1 . Benefits of Cross-Country Skiing
Cross-country skiing can be enjoyed by a wide range of students, from the youngest kindergartners to those secondary students. It is really a fun activity, providing students a gentle workout outside in winter. While having fun, students can gain physical and mental benefits .
The physical benefits of cross-country skiing are well known. If we look at Olympic cross- country skiers, we can see the positive effects on the body that result from training for cross-country skiing. The average best female cross-country skier carries 11 percent body fat, and best male skiers carry 5 percent. These percentages are well below the average for people who are considered to be athletic-17 percent for females and 10 percent for males. The high number of calories burned while skiing helps to keep skiers slim in a healthy and attractive way.
Cross-country skiing is also an efficient way to exercise a large number of muscles at once. Because skiers use ski poles as a means of propulsion, the force that drives skiers forward, the upper body gets much more of workout. Of course, the leg muscles also do their fair share. People who use cross-country skiing as a workout over several weeks will discover that the muscles of their entire body increase in strength.
Cross-country skiing on a regular basis has a tremendous effect on a person’s cardiovascular system. In addition to gaining strength in the muscles of the upper and lower body, people who use cross-country skiing as a workout method over several weeks will also discover that their heart is stronger. A strong heart pumps more efficiently, sending out more blood to the muscles with each contraction. Through weeks of skiing, people often discover that their resting heart rate has decreased. Highly trained Olympic cross-country skiers have resting heart rates between 28 and 40 beats per minute. Compare that to the resting heart rate of the average person, which is 60 to 80 beats per minute!
The benefits of cross-country skiing extend beyond overall general health. A lot of evidence exists indicating that regular physical activity increases the release of mood-lifting endorphins in the body. After one of the energetic and fun skiing lessons, students will be smiling and laughing; they will be relaxed and in a better mood than when they started class. Students will leave class with a sense of accomplishment, knowing that they have developed new skills in a fun activity.
Cross-country skiing is a great way to work the total body. Now more and more students are taking part in this exercise outside during the winter months. They are enjoying it and benefiting from it!
1. The underlined word “workout” means ______.| A．manner | B．exercise | C．application | D．opportunity |
| A．requires the use of most muscle groups | B．offers students a unique way to keep fit |
| C．can increase the athletes’ resting heart rates | D．can balance out the skiers’ increased calories |
| A．By making comments. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By giving explanations. |
CP: Central point P: Point Sp: Sub-point (次要点) C: Conclusion
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
2 . Since you're stuck at home and spring is approaching, now's the time to get busy with gardening and other household projects.
Whatever you do, aim for a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise (such as walking, biking and swimming) each week.
At home or anywhere else,you have the basics for building muscle (肌肉）：gravity and your body weight. From push-ups to planks, squats to sit-ups, and leg extensions to lunges, you can target all the major muscles of your arms, legs, chest, shoulders and the muscles of your belly, back, and pelvis (盆骨）using nothing more than your weight as resistance.
But, to increase the intensity (强度）of your strength training, add some resistance.
| A．Whatever you choose, try to do like this. |
| B．All of these can keep you physically active. |
| C．You don't need expensive weight machines. |
| D．Here are ways to stay active and fit at home. |
| E．The bands are highly portable, practical, and adaptable. |
| F．Or you can do 75 minutes of activity (e.g., running, jogging, and walking on hills) weekly. |
| G．Wash your hands, and wipe off any barbells, resistance bands, or other home exercise equipment. |
3 . Have you ever dreamed of going to beautiful destinations in Europe? Dream no more, because TECNO is here to fulfill that dream.
Africa number one smartphone brand-TECNO is once again set to reward consumers with up to 2 million Naira and a tour to beautiful destinations in Europe in the "Unlock A New CAM* ERA" photography contest.
Join the "Unlock A New CAM*ERA" contest by uploading your creative pictures and stand a chance to be selected among the 24 people that will go on a 3-day photography camping contest.
In the TECNO#UnlockCAMission, there are three missions. The first mission-a macro-photography contest has ended and winners will be announced soon.
But you can still participate in the second and third mission
●Mission 2-Wide-Angle Photography-Here you are required to take a wide-angle photo of any landmark structure around you.
●Mission 3-Low-Light Photography-This requires you to take exceptional pictures at night or in low light environment with your smartphone.
The second mission is currently ongoing and you can join the contest right here. All entries must be accompanied with the hashtag (标签) #UnlockCAMission.
8 lucky people will be selected from each mission and qualify for an all-expense-paid trip to a location in Nigeria. Right in the camp, they will be given photography tasks and so the fun would begin. Whoever is able to complete his or her tasks will win the new Camon 12 and lots of cash prizes. At the end of the 3-day camping, three best participants will be selected to go on the adventure to Europe free of charge.
