1. How is the weather this morning?
| A．Windy. | B．Snowy. | C．Rainy. |
| A．At the top of Mount Raven. |
| B．In the newsroom. |
| C．On a ski slope. |
| A．-7℃. | B．-12℃. | C．-20℃. |
| A．Stay indoors. | B．Dress warmly. | C．Watch sports news. |
1. What did the man get this time?
| A．The gold. | B．The silver. | C．The bronze. |
| A．Quite excited. | B．Rather tired. | C．Absent-minded. |
| A．The man came off the horse. |
| B．The water made the horse nervous. |
| C．Something in the crowd upset the horse. |
| A．Run in another race. | B．Be on a TV show. | C．Visit a friend. |
1. What are the speakers doing?
| A．Doing some exercise. | B．Making a training plan. | C．Attending a sports meeting. |
| A．Two weeks. | B．Four weeks. | C．Six weeks. |
| A．Cycling. | B．Swimming. | C．Running. |
| A．Interesting. | B．Easy. | C．Stressful. |
4 . “The Worthington Christian defeated the Westerville North by 2—1 in an Ohio boys’ soccer game on Saturday.” That’s according to a story that appeared last month in The Columbus Dispatch. That lead was written not by a sportswriter, but by an artificial intelligence (AI) tool.
Many news organizations are now examining how AI might be used in their work. But if they begin their “experimenting” with high school sports because they are less momentous than war, peace, climate change and politics, they may miss something crucial. Nothing may be more important to the students who play high school sports, and to their families, neighborhoods, and sometimes, the whole town. That next game is what the students train for, work toward, and dream about. Someday, almost all student athletes will go on to have jobs in front of screens, in office parks, at schools, in hospitals or on construction sites. They may suffer blows and setbacks. But the high school games they played and watched, as well as their hopes and cheers, will stay vivid in their memories.
I have a small idea. If newspapers will no longer send staff reporters to cover high school games, why not hire high school student journalists? News organizations can pay students an hourly wage to cover high school games. The young reporters might learn how to be fair to all sides, write vividly, and attract readers. That’s what some celebrities in sports did, and do.
And think of the great writers who were inspired by sports: Hemingway on fishing, Bernard Malamud and Marianne Moore on baseball, Chen Zhongshi on football, and CLR James on cricket, who said, “There can be raw pain and bleeding where so many thousands see the inevitable (不可避免的) ups and downs of only a game.” A good high school writer, unlike a robot, could tell readers not just the score, but the stories of the game.
1. Why is the lead mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce an original idea. | B．To show AI’s wide application. |
| C．To bring in the opinion about AI. | D．To stress AI’s importance to news. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Eye-catching. | C．Competitive. | D．Far-reaching. |
| A．Rich in contents. | B．Fair in comments. |
| C．Centered on results. | D．Targeted on readers. |
| A．News Organizations Are Abusing AI | B．High Schoolers Can Do What AI Can’t |
| C．Great Writers Are Crazy About Sports | D．AI Ruins High School Students’ Memory |
5 . Major Sports Leagues in the US
NFL
Formed in 1920, the National Football League has a religious following in the US and around the world. It’s one of the most profitable leagues in the whole world. The NFL consists of 32 teams, which are sub-divided into NFC and AFC, which compete against each other every year to win the Super Bowl, the halftime show of which features major hit musicians.
NBA
Initially formed in 1946 as the BAA (Basketball Association of America), it merged (合并) with National Basketball League in 1949 and changed its name to NBA. The National Basketball Association might not be the biggest sports league financially, but it has a larger international following than other leagues. The keyword “NBA” was among the most googled keywords in 2021, which indicates how popular it is in the world.
MLB
Baseball is considered to be the national pastime activity of the US and the Major League Baseball is its highest level in the country. The MLB might not be popular as NFL in other parts of the world, but international supporters still make a large portion of the total fanbase. Formed in 1903, the MLB is the oldest US sports league and now has 30 teams, which was a merger between the National League and the American League.
NHL
Founded in 1917, the National Hockey League is the second-oldest sports league in the US and Canada and consists of a total of 32 teams. Three of the best performing teams from each division make it to the playoffs plus two wild card teams. All teams compete to win the prestigious Stanley Cup. Most of NHL’s revenue comes from TV and gate receipts with hockey-crazed Canadians being the primary market.
