1 . Attention! We need to put a stop to parents doing harm to youth sports. It has gotten out of hand.
A recent study showed 26 million American children took part in non-school sports. By the age of 13, about 18.2 million quit.
No wonder kids are quitting. Many parents show no sportsmanship. They often shout happily at an injury if the injured player is on the other team. My brother Mario Widdowson got hit in the face during a soccer game. The parents from the other team were shouting gladly at his pain. All of the players were down on one knee waiting for Mario to get up, out of respect and it was the right thing to do. The kids did much better than these parents.
There are different types of parents. In the book “Parenting with Love and Logic” the authors describe two different types of parents. The first is helicopter parents, who don’t allow their kid to succeed or fail on their own. The other type is lawnmower parents, who clear anything in their child’s path to make life as easy as possible.
I have observed helicopter parents. When my brother was playing club soccer, one of his teammate’s parents shouted at their son. “Shoot the ball”. It was from about half field. He did it and the coach stopped him from playing and asked him to leave the field.
The parents are trying to coach their kids. The players on the field follow blindly and many mistakes happen. It’s not good for kids’ confidence. What is the purpose of youth sports anyway?
Problems happen in youth sports all over the United States. Parents need to behave themselves. Then the number of students who quit at the age of 13 will drop greatly.
1. What does the author want to show by using numbers in Paragraph 2?| A．American kids are sports lovers. |
| B．Parents can’t behave themselves. |
| C．Most kids give up sports half-way. |
| D．Non-school sports are popular among teens. |
| A．They lent a helping hand. | B．They cheered at his injury. |
| C．They waited for him to get up. | D．They kept shouting at their kids. |
| A．He made a mistake. |
| B．He missed his goal. |
| C．He turned to the coach again. |
| D．He didn’t want to go on with the sport. |
| A．Parents Should Respect Sports. | B．Non-school Sports Is Popular. |
| C．Encouragement Is Important for Kids. | D．Kids Need to Love Sports. |
2 . What are the limits of the human body? Is there a point at which it is physically impossible to do something?
“One thing we’ve all learned in the last 30 years or so is that just about anything is humanly possible,” says Dr. Jack Wilmore, author of Physiology of Sport and Exercise. “As time goes by, I think you’ll see more records continue to fall in every sport. The talent pool is better than ever. With more and better athletes joining in and competing, records will fall and new ones will be set.”
Many believed it was physically impossible for a human to run a mile in under four minutes, but Roger Bannister proved that was wrong, with a three-minute, 59-second mile in 1954. Today, sub-four-minute miles are considered ordinary even in high school. And Bob Beamon amazed the whole world in the 1968 Olympics with his historic long jump of 8. 90 metres. In an event where a record is usually broken by me re inches, he broke the previous jump record by more than 21 inches, but even his record was broken in 1991.
One factor is now becoming more understood and paid more attention to: sports psychology (心理学). Getting inside the athlete’s head can be as effective as training and long workouts. According to Wilmore, the psychological factor of sports has become more and more valued. He thinks highly of most teams’ hiring (雇佣) professional sports psychologists to work for their players.
What’s more, everything in the sports field — training, nutrition (营养), injury treatment — is far better than it’s ever been. “Besides, children today are more likely to focus on one or two sports instead of competing in several as was common twenty-five years ago,” Wilmore says. “That means they start concentrating on a sport much earlier and put more effort into it, and thus they become much better at it.”
“There’s a lot we don’t know yet about the human body,” he adds. “And one of those things is can do.” the full range of human potential. It would be foolish to try and put limits on what the human body can do.”
