1 . A fresh and gentle wind on your face, soft sand under your feet and blue waters as far as the eye can see. Is there any other Olympic sport that is played in such pleasant conditions as beach volleyball？
“I’ve gone to a lot of beautiful places, and met a lot of beautiful people. That wouldn’t have happened if I had been playing another sport.” said Randy Stoklos, America’s most famous beach volleyball player.
The sport began as a four-a-side game on beaches in Southern California in the 1920s. The first recorded two-man game took place there in 1930, and the first tournament (锦标赛) was held in Los Angeles 18 years later. The winners were awarded a case of Pepsi. In the 1950s, women started playing and the sport soon spread to Europe and South America. Yet at that time, beach volleyball was more an entertainment show than a sport, with beauty contests included. The Association of Volleyball Professionals was founded in 1983 and beach volleyball developed into a fast, athletic sport. Its world-wide popularity won beach volleyball a place at the 1996 Olympics in Atalanta, where 24 male teams and 16 female teams took part. At present, the US and Brazil are the best in the world at beach volleyball.
The game came to China in the early 1990s and there have been national tournaments since 1994. It became an official event at the Eighth National Games in 1997. China’s You Wenhui and Wang Lu finished ninth in the women’s beach volleyball world championships in Brazil.
1. The passage is mainly about ______.| A．the history of beach volleyball |
| B．how to play beach volleyball |
| C．the importance of beach volleyball |
| D．women’s beach volleyball in China |
| A．Beach volleyball was first played like other Olympic: sports. |
| B．Beach volleyball has always been an entertainment show rather than a sport. |
| C．Beach volleyball began on beaches in Souther California. |
| D．Women started playing beach volleyball in South America in 1945. |
| A．In 1948, | B．In 1996. | C．In 1950. | D．In 1997. |
| A．in 1996, beach volleyball became an official event in China |
| B．China’s beach volleyball team is the best in the world |
| C．China’s beach volleyball players won the first place in Brazil |
| D．beach volleyball came to China in the early 1990s |
2 . If it really is what’s on the inside that counts, then a lot of thin people might be in trouble.
Some doctors now think that the internal fat surrounding important organs like the heart liver could be as dangerous as the external fat which can be noticed more easily.
“Being thin doesn’t surely mean you are not fat”, said Dr Jimmy Bell at Imperial College.
Since 1994, Bell and his team have scanned nearly 800 people with MRI machines to create “fat maps” showing where people store fat.
According to the result, people who keep their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are slim.
Even people with normal Body Mass Index scores can have surprising levels of fat deposits inside. Of the women, as many as 45 percent of those with normal BMI scores (20 to 25) actually had too high levels of internal fat. Among men, the percentage was nearly 60 percent.
According to Bell, people who are fat on the inside are actually on the edge of being fat. They eat too many fatty and sugary foods, but they are not eating enough to be fat. Scientists believe we naturally store fat around the belly first, but at some point, the body may start storing it elsewhere.
Doctors are unsure about the exact dangers of internal fat, but some think it has something to do with heart disease and diabetes (糖尿病). They want to prove that internal fat damages the body's communication systems.
The good news is that internal fat can be easily burned off through exercise or even by improving your diet. “If you want to be healthy, there is no shortcut. Exercise has to be an important part of your lifestyle,” Bell said.
1. What is this passage mainly about?| A．Thin people may be fat inside. | B．Internal fat is of no importance. |
| C．Internal fat leads to many diseases. | D．Thin people don't have diabetes. |
| A．the exact dangers of internal fat |
| B．being slim is not dangerous at all |
| C．internal fat is the cause of heart disease |
| D．being slim doesn’t mean you are not fat inside |
| A．internal fat leading to disease has been proved |
| B．thin people usually have internal fat even if they are slim |
| C．it is easier to burn off internal fat than external fat |
| D．exercise plays an important role in people’s life for keeping healthy |
| A．a long road | B．an easy way |
| C．a clear difference | D．a short distance |
3 . Exercise helps to keep us in good health. Doctors at the American Heart Association suggest getting at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity every week. Many people exercise for a few minutes every day or every other day. So, getting 150 minutes every week is easy.
