1 . 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. |
2 . 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 |
3 . Every year, runner all over the world challenge themselves in marathons(马 拉松)long running events that go on for tens of kilometers. On October 12, Eliud Kipchoge ran a record-breaking marathon. He finished a42. 2-kilometer-long marathon in just 1 hour, 59 minutes and 40 seconds. The 34-year-old Olympic champion from Kenya became the first person to run a marathon of the full length in less than two hours.
I can tell people that no human is limited. I expect more people all over the world to run under two hours after today, “Kipchoge told Live Sports.
Besides Kipchoge’s hard work, a few science and technology tricks also helped him make history.
Hills and turns slow runners down. Kipchoge’s team picked a course in Vienna for its gentle curves(弯曲度). The city’s cool and dry weather also helped keep Kipchoge’s body running more efficiently. A special pair of shoes also played a big part. The shoes are made of a new material, which can take in a runner’s energy when his et meet the ground. Then it returns part of the energy to the runner, which helped Kipchoge run faster.
What’s more, Kipchoge had a dream team of 41 members. Five runners formed a V-shape ahead of Kipchoge, which reduced drag. Two runners followed directly behind to push him forward. The team took turns running every 5 kilometers. Kipchoge stayed under a two-hour pace for almost the whole race. A pace car drove in front of everyone and cast (投射) a laser beam(激光束)on the road, keeping the team at the right pace. ”Few world records today are technology-free, “ the Xinhua News Agency said.
1. According to the passage, Kipchoge was the first person to __________.| A．run a full-length marathon in Kenya |
| B．use technology in an Olympic marathon |
| C．finish a full-length marathon in two hours |
| D．win an Olympic marathon championship |
| A．His team chose a course in Kenya for his training. |
| B．Cool and dry weather kept him from running efficiently. |
| C．He trained to deal with sharp hills and turns in Vienna. |
| D．His record was partly because of the specially-designed shoes. |
| A．Kipchoge worked harder than other runners. |
| B．Kipchoge’s new record was a result of free technology. |
| C．Science and technology played a role in Kipchoge’s win. |
| D．Keeping the right pace was the key to Kipchoge’s success. |
| A．A diary. | B．A newspaper. |
| C．A guidebook. | D．A novel. |
4 . THE EARTH DAY: Thursday April 22nd 2:30 to 5:30
1. What will the participants do?
| A．Compete in a quiz about plants. | B．Assist the gardeners to plant trees. |
| C．Hunt animals in the botanical garden. | D．Play a game with the help of some clues. |
| A．$15 | B．$20 | C．$40 | D．$60 |
| A．Vanilla Orchid and Angel’s Trumpet. | B．Angel’s Trumpet and Voodoo Lily. |
| C．Voodoo Lily and Lemon Grass. | D．Lemon Grass and Vanilla Orchid |
5 . The Underwater Photographer of the Year, which originated from 1965, is a yearly contest based in the United Kingdom. As you might expect, the focus is on photos taken underwater, whether in the ocean, in lakes or rivers, or even swimming pools.
The pictures are judged in several different categories. The contest in 2020 had over 5,500 entries from 70 different countries.
The grand prize winner was “Frozen Mobile Home” by French photographer Greg Lecoeur. The photo shows seals swimming around a small iceberg. To get the picture, Mr Lecoeur traveled to Antarctica in a small boat and spent time tracking the life around floating icebergs.
The photo “Last Dawn, Last Gasp” by Pasquale Vassallo of Italy won the award for Ocean Protection Photographer of the Year. Mr Vassallo said that he went diving early in the morning to take this picture of a tuna (金枪鱼) trapped as fishermen pulled their nets in.
Mr Vassallo also took “Octopus Training”, a picture that won in the category of “Behavior”. He says that when he came up after a dive, he noticed a soccer ball floating on the surface. When he went to check it out, he saw that there was an octopus hanging from the ball. Mr Vassallo says he doesn’t understand what the octopus was doing, but wonders if it was training for the World Cup.
Though Rooman Luc of Belgium didn’t win the “Portrait” category, his photo, titled “Angry Seahorse”, is quite striking. The closeup shot of a seahorse staring strictly into the camera was named runnerup (second place). He said he spent nearly an hour standing in kneehigh water being bitten by mosquitos in order to get the picture.
The contest has many more amazing photos that can be viewed on the site, along with the stories behind them. There is even a book with all of the contents that can be downloaded for free.
1. Which isn’t suitable to enter the Underwater Photographer of the Year contest?| A．The crying dolphin. |
| B．Saving the elephant. |
| C．The dancing lemon shark. |
| D．Kissing the whale. |
| A．A tuna is hard to shoot. |
| B．We should protect ocean animals. |
| C．Diving early in the morning is painful. |
| D．There are too many fishing nets in the sea. |
| A．The octopus is endangered. |
| B．Photography should be serious. |
| C．The photographer has a sense of humour. |
| D．The photographer concerns himself about the octopus. |
| A．Arts. | B．Literature. |
| C．Documentary. | D．Education. |
6 . He Zhenliang, played a very important role in helping Beijing win the bid (投标) for the 2008 Summer Olympics in 2001 after the Chinese capital failed in its first attempt. The success of the 2008 Beijing Olympics marked China's rising to a major world sports power, which was witnessed and assisted by He.
