1 . It can be incredibly difficult to encourage ourselves to go for a run during winter, particularly when it’s wet and windy outside. But new research has found that even a super-quick run could have great health benefits. In fact, it seems that just a 10-minute session will not only make us feel better, but could actually improve brain health, too. Now, we all know that exercise can improve mental and physical health in many ways.
But when it comes to mental well-being, there’s been relatively little research done on the specific benefits of running, compared with other physical activities, such as cycling. So this was something put to the test during a recent study. Researchers from University of Tsukuba in Japan asked participants (参加者) to run on a treadmill (跑步机) for just 10 minutes. They then had to take a Stroop Color and Word Test which is used to measure reaction time in brain processing. Results showed there was a highest point in self-reported pleasure and an increase in degree of activity of the brain.
In other words, runners were found to have an increase in blood flow in the part of the brain that’s associated with dealing with functions and controlling mood (情绪). Researchers then compared these results to a similar study on cycling, which also showed improved cognition (认知), but no mood improvement. Therefore, it seems various types of exercise can make us feel differently.
The authors noted, “Given exercise is medicine, the effects of drugs differ depending on the type of drug, and different types of exercise such as running and cycling should be observed to have different effects on mental health and brain functions as well.”
So pushing ourselves to get outside for a run really will make us feel better, probably more than other fitness activities. And these findings show that we don’t necessarily need to do a lot of exercise to feel the benefit of it.
1. What did the new research find?| A．Running fast benefits all of us. |
| B．Running is the best exercise. |
| C．A short time run can be beneficial. |
| D．A healthy mind encourages us to run. |
| A．By using different drugs on participants. |
| B．By interviewing some sportsmen. |
| C．By collecting information on the Internet. |
| D．By doing experiments and comparisons. |
| A．Cycling. | B．Medicine. | C．Blood flow. | D．Colors. |
| A．We should go for a run in winter. |
| B．Running really benefits us mentally. |
| C．We don’t need a lot of exercise. |
| D．Running on a treadmill is better than running outside. |
2 . The Chinese women’s soccer team won back their famous fighting spirit to end a 16-year wait to lift the Asian Cup. Having fallen behind 2-0 in the final in Navi Mumbai, India, on the night of February 6, 2022, the team determined to battle back and tied (打平) the game before Xiao Yuyi fired home a dramatic 93rd-minute goal from Wang Shanshan’s help to secure the title.
The victory earned China a record ninth Asian Cup title, which compensated for their disappointing performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. China’s Tokyo 2020 participation ended with a shocking 8-2 defeat (击败) at the hands of the Netherlands, showing just how far Chinese women’s soccer had fallen behind the game’s elite (精英的) nations. The huge turnaround in fortunes made the win extra special for fans.
“Although the players come from different cities, we need to come together. We never let our heads drop when we were 0-2 down. The players overcame both their competitors and themselves,” said the head coach Shui Qingxia.
The Steel Roses’ victory completely controlled discussion on Chinese social media. The topic “Chinese women’s team wins Asian Cup” was viewed over 1.1 billion times by February 7, but that was just one of 10 top topics related to the women’s team on Weibo. Countless thrilled people commented that “The whole team is worthy of every praise.” After their victory, media and experts urged (催促) for greater support for the development of the women’s game. A number of Chinese companies have already taken actions to reward them, with dairy giant Mengniu Group gifting the team 10 million yuan after its heroics.
Now the work is to continue to regain past glories, as well as improve the standard of the domestic leagues and youth training to give the country a better chance of producing more great players. This victory certainly showed that such goals can be realized. The women’s soccer team has great spirit and skill. They are our role models!
1. What do we know about the Chinese women’s soccer team from paragraph 1?| A．They turned defeat into victory in the game. |
| B．They won the Asian Cup for the first time. |
| C．They made a miracle at the Tokyo Olympics. |
| D．They earned China a leading role in world soccer. |
| A．made up for. | B．resulted from. | C．replied to. | D．took the place of. |
| A．The development of the Chinese women’s soccer. |
| B．The public response to the Steel Roses’ victory. |
| C．Effects of Chinese social media on soccer players. |
| D．Companies’ support for the Chinese women’s team. |
| A．They had great success in the past. |
| B．They have better skills than foreign players. |
| C．They unite together and fight until the last moment |
| D．They win Asian Cup for which they are rewarded a big fortune. |
3 . Hosting an international sports event is an important thing that has to be prepared well. Due to that, many opinions exist.