But what about those times when you are sick? If you do not feel well, should you keep following your exercise habit? Following are the answers from health experts.
Edward R. Laskowski is a doctor at the Clinic. He and other experts have a general rule about exercising when you are sick. It is usually fine to exercise mildly, he explains, if your symptoms are all “above the neck”. These signs may include a runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing or a minor sore throat.
Geralyn Coopersmith, a physical fitness trainer who has written several books on exercise and nutrition offers similar advice. However, both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest taking a break from exercising if signs of your illness appear “below the neck.” Pay special attention to symptoms such as chest congestion, extreme cough or pain in the stomach.
There are other symptoms(症状) that can tell you to avoid exercise. They include: a higher than normal body temperature, a sense of feeling extremely tired, and widespread muscle pain.
Both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest listening to your body. If you feel really bad, take a break and let your body rest. If you don’t feel too bad, these experts both suggest reducing the amount of exercise. For example, if you usually run, take a quick walk instead.
1. Which of the following statements is true?| A．It is a hard thing for people to exercise for 150 minutes every week. |
| B．It is fine to do light exercise when you have a runny nose and chest congestion. |
| C．Edward suggests doing exercise when you have muscle pain all over your body. |
| D．Geralyn holds people can exercise mildly when their symptoms are above the neck. |
| A．stop exercise | B．walk instead of run |
| C．ignore the symptoms | D．cut down the amount of exercise |
| A．Warnings against exercise when you are ill |
| B．Harmful effects of exercise when you are ill |
| C．Suggested time for exercise when you are ill |
| D．Professional tips on exercise when you are ill |
4 . For most of us, swinging (摆动) 360 degrees around the spindle (轴) of a swing set is a distant childhood dream, but for some people in Estonia, it’s what they never grow out of. Not only do they still love struggling against gravity (重力), but they actually have created a competitive sport around their favorite entertainment. That sport is known as “kiiking”.
Swings are deep in Estonian culture, and you can still find various types of swings in villages and towns all around the country. They are used by children and adults alike, either for simple fun, or as a way for communities to bond during celebrations. So maybe it doesn’t come as a big surprise that Estonia has an extreme sport based on swinging. Some people see it as dull, others as pointless, but to those who practice it, kiiking is the coolest thing in the world.
The rules of kiiking are pretty simple. Competitors start swinging at a certain height, and if they can complete a full circuit (圈) around the spindle, they can try to do the same after the swing has been raised a little, and so on. Those who fail to do a full spindle are left with the result of their last successful try.
Watching kiiking videos might give you the impression that it’s an easy sport, but Laansalu, who has been practicing it since she was 8 years old, says it requires both great physical strength-strong legs and strong arms-and technique-knowing when to stand or sit in the swing chair, when to push yourself over the spindle of the swing and how to avoid injury.
Small groups of kiikers have been appearing in other countries, including the United States, but now it is still considered as an Estonian sport. There are no international kiiking competitions yet, but Estonia has several national kiiking events throughout the year.
1. What can we know about kiiking?| A．It is very easy and safe. |
| B．It is intended for children. |
| C．It is an international sport. |
| D．It is developed from swinging. |
| A．The strength of the swing. |
| B．The way to push themselves. |
| C．The time to stand or sit on the swing. |
| D．The position where they end the sport. |
| A．The number of circuits he completes. |
| B．The height where he completes a full circuit. |
| C．How long it takes to complete a full circuit. |
| D．How long he performs on the swing. |
5 . If you like dangerous and exciting sports, maybe skydiving (跳伞) is for you. First skydivers jump from an airplane.
It’s difficult to see what skydivers do when you’re standing on the ground. Often, people fly in airplanes to make a tape of the skydivers.
