1 . There are many weird sports that are present around the world. From each region of the world, along with the very popular common sports, there are also those really popular but very weird kinds of sports.
The Ultimate Test Between Man and Horses
This is indeed a very strange kind of sport that tests your stamina (耐力). You will learn how to be agile (灵活的) while competing against a horse. This game originated in the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells. This sport really has to do with strength. You will require great agility and strength in order to take part in this. Marathon human contestants are put to compete against those mounted people. This is how the marathon testing takes place.
Love Locked Races
This is a sports event that was first introduced in Finland. This is all about a male competitor racing with a female in a certain way. There would be many obstructions and blocks on the way which would definitely bring you challenges. The person to win would have to finish the race without losing his female partner in the course of overcoming the obstacles even for once. This race takes place really fast and the obstacles are set that way.
The Toe Sport
This is yet another weird sport that welcomes you to use your toes. This is quite the same kind of sport that you used to play as a child which involved toe wrestling. This has now been turned into a major sport that even has a World Toe Wrestling Competition. It first originated in a pub of Derbyshire.
The locals took this sport with great enjoyment and then made this so popular that it soon had its own championship. The individuals who participate have only got to use their feet and then this is tougher than it may sound.
The Mud Pit Belly Flop
This is a kind of game where even the spectators (观众) get splashed with mud but in fact that is quite the fun. The very annual Summer Redneck Games in East Dublin bring about this game and bring about some of the greatest hubcap-discus throws with it. This is also a great sport to show the strength and dexterity of your feet.
1. Which sport requires couples to participate?| A．The Ultimate Test Between Man and Horses. | B．Love Locked Races. |
| C．The Toe Sport. | D．The Mud Pit Belly Flop. |
| A．It first originated in a pub of Derbyshire. |
| B．The locals took this sport with great enjoyment. |
| C．It has a World Toe Wrestling Competition. |
| D．Even kids are fond of the sport. |
| A．People with agility and strength. | B．People with companions. |
| C．Marathon runners. | D．Horse riders. |
2 . Did you know that the color of uniforms can influence the performance of an athlete? It may sound strange, but a study suggests this might be true.
Two British scientists studied the results of four sports in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games where the athletes had been given either a red or a blue uniform. They discovered that when there was a big difference in the score, color had no influence on the result. But if it was a close match, the athlete in a red uniform was more likely to win. Then they looked at the uniforms of the soccer teams at the Euro 2004 tournament. Again, teams wearing red won more games.
The two scientists got their idea from earlier studies of wild animals. It had been discovered that when a male show red on its body, it sends a signal of its power and strength. For example, in many kinds of monkey, the more the male shows off its red scars, the more females it can attract.
Based on this fact, the British scientists thought that the idea might work for humans, too. According to them, when an athlete sees a competitor in a red uniform, he gets a feeling that his competitor could be stronger than him. And that kind of feeling may have a bad influence on the player’s performance in the actual game.
Although the idea is Interesting, most people don’t accept that color signals in the animals world can really be useful to humans in sports. They think that it is unreasonable to develop an idea based on such a small number of examples. Much more research has to be done to prove the influence of uniform colors on the performance of athletes.
1. What did the scientists find out about the 2004 Athens Olympic Games?| A．Athletes played equally well in four sports. |
| B．Game results had a big influence on the athletes. |
| C．Athletes dressed in red scored more in a close match. |
| D．There was a big difference in red and blue team’s scores. |
| A．It is quite strong. | B．It is a failure. |
| C．It has power over other males. | D．It has attracted a lot of females. |
| A．weakness | B．pride | C．danger | D．shame |
| A．Interested. | B．Satisfied. | C．Doubtful. | D．Thankful. |
3 . For the rest of March, a disease will sweep across the US. It will keep kids home from school.
The disease, known as “March Madness”， refers to the yearly 65team US men's college basketball tournament (锦标赛).
Nearly 20 million Americans will find themselves prisoners of basketball festival madness. The fun comes partly from guessing the winners for every game. Friends compete against friends.
Bigname schools are usually favored to advance into the tournament. But each year there are dark horses from littleknown universities.
This adds to the madness. Watching a team from a school with 3,000 students beat a team from a school with 30,000, for many Americans, is an exciting experience. Two years ago, the littleknown George Mason University was one of the final four teams.
