1 . Running is often tiring and a lot of hard work, but nothing beats the feeling you get after finishing a long workout around the track.

But while it’s long been believed that endorphins (内啡肽) —chemicals in the body that cause happiness—are behind the so-called “runner’s high”, a study suggested that there may be more to this phenomenon than we previously knew.

According to a recent study published by a group of scientists from several German universities, a group of chemicals called endocannabinoids (内源性大麻素) may actually be responsible for this familiar great feeling.

To test this theory, the scientists turned to mice. Both mice and humans release high levels of endorphins and endocannabinoids after exercise. After exercising on running wheels, the mice seemed happy and relaxed and displayed no signs of anxiety. But after being given a drug to block their endorphins, the mice’s behavior didn’t seem to change. However, when their endocannabinoids were blocked with a different drug, their runners’ high symptoms seemed to fade.

“The long-held notion of endorphins being responsible for the runner’s high is false. Endorphins are effective pain relievers, but only when it comes to the pain in your body and muscles you feel after working out,” Patrick Lucas Austin wrote on science blog Lifchacker.

Similar studies are yet to be carried out on humans, but it’s already known that exercise is a highly effective way to get rid of stress or anxiety. The UK’s National Health Service even prescribes (开药 方) exercise to patients who are suffering from depression. “Being depressed can leave you feeling low in energy, which might put you off being more active. Regular exercise can improve your mood if you have depression, and its especially useful for people with mild to moderate (中等的) depression,” it wrote on its website.

It seems like nothing can beat that feeling we get after a good workout, even if we don’t fully understand where it comes from. At least if we’re feeling down, we know that all we have to do is to put on our running shoes.

1. What did scientists from German universities recently discover?

A．Working out is a highly effective way to treat depression.

B．The runner’s high could be caused by endocannabinoids.

C．Endorphins may contribute to one’s high spirits after running.

D．The level of endorphins and endocannabinoids could affect one’s mood.

2. Why did the scientists give mice drugs in their experiment?

A．To find what reduces the runner’s high symptoms.

B．To see the specific symptoms of the runner’s high.

C．To identify what is responsible for the runner’s high.

D．To test what influences the level of endocannabinoids released.

3. What does the underlined word “notion” mean?

A．Effect.

B．Goal.

C．Opinion.

D．Question

4. What can we know about regular workouts according to the UK’s National Health Service?

A．They can help ease depression symptoms.

B．They are the best way to treat depression.

C．They only work for those with serious depression.

D．They can help people completely recover from depression.

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What must guests do before entering the pool?

A．Wear life jackets.

B．Read the state law.

C．Have a shower with soap.

2. Who is forbidden to use the pool?

A．A man with fever.

B．A sixty-year-old lady.

C．A gym staff.

3. At what age can children swim alone?

A．Nine years old.

B．Ten years old.

C．Eleven years old.

4. How long will the pool be open from January 1?

A．12 hours.

B．11. 5 hours.

C．11 hours.

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the purpose of the talk?

A．To explain the rules of a race.

B．To tell about a weekend event.

C．To introduce some runners.

2. When should runners arrive at the Town Hall?

A．At 8:30.

B．At 9:15.

C．At 9:45.

3. What are the prizes for the winners?

A．Money.

B．Coats.

C．Running shoes.

4. How much should a family pay to run in the race?

A．$6.

B．$5.

C．$4.5.

4 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What does the speaker ask the runners to do?

A．Sign up.

B．Stand in line.

C．Follow a volunteer.

2. What will be available at the stations every two miles?

A．Drinks.

B．Reporters.

C．Medical assistance.

3. What is forbidden in this race?

A．Food.

B．Photos.

C．Headphones.

4. When will the running course be taken down?

A．In the mid-morning.

B．At midday.

C．In the afternoon.

5 . How Running Helped Me Turn My Life Around

I've never been an athlete. Aside from excelling at all academic disciplines at school, my main goal was to ____ PE at all costs. In my twenties, I went for an occasional yoga or Zumba class, but that was really the summary of all my athletic accomplishments.

That was until the end of 2016, when I was unexpectedly laid off. The chances of getting a new ____ soon were not in my favor and ____ thoughts of not being good enough started to kick in. I was feeling quite depressed but pushed myself to go and ____ for the TCS NYC Marathon runners as the course was going through our neighborhood.

However, while being there, I got phenomenal ____ from all the runners, smiling, applauding and high-fiving constantly. Not a runner myself, I thought maybe I could give running a ____ , just to try, to use my neglected gym membership and see where it ____ me. And so I tried. I went to my local gym the next morning and got on a treadmill （跑步机）. I was out of breath by minute five, but I ____ down, walked for a bit and then restarted. I came back the next day, hoping to ____ a few minutes longer. By the end of two weeks, I could run for 30 minutes, which was a huge _____.

While I saw my body starting to look more toned, I also noticed my negative thoughts didn't occur that ____. And it sparked a thought—what if I could set a running ____ and sign up for my first- ever race? I did and races became a new hobby.