How to participate offline
●Visit any TECNO Shop to purchase the new Camon 12,and get your raffle ticket(兑奖券).
●Keep your raffle ticket, at the end of the campaign, there will be a raffle draw and 2 people stand a chance to win an all-expense-paid tour to Europe.
The#UnlockCAMission challenge will run until the 30th of May, 2020. Join the challenge today and stand a chance to have a fun and memorable Ember season in Europe.
1. What is probably the purpose of the contest?| A．To give back to consumers. |
| B．To promote European tourism. |
| C．To help people to realize dreams. |
| D．To search for expert photographers. |
| A．A wide-angle photo of nature. |
| B．A macro-photography knowledge. |
| C．Pictures taken in low light environment. |
| D．Entries with the hashtag#UnlockCAMission. |
| A．24. | B．8. | C．5. | D．3. |
4 . You Ask: Is Yoga Good Exercise? By almost any measure, the answer is yes, but don't let it be all you do. Research shows regular yoga practice lowers your risk for heart disease and tension. Yoga may also lessen symptoms of depression, headaches, diabetes, some forms of cancer and pain-related diseases.
Yoga also seems to prevent weight gain. One 4-year study from Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found middle-aged adults who practiced yoga at least once a week gained 3 fewer pounds than those who stuck with other forms of exercise. The same study found overweight adults who practice yoga lost 5 pounds, while a non-yoga group gained 13 pounds.
How can a little bending and stretching do all that? Unlike exercises like running or lifting weights, “yoga puts you in a parasympathetic(副交感神经系统的) state, so your heart rate goes down and blood pressure goes down,” says Dr. Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
Yoga is tied to a healthier heart, as well as its ability to reduce your stress, improve your mood, and help you sleep more soundly. When you consider the extra health benefits linked to each of those brain and body benefits-lower pain, lower body weight, lower disease risk-you could make an argument that few activities are as good for you as yoga.
One thing yoga doesn’t do, though, is burn loads of calories. Even hot forms of yoga like Bikram result in the spending of modest energy—roughly the number of calories you’d burn during a brisk walk. While more and more research suggests calories shouldn’t be your only focus when it comes to diet and exercise, there’s no question that running, swimming, lifting weights and other more vigorous forms of exercise are great for your brain and body.
"Yoga is unquestionably good for you," Field says, "but it should be done along with traditional forms of physical activity-not in place of them."
1. For those who practise it, what can yoga not do?| A．Consume a lot of calories | B．Reduce stress |
| C．Lessen symptoms of depression | D．Help sleep better |
| A．People tend to pay too much attention to calories when exercising or on a diet. |
| B．People shouldn’t go on a diet if they do regular yoga practice. |
| C．Vigorous exercises are good for people’s brain and body. |
| D．Yoga is a better form of exercise than those vigorous ones. |
| A．Practise yoga daily to stay healthy. |
| B．Give up other forms of exercise and practise yoga alone. |
| C．Do other forms of exercise in addition to practising yoga. |
| D．Consult an expert before practising yoga. |
| A．Recommending | B．Doubtful | C．Indifferent | D．Objective |
5 . Throughout history, humans have played some kind of kicking game. What the world now calls football, or soccer in the US, began as far back as 2500 B. C. with the Chinese game of tsu chu. The sport we know today originated in Britain. By the 1840s, England’s Football Association established a set of rules, and the modern game was born. Today, more than 120 million players all over the globe participate in the game, truly making soccer the world’s sport.
So, why is soccer so popular? Maybe it’s the game’s camaraderie: the feeling that the team on the field is your team; their win is your victory, and their loss is your defeat. Or maybe it’s the game’s international quality. In countries like France, England, Spain, and Brazil, major teams have players from many different nations, and these clubs now have fans all over the world. Or perhaps it’s the promise of great wealth. A number of professional soccer players, including Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, come from poor families. Today, both of these players make millions of euros every year.
Soccer is popular for all of these reasons, but ultimately, the main reason for its universal appeal may be this: It’s a simple game. It can be played anywhere with anything—a ball, a can, or even some bags tied together. And anyone can play it. “You don’t need to be rich...to play soccer, ” says historian Peter Alegi. “Your just need a flat space and a ball.
But joining a professional team and making a lot of money isn’t the main reason that soccer is so popular all over Africa, say Abubakari Abdul-Ganiyu, a teacher who works with youth clubs in Tamale, Ghana. “Soccer is the passion of everyone here,” he says, “It unifies us. “ In fact, more than once, the game has helped to bring people together. In Ivory Coast, for example, immigrants and Muslims faced discrimination for years. Yet many of the country’s best soccer players are from Muslim and immigrant families. As a result, the national team has become a symbol of unity and has helped to promote peace throughout the world.
