1 . 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. |
2 . History Fair Competition
Understanding history is vital to understanding ourselves as a people and as a nation. History is much more than the study of dusty old objects and events long past. Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition makes understanding history exciting, engaging, and fun!
This Year’s Theme
All participants must address how communication or transportation technology has promoted the quality of life for Americans throughout history. To many people, technology means computers, hand-held devices, or vehicles that travel to distant planets. However, technology is also the application of scientific knowledge to solve a problem, touching lives in countless ways.
Individuals or groups may enter one of the follow ing categories:
• Performance
• Documentary (纪实作品)
• Essay Writing
Category Requirements
Performance: A dramatic presentation of the topic no more than 10 minutes long. If special clothes are used, they should truly represent a given period.
Doc umentary: A visual presentation (such as a video, slide show, or computer project) no more than 10 minutes long. A desktop computer, screen, projector, and loudspeakers will be available. Students must provide their presentations on CDs before Friday, March 23.
Essay Writing : An academic paper of 2,000 to 2,500 w ords. No illustrations ( 图解)are allowed. Please do not include covers. A list of references must be included.
Important Dates
February 5 Submit a first draft of your essay, performance script ( 剧本), or documentary highlights.
February 19 A committee of teachers will evaluate materials and give opinions. Students then have an opportunity to improve their products.
March 9 Submit a final draft of your essay.
March 15 Performance and documentary committee preview
March 24 Thornton Middle School History Fair Competition
7:00 A.M. — 9:00 A.M. Participants signing in at the gym
10:00 A.M. — 6:00 P.M. Competition and judges’ review
7:00 P.M. Awards ceremony and picnic
1. What is the theme of this year ’s competition?| A．Technology advances science. |
| B．Science interacts w ith technology. |
| C．Science has made the study of history easy. |
| D．Technology has improved the life of Americans. |
| A．Include more information in the essay. | B．Remove the references. |
| C．Provide a cover for the essay. | D．Explain the details w ith illustrations. |
| A．Preview performances and documentaries. |
| B．Make comments on the materials. |
| C．Improve the participant’s first draft. |
| D．Collect a second proposal from the participant. |
3 . Winter-swimming has become popular in Beijing. Three years ago, few people would go swimming in the city waters. But now there is a Winter-swimming Enthusiasts’ Club(冬泳爱好者协会) and it has more than 2, 000 members. The oldest is 84 years of age and the youngest is only 7. The members are from all ways of life. They may be workers, peasants, soldiers, teachers, students....
Though it is now the coldest part of the season and the water temperature in the city’s lakes is around 0°C, many winter-swimmers still swim in the icy waters, even when it is snowing. They enjoy themselves in the lake, while the people by the side of the lake are wearing heavy clothes.
Why are so many people interested in winter-swimming? Because winter-swimming can be good for one’s health.
Bei Sha is a good example. He is 69 years old, and he once suffered from heart trouble for 26 years. After ten years of winter-swimming he is now in good health. Scientists are now studying the effects of winter-swimming on health.
1. Among the winter-swimmers the oldest man is ________ years older than the youngest one.| A．91 | B．84 |
| C．77 | D．7 |
| A．The members do different jobs at different places. |
| B．They come from all parts of Beijing. |
| C．They are persons of different ages. |
| D．They are men and women, old and young. |
| A．more and more people like to swim in winter |
| B．it is more interesting than swimming in summer |
| C．winter-swimmers are brave men |
| D．winter-swimming does a lot of good to one’s health |
| A．People in Beijing Like Swimming in Winter |
| B．Winter-swimming — A Craze(狂热) in Beijing |
| C．People Benefit from Winter-swimming |
| D．Winter-swimmers Are Brave Men |
4 . Running and walking are both excellent forms of exercise. Those who regularly do either usually have healthier hearts, stronger bones and lower body weights than those who do little exercise. But does it matter whether you spend time walking or running? Arguments can be made for both, and which is right for you depends on your goals and your present fitness level.
“The key difference between running and walking is how many calories you are burning—not per mile, but per minute of exercise says Paul D. Thompson, a doctor at Hartford Hospital.” “Running is a more-efficient (高效的) movement and it’s more demanding on the body, so it bums more calories per minute,” Thompson says. “But if you’ve got the time to walk long enough to bum the same amount of calories, then walking is fine.” That said, if your final goal is to lose weight, chances are that neither running nor walking alone is going to do the trick. Research has shown that it needs to be done along with calorie control.