In the meantime, I was able to ____ a few freelance （自由职业的）projects. They offered me a good ____ , and, most importantly, the time to work out for the big race. Also, when I was going for interviews, I started to feel very ____ in my abilities, experience and skills.

I got my full-time job ____ at my dream company just a couple of weeks before the halfmarathon. Although I got an ____ from overtraining right before the race, I still went for it and still finished within my ____ time.

I still have a long running ____ ahead of me—I'd love to work on my speed, my technique and I dream of running a marathon outside of the US. Running gives me ____ that I can do anything I set my mind to.

1.

A．attend

B．avoid

C．pursue

D．postpone

2.

A．house

B．plan

C．class

D．job

3.

A．dark

B．deep

C．critical

D．random

4.

A．call

B．look

C．cheer

D．stand

5.

A．sympathy

B．pleasure

C．luck

D．energy

6.

A．lift

B．shot

C．break

D．choice

7.

A．meets

B．leaves

C．takes

D．drops

8.

A．came

B．fell

C．went

D．slowed

9.

A．last

B．walk

C．rest

D．function

10.

A．credit

B．impact

C．success

D．opportunity

11.

A．readily

B．frequently

C．normally

D．occasionally

12.

A．goal

B．limit

C．record

D．standard

13.

A．cancel

B．secure

C．approve

D．continue

14.

A．service

B．position

C．future

D．income

15.

A．absorbed

B．interested

C．confident

D．confused

16.

A．offer

B．permit

C．schedule

D．application

17.

A．award

B．honor

C．injury

D．issue

18.

A．leisure

B．expected

C．original

D．spare

19.

A．show

B．routine

C．distance

D．journey

20.

A．faith

B．consideration

C．evidence

D．guidance

6 . 从方框里选择合适的词语的适当形式填空

A. essence   B. amateur   C. influential   D. balanced   AB. recognition   AC. highlights   AD. maximizing   BC. overwhelmingly   BD. talented   CD. obsession     ABC. prioritize

When most of us recall our school sporting days, we tend to remember the friendships that were forged, the occasional personal     1    and the far more frequent moments when our skill levels didn't quite match our idols'. However, not all of the present generation of schoolchildren may be able to look back on their sporting experiences with such fondness. There are growing fears, within independent schools in particular, that moves towards professional standards and a focus on winning may disagree with the     2     of school sports.

The problem is, perhaps unsurprisingly, more prevalent in boys' sport, and especially so in rugby, where independent schools still provide the bulk of future England internationals. At the same time, there has been a surge in the number of schools offering scholarships to     3    rugby players, driven by a desire to widen access, but also, on occasion, by a(n)     4    that success on the playing field may be a potential marketing tool. One director of rugby at a top-performing school in the South-East reports that his star under-16 player was poached(挖走)by a rival school which offered him a full scholarship. ‘We weren’t prepared to enter into a bidding war over a 15-year-old kid,’ he says rather pitifully.

Chris Morgan, director of sport at Tonbridge, is a critic of these shifts towards becoming superstar sports schools, 'An increasing number of schools seem to be using sports scholarships as part of their business model,’ he says. ‘They place rugby above other sports as it seems to be more    5    in parents’ decision-making over which school they want to send their children to.’

As a result, some of Morgan's counterparts at other independent schools feel under pressure to focus on winning rather than    6     enjoyment. ‘If everything you put on your website is about which teams won, it is easy to see how coaches, boys and parents can think that results are the most important barometer of success.’

Several coaches feel that their efforts to     7    players’ enjoyment over results are at risk of being undermined by the temptation to see sport as an extension of academic league tables.

One director of rugby told me that whenever they lose a game, his headmaster calls a meeting on the Monday morning in which he demands an explanation for the defeat. ‘The head can't understand that sport isn't just about winning,’ he says.

So, with increasingly professional set-ups and a seeming     8    with winning at all costs, has school sport lost its innocence?

Certainly not, says Kevin Knibbs, Headmaster of Hampton School in South West London, and Chair of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference(HMC)Sports Sub-Committee ‘Independent schools understand that sport is hugely beneficial to young people. While there have been substantial improvements in the standard of sports facilities, coaching, and performance in independent schools over the past decade, this is    9     with, an emphasis on safety, wellbeing and general fitness. Together these things have had a(n)     10    positive impact on young people’s experiences of sport in HMC schools, ' he says. 'Pupils are free to enjoy playing a wide range of sports with their friends without facing undue pressure to wip or needing to follow an over-intensive training regime, Knibbs continue.

7 . Here’s the list of skiers, who have won four consecutive (连续的) world championships: Nobody.

Well, nobody besides Mikaela Shiffrin, who did it last Saturday in Are, Sweden. The Colorado skier, still just 23, is the best story, really, of this sports winter in the slalom (障碍滑雪).

She pulled it off, despite an illness that challenged her breathing. Shiffrin told NBC after her win that her mother, Eileen, advised her before her second run: You don’t have to do this. But Shiffrin told herself what she had told herself many times before: “I just need 60 seconds.” So she did it, and she got it. Shiffrin is closing in on her third World Cup overall title. She’s ranked No. 1 on the planet in slalom.