1. What is this text mainly about?| A．The history of soccer. | B．Soccer clubs. |
| C．The popularity of soccer. | D．How African soccer began. |
| A．The team spirit among players. |
| B．Famous players from many different countries. |
| C．The number of soccer games played all over the world. |
| D．The possibility of making a lot of money. |
| A．Many of its best players are from immigrant families. |
| B．One of its teachers is Abubakari Abdul-Ganiyu. |
| C．There are Muslim players on the team. |
| D．It has helped to promote peace in the country. |
6 . Mountain-biking
You can choose from guided downhill or cross-country mountain biking to road cycling and families can enjoy peaceful, slower paths and farm trails.
Extra activities include hiking, water park.
GO: Five-night B&B packages including transfers and guided biking, from £374 per person. Bike hire from around £15 a day. See wizzair. com.
Camping
Get back to basics on a campsite with none of that fancy glamping. The pitches are large so you can light your own campfire at night. Walkers are in heaven here, hiking among the limestone hills filled with traditional stone walls.
Also a great destination for fishing, sailing and windsurfing on nearby Lake Semerwater.
GO: Non—electric grass tent pitches from £20 a night. Tipi already pitched from £70 a night. See pitchup.com.
Whale-watching
Scotland’s west coast, one of Europe’s best places to catch sight of whales, has launched a new whale trail. It features 30 top places offering opportunities to see the wildlife and showcases whale heritage sites.
GO: Accommodation along the trail is reasonable including B&B in a double room at Torran in Ullapool from £70 a night. See bandbullapool. co. uk.
1. How much might you pay for two days’ bike-hiring in Mountain-biking?| A．£15. | B．£20. | C．£30. | D．£374. |
| A．Hunt for animals. | B．Enjoy challenging camping. |
| C．Visit traditional stone walls. | D．Climb an across-country mountain. |
| A．At bandbullapool. co. uk. | B．At pitchup. com. |
| C．At wizzair. com. | D．At aurora zone. com. |
7 . Pure Yoga is devoted to serving the yoga community in Asia and beyond, offering a wide variety of classes such as Hatha Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yin Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga, etc. Our yoga classes are offered and taught by nearly 200 professional yoga teachers. Private Yoga is also available for learners of all levels. Pure Yoga constantly invites world-known teachers to lead guest teacher workshops.
Class Bookings
Class bookings can be made 2 days in advance of the class. It is important that you book your class in advance since some classes are more heavily attended than others.
We also limit our class sizes so that they are not overcrowded. If the class you wish to take is full, we will place you on the wait list and inform you of an opening as soon as possible. To create the best experience for yourself and others, please follow these guidelines：
No talking
The yoga studio is a silent room. Please do not talk while in the studio and studio corridors.
No eating
Do not eat in the studio.
No shoes
Remove your shoes before entering the practice rooms. Keep your shoes in your locker. Shoe lockers are also available for rental.
No mobile phones
Turn your mobile phones off or to “vibrate”（震动）mode. Do not take phones into the practice rooms.
Personal Belongings
Daily lockers are not for overnight use. Locks from any daily lockers that are kept overnight will be cut.
1. Who will teach general learners yoga?| A．Favorite yoga teachers. | B．Professional yoga teachers. |
| C．World-known yoga teachers. | D．Private yoga teachers. |
| A．One month ahead of time. | B．Two months ahead of time. |
| C．Two days ahead of time. | D．One day ahead of time. |
| A．turn your mobile phones to “vibrate” mode. |
| B．wear any shoes you like. |
| C．talk with your friends on the phone. |
| D．eat some snacks if you are hungry. |
8 . The decision on Tuesday by Japan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games until next summer because of the novel coronavirus pandemic must have been a hard one to make.
Although the Games have been canceled—three times in all, in 1916, 1940 and 1944—due to the two world wars in the modern Olympics’ history of more than 120 years, never before have any Games been postponed to a different year.
Nonetheless, the decision is the right one. If it is not brought under control, the harm done to human society by the pandemic could be more serious and far-reaching than even the two world wars. Given the number of countries affected and social and economic shock waves that have been caused by the rapid spread of the virus, postponing the Games is the only right and sensible choice to make.
After all, nothing is more important than people’s lives. Postponing the Games not only safeguards the health of athletes, audiences and everyone involved in the Games, but also reduces potential transmission of the virus from one place to another. Even looking at it from only a sporting level, the pandemic has already caused huge disruptions to athletes’ training and the qualification process.
It is undoubtedly a big blow for Japan, which has prepared meticulously for the largest sports event in the world, including renovating and upgrading its infrastructure and sports venues, such as rebuilding Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium at cost of $1.45 billion. Japan will suffer huge loss at least in the short term.