1. What can we learn from Dr. Jack Wilmore’s words?| A．Athletes will become the most popular people. |
| B．It will be tougher for athletes to break former records. |
| C．It is necessary for athletes to learn the limits of the body. |
| D．Athletes will continue to surprise us with their achievements. |
| A．To introduce two great athletes. |
| B．To show some of the latest world records. |
| C．To prove the limits of the body can be pushed. |
| D．To explain what athletes can achieve under stress. |
| A．Appreciative. | B．Unconcerned. | C．Doubtful. | D．Objective. |
| A．They take part in far more sports. |
| B．They are less likely to get injured in sports. |
| C．They begin playing sports at a much earlier age. |
| D．They become more skilful at one particular sport. |
3 . The 2024 “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreigners across the Globe—Calligraphy and Painting Challenge has been officially announced.
This competition invites painting, calligraphy, and Chinese language enthusiasts from all around the world to take part in this exciting event.
Participants are encouraged to submit their creative themes for the contest, with the theme selection process being determined through public nominations.
If you’re interested, feel free to submit the theme that you believe fits best with the requirements of the competition.
Here are the requirements:
Who Can Apply
The call for creative themes for the Calligraphy and Painting Challenge is open to any Chinese language enthusiasts worldwide, with no limit to age or nationality.
Submission Dates
Submissions will be accepted from June 15, 2024, to 12:00 PM on June 30, 2024(Beijing Time.)
Announcement Date
The selected theme for the Calligraphy and Painting Challenge will be announced on July 1, 2024, which also marks the official start date of the submission period for works under the selected theme.
Submission Methods
Participants can send their theme and related information to chinesebridge@chineseplus.net. “Chinese Bridge” also accepts direct messages on its official account on Facebook, Instagram, WeChat, and Weibo.
1. Who can be invited to the competition?| A．Tom who is crazy about Spanish. |
| B．Sandy who is creative in writing. |
| C．Lucy whose nationality is Chinese. |
| D．Bill who loves Chinese and calligraphy. |
| A．June 12, 2024. | B．July 1, 2024. |
| C．June 20, 2024. | D．July 15, 2024. |
| A．To build a competition organization. |
| B．To provide information about a competition. |
| C．To announce the opening of a competition. |
| D．To collect creative themes for a competition. |
4 . As is known to all, sports are necessary, but many people are worried about getting hurt in sports. The equipment（装备）you wear while taking part in sports and other activities is key to avoiding injuries（受伤）.
Start with helmets（头盔）. They’re important for sports and activities such as football, baseball, softball, biking, horseback riding, skateboarding, inline skating, skiing, and snow boarding—to name just a few.
Wear a mouthguard if you play a contact sport where head injury is a risk, such as football, basketball, volleyball and boxing.
And last but not least, the right footwear can keep you from tripping and falling. You know that sports like football, baseball, softball, and soccer require cleats（防滑鞋）.
| A．They don’t provide protection. |
| B．Need to find the right helmet size for you? |
| C．Eye protection is also a must for many sports. |
| D．Helmets reduce the risk of head injuries by 75% - 85%. |
| E．Mouthguards can protect your mouth, teeth, and tongue. |
| F．The right kind of equipment is important, so is the right size. |
| G．But you may not realize that sports like biking need special types of shoes, too. |
5 . 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. |
6 . Running is one of the most popular sports in the UK. But for many runners, the real reason we head out to beat the roads until our legs hurt is more intangible (无形的) than weight loss or fitness.
Many runners become interested in times. They try to break the 40-minute barrier for the 10K, or run under four hours for the marathon. Yet, really, these times are almost meaningless. And as soon as they are achieved, another target is thrown out almost immediately.
The times are only the carrots we put in front of ourselves. But why do we put them there in the first place? Nobody ever gives a wise answer. Deep down, we all know the answer. Running brings us joy. Watch small children when they are excited, at play, and mostly they can’t stop running.
As we run, we begin to sense that childish joy, which is born to live a wilder existence. As we run, the layers of responsibility and identity we have gathered in our lives, father, mother, lawyer, teacher, all fall away, leaving us with the raw human being.