If skydiving doesn’t sound fun to you, there are plenty of other sports.
| A．You can always try surfing. |
| B．Then, skydivers fall quickly toward the ground. |
| C．It is the best choice for you to skydive or try surfing. |
| D．With a video camera, the operator records their performances. |
| E．It is not easy to jump out of the airplane when you are in the plane. |
| F．Judges watch the skydivers and give them points for doing amazing things. |
| G．The parachute helps slow the skydiver so he or she lands on the ground safe. |
6 . Distance, just like currency, becomes incomprehensible when it reaches large quantities.
So, when outdoor enthusiast and Midwest Mountaineering employee Elizabeth John says she only hiked the nearly 500 miles of the Colorado Trail over a period of six weeks, don’t let her fool you. That’s like walking from St. Paul to St. Louis—give or take a few dozen miles—plus thousands upon thousands of feet of altitude.
“I’m a gardener, I’m a busy-hands person, but busy feet are just as good,” she explains. “I don’t meditate, but maybe that’s the way I think about it—walking as a way to relax.”
John took childhood hikes in the Boundary Waters and caught her case of busy feet while hiking in Alaska as a teenager. With a background in paddling, mountaineering, and backpacking, she found long-distance hiking rewarding, though exhausting.
Since then, thru-hiking—hiking a long-distance trail(考验，试验) end-to-end in one hiking season—has gotten friendlier to beginners. John has given up 60-pound packs in favor of a lighter modern backpacking equipment. For her 50th birthday, she decided to fly to Spain and walk close to 500 miles of the Camino de Santiago. The Colorado jaunt, her first solo long-distance hike, followed a few years later in 2017.
“Going on a big walk is unreasonable and includes being uncomfortable, wet, hungry, sore, tired, lonely...it’s challenging,” she says. “It’s a leap of faith. But I found the rewards surprising and unexpected, some even waiting for me at home after the trip. There is a rhythm to walking, a physicality and simplicity...a discovery.”
Logging some 4,000 feet of elevation daily, John met many “trail angels” who provided shade, snacks, and sometimes beer at remote points in the wilderness, purely out of the goodness of their hearts. “You’re so excited, because you’re someplace so incredible, and it wasn’t easy to get there,” she says. “There was this moment when you love humanity, and you’re so proud of people for doing it.”
1. What did Elizabeth John do as a child?| A．She often worked in her garden. | B．She enjoyed swimming in the wild. |
| C．She got interested in hiking. | D．She was too busy to use her feet. |
| A．Hikers usually take light equipment. | B．The hike is done at great speed. |
| C．The hike consists of one very long journey. | D．It is extremely friendly to beginners. |
| A．was not experienced in hiking | B．was accompanied by others |
| C．was in her 40s | D．carried a heavy pack |
| A．Give hikers a lift down the mountain . | B．Guide hikers to some remote points. |
| C．Share their hearts with passing hikers. | D．Prepare some gifts for hikers. |
7 . The Greatest show on Earth
The Olympic Games are the greatest festival of sports in the world. Every four years, many countries send their best sportsmen to compete for the highest honour in sport. As many as 6，000 people take part in over 20 sports. For the winners, there are gold medals and glory. But there is honour, too, for all who compete, win or lose. That is in the spirit of the Olympics—to take part is what matters.
The Olympic Games always start in a bright colour 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 (火炬) then enters the stadium and lights the flame. A sportsman from the host country takes the Olympic oath (宣誓) 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 competitions begin 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 there are a few days before these sports start. Each day the competitors take part in different sports，like 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. 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 men.
1. Why is there honour for the losers as well as for the winners?| A．Because losers and winners should be equally treated. |
| B．Because failure is the mother of success. |
| C．Because losers need encouragement. |
| D．Because what really matters is to take part in the Olympic Games. |
| A．Runners enter the stadium with torches. |
| B．Each team puts on a wonderful display. |
| C．The Greek team marches in first. |
| D．Sportsmen and sportswomen wear magnificent clothes. |
| A．A judge from a foreign country. | B．A sportsman from the host country. |
| C．An officer from the host country. | D．A Greek sportsman. |
| A．In 1912. | B．In 1900. |
| C．In 1928. | D．In 1924. |
