1 . Torsongan Bullik is a 28-year-old cross-country skier. When he was a freshman in junior high school in 2009, he excelled at long-distance running. As an amateur in 2016, he finished third in the Xinjiang Wusu International Marathon. And then a passion for cycling revealed itself as his hometown hosted the Tour of Sayram Lake, a national road race for amateur cyclists.
“The high-spirited cyclists, their flashy costumes and helmets fascinated me,” he recalls. “I felt that cycling was really cool.”
In 2012, Torsongan’s father gave him a mountain bike that cost 5,000 yuan ($695), which was a lot of money for his family. He loved the bicycle so much that he used it at every opportunity. Two years later, he entered his first competition, although there was no fairy-tale ending as he lost his balance on a steep slope. But he was determined and kept testing his limits. This paid off as he has won medals at all levels of the sport in China.
On Oct 18, 2018, Torsongan was the first to cross the finish line during a high-altitude bike race in the Xizang autonomous region. But surprisingly, it was the national cross-country skiing team that he impressed with his endurance (耐力). They were in search of new talented athletes for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Accepting the invitation from the team marked a turning point for Torsongan’s career, but challenges remained. “After training with the team during the day, I had to go to the gym to level up my upper-body strength in the evening,” Torsongan said in an earlier interview.
He didn’t make the final list, but worked as a technician assisting (帮助) in the operations of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Regardless of the outcome of the 14th National Winter Games, Torsongan enjoyed the challenge of competing, and has his eyes set on the next race.
“I will continue with my efforts. As long as I don’t give up, I still have a chance to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics,” he says.
1. What set Torsongan on the cross-country skiing road?| A．He felt that skiing was really cool. |
| B．He studied on cross-country skiing. |
| C．A professional team looked for someone with talent. |
| D．He hoped to fulfill his father’s expectations. |
| A．Determined and hard-working. | B．Cautious and responsible. |
| C．Strong and humorous. | D．Talented and productive. |
| A．He used to be a professional long-distance runner. |
| B．His hard work of bike training didn’t paid off. |
| C．He didn’t accept the invitation from the team. |
| D．He was a technician in the Beijing Winter Olympics. |
| A．Encouraging others to join in his activity. |
| B．Becoming a technician assistant in his hometown. |
| C．Continuing his dream at the next Winter Olympics. |
| D．Becoming a long-distance running player. |
2 . Tai chi, a traditional, slow-moving form of Chinese physical exercise, is known to increase flexibility and improve balance. New research has been conducted to determine whether tai chi has an influence on lowering blood pressure in people with prehypertension (高血压前期).
In the study, Chinese scientists put 342 adults with prehypertension into two groups. The average age of people taking part in the study was 49. About half the participants (参与者) took part in aerobic exercise, including jogging, climbing stairs and cycling. The other half was trained to practice tai chi. Both groups got hour-long exercises four times a week.
Nearly 22% of the people who practiced tai chi saw their blood pressure fall to be normal, compared with nearly 16% of people in the aerobic exercise group. And fewer patients in the tai chi group went on to develop high blood pressure than patients in the aerobic exercise group.
So what is it about tai chi that helps lower blood pressure? “The practice tends to get more of a response from the parasympathetic (副交感的) nervous system, which is the network of nerves that relaxes your body after periods of stress or danger,” says Ruth Taylor-Piliae, a professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Nursing.
“I think the beauty of tai chi is that you don’t have to have a special gym membership, you don’t have to have special clothing,” Taylor-Piliae says. “Once you learn tai chi, you can do it anytime and anyplace. And it does provide a calming and relaxing effect.”
Evidence suggests it can also help protect against cognitive fall and even improve memory. But you have to practice it continually to get the most benefit.
1. What is the function of paragraph 1?| A．To offer some examples. | B．To explain a definition. |
| C．To introduce the topic. | D．To give people suggestions. |
| A．They were divided into two groups. | B．They suffered from heart disease. |
| C．They were 49 years old. | D．They got exercises five times a week. |
| A．It can make people calm down. |
| B．It requires training and specialized equipment. |
| C．It has no influence on the parasympathetic nervous system. |
| D．It is suitable for individuals with aerobic exercise experience. |
| A．A Traditional Sport | B．The Benefits of Aerobic Exercise |
| C．Exploring Chinese Physical Exercise | D．Managing Blood Pressure with Tai Chi |
3 . Starting a daily running routine needs determination. Looking back on my old running routine, it wasn’t so much the passion that affected my sticking to a regular schedule — but it was the environment. There had to be no rain pouring down, there had to be not many people on the basketball court and the ambient (周围的) temperature had to be just right. Or maybe I was just making an excuse for myself not to get up at 5 in the morning?