College basketball players are not paid, so the game is more about making a name for their university and themselves.
| A．Husbands against wives. |
| B．The players will go all out for the games. |
| C．But that doesn't mean money isn't involved. |
| D．College students will ignore piles of homework. |
| E．People are willing to spend more money on watching it. |
| F．It begins on March 15 and lasts through the beginning of April. |
| G．Many people had never even heard of the university before the tournament. |
4 . Each year, the women of Olney, England, and Liberal, Kansas, have an unusual “pancake racing”. This tradition is said to have started on Shrove Tuesday,1445, in Olney. Shrove Tuesday is the day before the Christian season of Lent begins.
It is said that in 1445, an Olney woman was making pancakes. She suddenly heard the church(教堂) bells ring, signaling the beginning of the Shrove Tuesday service. Realizing that she was going to be late for church, she raced out the door still wearing her apron(围裙) and headscarf and holding her frying pan(锅) with a pancake in it. Olney women continue this tradition more than 500 years later.
In 1950, a person of Liberal wanted his town to join in Olney Pancake Race. He made some phone calls to Olney to set up a friendly competition, and the people of Olney accepted the challenge.
The rules are simple. Racers must wear the traditional headscarf and apron. They have to flip(抛) the pancake in the air so that it flips and lands back in the pan on the other side. After the race, there are Shrove Tuesday church services. Then Liberal and Olney connect through a video call to compare race times and announce a winner.
In both towns, the races have grown into larger festivals. Olney’s festival is an allday event starting with a big pancake breakfast. Liberal’s festival lasts four days and includes a parade, a great show, and eating competitions.
Although the women’s race is still the main event, both towns now hold races for boys and girls of all ages. Emma Evans,14, was the winner of her age group’s race in Liberal last year. She wore an apron that her grandma made for her and used a pan passed down to her from her older brother. Her family cheered her on from the sidelines.
“It’s a family tradition, ”Emma says. “And there are only two places in the world that compete against each other in a race like this, so it feels special.”
1. What do we know about Olney Pancake Race?| A．It was founded by a cook. | B．It was started during Lent. |
| C．It is a centuriesold tradition. | D．It has been held every year since 1445. |
| A．Wear their formal clothes. | B．Throw and catch the pancake. |
| C．Hand the pancake to another. | D．Eat the pancake while running. |
| A．lasts only one day | B．has more varied activities |
| C．holds different races for boys | D．starts with a delicious breakfast |
| A．It is familyfriendly. | B．It is quite competitive. |
| C．It should be internationalized. | D．It should provide aprons for racers. |
5 . Simple steps to inner peace
If you wake up feeling tired and lazy, these moves can give you a lift. Our yoga warm-ups will help to loosen and stretch your muscles and joints, and deep breathing also helps you to focus your thoughts, so you feel refreshed.
Upper-body lift
Slowly lower your body to the floor, look up forward the ceiling and breathe in. Hold for a minute. Release (放松).
Toe touch
Bringing your hands to the floor, breathe out while putting your head between your knees (if you’re a beginner, keep knees slightly bent). Holding the position, breathe in as you stretch your head and chest upward. Hold for one minute. Release.
Spine stretch
Standing straight, feet together, breathe in and raise your arms straight overhead, hands touching. Look up, stretching your body for one minute. Release. Repeat moves as often as needed.
1. The purpose of the above exercises is to ________.| A．help you bring back your strength |
| B．get rid of pain from your back |
| C．get you warm enough to do further exercise |
| D．loosen and stretch your muscles to help you feel refreshed |
| A．raising your body higher | B．making you release |
| C．helping you get energetic | D．getting your body straight |
| A．upperbody lift; toe touch | B．toe touch; upperbody lift |
| C．spine stretch; toe touch | D．toe touch; spine stretch |
6 . Have you ever wondered how your favorite NBA team received its famous name? All NBA teams have an interesting story or a history behind their names. Some of the names reflected the city’s culture or history, others came from previous owners and many were selected through “Name the Team” contests.
For teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Utah Jazz, the names were not always a reflection of the city. Even though Los Angeles has no lakes, the Lakers name has been a city treasure for almost 40 years. Before going to Los Angeles, the team originated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In1947, team officials changed the name to the Lakers to reflect the Minnesota State’s nickname, “Land of 10,000 Lakes”. The team name went unchanged after moving to Los Angeles in1960.
Because the Utah’s team originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, it was called the Jazz. In 1974, New Orleans club officials chose the name to represent the city for its reputation as the “Jazz Capital of the World”. The name stayed with the team even after they found a new home in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1979.
The original owner of the Chicago Bulls, Richard Klein, named the team the Bulls. He picked the name because a fighting bull is relentless and never quits. Klein, who founded the club in 1966, believed these qualities were necessary for a championship team and hoped his Chicago athletes would live up to the team name. The Bulls, the winner of the six NBA championships, has definitely followed the belief.
