1 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In my forties a number of people suggested that I should benefit     1     and enjoy tai chi. At the time I thought I did not have time to add another activity to my over-busy life as a parent and full-time worker. Twenty years later,     2     (drive) by my 62nd birthday and a health scare, I arrived at the Box Hill Central and     3     (nervous) started the class.

That was over six years ago, and how     4     (please) I was that I found the Celestial TaiChi College. Mind you, my first thoughts were not “Eureka, this is     5     I have been looking for”! In fact I was rather daunted (失去信心) by everybody else’s competence (能力) and my body’s unwillingness     6     (learn) new tricks. I recall feeling quite frustrated (沮丧的) by the slowness with which I was able to learn new moves, and I began to understand why several of my friends     7     (start) tai chi but then given it up.

Grand Master Eng Chor Khor and my other patient teachers always gave us positive encouragement, although they also stressed     8     necessity of practising. Eng Chor would often tell us     9     (beginner) that, although progress might appear slow, we would see it with the passing of time. And we did! I worked hard and completed each level with a real sense of     10     (proud).

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

I     1     (become) interested in Tai Chi after reading about it in a magazine. At the time, I was looking for a way to balance     2    (I) job as a manager at an IT firm with my     3    (person) life. I didn’t want to go to the gym or sweat my way through the woods. I was looking for a less strenuous(费力的) way to exercise while also relaxing     4    (mental).

My path to Tai Chi took me through a number of teachers and courses. The first Tai Chi form, On     5     other hand, I learned from a textbook. This book was my first     6    (introduce) to Tai Chi. The book is very precise step-by-step instructions were very well explained to me. The Yang form was demonstrated,     7     is a very good and simple form for learning Tai Chi. I didn’t really know what needed to pay attention to at the time, so I just learned the movement sequence of the form, strictly     8    (follow)the instructions in the book.

I can only report positive results after     9     (year) of consistent training. I’ve gained mental stability and calm. My mindfulness has gotten better, and I am now more aware     10     the here and now in my everyday life.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

“With your fingers crossed, inhale; then slowly lift your arms above your head.” Lu Jing, 66, is demonstrating a Ba Duan Jin exercise in a video she posted on the Douyin video app. As one of a handful of high-level professionals in China, Lu     1     (teach) Ba Duan Jin since 2005. Each morning from 7 to 8:30, she organizes offline exercise sessions, attracting many a     2     (participate) every day.

Ba Duan Jin is     3     easy-to-learn indoor exercise     4     (consist) of a sequence of eight qigong movements that strengthen the muscles, improve circulation and respiration, and boost the immune system. Such health benefits appeal     5     Lu’s followers aged 16 to 70. “Losing weight is difficult for women at my age, but my ‘love handles’ have gone!” one says. “I need to be     6     (high) concentrated on the coordination of my movements and breathing so I feel     7     (liberate) from anxiety,” says another.

Lu is keen     8     (collect) feedback from viewers and interact with experienced practitioners. In Lu’s opinion, Ba Duan Jin is not a rigid fitness regime. It’s important to listen to people’s responses, so that the traditional exercise can     9     (tailor) to meet modern people’s needs. That is     10     we truly inherit the treasure of Chinese culture.

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Pickleball

It’s got nothing to do     1     pickles(泡菜) — it’s a sport. It has been described as a     2    (combine) of tennis, badminton and table tennis. Picture a small plastic ball soaring through the air     3     you need to bat back to your partner, or partners. Many Brits (英国人) are listening to their inner athlete and     4     (pick) up this racket game. In the UK, there are     5     (current) around 7,000 players, according to Pickleball England. But the association     6     (aim) to have more than 25,000 players by 2025 and is even attempting to get the sport played as part of promotion for the 2028 Olympics.

How exactly do you play this game? Well, it can be played indoors     7     outdoors and it can be played as a singles or doubles game. There are a few easy-to-understand rules. The ball is served underhand and should     8     (bat) diagonally across the court. On     9     first two hits, the ball has to bounce, but after that, players are free to volley.     10     (win) a point, the defending side must miss the ball.

So, if you fancy picking it up, find your local Pickleball court and give it a go!

5 . How did the man keep fit?

A．He learned to swim.

B．He took exercise.

C．He stopped drinking.

6 . ACL 500 Word Story Competition

We are pleased to announce the launch of the ACL 500 Word Story Competition. This time the theme is “Awakening”. We’re looking for our community to pen a story that quickly catches our attention and tells a great tale. You can submit (提交) an entry as an individual achievement or as a team effort — we want to read both kinds! Our judges will include a range of our experienced instructors, staff and local Essex Author Sarah Armstrong.

Sarah Armstrong is the author of three novels, most recently The Wolves of Leninsky Prospekt and The Starlings of Bucharest, the first and second in the Moscow Wolves series. She is also the author of A Summer of Spying, a book mainly about her own experience. Sarah teaches undergraduate and postgraduate creative writing with The Open University, and lives in Essex with her husband and four children.

Rules:
◆ Your story can be a poem, an essay or any other kinds of writing.
◆ Entries will need to be in a Word format. PDF files are unacceptable.
◆ Please ensure your story is suitable for all to read.
◆ Use the given submission form to submit your details and story. The deadline for submissions is 12th April.
Benefits:
◆ Prizes include a book voucher (代金券), a short creative writing course, and your work published.
◆ Discover new and exciting skills at writing while exploring your creative writing and sharing inspirational moments with others. We have a fantastic range of Creative Writing courses for you to choose from.
1. What do we know about the competition?

A．It’s organized in honor of Sarah Armstrong.

B．It looks for both individual and group works.