I was quite successful at doing so when I was 15 and when it was summer. When I was overweight, I ate more snacks than the actual full meals in a day, and I hardly got off the sofa. One summer day, I decided that it was time to put a stop to the idea that I was just the fat kid. I didn’t want to put in that box anymore. There was a tipping point (临界点) where inspiration happened, and discipline (自律) just took over from there. I needed to make sure that I ran 10 laps of the park a day — this was the contract (契约) I made with myself that summer. And if I achieved that, I knew I’d be closer to my goal of being just a kid with normal weight.
Ten laps, six days a week — sometimes no breakfast, hardly a bite at dinner, one snack a day—this lasted two months. I’d lost over 30 pounds that summer, which was roughly a quarter of my body weight. Some days, I didn’t have the motivation. But the contract I made with myself kept reminding me — if I’d break it, would I even bother making future self-contracts anymore? There were sleepy days, and there were days when I should have rested my trembling knees, but discipline won over them all.
1. What do we know about the author’s past running routine?| A．It was made by the author’s parents. | B．It mainly depended on the environment. |
| C．It referred to many people at site. | D．It failed in the end. |
| A．The author didn’t live a healthy lifestyle. |
| B．Summer is a season for people to be fat. |
| C．Good eating habits could make one put on weight. |
| D．Getting up late made him a fat kid. |
| A．He felt looked down upon when he was fat. |
| B．He couldn’t find a right word to describe his size. |
| C．He made up his mind to achieve his goal of losing weight. |
| D．He was too fat to find the right size of clothes or shoes. |
| A．My Running Routine Was Affected by the Environment. |
| B．It Was Unpleasant to Be Overweight. |
| C．I Made a Contract on Running. |
| D．Discipline Helps Achieve My Goal. |
4 . Common Mistakes New Runners Make
Running is a great way to get in shape and just about everyone can do it. However, many make a number of common mistakes, which can interfere (妨碍) with training or lead to injury.
·Doing too much too soon
One of the biggest mistakes new runners make is doing too much too soon. Slowly easing into a training program will help reduce the risk of injury, so you can continue on with your new running routine
·
Beginners might think they need to run every day (or nearly every day) to meet their fitness or weight-loss goals, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Running is a high-impact activity which can be really hard on your body. So it’s important to give your body a rest between workouts.
·Not wearing the right equipment
•Running through pain
| A．Not taking rest days |
| B．If you’re just starting out |
| C．Comparing yourself to others |
| D．Running can be uncomfortable at times |
| E．It’s important not to use the same muscles |
| F．While it may be true that you don’t need expensive equipment to take up running |
| G．Experts suggest increasing your running distance by no more than 10% each week |
5 . For people suffering from depression, there’s an all-natural treatment they should use — getting more exercise. It could help fight depression, even if people have a genetic risk, new research shows.
For the study, researchers collected information from nearly 8,000 people and found those with related genes were more likely to have depression over the next two years after examining them. But that was less likely for people who were more active at the study’s start, even if they had a family history of depression. Higher levels of physical activity helped protect even those with the highest genetic risk of depression.
Both high-intensity (高强度) exercise and low-intensity activities were associated with a reduced risk of depression. Adding four hours of exercise a week could lower the risk of a new episode (一段经历) of depression by 17%, according to the study. “Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, being physically active has the potential to remove the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically risky,” said lead author Karmel Choi. “On average, about 35 additional minutes of physical activity each day may help people to reduce their risk and protect against future depression episodes.”
Depression is a common mental illness globally, with more than 264 million people affected. “Depression is so ubiquitous, and that underlines the need for effective approaches that can impact as many people as possible,” Choi said. And mental health and primary care providers can use the findings to advise patients that there’s something meaningful they can do to lower their risk of depression.
1. How did the researchers reach their conclusion?| A．By analyzing a mass of data. |
| B．By conducting genetic research. |
| C．By comparing various levels of activity. |
| D．By tracking the subjects for many years. |
| A．Physical activity betters medical treatment. |
| B．Exercise is able to decrease and prevent it. |
| C．Different levels of exercise intensity matter the same. |
| D．Exercising 35 minutes daily is the most effective treatment. |
| A．Harmful. | B．Complex. |
| C．Unusual. | D．Common. |
| A．To discuss a disease. |
| B．To introduce a method. |
| C．To analyze a genetic risk. |
| D．To explain a phenomenon. |
6 . In this post, we’ll introduce some top robotics competitions open to high schoolers. Keep reading to learn more.