In 1967, the Indiana Pacers selected their team name in a different way from most other teams. Their decision was based on what they wanted to achieve in the NBA. Team officials chose the Pacers name because the organization wanted to set the “pace” in professional basketball.
1. Which can be the best title for this passage?| A．The Long History of NBA Teams |
| B．Interesting Stories about NBA teams |
| C．Excellent Qualities of NBA Team Officials |
| D．Stories Behind the Names of NBA Teams |
| A．The name was selected from a “Name the Team” contest. |
| B．The name shows that Los Angeles is a city with various lakes. |
| C．It was named after a city treasure, which had a long history. |
| D．The team got this name in another state, which had a lot of lakes. |
| A．New Orleans. | B．Salt Lake City. |
| C．Los Angeles. | D．Minneapolis. |
| A．He had guessed the success of the team. |
| B．People in Chicago used to like watching bullfighting. |
| C．He wished the team to have the qualities of fighting bulls. |
| D．Chicago was then a city famous for fighting bulls. |
7 . The Olympic Games are the greatest festival of sport in the world. Every four years, a hundred or more countries send their best sportsmen to compete for the highest honors of the sport. As many as 6000 people take part in over 20 sports. For the winners, there are gold medals and glory. But there is honor, too, for all who compete, win or lose. That is the spirit of the Olympics—to take part is what matters.
The Olympic Games always start in bright color and action. The teams of all the nations parade in the opening ceremony and march round the track. The custom is for the Greek team to march in first. For it was in Greece that the Olympics began. The team of the country where the Games are being held—the host country—marches in last.
The runner with the Olympic torch then enters the stadium and lights the flame. A sportsman from the host country takes the Olympic oath(誓言)on behalf of all the competitors. The judges and officials also take an oath. After the sportsmen march out of the stadium, the host country puts on a wonderful display.
The competition begins the next day. There are usually more than twenty sports in the Games. The rule is that there must be at least fifteen. The main events are in track and field, but it is a few days before these sports start. Each day the competitors take part in a different sport—riding, shooting, swimming, and cross-country running. Points are gained for each event. Medals are awarded for the individual winners and for national teams.
More and more women are taking part in the games. They first competed in 1900, in tennis and golf, which are no longer held in the Olympics. Women’s swimming events were introduced in 1912, but it was not until 1928 that there were any track and field events for women. Now, they compete in all but half a dozen of the sports. In horse riding, shooting, and boat racing, they may compete in the same events as the men.
1. The spirit of the Olympics is to ________.| A．win a gold medal | B．be equal |
| C．gain glory | D．participate |
| A．the first team to march in the opening ceremony is the team of the host country |
| B．a sportsman represents all the athletes to take an oath after a wonderful display |
| C．medals are awarded for the individual winners and for national teams |
| D．women were allowed to take part in track and field events in 1912 |
| A．Tennis. | B．Shooting. | C．Riding. | D．Swimming. |
| A．Olympic Spirit. | B．Opening ceremony of the Olympics. |
| C．Rules for all Olympic events. | D．The birthplace of the Olympic Games. |
8 . Former pro basketball player Kobe Bryant won five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers while making himself as one of the game’s all-time greats. He died tragically in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.
Kobe Bryant was born with basketball already in his blood. His dad was a former NBA star Joe “Jellybean” Bryant. Born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kobe spent his early years in Italy, because his dad started playing basketball in Europe and his family moved there. The family moved back to the United States when Kobe was 13 and he started playing high school basketball.
Kobe knew he was already good enough to play in the NBA, so he skipped college and was selected right after high school. He played in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in 1998 and by 2000, Kobe had developed into one of the best basketballs players. Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal teamed up to lead the LA Lakers to three straight NBA Championship (冠军) Titles from 2000 to 2002.
In 2003, Kobe was caught by the police. In 2004, the case against Kobe was dropped, but Kobe still had to live with a damaged reputation. In 2004, Kobe tried to prove that he could lead the LA Lakers without Shaq. After Kobe told the Lakers he wouldn’t be wearing the purple and gold if Shaq was in the team, O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat before the 2004-2005 season.
In 2008, Bryant was named Most Valuable Player and carried his team to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics. In the 2009 NBA Finals, the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic to win the championship.
Although later seasons were affected by injuries, he surpassed (超越) Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA all-time scoring list in December 2014 and retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points in his final game.