C．It aims to awaken an interest in writing.

D．It’s targeted at undergraduates and postgraduates.

2. Which is a requirement for the entries?

A．They should be submitted as a Word file.	B．They must be poems or essays.
C．They must be based on personal experience.	D．They should be about life in Essex.

3. What can participants get?

A．A voucher for a course.	B．An expert training class by Sarah.
C．A vast range of courses.	D．An improvement to writing skills.

7 . 请在方框中选择合适的词汇，填入答题卡的空格中（只填代码），使短文完整连贯。
注意： (1) 每个选项至多只能使用一次； (2) 方框中有一个多余词汇。

A. take up       B. suggested       C. favorite       D. career       E. responded to       F. in shape G. down        H. at a certain time       I. to have completed       J. rather than       K. setting the record for

Mathea Allansmith isn’t your typical grandmother. She’s the oldest woman in the world     1     a marathon. She was 92 years 194 days old when she crossed the finish line at the 2022 Honolulu Marathon,     2     the oldest female to finish a marathon.

Mathea, now 94, of Koloa, Hawaii, USA, stays in shape all year round by running seven days a week, no matter what the weather is. Whether there is rain or sunshine, she covers 36 miles every week, even when she’s on holiday. The retired doctor didn’t     3     running until she was 46 years old—after a friend     4     she should run two miles per day.

“The Honolulu Marathon is my     5     marathon mainly because it doesn’t close the gate     6     , which allows even the slowest runner to finish the race,” she said. “It’s one of the best races.

Mathea, who doesn’t allow her age to slow her     7     , thinks she is the happiest person when she’s on the road. She enjoys running for miles and waving and saying hello to the people she passes. To stay in shape, Mathea keeps a steady training routine (惯例) . “I train all year round but increase the mileage (里程) 18 weeks before a marathon,” she said.

Mathea said it was her     8     as a doctor that allowed her to understand how her body and mind     9     diet and exercise. “I see the direct relation between moving and health,” she said. “It is important to reduce stress     10     ignoring it without a plan on how to do so. Of course, exercise of any kind is a natural stress reducer.”

8 . 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。

Edward and Stephen were both eighteen years old. They were so together in friendship that they felt themselves to be brothers. They had known each other since childhood, growing up in the same block in Liverpool.

Edward was fair and lean, while Stephen was dark and short. Edward’s brown hair was always falling over his eyes, while Stephen wore his black hair in a natural style.

Each youngster had a dream of someday becoming champion of the world. Whenever they had time, the boys worked out at the Fencing (击剑) Club. Early morning sunrises would find them running along the Mersey River, wrapped in sweatshirts, with short towels around their necks.

Edward and Stephen studied hard and dreamt positively. Between them, they had a notebook filled with torn tickets of every fencing match they had ever attended. They each had taken part in many elimination bouts (淘汰赛) and had won many gold medals. The difference was in their style.

As fencers, Edward’s lean form and long reach made him better in attack, while Stephen’s short and muscular frame made him speed y in movement. Whenever they had met in the piste (击剑台), it had always been intense and competitive.

After a series of elimination bouts, they were informed that they were to meet each other in the finals next month —the winner to represent the Club in the Championship Tournament.

Fencing was like any other profession. The two boys knew friendship had nothing to do with it. But how would the competition affect their relationship? Everyday they continued to run together along the Mersey River. However, while joking with each other, they both sensed an invisible wall rising between them.

The day before the finals, they met as usual for their daily workout. After a mile or so, Stephen stopped.

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。

“I think we both got something to say to each other.” Stephen said.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As the two went onto the piste, the audience held their breath.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . At some point in most people’s fitness journeys, they hit a plateau(停滞期) — it seems difficult to move forward.     1    . In fact, the key to progress in your works is more likely doing less. Below, I’ve outlined some strategies to help you jump-start your progress in working out.

Put recovery first

Overtraining makes it difficult for you to make progress because you are continually breaking down muscle (肌肉) without allowing time to recover and rebuild. Although quality sleep contributes much to recovery, it isn’t the only factor.     2    . They help your muscle recover on time. When you’re finished, drink water and cool down. Finally, give your body the energy it needs to rebuild with a balanced diet.

Mix up your training

One of the most common reasons for hitting a plateau is sticking with the same workout for too long. Your body naturally adapts to repetitive movements, leading to few returns.     3    . Cross-training involves a variety of activities and exercises intended for different muscle groups. It’s like giving your body a wake-up call, leading it to progress.

    4    

When you’ve exercised for some time, it can be easy to lose sight of how far you’ve come. Monitoring your exercise activity with a smartphone app or a fitness journal can help you recognize markers of your progress. Tracking a variety of measurable markers, such as weights lifted and distances you walked, will enable you to focus on the smaller yet significant goals that make progress more visible.

Remember, hitting a fitness plateau doesn’t mean you aren’t doing enough; it’s a natural part of the journey.     5    .

A．Track your progress

B．Make exercise part of your daily business

C．You can take longer breaks during your workouts

D．Pushing harder is not the answer when you reach the point

E．Celebrate your achievements no matter how small they seem

F．That’s why cross-training is important for overall fitness success

G．Using the strategies above, you’ll get back on the road to your fitness goals

10 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Who taught Heather to surf?

A．Her father.

B．Her coach.

C．Her friend.

2. Where did Heather live?

A．In New York.

B．In Los Angeles.

C．In San Diego.

3. What can we say about Heather?

A．She got a board for free.

B．She hurt herself on the beach.

C．She was in love with surfing.

4. How did Heather save herself from the shark?

A．By hitting it with her surfboard.

B．By shouting to others for help.

C．By swimming out of its way.