Firstly, positive views need to be talked about. When a country gets to host such a famous event, it will probably get well-known by other nations, and surely that can help the country a lot. For instance, the government and residents have a chance to use the opportunity to advertise their culture to foreign people. Above all, by doing that, the country’s economy might increase sharply during the event. Besides, it will satisfy some people’s wish to meet famous sports players. They have a high rate of talking to their favorite players whom they really want to talk to once in their life.
However, the risk of hosting a big event still exists. An important event is not necessarily good at all. That is why there is a debate about this topic. If a country can’t be able to prepare for the event in a period, they have to do as many ways as possible to finish preparation on time, and serious results may happen. The most obvious thing is that people attending that event will have a bad experience and are sure to make grumbles. This then affects the country’s image. For example, Qatar is a country that will host the 2022 World Cup. The government has to rush to finish building big stadiums, over 6,000 migrant workers sacrificing (牺牲)their lives for that. Hearing the sad news, some people around the world disagree to go to Qatar to attend the World Cup. The result is that Qatar has been badly affected.
In conclusion, hosting an international sports event is both good and bad, and good things or bad things depend on that country’s attitude and responsibility.
1. What might benefit most from hosting an international sports event in a country?| A．Advertising. | B．Economy. |
| C．Fans. | D．Players. |
| A．Because even important events are not always good. |
| B．Because countries don’t prepare for events well. |
| C．Because people present often have bad experiences. |
| D．Because building big stadiums costs too much money. |
| A．Proper plans. | B．Possible challenges. |
| C．Poor comments. | D．Great contributions. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Critical(批评的). | D．Neutral(中立的). |
4 . A lot of teens in high school want to try out for sports.
With TV, movies, computers, and video games becoming more and more popular, it has become so much easier for teens to be by themselves. Kids used to hang out at the mall or drive around town.
One of the biggest problems in our society today is obesity (肥胖症).
You may think “but my teen isn’t good enough to make the school team”.
Team sports are a great way for your teen to get out of the house, get moving, make friends, and even get a scholarship (奖学金) to college.
| A．Now they just sit at home. |
| B．More and more kids are becoming overweight. |
| C．They will learn how to communicate as a team. |
| D．Did you know that bowling is an NCAA team sport? |
| E．Why not talk to them about getting into sports today? |
| F．Many try because they think it will make them popular. |
| G．There are many other places besides school to play team sports. |
5 . How to Determine the Best Time to Exercise
Any time of the day you can spend to exercise is a good time for getting active.
You should determine when you have the most energy. Do you struggle to get out of the bed in the morning or do you wake up full of energy and ready to go?
You should determine your exercise goals. Are you trying to lose weight? Are you trying to improve your performance? Are you trying to develop a consistent exercise routine? If you are trying to develop a routine, you may want to exercise in the morning. If you want to improve performance, afternoon or evening exercise may be best.
| A．You should consider your daily schedule. |
| B．You should know how to start your exercise. |
| C．Keep an exercise note to help you evaluate each time. |
| D．The best time for exercise is different for each person. |
| E．Are you a night person and never get to bed before midnight? |
| F．When you find the goals are unsuitable, change them at once. |
| G．You should experiment with both morning and evening exercise. |
6 . Chinese and US table tennis players play a friendly game in Shanghai this month. Ping-pong, or table tennis, might seem like an ordinary game to play with friends or family. But it holds a special place in China-US relations, as it has helped both countries get along for the last 50 years. This has been called “ping-pong diplomacy (外交)”.
Judy Hoarfrost was just 15 years old when she was sent from the US to China as part of a nine-member table tennis team. The year was 1971, and for the before 20 years, relations between China and the US had been unfriendly.