1. Kobe Bryant passed away at the age of _______.| A．37 | B．40 | C．42 | D．45 |
| A．Kobe’s blood was special when he was born. |
| B．All of Kobe’s family members are basketball players. |
| C．Kobe got a basketball when he was born. |
| D．Kobe was born to be a basketball player. |
| A．upset | B．confident | C．doubtful | D．not confident |
| A．A Brief Introduction of Kobe | B．How to Become A Basketball Star |
| C．The NBA All-Star Game | D．The LA Lakers |
9 . The true Olympic spirit has been displayed by Canadian cross-country ski coach Justin Wadsworth, who helped Russian athlete Anton Gafarov with his broken ski during the Men’s Sprint Free Semifinals.
Gafarov’s start wasn’t smooth. He fell three times, crashing early in the race and breaking his ski. It was clear that Gafarov was out of the race for the men’s finals and wouldn’t be able to compete for medals. Still, he wanted to finish in front of the home crowd, but his left ski was too badly damaged in the crash and its base had come off. The Russian skier faced finishing the race by walking to the line, not skiing.
However, the Russian’s fall was seen by Canadian coach Justin Wadsworth, who immediately ran on to the course and helped Gafarov. “I went over and gave him one of Alex Harvey’s, a member of the Canadian team who didn’t qualify for the finals. It was about giving Gafarov some dignity (尊严) so he didn’t have to walk to the finish area,” Wadsworth said. “We help because we know everyone works so hard in our sport,” says Wadsworth, who was an Olympic skier for the S before becoming a coach. “Everyone wants fair results. It was a matter of allowing Gafarov to finish the race.”
Gafarov was thoughtful about his performance. “My fall cost me a broken ski and a pole,” said Anton Gafarov, adding that he decided to continue fighting for the finals despite all the difficulties.
Gafarov believed the race should be finished in any way possible. “It was a matter of principle to hold on to the end,” he added. He is not devastated (毁灭) by his failure and is eager to take part in the next Winter Olympics despite back problems due to injuries.
1. What happened to Gafarov during the Men’s Sprint Free Semifinals?| A．He lost his ski in the unlucky crash. |
| B．He gave up the race after falling three times. |
| C．He got the gold medal for the men’s finals. |
| D．He had his ski broken in the early race. |
| A．He felt happy for Gafarov’s bad luck in the race. |
| B．He knew what price Gafarov paid for the competition. |
| C．He was angry with his player’s not qualifying for the finals. |
| D．He once worked hard to become an Olympic skier for Canada. |
| A．Every dog has its day. | B．Rome isn’t built overnight. |
| C．Never give up in face of difficulty. | D．There is no end to learning. |
| A．The Olympic Spirit | B．The Unlucky Day |
| C．The History of Olympic Games | D．The Winning Gold Medal |
10 . “Some day, there’ll be no Americans left in the NBA,” said 12-year-old Xing Tao, who joined his school team two weeks ago after watching Yao Ming in a televised NBA game, “The players will all be Chinese, like Yao.”
To China, Yao is a home-grown superstar who helped make the world’s first basketball league closer to Chinese players. To the NBA, the 2.23-meter center offers an opening of a different sort into the world’s largest new market. Yao’s NBA first appearance against the Indiana Pacers in October reached 287 million families in the US. That game might have been a bit of a letdown to Yao’s fans: He played just 11 of the 48 minutes, had two rebounds (篮板) and got no points. Comparing that with his performance on December 19, also against Indiana, Yao won 29 points and 10 rebounds. “This was one of the most exciting games I’ve had,” Yao said after Houston’s 95-83 victory. The NBA has to be excited about his on-count success. In all his games, he’s averaging 12.7 points and 7.7 rebounds, quite good for a new star. “Yao Ming has brought the NBA closer to the Chinese,” said NBA spokeswoman Cheong Sau Ching, “That makes the dream seem practical for other people in China and proud to be Chinese.”
The 22-year-old Yao is not the country’s first player in the NBA: Wang Zhizhi broke down the Dallas Mavericks in November 2003. But Yao’s combination of modesty (谦虚) and skills make him a favorite back home.
1. What’s the direct reason for Xing Tao to join the school basketball team?| A．He watched an NBA game. | B．He liked basketball. |
| C．He hoped to play for the NBA. | D．He had dream that he would become a basketball star. |
| A．zero | B．two | C．29 | D．10 |
| A．failure | B．surprise | C．disappointment | D．sadness. |
| A．He has performed excellently. | B．He is modest. |
| C．More and more Chinese people like to watch his games. | D．Both A and B. |
| A．Middle school students want to play basketball. |
| B．Yao Ming makes NBA closer to China. |
| C．There’ll be no Americans left in the NBA. |
| D．There are many new stars from China in the NBA. |