1. Which American sports league enjoys highest popularity globally?| A．NFL. | B．NBA. | C．MLB. | D．NHL. |
| A．Religious celebrations. | B．Interactive games. |
| C．International competition. | D．Musical performances. |
| A．The oldest history. | B．The most teams. |
| C．The Canadian fanbase. | D．Divisions within the league. |
6 . A new study shows that getting half of American 8-to 11-year-olds into 25 minutes of physical activity three times a week would save ＄21.9 billion in medical costs over their lifetimes.
The increase from the current 32 percent to 50 percent of kids taking part in exercise, active play, or sports would also result in 340,000 fewer overweight teenagers.
“Physical activity not only makes kids feel better and helps them develop healthy habits, it’s also good for the nation’s bottom line,” says Bruce Y. Lee, executive director of the Global Obesity Prevention Center at Johns Hopkins University. “Our findings show that encouraging exercise and investing in physical activity when kids are young pays big dividends as they grow up.”
The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, suggests an even bigger advantage if every 8 to 11-year-old in the United States exercised 75 minutes over three times in a week. In that case, the researchers estimate (估计), ＄62.3 billion in medical costs over the course of their lifetimes could be avoided and 1.2 million fewer youths would be overweight. And the money would increase if not just current 8-to-11 year olds, but every future elementary school child joined their game.
Exercise at least 25 minutes a day, three days a week, is a guideline developed for kids by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. An overweight person’s lifetime medical costs average ＄62,331. For the overweight person, these amounts are great.
“Even a little increase in physical activity could cause billions of dollars in savings,” Lee says. He also says there are other benefits of physical activity that don’t affect weight, such as improving bone density, improving mood, and building muscle.
Lee says “We need to be adding physical education programs and not cutting them. We need to encourage kids to be active, to reduce screen time and get them running around again. It’s important for their physical health and the nation’s financial (经济的) health.”
1. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?| A．Getting kids to run would save money. |
| B．Physical activity is important for kids. |
| C．Physical education programs: adding or cutting? |
| D．Overweight person’s lifetime medical costs are increasing. |
| A．Pays much money. | B．Pays little money. |
| C．Plays an important part. | D．Is a serious question. |
| A．The number of American kids from 8 to 11 who take part in physical activity is increasing. |
| B．Physical education programs should be cut to encourage the nation’s financial health. |
| C．25 minutes of physical activity three times a week may result in fewer overweight teenagers. |
| D．Physical activity can only make kids feel better but can’t help them develop healthy habits. |
7 . Youth Wildflower Art Contest
Have wildflowers ever inspired the inner artist in you? Shenandoah National Park’s annual Youth Wild flower Art Contest is coming again! This year’s artists can share their creativity by uploading their entries (参赛作品) online.
Who
The contest is open to all K-12 students (including home-schooled students) in the following counties (县):
Albemarle, Augusta, Greene, Madison, Page, Rappahannock, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Warren.
What
Each student may submit one piece of artwork. For the subjects of their artworks, artists must use wild flowers that are native to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Shenandoah National Park. To help you choose, we’ve put together a list of native wildflower species.
Submissions must be on flat media, and may include watercolor, pencil, fabric (织物), etc. Photographs, computer-generated, or computer-enhanced artworks will not be accepted. Works will be judged on the basis of original designs and artistic compositions.
If you’d like some art tips before getting started, be sure to check out our virtual wildflower water color workshops with artist Betty Gatewood.
When
We will kick off National Park Week with accepting submissions! You can submit your artwork from April16 through May 4. The winners will be notified after the judging process has been completed.
How
You can get started any time with your work! Participants will upload an image or scan of their art works online through Call for Entry website.
In order to upload your artwork, you must first sign up for a free Call for Entry account. After creating an account, you can upload your artwork. Detailed instructions for uploading artwork may be found on the website. Last, follow the instructions for applying to the contest and you’re all done.
Questions
Email shen_education@nps.gov for more information and questions!