In women’s skiing, the mountain is now Shiffrin’s. She’s earned it. Those two (and soon three) World Cup overalls; 56 World Cup individual victories; and, oh yeah, right, three Olympic medals, two of them gold. Shiffrin is already considered a serious threat to Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86 World Cup victories, and Lindsey Vonn’s 82, though the 34-year-old surely would have collected more had she not suffered repeated injuries during her career. Of course, Shiffrin may wind up chasing someone else’s mark—Austria’s brilliant Marcel Hirscher, 29, now has 68 World Cup wins.

At the same time, Shiffrin loathes all the talk about the numbers and records. “People see the records and statistics. They are asking for more, more, more…it looks easy, but it isn’t. Nowhere close,” Shiffrin wrote. “What I see is training, sleepless nights, pain, doubt, delayed lights, canceled flights, lost luggage, expense, adventure, and some races mixed in there.”

That’s what happens when you’re as good as she is. But nobody’s been as good as she is. In a sense, Shiffrin is just getting started. It’s very possible she will be at her peak powers when the Winter Olympics arrive in Beijing in 2022.

1. What do we know about Mikaela Shiffrin in her recent slalom race?

A．She was not in her best physical condition.

B．She pulled out of the race in the second run.

C．She followed her mother’s advice and succeeded.

D．She told herself a one-minute story before the race.

2. Whose record of World Cup victories is Mikaela Shiffrin getting close to?

A．Eileen Shiffrin’s.	B．Ingemar Stenmark’s.
C．Lindsey Vonn’s.	D．Marcel Hirscher’s.

3. Which of the following best explains “loathes” underlined in paragraph 5?

A．Summarizes.

B．Gives away.

C．Dislikes.

D．Focuses on.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Shiffrin Is Moving Mountains	B．Shiffrin Is At Her Peak
C．The Rise And Fall Of A Colorado Skier	D．The Most Popular Winter Sports

8 . Improving as a runner is about more than just running all of the time.    1    In that case, you can make large improvements as a runner in a relatively short time, no matter what your sport, race, or running habits.

    2    It is common for runners to push themselves about the same amount each time, running similarly challenging runs and gradually increasing difficulty. Outstanding runners, however, alternate(交替)an easy, resting run with a very challenging one. It is during these difficult runs，when you really push yourself, that your body snakes the most significant gains.    3    Rather, it is helping rebuild and relax the muscles needed for your big runs.

Keep a relaxed but strong upper body to conserve energy efficiently. You want to keep your chin(下巴)up and your shoulders back, with loose, relaxed arm and hand muscles. Your elbows are bent at 90 degrees but swing freely. If anything, the only muscles you want to focus on keeping strong and tight are the ones in your core(核心).    4    

Use your light run to work up a light sweat. A higher body temperature ensures your muscles are loose and flexible, and your body is pumping blood effectively throughout. For everything other than easy runs, use the first five to ten minutes to build a light sweat and get your body ready for exercise.    5    Slowly pick up speed for short 10 second runs, then return to normal warm-up pace. This helps prepare your muscles for speed.

A．Don't feel like an easy day is "cheating".

B．Alternate easy and hard runs to build strength rapidly.

C．Even five minutes of walking is a good way to get started.

D．"Warming up" truly means you want to warm up your body.

E．You are to pay a little attention to details and a smart training plan.

F．That's because this will naturally help you efficiently channel energy.

G．Remember to relax your face and neck muscles instead of tensing them

9 . Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.

Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.

Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says, According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories(卡路里) per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.

However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.

As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.

1. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?

A．They must run long distances.

B．They are qualified for the marathon.

C．They have to follow special rules.

D．They are good at swinging their legs.

2. What advantage does race walking have over running?

A．It’s more popular at the Olympics.

B．It’s less challenging physically.

C．It’s more effective in body building.

D．It’s less likely to cause knee injuries.

3. What is Dr. Norberg’s suggestion for someone trying race walking?

A．Getting experts’ opinions.

B．Having a medical checkup.

C．Hiring an experienced coach.

D．Doing regular exercises.

4. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to race walking?

A．Skeptical.	B．Objective.
C．Tolerant.	D．Conservative.

10 . 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。

On March 12, the day when the Olympic torch    1     (light) in ancient Olympia without spectators because of ongoing concerns about COVID-19, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was “fully committed” to    2     (hold) the Games, set to run from July 24 to August 9, in Tokyo.

The situation    3     (remain) unsettled and talk of holding the Games elsewhere has been     4     (wide) disapproved. The cost of hosting, organizers said in December, was some 1.35 trillion yen ($12.35 billion). Professor Victor Matheson, a sports economist, believes the    5     (true) sum is likely to be $25 billion, a vast majority of    6     has already been spent on large-scale infrastructure projects such as    7     (transport) networks, hotels and new venues.

The handover of the flame to Tokyo 2020 Games organizers still took place as    8     (schedule) at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens on March 19 without spectators,    9     whether the Olympic will be held in July remains, much    10     the virus, unknown.