1 . It can be incredibly difficult to encourage ourselves to go for a run during winter, particularly when it’s wet and windy outside. But new research has found that even a super-quick run could have great health benefits. In fact, it seems that just a 10-minute session will not only make us feel better, but could actually improve brain health, too. Now, we all know that exercise can improve mental and physical health in many ways.
But when it comes to mental well-being, there’s been relatively little research done on the specific benefits of running, compared with other physical activities, such as cycling. So this was something put to the test during a recent study. Researchers from University of Tsukuba in Japan asked participants (参加者) to run on a treadmill (跑步机) for just 10 minutes. They then had to take a Stroop Color and Word Test which is used to measure reaction time in brain processing. Results showed there was a highest point in self-reported pleasure and an increase in degree of activity of the brain.
In other words, runners were found to have an increase in blood flow in the part of the brain that’s associated with dealing with functions and controlling mood (情绪). Researchers then compared these results to a similar study on cycling, which also showed improved cognition (认知), but no mood improvement. Therefore, it seems various types of exercise can make us feel differently.
The authors noted, “Given exercise is medicine, the effects of drugs differ depending on the type of drug, and different types of exercise such as running and cycling should be observed to have different effects on mental health and brain functions as well.”
So pushing ourselves to get outside for a run really will make us feel better, probably more than other fitness activities. And these findings show that we don’t necessarily need to do a lot of exercise to feel the benefit of it.
1. What did the new research find?| A．Running fast benefits all of us. |
| B．Running is the best exercise. |
| C．A short time run can be beneficial. |
| D．A healthy mind encourages us to run. |
| A．By using different drugs on participants. |
| B．By interviewing some sportsmen. |
| C．By collecting information on the Internet. |
| D．By doing experiments and comparisons. |
| A．Cycling. | B．Medicine. | C．Blood flow. | D．Colors. |
| A．We should go for a run in winter. |
| B．Running really benefits us mentally. |
| C．We don’t need a lot of exercise. |
| D．Running on a treadmill is better than running outside. |
2 . The Chinese women’s soccer team won back their famous fighting spirit to end a 16-year wait to lift the Asian Cup. Having fallen behind 2-0 in the final in Navi Mumbai, India, on the night of February 6, 2022, the team determined to battle back and tied (打平) the game before Xiao Yuyi fired home a dramatic 93rd-minute goal from Wang Shanshan’s help to secure the title.
The victory earned China a record ninth Asian Cup title, which compensated for their disappointing performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. China’s Tokyo 2020 participation ended with a shocking 8-2 defeat (击败) at the hands of the Netherlands, showing just how far Chinese women’s soccer had fallen behind the game’s elite (精英的) nations. The huge turnaround in fortunes made the win extra special for fans.
“Although the players come from different cities, we need to come together. We never let our heads drop when we were 0-2 down. The players overcame both their competitors and themselves,” said the head coach Shui Qingxia.
The Steel Roses’ victory completely controlled discussion on Chinese social media. The topic “Chinese women’s team wins Asian Cup” was viewed over 1.1 billion times by February 7, but that was just one of 10 top topics related to the women’s team on Weibo. Countless thrilled people commented that “The whole team is worthy of every praise.” After their victory, media and experts urged (催促) for greater support for the development of the women’s game. A number of Chinese companies have already taken actions to reward them, with dairy giant Mengniu Group gifting the team 10 million yuan after its heroics.
Now the work is to continue to regain past glories, as well as improve the standard of the domestic leagues and youth training to give the country a better chance of producing more great players. This victory certainly showed that such goals can be realized. The women’s soccer team has great spirit and skill. They are our role models!
1. What do we know about the Chinese women’s soccer team from paragraph 1?| A．They turned defeat into victory in the game. |
| B．They won the Asian Cup for the first time. |
| C．They made a miracle at the Tokyo Olympics. |
| D．They earned China a leading role in world soccer. |
| A．made up for. | B．resulted from. | C．replied to. | D．took the place of. |
| A．The development of the Chinese women’s soccer. |
| B．The public response to the Steel Roses’ victory. |
| C．Effects of Chinese social media on soccer players. |
| D．Companies’ support for the Chinese women’s team. |
| A．They had great success in the past. |
| B．They have better skills than foreign players. |
| C．They unite together and fight until the last moment |
| D．They win Asian Cup for which they are rewarded a big fortune. |
3 . Writing Competitions
The Bristol Short Story PrizeIt’s an international writing competition founded by the editors of the quarterly cultural magazine Bristol Review of Books in 2007. The 2022 Bristol Short Story Prize is open to everyone. The first prize is ￡1,000. Entries must be unpublished stories with 4, 000 words at most. The judges are Tom Drake-Lee, Irenosen Okojie and Jessica Taylor.