He had devoted himself to introducing China’s sports progress to the world. He started his career in 1950s as an international communication official in the National Sports Commission, with impressive foreign language skills. He then began working as a senior official in the 1960s for organizations such as the Chinese Table Tennis Association, the All-China Sports Federation and the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC). After being chosen to the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1985, He was eventually voted IOC vice-president in 1989. He promoted the Olympic Movement in China and removed misunderstandings about China's unique sports system.
Major sports figures in China expressed their respect after He’s passing. Wei Jizhong He’s longtime colleague, recalled that his most unforgettable moment about He was when He wept privately after Beijing failed in 1993 in its Olympic bid. “He said he felt he had let his country and people down, while in fact he’d done whatever he could, ” Wei said.
YangYang, the once short-track speed skater and now an IOC member, praised him as a guiding light for her change from an athlete to an international sports official. “His fruitful work in the IOC earned a positive impression from the world about Chinese sports, which inspired me and guided me to continue my career as a sports official, ” said Yang.
1. What can we learn about He from the first two paragraphs?| A．He helped bridge China and the world in sports. |
| B．He made China a competitive power in the world. |
| C．He taught language skills in some sports organizations. |
| D．He was vice president in the National Sports Commission. |
| A．explain He's failure in the Olympic bid |
| B．share some unforgettable moments of hers |
| C．stress He's contributions to China's sports |
| D．acknowledge her as an excellent speed skater |
| A．Politics. | B．Sports. | C．Health. | D．Business. |
7 . Staying fit is a great way to improve your mood and physical health. With some simple tricks, you can stay fit for years to come!
Start walking, jogging or cycling
No matter what your speed is, walking, jogging and cycling are very important parts of a healthy lifestyle.
Come up with a daily walking, jogging or cycling routine that fits with your schedule first. After a while you can increase your distance, speed and the length of your workout.
Exercise in the classroom .
Not everyone has the time or money to go to the gym and there is no need to.
Sit-ups. Sit-ups can be done by simply laying on the ground or with a chair or exercise ball.
Push-ups.
Join a school sports team
Joining a school sports team may be a great way to get outside, move around and have some fun!
| A．Go out of your way to walk more |
| B．The most popular school sports are basketball and football |
| C．Working out in the classroom is very easy and can be very beneficial |
| D．If you like the gym atmosphere then the gym is a great place to stay fit |
| E．Use your weight against the floor or steps to work on your upper body strength |
| F．They are activities that keep your heart and lungs active and your blood flowing |
| G．Many schools have their own sports teams that meet and play in the after-school time |
8 . Fiona Kolbinger, a 24-year-old cancer researcher From Germany with little experience in competitive cycling, took the world by surprise when she became the first female to win the Transcontinental Race this year. She surpassed 225 men and 39 women to finish about 2,485 miles’ race from Bulgaria to France in 10 days, two hours, and 48 minutes.
“When I was coming into the race, I never thought I could win the whole race,” Kolbinger said. While the cyclist’s unexpected victory shocked people worldwide, she’s unimpressed. Despite resting an average(平均) of just four hours a night throughout the ten-day period, Kolbinger says, “I think I could have gone harder. I could have slept less.”
Now in its seventh year, the Transcontinental Race was founded by the late British ultra-cyclist Mike Hall. The race requires not only racers’ biking skills and endurance(耐力), but also their route planning and time management skills. “Riders plan, research and lead their own course and choose when, where and if to rest,” the Transcontinental Race’s website explains. “They’ll take only what they can carry and eat only what they can find.”
Unlike other cycling competitions where the routes are carefully laid out, the Transcontinental Race requires riders to make a map of their own course. The only requirement is to check in at four stops, located at different points along the way. To make sure all competitors experience some of the same challenges, each checkpoint is followed by strict terrain(地形).
The event’s difficulty has meant previous winners have all been experienced ultra-cyclists. Given that this was Kolbinger’s first try at endurance racing, her victory shocked many. However, it didn’t surprise Björn Lenhard, who trained with her for the race in Dresden, Germany. The ultra-cyclist said, “Fiona is so strong. What’s more, she’s a complete rider. Yes, you need to be strong, but in this race, you have to be able to think, to plan, to fix your bike if you have to.”