If we push on, running harder, deeper into the loneliness, further away from the world and the structure of our lives, we begin to feel strangely excited, separated yet at the same time connected, to ourselves. With nothing but our own two legs moving us, we begin to get a sense of who, or what, we really are. After a long run, everything seems right in the world. Everything is at peace. To experience this is a powerful feeling, strong enough to have us coming back, again and again, for more.
1. Why does the author think setting time goals is almost meaningless?| A．Those time goals are used to exchange carrots. |
| B．Those time goals can’t be achieved without efforts. |
| C．People will be never satisfied with the easily achieved time goals. |
| D．There will always be a new time goal once the former one is achieved. |
| A．Positive. | B．Passive. | C．Indifferent. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Breaking records. | B．Running for the marathon. |
| C．Feeling lonely after running. | D．Feeling peaceful after a long run. |
| A．Running to Be the Real You | B．Running to Lose Weight |
| C．Running to Become an Adult | D．Running to Achieve Success |
7 . A hot-blooded carnival for football fans is around the corner! FIFA World Cup Qatar(卡塔尔)2022 will be a special treat since it’s the first World Cup held by a country that has not participated in the World Cup FIFA WORLD CUP before, and also the first time to be held in a Middle Eastern country.
First let’s talk about its mascot(吉祥物), La’eeb, shaped like a walking headscarf, is an avatar (化身)with no fixed shape. This Arabic word means a highly skilled player. The mascot wears a rope and is soft, whose body can make various and difficult movements at will-it gives fans full imagination. The design of the mascot is very novel(新颖的)and this playful image is loved by many fans. Its facial expression is full of determination with an inspirational, upward and positive attitude, just like a strong-willed athlete who never gets discouraged in the face of difficulties.
Considering the high temperature of about 50 degrees in Qatar in summer will affect the athletes’ competitive status, this World Cup is the first time to be held in the northern hemisphere in winter. To successfully hold this World Cup, the Qatar government has invested a huge amount of money in the construction of venues and supporting transportation, communication, accommodation, even with over 1, 000 luxurious Bedouin-style tents in the desert, etc. Service facilities, with a total investment of 220 billion US dollars, make it the most expensive World Cup game at present.
This World Cup will even be the very first carbon-neutral tournament, and the organizer has prepared a total of 8 stadiums, all built to be energy efficient. One of our favorites is Stadium 974, the first fully demountable(可拆卸的)stadium, built using 974 shipping containers, whose number also happens to be Qatar’s country code. The opening game and the final match will be held in the same stadium-Lusail Stadium. Moreover, thanks to Qatar’s efficient public transportation, football fans will need just under one hour of traveling time between stadiums.
And the World Cup final will take place on December the18th, also Qatar’s National Day. So, expect fireworks all around. And let’s have a blast together!
1. What makes FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 so special?| A．Diverse religions in Qatar. |
| B．Extremely high temperature in Qatar. |
| C．Qatar’s richness in oil. |
| D．Qatar’s first participation in the World Cup. |
| A．It is named after a sport. |
| B．It looks inspiring and encouraging. |
| C．It is a traditional Arabic design. |
| D．It could not be transformed at all. |
| A．To attract visitors all over the world. |
| B．To criticize the giant waste by the host. |
| C．To show off the great wealth of the host. |
| D．To stress its strong will to hold the event successfully. |
| A．Criticism. | B．Explosion. |
| C．Good time. | D．Loud noise. |
8 . A 99-year old Australian swimmer appears to have broken a world record for his age group in the 50 m freestyle. The likely new world record holder, George Corones, clocked 56.12 seconds at an official event in Queensland—a new benchmark for the 100-104 age category. He faded the previous record of 1:31. 19, which was set by British swimmer John Harrison in 2014, by 35 seconds. It will now be affirmed by the sport’s governing body.
Corones, who is quailed for the record because he turns 100 in April, said he was “quite delighted” and “over the world” by the result. He said he had been overwhelmed by the “roaring” crowd on the Gold Coast on Wednesday. The event, in which he was the only entrant (新成员), had been specially staged for him to challenge the record.
