1 . Baseball is known as the national entertainment in America. As children, many Americans play baseball in Little League teams. Later, some go on to play in Major League Baseball teams.
The game itself is fairly easy to play. There are two teams of nine players each.
During the game, a pitcher ( 投手) from one team throws a ball to a batter (the person holding a baseball bat) from the opposing team. The batter, who is standing on the home plate, tries to hit the ball and run around the bases.
The first recorded game was played in 1846 in Hoboken, New Jersey. And since then, baseball has grown in popularity.
Famous modern players include Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter who play for the New York Yankees, Manny Ramirez who plays for the Tampa Bay Rays, Joe Mauer who plays for the Minnesota Twins, and Albert Pujols who plays for the St Louis Cardinals. A player doesn’t have to be from the state he plays for, so baseball teams are very diverse.
| A．Baseball also reshaped the nation’s calendar. |
| B．In 1992, the sport was introduced as an Olympic game. |
| C．They play on a field with four bases in the shape of a diamond. |
| D．Others become sports fans and follow their team everywhere. |
| E．Baseball terms and phrases soon became part of the national vocabulary. |
| F．If he goes around the four bases and touches them in the correct order, it’s a run. |
| G．For example, Alex Pujols plays for a team in Missouri but is from the Dominican Republic. |
Paragliding is a kind of flying, but instead of the wing being made of metal, wood or plastic, it is made of nylon or polyester. The wing is attached to a harness by lines where a pilot sits, similar to a parachute.
Is it safe?
Paragliding, is as safe as sailing and deep-sea diving. The big advantage is that it’s probably the slowest form of aviation, so if you do crash, you'll hit the ground quite gently! It’s a very relaxing sport as you're mostly sitting down. Yet, you’ll probably experience pain in some muscles you didn’t know you had while learning, but many of those will be due to the walk up the training hill to launch.
Where do I learn?
There are lots of schools, mainly based inland by appropriate hills or mountains, and there are also schools on the coast near spectacular cliffs. These are very attractive, though the prospect of landing in the sea seems to discourage beginners! It takes seven days to get your basic license; then you’re free to fly independently at sites across the country.
What do I need?
Pilots normally wear warm clothes in case they get very high up, and a helmet in case they stumble on landing. In terms of gear, schools supply basic training, canopies, harnesses, etc. However, you'll probably want to buy your own more sophisticated equipment, which you’ll be able to choose much better once you’ve tried some out on your course.
Who can do it?
There’s no upper age limit provided your instructor judges you capable, but the youngest is 14. Anybody with good eyesight and good balance is a potential paraglider pilot.
Flying a paraglider is a great sport. We hope to see you in the air with us this season!
1. Which would be the best heading for Paragraph 1?| A．What is paragliding? | B．Who invented paragliding? |
| C．How is paragliding special? | D．Why is paragliding popular? |
| A．exciting but tiring | B．safe and relaxing |
| C．attractive but expensive | D．fast and challenging |
| A．Fit people of any age can take up paragliding. |
| B．Most paragliding schools are situated by the sea. |
| C．Pilots need to buy basic equipment on their training course. |
| D．Learners can fly on their own after at least a week’s training. |
3 . Here is a brief guide to every sport at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Alpine skiing, 11 gold medals awarded
The disciplines include downhill, the fastest event; super-G, with more turns added; giant slalom (回转), still more turns; and slalom, the slowest and most technical event.
Biathlon (冬季两项), 11 golds
Take the endurance test of cross-country skiing and shake it up very few kilometers by having athletes stop to shoot at targets. Too many misses, and skiers must take a penalty lap. Germany, France, Sweden and Norway should dominate the medals.
Figure skating, 5 golds
The strong Russian team swept the top three spots in the women’s competition at the last world tournament, with now 17-year-old Anna Shcherbakova on top. American Nathan Chen’s potential duel (对决) with Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan, the 2014 and 2018 Olympic champion, could be a highlight of the Games.
In the pairs event, Sui Wenjing and Han Cong could bring the gold to the host nation.
