．fit

10.

A．let

B．helped

C．had

D．noticed

11.

A．dropped

B．ready

C．trapped

D．safe

12.

A．us

B．yourself

C．me

D．them

13.

A．memories

B．ideas

C．attitudes

D．dreams

14.

A．still

B．also

C．yet

D．just

15.

A．healthier

B．bigger

C．cleverer

D．cooler