But as the team toured around China, things started warming up. Hoarfrost even got to meet then-Premier Zhou Enlai. “The most memorable moment was Zhou shaking hands with me and looking into my eyes,” Hoarfrost recalled excitedly. “You have opened a new page in Sino-US relationships,” Zhou told the team.
US president Richard Nixon would make a landmark (里程碑) visit to China in 1972, which also saw Chinese table tennis players make their own visit to the US. Diplomatic relations between the US and China were fully established in 1979.
Players from both countries believed strongly in the idea of “friendship first, competition second”. To this day, many of them remain friends. Hoarfrost thinks we should remember ping-pong diplomacy in order to understand the importance of people-to-people exchanges in establishing bonds, human bonds between peoples.
Seeing tension (紧张) between two of the world’s biggest powers in recent years, Hoarfrost said China and the US should work together. “We have so much in common, and we need to build on what we have in common,” she added.
1. What do we know about Hoarfrost?| A．She has played table tennis for 15 years. |
| B．She set up a table tennis team 20 years ago. |
| C．She was part of efforts to improve China-US relations. |
| D．She thought Sino-US relationship unfriendly 20 years ago. |
| A．In 1951. | B．In 1971. | C．In 1972. | D．In 1979. |
| A．Respecting cultures. | B．Forming a relationship. |
| C．Holding a competition. | D．Understanding other countries. |
| A．Hoarfrost will come to China again. | B．“Ping-pong diplomacy” can solve the tension |
| C．China and the US should promote their relations. | D．China and the US should exchange players’ visit |
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Take part in these sport competitions and stand a chance to win a free trip to Maldives.
| Rugby Venue: Court C Fixed group of 6 Aged 15 and above Time:9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Fee: $23/person | Soccer Venue: Court A Fixed group of 5 Group A: Children aged9 to 12 Group B: Aged 13 and above Time:12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Fee: $24/person |
| Frisbee Venue: Court A Fixed group of 6 Group A: Children aged 9 to 12 Group B: Aged 13 and above Time:9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fee: $25/person | Volleyball Venue: Court B Fixed group of 5 Aged 15 and above Time:9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Fee: $20/person |
The top team of each sport competition gets a chance of a lucky draw. Hurry! Register now. Many attractive prizes to be won!
●Registration starts on 6 October 2020
●Register online at www.ssya.com.sg
●For more information, call Ann at 6333 2212 or email ann@ssya.com.sg
●Closing date for registration: 2 November 2020
This event is proudly supported by Singule Sporting Youth Association(SSYA).
1. How much will it take your group to take part in Volleyball?| A．$100. | B．$120. | C．$138. | D．$150. |
| A．Soccer and Rugby. | B．Soccer and Frisbee. |
| C．Rugby and Volleyball. | D．Frisbee and Volleyball. |
| A．You can register online at ann@ssya.com.sg. |
| B．You should register before 6 October 2020. |
| C．The Soccer competition is held in the afternoon. |
| D．Each sports team will get a chance of lucky draw. |
8 . I was given the book Running on Faith written by Jason Lester as a birthday gift last month. After I started reading, I really couldn’t keep my eyes off it. It is always inspiring to read a story of someone who has gone through obstacles to reach his goals.
Jason Lester is a disabled extreme athlete. When he was twelve years old, a fast car ran a red light and hit him. Then he was sent into the hospital with twenty broken bones and a seriously injured arm. Jason had always wanted to become a famous baseball player, but at that time that dream was gone.
However, Jason loved sports and he still wanted to be a good athlete. He began running and taking part in duathlons(铁人两项比赛) in high school. Years later in 2004, he decided to start training for the Ironman, and has competed in many extreme races since then. In 2008, Jason became the first disabled athlete to complete the Ultraman (320 miles of biking, swimming and running), and it led him to an ESPY Award for Best Male Athlete with a Disability in 2009.
If you are in a bad situation and don’t know what to do now, Running on Faith is a good book for you. If you love running and want to reach some race goals, this book is good for you, too. Anyway, this book is worth reading for everyone who loves reading and wants to turn dreams into reality.