Freestyle sking, 13 golds
There are six disciplines. In the aerials and the new big air event, skiers launch themselves of a ramp and perform flips (空翻) and spins. In half pipe, they perform in a U-shaped bowl, and in slope style, they ski down a course with rails and jumps. In moguls (雪上技巧赛), they ski over a bumpy course and are judged on turns, jumps and speed. The only event that is timed instead of judged is ski cross (障碍追逐赛), in which skiers race against one another in groups of four.
Speedskating, 23 golds
Long-track speed skating is dominated by the Dutch. They won seven of 14 gold medals in 2018 and eight of 12 in 2014. Short-track provided China with its gold of the 2018 Games. South Korea will also be a major contender.
1. How many disciplines does Alpine skiing include?| A．3. | B．4. | C．5. | D．6. |
| A．Russia. | B．Sweden. | C．Norway. | D．Germany. |
| A．Anna Shcherbakova won the first place at the last world toumament. |
| B．Nathan Chen’s potential duel with Yuzuru Hanyu could be a highlight. |
| C．Sui Wenjing and Han Cong could bring a gold to China. |
| D．The Dutch won 14 gold medals in long-track speedskating in 2018. |
4 . Walking is good for you.It’s good for your heart, for your lungs, for the muscle and bone growth of your children.Strong scientific evidence now supports the many benefits to health of regular walking.
Walking is connected with reduced death rates for both older and younger adults.In other words, walkers live longer!
In particular, walking has a great effect on cardiovascular disease(心血管病).Fit and active people have around half the risk of cardiovascular disease compared to unfit inactive people.
Even 10-minute walks can increase fitness.One study at Loughbrough University found that women walking continuously for 30 minutes 5 days a week had almost the same increases in fitness as women who divide their 30 minutes into three 10-minute walks.
The majority of studies of young people indicate falling participation in physical activity.Only half of 11-36-year-olds currently walk for ten minutes a day.Children in Britain walk 50 miles a year less than they did a decade ago.Around 20% of children can be classed as overweight.TV, computers, cultural changes and fears for children’s safety out of doors play a large part.
Walking offers a great way to help kids get the active habit.If parents express excitement about the prospect (前景) of a walk in the countryside, they are more likely to pass this feeling to their children.It’s important to treat the walk as an exploration or adventure and to go at the child’s pace, no matter how often they want to stop and look at things, take treats to eat and plenty to drink, and head for some landmarks that will attract them such as a castle, a playground, an ice cream car or a boating pond.If children experience walking as part of a fun activity, they are more likely to want to go again.
1. We know from the passage that regular walking __________.| A．can make people live longer and healthier |
| B．has nothing to do with cardiovascular disease |
| C．increases fitness only if you walk as fast as you can |
| D．will help you put on much weight in a short time |
| A．They have more homework to do. |
| B．They have fitness equipment at home. |
| C．Their parents worry about their safety. |
| D．They want to learn more knowledge on TV. |
| A．children should be led by parents when they play outdoors |
| B．parents should help their children form a habit of walking |
| C．parents should not care about their children too much |
| D．children should do more explorative and adventure activities |
5 . Modern people are paying more attention to exercise and many celebrities are leading the trend， while in ancient China there were also many fitness lovers．
Lu You： chosho
As a noted productive poet， Lu You from the Song Dynasty wrote more than 20，000 poems in his lifetime． According to historical records， he lived to 85 years old， the longest living poet in the Song Dynasty．
However， Lu You was weak as a child． During his later years， Lu You started the body building called chosho． Chosho was quite popular in ancient times， which was not roaring or whistling， but an elegant， serious and skillful health method． People opened their body， breathed in deep and then breathed out with a long and loud cry in rhyme．
Su Dongpo： long run， five kilometers per day
The great Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo， or Su Shi preferred to take long runs， and he thought that only by moving your body regularly could you have a strong body．
He would slow down when he breathed hard， and speed up when his breath balanced． Su Dongpo would run until he was sweaty， hot， blood circulating and limbs feeling refreshed．
Huyan Zan： cold bath
There was an annual festival in November during the early Tang Dynasty （618-907）called "Pouring cold"， where a group of strong men， nearly bare， sang and danced in the street while crowds poured cold water on them． The festival， a sacrifice to god， was thought to be helpful to body building．
During the Song Dynasty， Huyan Zan recovered the tradition by removing the singing and dancing parts and keeping the pouring cold water part， as a way to exercise his kids' physical bodies．
1. What would Lu You do when doing chosho exercise？ ______| A．Scream after opening his body． |
| B．Make a long and loud roar． |
| C．Whistle for a long time． |
| D．Breathe deep and shout with a rhyme． |
| A．adjusted his running speed according to his breath |
| B．kept running at a high speed all the way |
| C．would run until his body was tired |
| D．practiced Qigong during the course of running |
| A．To teach them the hardship of life． |
| B．To honor his general-inherited family． |
| C．To make them have a healthy body． |
| D．To expect them to have a long life． |
6 . Lovell Camps Kids’ Club in Switzerland
Lovell Camps Kids’ Club is an English language Montessori（蒙台梭利）style club. Children will enjoy a wonderful and safe learning experience which includes language activities, cooking, arts and crafts, singing, dancing, etc.