1. Which of the following works is a disqualified entry?| A．A photo of flowers. |
| B．A piece of fabric. |
| C．A pencil painting. |
| D．A watercolor work. |
| A．On April 15. | B．On April 20. | C．On May 12. | D．On May 16. |
| A．Email shen_education@nps.gov. |
| B．Donate money to a virtual workshop. |
| C．Create a free Call for Entry account. |
| D．Ask for Betty Gatewood’s permission. |
The 19th Asian Games closed on October 8th under the theme of “Enduring Memories of Hangzhou” for the closing ceremony,
The Hangzhou Asian Games featured 40 sports and 481 events,
“The Qiantang River continually flows into the sea, and the light of Asia will continue to shine brightly in the future. The Asian Games flame is about to be put out,
The Hangzhou Asian Games claimed to be a “green” and “smart” event. No fireworks were let
The Hangzau Asian Games also produced world-leading performances with a total of 13 world records
9 . Though Marley has loved soccer for as long as she can remember, her involvement in the game didn’t extend beyond kickabouts with her father and brothers. But that all changed in 2014 when one day her son came home from school and handed her a flier (传单), saying that his soccer coach had asked him to deliver it to her. “I’m reading it... like ‘Wait, Jamaica has a women’s football team? Where did this come from?’” she said.
Six years earlier, in 2008, underfunding had led to the Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) disbanding the women’s national team program. The flier Marley’s son brought home was a fundraising request from the JFF to help restart the program. Marley got to work almost immediately, calling the JFF the following morning to ask what it needed.
“The needs were many,” Marley said, repeating the sentence as if to stress how dire the situation was. From travel and nutrition to accommodation and training camps, every area of the national team’s setup was in need of funding.
A skilled musician and multiple Grammy award-winning artist, Marley put her considerable musical talents to work. “My family came together with me. We recorded a song Strike Hard to raise funds,” she said.
Her efforts—and the work of countless others who were equally as committed to the cause—paid off as the women’s national team became the first Caribbean country to qualify for the Women’s World Cup.
Marley’s work has helped not only improve standards and conditions for players, but also shift the country’s attitude towards the women’s national team. “These girls have been told for a long time that women in sports, especially football in Jamaica, really weren’t that important,” Marley said. “Nobody wants to give us brand deals because it’s the female team. It’s so good now to see how all of that has changed dramatically, not just for our women, but around the world... and that makes me excited.”
1. How did Marley probably feel while reading the flier?| A．Astonished. | B．Disappointed. | C．Grateful. | D．Regretful. |
| A．Its coaches left the team. | B．Its players were unskilled. |
| C．It failed the football fans. | D．It lacked sufficient funds. |
| A．Amazing. | B．Terrible. | C．Fresh. | D．Stable. |
| A．Short-lived. | B．Negative. | C．Far-reaching. | D．Unidentifiable. |
My dad and I had been looking forward to the Stale cross-country race of my senior year of high school, which would be the climax (顶点) of my existence.
I was the fastest runner on my team, and I was supposed to make it into the top fifteen. We had been working towards this race for three years. It was everything to me, and it was everything to my dad. He was a runner and was wild with joy by my success in running. He made it to every race, even flying home early from business trips to see me run. I always listened for his voice, which rang above the crowd-telling me to relax my arms, calling out my time. He pushed me. He cheered for me. He believed in me. We spent countless hours on the sandy canals of Arizona. Breathing in the dust of the desert, the blossoms of the orange trees, and the terrible smell of the dairy farm, we made our way across the city. We pounded miles and miles into our running shoes, marking with every step the path to greatness. It was a journey that was just ours. A dream passed on from one generation to the next.
Then the big day came. It was hotter than normal - too hot. My throat felt like a field of cotton, cracked with the summer heat, as I waited for the gun to fire. I gazed out at the crowd; dozens of familiar faces from church and school flickered across my view. They had come for me. They were counting on me. I saw my dad set his watch, worry and excitement etched across his face. With the sound of a gunshot, the race began.
For the first two and half miles, I felt great. I had never before been so ready for something. The weeks leading up to the race were filled with hard practices and a strict diet. The scorching sun beat upon my back, blinding me with its brilliance. Nothing was going to stop me, though.
注意：1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
However, without warning, my strength was running out.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________I whispered, “I’m so sorry I disappointed you, Dad.”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