Admission fee:￡9
The Bath Novel AwardSince its launch nine years ago, the international Bath Novel Award has helped spotlight and support new writers. The prize is￡3,000. In the event of a joint win, the prize money will be shared equally between winners. It’s open to unpublished and independently published novelists. This year’s judge is Nelle Andrew. All genres are welcome. Writers must submit the first 5,000 words plus one-page synopsis of the novel.
Admission fee:￡29
The BBC National Short Story AwardThe BBC National Short Story Award 2022 with Cambridge University invites entries of short stories up to 8,000 words. It’s an award that has enriched the careers of writers since it was founded seventeen years ago. The winner of the contest for single short stories will receive￡15,000. This year’s judges are author Elizabeth Day and broadcaster Katie Thistleton.
Admission fee: free
The Creative Future Writers’ AwardFounded in 2013, it’s an annual development program for talented writers who lack opportunities due to health problems or social circumstances. This year’s theme is How It Started. Prizes include￡10,000 of cash and top writing development prizes supplied by publishers and development agencies.
Writers should submit one piece of writing in one category (50-line poetry to the maximum or 2,000-word fiction to the maximum). The judges are Dorothy Koomson, Joelle Taylor, Aki Schilz and Sarala Estruch.
Admission fee: free
1. Who may act as a judge for The Bristol Short Story Prize in 2022?| A．Joelle Taylor. | B．Nelle Andrew. | C．Katie Thistleton. | D．Jessica Taylor. |
| A．They were founded in the same year. | B．They have a strict genre requirement. |
| C．They set the same cash bonus. | D．They require no admission fee. |
| A．The Bath Novel Award. | B．The Bristol Short Story Prize. |
| C．The Creative Future Writers’ Award. | D．The BBC National Short Story Award. |
4 . Hosting an international sports event is an important thing that has to be prepared well. Due to that, many opinions exist.
Firstly, positive views need to be talked about. When a country gets to host such a famous event, it will probably get well-known by other nations, and surely that can help the country a lot. For instance, the government and residents have a chance to use the opportunity to advertise their culture to foreign people. Above all, by doing that, the country’s economy might increase sharply during the event. Besides, it will satisfy some people’s wish to meet famous sports players. They have a high rate of talking to their favorite players whom they really want to talk to once in their life.
However, the risk of hosting a big event still exists. An important event is not necessarily good at all. That is why there is a debate about this topic. If a country can’t be able to prepare for the event in a period, they have to do as many ways as possible to finish preparation on time, and serious results may happen. The most obvious thing is that people attending that event will have a bad experience and are sure to make grumbles. This then affects the country’s image. For example, Qatar is a country that will host the 2022 World Cup. The government has to rush to finish building big stadiums, over 6,000 migrant workers sacrificing (牺牲)their lives for that. Hearing the sad news, some people around the world disagree to go to Qatar to attend the World Cup. The result is that Qatar has been badly affected.
In conclusion, hosting an international sports event is both good and bad, and good things or bad things depend on that country’s attitude and responsibility.
1. What might benefit most from hosting an international sports event in a country?| A．Advertising. | B．Economy. |
| C．Fans. | D．Players. |
| A．Because even important events are not always good. |
| B．Because countries don’t prepare for events well. |
| C．Because people present often have bad experiences. |
| D．Because building big stadiums costs too much money. |
| A．Proper plans. | B．Possible challenges. |
| C．Poor comments. | D．Great contributions. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Critical(批评的). | D．Neutral(中立的). |
5 . Canyoning
The sports of canyoning (蹦谷) explore the high-energy environment where water meets rock on the coast. Protected by wetsuits and helmets, people jump from cliffs and waterfalls and discover caves that would not normally be arrived at.