Learning outside the classroom plays a necessary role at Lovell Camps, making children experience the outdoors. During the summer months this can include visits to local playgrounds, farms and indoor or outdoor swimming pools. Winter time gives children the chance to go skiing and play outside in the snow.
Admission:
The Lovell Camps Kids’ Club is for pre-school children aged between 2 and 5.
What’s included:
Fees include: Healthy snacks and school equipment. If you choose the skiing activity, fees include transportation to and from the ski hill and professional ski instructions.
Fees do not include: Ski rentals, round-trip transportation from Kids’ Club to home and medical insurance.
Time:
Kids’ Club is open from December to March and in July and August. It is closed on Mondays during the year.
1. What is the special activity in summer?| A．Getting close to animals. | B．Swimming in the pool. |
| C．Singing and dancing. | D．Visiting farms. |
| A．who are good at swimming | B．who enjoy outdoor activities |
| C．who want to learn skiing | D．who are interested in playing sports |
| A．Medical insurance. | B．Healthy snacks. |
| C．School equipment. | D．Transportation to the ski hill. |
7 . Below is a list of the most interesting UK writing competitions.
Flash 500 Short Story Competition.
Stories between 1,000 and 3,000 words are required for this story competition. Those who think no story is complete without a proper bedroom scene will be pleased to learn that adult material is acceptable here ＂providing the content fits the story＂. The rest of you will be relieved to learn that adult content is not compulsory.
Prizes: £500, £200, £100.
EntryFee: £22.
The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition.
If you have an original idea, a fresh voice and a story children will love, you could be in luck because that’s just what the organizers of this annual contest are looking for. With a suggested minimum of 30,000 words, your story should be suitable for a worldwide audience of children/young adults somewhere between the ages of 7 and 18 years.
Prize:£10,000.
EntryFee: £15.
Bath Children’s Novel Award.
This international contest is for novels of any length. To enter, you email the first 3,000 words of your story followed by a one page summary. The longlist(入围名单) is chosen by a group of children and young adults. The shortlist（候选人名单）judge is Julia Churchill from literary agents A.M. Heath.
Prize:£2,000.
EntryFee: £7 each, £12 for two, £16 for three, £20 for four.
The Caledonia Novel Award.
This international contest from Edinburgh, which is open to unpublished and self-published novelists, is for stories of at least 50,000 words. To enter, you email the first 20 pages of your novel followed by a 200-word summary. The judge is Richard Pike from literary agents Curtis Brown.
Prize: £1,000.
EntryFee: £20.
1. What do we know about Flash 500 Short Story Competition?| A．Its deadline. | B．Its sponsor. | C．Its judges. | D．Its award. |
| A．The Caledonia Novel Award. |
| B．Bath Children’s Novel Award. |
| C．Flash 500 Short Story Competition. |
| D．The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition. |
| A．They have the same judge. | B．Anyone in the world can take part in. |
| C．They charge no entry fees. | D．They only accept long novels. |