1. What does the underlined word “surpass” in the first paragraph mean?| A．Treated. | B．Encouraged. |
| C．Helped. | D．Beat. |
| A．They have to be experienced. |
| B．They have to be smart enough. |
| C．They have to be self-supporting. |
| D．They have to ride along the given roads. |
| A．It requires cyclists to go through at least four terrains. |
| B．It requires cyclists to plan courses alone. |
| C．It is much fairer than other races. |
| D．It needs to be carefully laid out. |
| A．It is expected. | B．It is encouraging. |
| C．It is shocking. | D．It is rewarding |
9 . FIFA, soccer's governing body, will seek to expand the Women's World Cup from 24 to 32 teams and double the prize money.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino wants more teams for 2023, but knows FIFA must work quickly "We will discuss it as a matter of urgency and se if we can already decide to increase for 2023, in which case we should reopen the bidding process and allow everyone to have a chance to organize or maybe co-host for some of those who have been bidding already for a 24-team World Cup, ""Nothing is impossible and based on the success of the 2019 World Cup, of course we have to believe bigger and to do what we should have done already probably some time ago, "Gianni said before the July 7 final between the United States and the Netherlands. The U, S. women's team won 2:0, which helped the growth of women's soccer.
Gianni earlier prioritized（优先考虑）enlarging the Men's World Cup. He pushed for a jump from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 World Cup that the United States co-hosts with Canada and Mexico. A bid to speed up the process of expansion for the 2022 tournament in Qatar failed in May. That event will see teams dividing a $440 million prize. In addition, club teams, meaning professional teams, that let their players participate in the Cup will receive a total of $S209 million.
However, women's teams earn much less for competing at the women's event. FIFA plans to double the prize money and will spend more to prepare players and pay clubs releasing players. Gianni said that share would total $100 million. Gianni said FIFA would double its spending on women's soccer to $1 billion. Later, he said that most of it will not be going directly to players. Most of the money would be reserved for soccer federations（联合会）to request for specific projects that would require approval from FIFA.
1. What's urgent for 2023 according to FIFA's president?| A．Deciding on who to bid for it. | B．Choosing a country to host it. |
| C．Reforming the bidding process. | D．Discussing whether more teams to attend. |
| A．It's a men's event. |
| B．It allows 32 teams to participate. |
| C．It contributes to the expansion of women's teams. |
| D．It doubles the prize for women players. |
| A．To encourage people to engage in soccer. |
| B．To arouse public concern for the Men's World Cup. |
| C．To show the importance of the Men's World Cup. |
| D．To stress the need to increase funds in women's teams. |
| A．It's compulsory for clubs to release players. |
| B．Women players will earn more than men. |
| C．FIFA attracts more attention to women's events. |
| D．FIFA will not reject soccer federations' proposal? |
10 . Indoor Skydiving
Have you ever dreamt of flying? Have you ever wanted to experience the excitement of skydiving, but didn’t want to jump out of a plane? Indoor skydiving has opened up a whole new world for you to try flying.
Indoor skydiving is an activity, simulating（模拟）the free fall of a skydive. That means you learn to fly in a column of air produced by a wind tunnel （风道） inside a limited area. Before flying, you need to wear certain equipment to protect you. And each of you is equipped with an instructor that helps you learn to control your body while flying. But you aren’t trained to be more aware in the sky as a normal skydiver.
To be an indoor flyer, you can be at all ages. Fear of height or lack (缺少) of experience won’t stop you from trying. The only real limitation preventing people from flying is weight limit. Countless physically challenged flyers have safely flown with the help of experienced instructors.
Although indoor skydiving gets its name from skydiving, the similarities between the two are actually very few. The one they are in common is in the sense that they both share the freedom of flying.
However, in traditional dives, skydivers usually step out of a plane from more than 10,000 feet high, while indoor skydiving just needs flyers to lean forward and lie on the air. Also, being an outdoor activity, skydiving depends on the weather. The wind, rain, or snow can cancel your plans to jump. Indoor skydiving removes this effect from the picture. Normally, a skydive lasts just between 45-60 seconds, but tunnels allow skydivers to fly longer and as much as they like.
While most people put skydiving in the must-do list, indoor skydiving is much more than that! What used to take skydivers tens of thousands of jumps and years of experience can be learned in a relatively shorter period of time. Skydivers could be trained at lower cost compared to being trained in the sky. Because people of all ages can fly, children are quickly becoming some of the most talented skydivers. Thus, all these will certainly benefit the development of skydiving.
1. What do indoor skydivers need to do before flying?| A．Jump out of a plane. | B．Become aware of the sky. |
| C．Produce a column of air. | D．Put on protecting equipment. |
| A．Their age. | B．Fear of height. |
| C．Their weight. | D．Lack of experience. |
| A．The sense of flying. | B．The cost of training. |
| C．The length of free fall. | D．The dependence on weather. |
| A．The future of skydiving depends on children. |
| B．Indoor skydiving is beneficial to skydiving. |
| C．Fewer people show interest in skydiving. |
| D．Indoor skydiving will replace skydiving. |