In a recent study that analyzed data from nearly 50,000 people, researchers found that runners’ risk of heart disease was 4.5 percent lower than that of those who were inactive. But walkers who burned the same amount of calories daily had a risk level that was 9 percent lower than those who were inactive.
“Running gets the reputation (名声) for causing injuries because many people who are just starting to run try to do too much too quickly,” says Carol Ewing Garber, a professor at Columbia University. “And they often get injured as a result. If you want to progress from walking to running, do it slowly, gradually increasing your speed, distance and the frequency of your rums.
Running may be more highly-intense (高强度的) and calorie-burning than walking, but walking is a great way to ease into exercise and make sure you are staying physically active every day. The bottom line is that getting exercise of any kind is beneficial—if you keep doing it.
“The best exercise is the one you are going to do,” Thompson says. “There are extra benefits to be gained from running, but what’s most important from a public health point of view is that everyone gets out and does some kind of exercise?”
1. What can we infer from Paragraph 2?| A．Exercise on its own is not enough to lose weight. |
| B．Walking is better than running for busy people. |
| C．Running can reduce people’s fat quickly and safely. |
| D．Walking is more demanding on the body. |
| A．Running bums fewer calories than walking. |
| B．Walkers are more likely to get heart disease than runners. |
| C．Walking can reduce the risk of having heart disease. |
| D．Inactive people are free from heart problems. |
| A．We’d better walk slowly. | B．Just walk before you run. |
| C．We’d better choose to run. | D．Any exercise is better than none. |
5 . It has become one of the most moving pictures of the 2017 London Marathon： Matthew Rees stopping 300 metres short of the finish line to help DavidWyeth， a stranger on the verge of collapse， finish the race． "I was just about to sprint （冲刺） to the finish when I saw David，" Rees tells me． "His legs were completely jelly-like and he collapsed （崩溃） in front of me． So I decided to forget my race． He had come so far and after 26 miles of running I wanted him to make the finish．"
Rees， who was running his third marathon as part of the Swansea Harriers club， was having a hard race himself． "Earlier on， I suddenly experienced some leg problems and was in a lot of pain，" he said． " I nearly dropped out but I decided I wanted to get to the finish line． When I saw David， he was clearly having the same thought． It felt like fate that we were meant to cross together．" What did he say to him？ " I was trying to cheer him on and keep him calm． I just kept on saying：‘ You will finish． I won't leave your side． We'll get to that finish line．'"
Rees only started running two years ago． "I wanted to get a bit fitter，" he says， "and more importantly， it was for mental health reasons． I was suffering from anxiety and running really helps with that． It's changed my life．"
The video of the two men crossing the finish line arm in arm immediately was viewed widely， though Rees failed to finish under two hours， 50 minutes， his goal for the race． Rees， with his modesty（谦逊）， tells me that such acts of kindness happen frequently in the running community and it just so happened that his sportsmanship was caught on camera．
1. When Rees was about to complete the marathon， he found ______ ．| A．he had to give up the race |
| B．David would run in front of him |
| C．something was wrong with David |
| D．he had a leg problem |
| A．Rees was excited to be on camera |
| B．Rees became interested in running |
| C．Rees was sad because of his failure |
| D．Rees did not think much of what he did |
| A．To share a touching story in a Marathon． |
| B．To show the meaning of running a Marathon． |
| C．To explain how to become a good sportsman． |
| D．To describe the friendship between two runners． |
6 . The Winter Olympics is also called the White Olympics. At this time, many colorful stamps are published to mark the great Games. The first stamps marking the opening came out on January 25, 1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on, publishing stamps during the White Olympics became a rule.
During the 4th Winter Olympic Games a group of stamps were published in Germany in November 1936. The five rings of Olympics were drawn on the front of the sportswear. It was the first time that the rings appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics.
In the 1950’s, the stamps of this kind became more colorful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries(东道国)as well as the non-host countries published stamps to mark those games.
China also published four stamps in February 1980, when the Chinese sports men began to take part in the White Olympics. Japan is the only Asian country that has ever held the White Olympics. Altogether 14,500 million stamps were sold to raise money for this sports meet. Different kinds of sports were drawn on these small stamps. People can enjoy the beauty of the wonderful movements of some sportsmen.