It was first done in the U.K. by TYF Adventure (01437 721611, www.tyf.com) and several thousand people jump from the cliffs near St David’s each year. A half day canyoning trip costs ￡50 (￡30 for children under 16).
Diving
Diving is not popular with British people. The difficulties of wild waters are greater because the water is colder and not clear enough, but the coasts of Cornwall, Wales and Scotland have some of the best diving in the world.
The British Sub Aqua Club (0870 112 9133, www.bsac.com) and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (01580 819688, www.padi.com) run courses teaching the important skills.
Surfing
The best surfing places in the UK are on the southwest coast where it is warmer, especially in Cornwall. The best time of year to surf in the UK is late summer and autumn.
The British Surfing Association (01479 861256, www.britsurf.co.uk) has a list of famous surf schools around the country.
Rock climbing
The most popular natural rocks in Britain include the Peak District, the Lake District, while large areas of Scotland are a climber’s ideal place. Climbing courses and climbing walls can be found on the website of the British Mountaineering Council (0870 010 4878, www.thebmc.co.uk).
1. If a couple with their child of 15 join in Canyoning for a day, they will pay ________.| A．￡130 | B．￡160 | C．￡260 | D．￡320 |
| A．Canyoning. | B．Diving. | C．Surfing. | D．Rock climbing. |
| A．Visitors who want to pay a visit to Britain |
| B．Visitors in Britain who are keen on extreme sports |
| C．Chinese students who are interested in British culture |
| D．Travelers who are enthusiastic about camping in China |
6 . Lake City Skating Programs
Skating is a fantastic activity for people of any age. Patience, participation and perseverance are a few of the many values that the sport can teach its students. Our programs are thoughtfully prepared to embrace the natural progression of learning on ice for people dependent on their original abilities and age. Read on to learn more about our programs.
Learn to Skate Program
Come to Learn to Skate at the Frontier Ice Arena. Classes include skate rentals, 30-minute instruction from Lake City Figure Skating coaches, plus U. S. Figure Skating membership, record books and sports accident insurance.
Super Skaters Program
We are excited to bring back our 16-week Super Skaters Program. This program is open to any potential skater aged 3~8. Super Skaters is a 16-week set of lessons offered on Tuesdays from 5 to 5:30 PM. Your $99 fee includes skate rentals, lessons fees and access to the 5:45 PM public session.
Rising Stars Bridge Program
The Rising Stars Bridge Program is the perfect progression for skaters who have passed Basic 3 and are looking to step into the big kid skater world. Bridge skaters will have access to the 8~9 AM freestyle session and they will now enjoy a 30-minute group lesson from 9 to 9:30 AM. Private lessons may be taken during freestyle time for an additional cost
Theater on Ice Program
Theater on Ice is a form of competitive figure skating that combines the grace of figure skating with the excitement of theater and dance. Teams consist of between 8 and 30 skaters. In addition, solo skating is discouraged, but is permitted in limited amounts if it enhances the overall telling of the program’s story.
1. What should skaters consider when choosing a suitable program?| A．Original abilities and age. | B．Experience in other sports. |
| C．Skating equipment and cost. | D．Values learned from textbooks. |
| A．Learn to Skate Program. | B．Super Skaters Program. |
| C．Rising Stars Bridge Program. | D．Theater on Ice Program. |
| A．Solo skating. | B．Private lessons. | C．Accident insurance. | D．Performance art. |
7 . A lot of teens in high school want to try out for sports.
With TV, movies, computers, and video games becoming more and more popular, it has become so much easier for teens to be by themselves. Kids used to hang out at the mall or drive around town.
One of the biggest problems in our society today is obesity (肥胖症).
You may think “but my teen isn’t good enough to make the school team”.
Team sports are a great way for your teen to get out of the house, get moving, make friends, and even get a scholarship (奖学金) to college.
| A．Now they just sit at home. |
| B．More and more kids are becoming overweight. |
| C．They will learn how to communicate as a team. |
| D．Did you know that bowling is an NCAA team sport? |
| E．Why not talk to them about getting into sports today? |
| F．Many try because they think it will make them popular. |
| G．There are many other places besides school to play team sports. |
8 . How to Determine the Best Time to Exercise
Any time of the day you can spend to exercise is a good time for getting active.