Botball Educational Robotics Program
Level: Regional and national competitions available
Grades: 9th, 10th. 11th, 12th
Over a period of about seven weeks, students learn to code(编程) and develop complex strategies to use artificial intelligence. This allows them to create an autonomous robot together that competes in an annual game challenging against other teams in competitions at various levels across the country.
FIRST: Robotics Competition
Level: Local, regional and national competitions available
Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
Teams work together with professional teachers to design, assemble(装配), and test an industrial-sized robot .The robot then competes in a head-to-head field game against other teams.
Robo Games
Level: International
Grades: All ages and backgrounds
This self-claimed “Olympics of robots” and current largest open robot competition challenges participants in a wide variety of events to display various skills. Amateurs, professionals, young and old alike are invited to participate with the goal of winning prizes, expanding educational service, and recognizing robot-builders in the public eye.
Zero Robotics High School Tournament
Level: International, including the U.S. and member countries of the European Space Agency
Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
This fascinating competition begins with robots called SPHERES inside the International Space Station. The first phase of the competition is entirely online, in which competitors code the SPHERES to meet a yearly challenge. Finalists compete in person, onboard the International Space Station, conducted live in microgravity by a real astronaut!
1. What do the first and second robotics competitions have in common?| A．Teamwork is a must in competitions. |
| B．They have the same goals and rules. |
| C．The robot is tested before competitions. |
| D．They are completely of the same level. |
| A．Bot ball Educational Robotics Program. | B．FIRST: Robotics Competition. |
| C．Robo Games. | D．Zero Robotics High School Tournament. |
| A．It is held by the European Space Agency. |
| B．It is a local robotics competition. |
| C．The whole competition is conducted online. |
| D．The final competition is held at the International Space Station. |
7 . It was the last time Susan Butcher ran the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1992. An hour into the race, Susan and her sled dog team sped down a hill and crashed into a fallen tree. Although hurt, Susan continued the difficult race.
The Iditarod Race started in 1925 when a doctor in Nome, Alaska was desperately in need of medicine to stop the spread of a deadly disease. Only a hospital had what he needed, but it was 700 mile-away! In January, it was too dangerous to send a boat and too stormy for his tiny airplane. The only hope was to use several sled dog teams following a trail, called the Iditarod Trail. They passed the medicine from one sled team to another. Wind and snow did not stop the men and their dogs. The medicine was delivered in record time. The race follows the route of the famous medicine run. Over 1, 000 miles long, it is considered the toughest race in the world.
Susan Butcher was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In her teens Susan was given a Siberian husky dog and became very interested in huskies as sled dogs. After reading about the Iditarod Race, Susan moved to Alaska. She got several jobs to earn money to buy herself a sled and a team of huskies. After years of hard work and training, Susan achieved her dream of racing on the Iditarod Trail.
In 1978, at the age of 24, Susan entered the race for the first time and became the first woman to finish in the top 20. In 1982 she came in second. In 1984 she was leading her team across a frozen waterway when they fell into the water. Her lead dog managed to pull Susan and the other dogs out of danger. Remarkably, she came in second.
In her fourth race, in 1985, a staring moose (驼鹿) attacked her dogs, killing two and injuring eleven. Susan had to leave the race. In 1986 Susan joined the race again. This time, she won. She won again in 1987. In 1988 she became the first person ever to win three Iditarod races in a row. Unbelievably, Susan won for the fourth time in 1990.
1. According to text, Susan Butcher entered the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race at least __________times.| A．six | B．seven | C．eight | D．nine |
| A．how the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race began |
| B．how the spread of a deadly disease was stopped |
| C．how tough the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was |
| D．how Susan Butcher began to show interest in the race |
| A．continuously | B．eventually |
| C．finally | D．particularly |
| A．Snowstorm. | B．Lack of food. |
| C．Accidents. | D．Lack of experience. |
8 . As a hockey (冰球) parent, while watching my son play from Mite to Bantam, House League to Travel, I’ve learned that losing may be the best for kids.
In his third season in 2019, my son’s team never lost more than three straight games. It was a typically good youth hockey season. There was happiness, boasting, celebration, and pizza. He improved as a player, but did not much change as a person.
However, what happened the next year added its story to the legends of sporting incompetence. Not merely weak but prettily bad, this team lost 40 of their first 50 games, most of the defeats coming in the course of two losing streaks (连败). For a time, I worried that these failures would kill my child’s love of the game.
But that’s not what happened. As bad as it got, the losing was clarifying. It kicked out the kids who were in it less for the game than the glory, leaving behind those with a real passion for the sport. What started as a list of 17 of the team was cut down to 12. It was especially educational for the kids. It taught them a great truth of the world: For everyone good, there is someone better.