1. The White Olympics and the Winter Olympics ____________.| A．are the same thing | B．are different games |
| C．are not held in winter | D．are held in summer |
| A．after the year 1936 | B．after the 3rd White Olympics |
| C．before the 3rd White Olympics | D．before the year 1932 |
| A．every two years | B．every three years |
| C．every four years | D．every five years |
| A．Only the host countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| B．Only the non-host countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| C．All the countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| D．Japan can’t publish stamps to mark those Games. |
7 . 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. |
8 . 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. |
9 . For athletes and volunteers, next year’s Tokyo Olympics could become known as the Get-Up-Early Games.
Hoping to beat the summer heat in the Japanese capital, organizers said on Tuesday they will start the men’s 50-kilometer race walk final at 5:30 am, while the men’s and the women’s marathon finals will go at 6 am. The men’s and the women’s triathlon start at 7:30 am. The women’s softball has games scheduled for 9 am, but no men’s baseball games will start before noon.
“A 9 am start is early. That’s my impression,” said Reika Utsugi, head coach of Japan’s women’s softball team. “But we will have one year for the preparation. Softball cannot decide the times.” Softball and baseball were dropped after the 2008 Olympics, and are appearing because of their popularity in Japan.
The 1964 Tokyo Olympics were held in the autumn and did not face heat problems. Modern Olympics which are held every four years can no longer be held during that time, avoiding Europe’s crowded soccer schedule, and year-round scheduling of baseball, basketball and hockey in the US. Koji Murofushi, sports director of the Tokyo Games, said organizers had consulted about scheduling with the International Olympic Committee(IOC), the governing bodies of the individual sports, athletes and medical experts. He said athletes would be able to adapt.
“When we look at the Olympic Games as a whole, of course we need to consider the global audience, adjust and control the overall schedule,” Murofushi said. “Athletes, when they know the schedule in advance, can make adjustments to their preparations.”
As previously announced, the swimming finals will begin at 10:30 am. The swim schedule has nothing to do with the heat and will follow the pattern of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Organizers say the first gold medal event will be the women’s 10-meter air rifle, which will take place on July 25 – the day after the opening ceremony. Organizers have labeled Aug 8 – the day before the closing ceremony – as “Super Saturday”, with about 30 finals, the most of any single day. Finals will include the men’s basketball, the men’s soccer and the men’s baseball.
The most difficult event to schedule might be surfing. Organizers have blocked out eight days for the event, hoping surf’s up for at least four of them. It’s a four-day competition. “The schedule is subject to change depending on the wave conditions,” organizers said.
1. The organizers of the Tokyo Olympics will start some events earlier EXCEPT ________.| A．the women’s marathon finals | B．the men’s triathlon |
| C．the women’s softball games | D．the swimming finals |
| A．The softball game is usually held in the late afternoon. |
| B．It’s impossible for athletes to deal with the new schedule. |
| C．The baseball game was cancelled at two Olympic Games. |
| D．The organizers changed the schedule without consideration. |
| A．beat the summer heat | B．meet the needs of athletes |
| C．avoid famous competitions | D．give athletes time to prepare |
| A．the men’s 10-meter air rifle will be the first event |
| B．Aug 8 will be the day with the most gold medals awarded |
| C．surfing which is easy to schedule will be a four-day competition |
| D．the men’s basketball will take place before “Super Saturday” |
10 . With busy schedules and limited hours of daylight, some runners find their only me to run is in the darkness of early morning or evening.
• Choose a Well-lit Route
It might not be your favourite route to run, but the most well-lit route is your first choice.
• Always Run Against Traffic
It's easier to avoid cars if you can see them coming. Avoid busy roads and those with no shoulders or sidewalks.
• Run With a Friend
• Watch Out for Bikes and Runners
Even if you're running on a path or in a park with no cars, always be aware of other runners and cyclists.
• Put Away Your Music
Make sure you leave your radio, MP3 player, or iPad at home.
| A．Oncoming cars see you better |
| B．There's strength and safety in numbers |
| C．Running in daylight is always a safer choice |
| D．A headlamp is also an essential item for runners |
| E．Before you stop or turn around, make sure your path is clear |
| F．Cutting off your sense of hearing leaves you at a disadvantage |
| G．Put your driver's license in your pocket or wear an ID tag on your shoe |