You should determine when you have the most energy. Do you struggle to get out of the bed in the morning or do you wake up full of energy and ready to go?
You should determine your exercise goals. Are you trying to lose weight? Are you trying to improve your performance? Are you trying to develop a consistent exercise routine? If you are trying to develop a routine, you may want to exercise in the morning. If you want to improve performance, afternoon or evening exercise may be best.
| A．You should consider your daily schedule. |
| B．You should know how to start your exercise. |
| C．Keep an exercise note to help you evaluate each time. |
| D．The best time for exercise is different for each person. |
| E．Are you a night person and never get to bed before midnight? |
| F．When you find the goals are unsuitable, change them at once. |
| G．You should experiment with both morning and evening exercise. |
9 . Chinese and US table tennis players play a friendly game in Shanghai this month. Ping-pong, or table tennis, might seem like an ordinary game to play with friends or family. But it holds a special place in China-US relations, as it has helped both countries get along for the last 50 years. This has been called “ping-pong diplomacy (外交)”.
Judy Hoarfrost was just 15 years old when she was sent from the US to China as part of a nine-member table tennis team. The year was 1971, and for the before 20 years, relations between China and the US had been unfriendly.
But as the team toured around China, things started warming up. Hoarfrost even got to meet then-Premier Zhou Enlai. “The most memorable moment was Zhou shaking hands with me and looking into my eyes,” Hoarfrost recalled excitedly. “You have opened a new page in Sino-US relationships,” Zhou told the team.
US president Richard Nixon would make a landmark (里程碑) visit to China in 1972, which also saw Chinese table tennis players make their own visit to the US. Diplomatic relations between the US and China were fully established in 1979.
Players from both countries believed strongly in the idea of “friendship first, competition second”. To this day, many of them remain friends. Hoarfrost thinks we should remember ping-pong diplomacy in order to understand the importance of people-to-people exchanges in establishing bonds, human bonds between peoples.
Seeing tension (紧张) between two of the world’s biggest powers in recent years, Hoarfrost said China and the US should work together. “We have so much in common, and we need to build on what we have in common,” she added.
1. What do we know about Hoarfrost?| A．She has played table tennis for 15 years. |
| B．She set up a table tennis team 20 years ago. |
| C．She was part of efforts to improve China-US relations. |
| D．She thought Sino-US relationship unfriendly 20 years ago. |
| A．In 1951. | B．In 1971. | C．In 1972. | D．In 1979. |
| A．Respecting cultures. | B．Forming a relationship. |
| C．Holding a competition. | D．Understanding other countries. |
| A．Hoarfrost will come to China again. | B．“Ping-pong diplomacy” can solve the tension |
| C．China and the US should promote their relations. | D．China and the US should exchange players’ visit |
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Take part in these sport competitions and stand a chance to win a free trip to Maldives.
| Rugby Venue: Court C Fixed group of 6 Aged 15 and above Time:9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Fee: $23/person | Soccer Venue: Court A Fixed group of 5 Group A: Children aged9 to 12 Group B: Aged 13 and above Time:12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Fee: $24/person |
| Frisbee Venue: Court A Fixed group of 6 Group A: Children aged 9 to 12 Group B: Aged 13 and above Time:9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fee: $25/person | Volleyball Venue: Court B Fixed group of 5 Aged 15 and above Time:9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Fee: $20/person |
The top team of each sport competition gets a chance of a lucky draw. Hurry! Register now. Many attractive prizes to be won!
●Registration starts on 6 October 2020
●Register online at www.ssya.com.sg
●For more information, call Ann at 6333 2212 or email ann@ssya.com.sg
●Closing date for registration: 2 November 2020
This event is proudly supported by Singule Sporting Youth Association(SSYA).
1. How much will it take your group to take part in Volleyball?| A．$100. | B．$120. | C．$138. | D．$150. |
| A．Soccer and Rugby. | B．Soccer and Frisbee. |
| C．Rugby and Volleyball. | D．Frisbee and Volleyball. |
| A．You can register online at ann@ssya.com.sg. |
| B．You should register before 6 October 2020. |
| C．The Soccer competition is held in the afternoon. |
| D．Each sports team will get a chance of lucky draw. |