What’s more, the kids were learning the game in a way that only losing can teach. Each player got to play everywhere to learn and appreciate the role of every position on the ice. They kept an eye on their opponents too, studying the secret of their good performance. In an effort to break the streak, they went back to basics, accepting the wisdom of the hockey ancients: If playing like a team, they can defeat a collection of all-stars; If doing small and unappreciated tasks well, they can get the goal.
This new team had character and could never be counted out, no matter what the score was. They had learned the most important lesson: You can lose without being beaten. They advanced to the state tournament, and then made it all the way to the final, where the winner was decided in overtime (加时赛). When they narrowly lost that game and went into the handshake line, it was not as runners-up but as a team that had been made into winners in the only way that will stick — by losing.
1. What does the author think about the son’s team in the third season in 2019?| A．The team had a bad performance. |
| B．The team didn’t help with the players’ mental growth. |
| C．The team didn’t live up to the author’s expectations. |
| D．The team played typically well and won all the games. |
| A．The losing made the kids better understand hockey. |
| B．The losing helped the kids know the value of teamwork. |
| C．The losing encouraged the kids to find out their passions. |
| D．The losing separated true players from those playing for glory. |
| A．They kept their winning strategies a secret. |
| B．They valued teamwork and details in a game. |
| C．They had never been beaten despite the score. |
| D．They won the championship in the tournament. |
| A．To explore the benefits of losing. |
| B．To describe a team’s road to success. |
| C．To offer some suggestions on getting over losing. |
| D．To make a comparison between winning and losing. |
9 . If you hope to improve your health, exercise is obviously a good way. But do you know that it has great effects on the mind too? We often pay little attention to the great mental benefits that exercising regularly can have. It will allow you to stay active and healthy for a long time, allowing you to have both the physical and mental (身心的) benefits.
Improve your mood (心情) . Exercise is just what you need if you’re looking for some positive feelings. It is possible that you have experienced a happy time after exercise. While you are exercising, “happiness hormones (荷尔蒙)” are released.
Reduce stress. If you’re feeling stressed, this feeling will disappear after exercise.
Improve your memory. According to a study by the University of British Columbia, regular exercise increases the size of the hippocampus (a part of the brain).
So, it is clear to see that there are many different benefits regular exercise can have. With these benefits for the mind, there now shouldn’t be any excuse not to start and lead an active, balanced life.
| A．Increase your focus. |
| B．Increase your sense of self-worth. |
| C．Regular exercise keeps your mind calm. |
| D．They fill you with positive and happy feelings. |
| E．Exercise is a quite wonderful way to reduce stress. |
| F．Here’re several important mental benefits of exercise. |
| G．This is especially important for learning and memory. |
10 . 4 STEM Competitions for High Schoolers
eCyberMission
You can participate(参加) in this competition without leaving the house. eCyberMission is a web-based contest in which participants—working in teams of two to four students—use science, math, and technology to solve problems facing their communities. First-place winners receive $1,000.
Grades: 9th
Competition Type: Regional, state, and national
Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision
Interested in what the future has to hold? Consider ExploraVision’s STEM competition. Working in teams of two to four, students will research a particular technology and discuss the ways in which it may impact lives moving forward. Participants are required to write a paper and draw web pages communicating their vision.
Grades: 7th- 9th and 10th- 12th
Competition Type: Regional and national
Spellman Clean Tech Competition
The Spellman Clean Tech Competition tests students’ ability to research and design—it requires participants to recognise a real-world issue, research the problem, and design a solution that uses clean technology. Participants gain a better understanding of STEM fields and may help make the earth a healthier place. In addition to the honor of winning a well-known STEM competition, there are some awards for top finishers—including a $7,000 first prize.
Grades: 9th- 12th
Competition Type: International
Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)
The most promising young scientists in the nation compete in the Regeneron STS—one of the country’s oldest and most famous STEM competitions. The competition is open to high school seniors and challenges them to carry out an independent research project and submit(提交) their findings along with a paper and up to four recommendations(推荐信). Winners can take home awards of up to $250,000!
Grades: 12th
Competition Type: National
1. What is special about eCyberMission?| A．It allows group work. | B．It is designed for seniors. |
| C．It takes place online. | D．It offers the most prize money. |
| A．eCyberMission. | B．Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision. |
| C．Spellman Clean Tech Competition. | D．Regeneron Science Talent Search. |
| A．Being a well-known scientist. | B．Doing their research work alone. |
| C．Providing a research schedule. | D．Finishing a book about their findings. |