Corones was a keen swimmer in his youth but only began to learn swimming again at the age of 80. He gave it up at the beginning of the World War Ⅱ, and he didn’t think he would have a swim of any description until he retired. Then he started swimming again for exercise.
Racing undeniably (不可否认的) challenged him physically, but it was manageable with preparation. On average he swims three times a week, and also fits in gym sessions. “At this age it takes a while to get going... you get exhausted much more easily, but if you do it properly, the rewards are astronomical,” he said.
Corones will challenge the 100 m freestyle record on Saturday night, believing he can beat the current mark of 03:23.10, which was also set by Harrison.
“I’m not a young man by any means, but I am rally looking forward to it and confident I can do it very well,” he said.
1. What is the author’s purpose of writing paragraph 1?| A．To show who John Harrison is. | B．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| C．To emphasize the importance of age. | D．To explain the reason for writing the text. |
| A．Original. | B．Huge. | C．Brief. | D．Precise. |
| A．Challenge Harrison again. | B．Prepare for his 100th birthday party. |
| C．Celebrate his success. | D．Challenge the 100 m backstroke. |
| A．It’s never too late to learn. | B．He who laughs last laughs best. |
| C．One good turn deserves another. | D．Laziness in youth spells regret in old age. |
9 . For almost 100 years, the Winter Olympics has been a celebration of ice and snow sports around the world. It is a special event that only takes place once every four years.
Although the Winter Olympics started with just five sports across nine disciplines (分项) in France in 1924, it has grown to include seven sports across 15 different disciplines and has been hosted in 12 countries across three continents. In 2022, for the first time ever in the games’ history, Beijing became the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
China has come a long way and achieved many goals since it took part in the Winter Olympics for the first time in 1980. In this short period of time, China’s athletes have won medals in six of the sports events. Short track speed skating (短道速滑) has been an area of expertise (专长) for China.
China’s love for winter sports has been growing. The Ministry of Education has set a goal of building 5,000 special schools by 2025 to improve winter sports education. The government has also been encouraging primary and secondary schools to add winter sports to their courses. Many provinces and cities have already acted on this suggestion. Classes will be set up in schools in northern China to boost interest in winter sports. In southern China, schools can partner with ice rinks (溜冰场) and winter sports clubs.
Beijing has already set a good example. China News Agency reported that nearly 840,000 students in the city have begun taking winter sports lessons, including skating and skiing lessons.
1. When was the second Winter Olympic Games held?| A．In 1925. | B．In 1926. | C．In 1927. | D．In 1928. |
| A．the 1924 Winter Olympics was not popular |
| B．the Summer and Winter Olympics were held in Beijing in 2022 |
| C．Beijing set a record in the Olympic Games’ history |
| D．12 countries have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics |
| A．Attack. | B．Improve | C．Reduce. | D．Review. |
| A．China’s athletes are not good at short track speed skating. |
| B．Schools in southern China can’t add winter sports to their courses. |
| C．Many students in Beijing have taken skating and skiing lessons. |
| D．Nearly 840,000 students across China have taken winter sports lessons. |
| A．A sports report. | B．A storybook. |
| C．A science magazine. | D．An advertisement poster. |
10 . Playing sports offers you more than just physical benefits (好处).
Making new friends.
Playing sports enables you to create friendships you otherwise might not have formed.
Understanding the value of health.
Taking part in sports improves your health in many ways.
Building team spirit.
Sports provide children with the important lesson of learning how to work in a team.
Playing sports requires a lot of time and energy. Some may think this would take students’ attention away from schoolwork. However, the opposite is true. Sports require memorization, repetition and learning — skills that are directly relevant (有关的) to schoolwork.
| A．Doing better in your studies. |
| B．Everyone has to work together to achieve the goal. |
| C．To be a good athlete, you must take care of yourself. |
| D．Sports can help you in your study and fit in with society as well. |
| E．Sports bring teens together from different schools and backgrounds. |