The international community owes a big “thank you” to Japan for all it has done for the Games despite the postponement. That’s why the Games will still be called the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 despite taking place in 2021. The Olympic flame will also remain stored and displayed in Japan.
More importantly, all members in the Olympic family, guided by the Olympic spirit of respect and understanding are morally bound to stand behind Japan to go through this most difficult moment in the Games’ history.
1. What does the word “it” in Paragraph 3 refer to?| A．The decision. | B．The Games. | C．The pandemic. | D．The war. |
| A．Wisely. | B．Recently. | C．Easily. | D．Precisely. |
| A．the Games should be put off in times of war and disaster |
| B．the Games will still be called Tokyo 2020 Games for its sacrifice |
| C．postponing the Games will have a bad influence on the athletes |
| D．the Olympic family will have to make up for the loss of Japan |
| A．The whole world will support Japan. | B．Japan will keep the Olympic flame burning. |
| C．Postponing the Games will bring the world hope. | D．Tokyo will become the symbol of the Games. |
9 . If you're out for a run, what difference does it make if you're able to tough it out for another 50 seconds? If you're less than a minute from the top of the hill, that extra time can make the difference between having reached your goal and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
How do you get those extra seconds of energy? A research team at the Texes Tech University developed a study to measure what effect listening to music would have on exercise tolerance. The researchers based the study on a stress testing. As part of the testing, they noted any changes in heart rate and blood pressure as participants underwent physically stressful exercise.
The tests were done on treadmills (跑步机), which increased in both speed and incline (坡度) through three stages. In the final stage, the treadmills moved at 10 miles per hour at a 14-percent grade. Most of these tests were designed to last up to 40 minutes. The average gym-goers lasted 30 minutes. For this study, they divided 127 participants into two groups. One listened to upbeat(快节奏) music, while the other group had earbuds in but did not listen to music.
The group that listened to music was able to outlast the non-music group by an average of 50.6 seconds. Again, being able to go an extra minute may seem like a no-brainer ,but “after 30 minutes, you feel like you are running up a mountain, so even being able to go 50 seconds longer means a lot," said the study's lead author, Waseem Shami, MD.
The study has confirmed something runners and gym-goers have suspected for years: Listening to music during workout can be beneficial to your endurance. "Our findings reinforce the idea that upbeat music can help you exercise longer and stick with a daily exercise routine," said Shami. When doctors are recommending exercise, they might suggest listening to music, too."
1. Why did Shami’s team conduct the research?| A．To test the effect of music on health. | B．To know the cause of failure in sports. |
| C．To improve runners' exercise tolerance. | D．To record the body change of participants |
| A．They ran much faster than average runners. | B．They created a new record of indoor sports. |
| C．They could run a little longer with music on. | D．They all enjoyed extreme physical challenge |
| A．A dull activity. | B．A foolish action. |
| C．A demanding task. | D．An easy practice |
| A．Developing a daily exercise routine. | B．Listening to music while working out |
| C．Participating in physical stress testing. | D．Taking exercise as doctors recommend. |
10 . Two Russian cosmonauts(宇航员)aboard the International Space Station (ISS) played chess against an Earth-bound grandmaster on Tuesday, in celebration of the first such game half a century ago.
Equipped with an electronic chessboard,cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vaguer played in zero gravity against 30-year-old Russian former child prodigy(神童)Sergei Karyakin. The game was broadcast live and ended in a draw after about 15 minutes.
It was organised by the space agency Roscosmos and the Russian Chess Federation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Space-Earth game of chess played on June 9, 1970. "It's a huge honor for us not to lose to a grandmaster," Ivanishin said, while Vaguer added that US astronauts on the ISS watched the game and gave tips.
Karyakin, who played from Moscow's Museum of Cosmonautics, said he was jittery during the game and could not fall asleep until 4 a. m. on the night before the match.
"They played well," he said. "I can say that the human brain functions very well in space, and I have seen this today." At the age of 12 years and seven months, Karyakin became the world's youngest ever grandmaster.
Ivanishin, Vagner and US astronaut Chris Cassidy arrived on the ISS in April. On May 31, they were joined by US astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on the first manned private (light to the ISS. SpaceX made history by becoming the world's first commercial company to send humans to the ISS, leading Russia to lose its long-held monopoly(垄断)on space travel.
1. Why did the two Russian astronauts play chess on the ISS?| A．To offer a live show from the ISS. |
| B．To prove their success in boarding the ISS. |
| C．To test the human brain functions in zero gravity. |
| D．To celebrate the first Space-Earth chess game 50 years ago. |
| A．Bored. | B．Disappointed. | C．Anxious. | D．Frightened. |
| A．A Space-Earth Chess Game | B．A Former Child Chess Prodigy |
| C．A Chess Game Played on the ISS | D．A Celebration of Human Space History |