1. What does the underlined word "obstacles" in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Difficulties. | B．Worries. |
| C．Arrangements. | D．Experiences. |
| A．He ran a red light and got injured. |
| B．He was seriously hurt in the accident. |
| C．He decided to play baseball after the accident. |
| D．He lost the courage to be an extreme athlete. |
| A．To show how dreams can come true. |
| B．To explore the way to be a good athlete. |
| C．To recommend reading Running on Faith. |
| D．To explain why Running on Faith is popular. |
| A．Always prepare for the rainy day. |
| B．Mental strength is the key to success. |
| C．A thousand-mile journey begins with the first step. |
| D．Good habits formed at youth make all the difference. |
9 . Figure skating(花样滑冰)
Figure skating got its name from the designs, or “figures” that are made on the ice by skating.
Special figures were a part of figure skating in the late 19th century and the early 20th century. Very complicated(复杂的) and beautiful patterns invented by the skater were drawn on the ice with the skaters blades (冰刀).Some designs that were created included rosettes (花结), stars and crosses.
Figures were the most important part of the original Olympic figure skating events.
In the mid-1930s, Olympic Champion Sonja Henie, increased the popularity of figure skating.
How has figure skating changed since it first started thousands of years ago, and why?
Ice skating began about 4,000 years ago in Finland. The first skates were made of flattened bone that was tied to the bottom of the feet. In the 13th century, the Dutch invented steel blades with edges(刃). In the Netherlands, all classes of people skated.
Today, ice skating can actually be done year-round since there are indoor ice arenas all over the world.
| A．People of all ages participate in ice skating. |
| B．Each special figure was really a work of art. |
| C．However, it was regarded as rude by the British royal family. |
| D．Figure skating was quite popular even before the first Olympics. |
| E．However, they were not fun for the audience to watch or understand. |
| F．Ice skating was a way for people to travel over frozen waters in the winter months. |
| G．She introduced the idea of white figure skates and short skating skirts. |
10 . In every Summer Olympics since 1952, with two exceptions, the host country has won not only more golds but also more medals than it did in the previous summer games.
Japan, who hosted this year’s games, won far more medals than it got from the previous Summer Olympics in Rio in 2016. Brazil more than doubled its golds in 2016. In the 2008 games in Beijing, China harvested 37 more than it took home in 2004. Only Finland, in 1952, and the United States, in 1996, saw their medal counts drop at home.
Why?
The biggest plus to competing at home is the positive energy from a supportive crowd, according to athletes. Briana Scurry, a former goal keeper for the US women’s national soccer team, said playing in the US during the 1996 Summer Olympics helped her team beat China to win gold that year. “We had 76,000 people at the final in Athens, Georgia, all cheering for us, while China had a much smaller cheering audience,” she said.
Another factor(因素)that can hurt athletes from other countries is travel. International competitions often require long flights across multiple time zones, which can impact(影响)their sleep. Foreign athletes may also be unaccustomed to the food and training equipment available at the competition. Even the weather may throw off a competitor used to a different climate.
The host countries have additional benefits to help their athletes succeed. Competitors from host countries have to meet lower qualification(资格)standards than their foreign competitors. That may contribute to the phenomenon of host countries sending much bigger teams to their Olympics than the previous summer games when they competed abroad.
Japan got yet another benefit this year thanks to a new policy adopted by the International Olympic Committee(IOC)in 2016, which allows the host countries to add several new sporting events to their games. It meant that baseball, softball, karate, skateboarding, sports climbing and surfing-all popular sports in Japan-were Olympic events in Tokyo. And Japanese athletes have already medaled in four of the five sports.
1. Which host country got fewer medals than it did in the previous Summer Olympics?| A．Japan. | B．China. | C．Brazil. | D．The US. |
| A．Bigger supportive crowds. | B．Having shorter flights and better sleep. |
| C．Lower qualification standards. | D．Being more used to the food and climate. |
| A．The newly added sports are popular all over the world. |
| B．Host countries may unfairly benefit from the new rule. |
| C．Host countries can select any sport for the competition. |
| D．The new rule adds an additional variety to the competition. |
| A．To explain the Olympics new rules. | B．To show the problems of IOC’s policy. |
| C．To review the host countries’ performances. | D．To analyze the benefits for the host countries. |
