1 . It's fight night in Berlin club. The lights go down, the door opens and out walks a salesman from San Francisco, David “Dowble D” Depto has travelled 8,000 kilometres in search of glory. As he first walks, then jogs, towards the boxing ring, the muscular, bare-chested American looks cool and confident. But so does his opponent. Waiting for him in the blue corner is Frank Stoldt, a tall, strong German policeman, who calls himself “anti-terror Frank”. For obvious reasons, the crowd is on his side.
The bell rings. Round one! The fighters come out. But then, something rather strange happens. The two players sit down at a table which has a chessboard on it and start playing chess-in the middle of the boxing ring.
“Why?” you may ask yourself. Well, this is chessboxing, and tonight is the final of the first chessboxing World Championship.
The rules of a chessboxing match are simple. There is one round of chess and then one round of boxing. Punching power alternates with brain power. All in all, you have 11 rounds in which to checkmate your opponent-or knock him out.
Two sports in one means double the pain, and double the pressure. Before this big fight, Frank spent hours doing exercises that prepared his mind as well as his muscles. Winners in chessboxing are people whose mental strength equals their physical strength.
But why do it in the first place? Why put yourself through this physical and mental torture? For David Depto, it is all about proving that you can be a boxer and still have a brain. The sport has taken off in Germany, where they are preparing the next generation of chessboxing champions. It is even being taught in a Berlin school.
Back in the ring, it is round seven and the players are locked in battle around the chessboard, sweat pouring from their foreheads. Suddenly, Frank Stoldt sees an opening and moves in to finish the match. Queen to G7… checkmate!
The referee stops the match, the crowd erupts-the local hero has won and is given the world title belt, which proves that, when it comes to mixing brains and muscle, Germany really is the Grand Master.
1. Why is it "obvious" that the crowd wants Frank Stoldt to win?| A．He is a policeman. | B．He has powerful muscle. |
| C．He is a host player. | D．He fights against terrorism. |
| A．Either checkmate the opponent or knock him out. |
| B．One of the players gives up or is sent to hospital. |
| C．The referee counts down eight to zero in the round of chess. |
| D．The player finds the opening into the court which is locked. |
| A．Compared with boxing, it means half danger and half stress. |
| B．It requires more mental strength than physical strength. |
| C．The sport is popular in Germany, where it is a school subject. |
| D．The players play chess in the middle of the boxing ring. |
| A．leave the stadium | B．burst into cheers |
| C．interrupt the ceremony | D．fight with the opposing fans |
1. Why do some of the children who like running still find‘sports day’ stressful?
| A．They cannot sleep well before the sports day. |
| B．Falling down halfway through the race is shameful. |
| C．Only a few school children can win the championship. |
| D．They may fail to live up to parents’ and coaches’ expectation. |
| A．The competition helps build characters. |
| B．Participation counts more than winning. |
| C．He felt pity for those children in pain and in tears. |
| D．He felt proud children became part of the school life. |
| A．Parents should take part in it as well. |
| B．It should be replaced with team sports. |
| C．More competitive events should be added. |
| D．More school children should get involved in it. |
3 . A recent study shows that more years of school could help students get higher scores on intelligence tests. That was the finding of a study of teenage males in Norway. Now, other research shows that
The research comes as educators in some countries are reducing time for activities like physical education. They are using the time instead for
Researchers at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam
Research Amika Singh says the studies showed a
Ms. Singh
Also, students
The study
Also, they were mostly observational studies. An observational study is where researchers do not do controlled comparisons. They only describe what they observe. So they might observe a link that students who are more active often have better grades. But that does not
Still, the general finding was that physically active kids are more likely to do better in school. Ms. Singh says schools should consider that finding before they
| A．mental | B．emotional | C．physical | D．potential |
| A．academic | B．imaginative | C．objective | D．useful |
| A．previewed | B．reviewed | C．preserved | D．concealed |
| A．record | B．explanation | C．treatment | D．link |
| A．risky | B．beneficial | C．affordable | D．inevitable |
| A．offers | B．discovers | C．reveals | D．recognizes |
| A．passive | B．active | C．patient | D．anxious |
| A．excuse | B．respect | C．perform | D．debate |
| A．involved | B．supposed | C．attempted | D．separated |
| A．action | B．awareness | C．recognition | D．behaviour |
| A．leaves | B．plans | C．urges | D．holds |
| A．load | B．permit | C．accept | D．affect |
| A．permanently | B．frequently | C．accordingly | D．necessarily |
| A．convert | B．confirm | C．confess | D．convey |
| A．promote | B．cut | C．develop | D．encourage |
4 . The first basketball game was played in the late 19th century in Massachusetts, America. On a cold winter day,
James wrote some simple rules for the new ball game, most of
After the new ball game was introduced to the public, it was such a hit
Since Naismith didn’t have the money to design a new ball, early games used the soccer ball,
| A．at which | B．where | C．when | D．that |
| A．and | B．which | C．that | D．what |
| A．that | B．its | C．whose | D．which |
| A．what | B．as | C．which | D．that |
| A．where | B．with whom | C．who | D．which |
| A．where | B．that | C．which | D．what |
| A．and which | B．and its | C．whose | D．of which |
| A．where | B．when | C．that | D．which |
5 . For the first time in its history, the International Olympic Committee has allowed a team of refugees to compete at the Games. All of the team’s members were forced to leave their home countries. Now they’ve come together to compete under the Olympic flag instead.
Making it to the Olympics is something eighteen-year-old swimmer Yusra has always dreamed of. But just last year, she was swimming for her life. She and her sister were forced to leave their home in Syria because of the war there. They were trying to get to Greece in a rubber dinghy (橡皮艇) with eighteen other refugees, when their boat broke down and began filling with water. Most of the people on board couldn’t swim, so she and her sister jumped in to help push it to shore.
Three hours later, they made it to safety, and eventually to Germany as refugees. Refugees are people who have left their home country because their lives are threatened by war, bad treatment or violence---often because of their race, gender or beliefs. Around the world, more than 60 million people are in this situation. And some of them, like Yusra, are elite athletes who have trained all their lives to compete at the highest level, only to have that chance taken away.
Now, a team of ten, including swimmers, runners, and judokas from Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Congo have been given the chance to compete at the Games under the Olympic flag. They’ve also been given their own coaches, officials, uniforms and a chef, all paid for by the IOC. And in the past few months they’ve been training hard. The IOC says it wants the team to inspire and give hope to other refugees, and draw attention to the issues millions of other around the world are facing. And these guys say they are up to the task whether they win gold or not.
“These refugee athletes will show the world that despite the unimaginable tragedies that they have faced, anyone can contribute to society through their talent, skills and strength of the human spirit,” the statement continues.
1. What does the underlined sentence mean?| A．She trained all her life. |
| B．She swam for the glory of life. |
| C．She swam to escape being drowned. |
| D．She swam to escape from other refugees. |
| A．Syria | B．Germany | C．Congo | D．Ethiopia |
| A．Race | B．Violence | C．Religion | D．Nationality |
| A．help the refugees to fulfill their dreams of winning the Olympic gold medal. |
| B．offer the refugees a chance to earn bread by themselves. |
| C．light a candle of hope for all the refugees in the world. |
| D．curse the darkness of the society by forcing them to pay attention to the life of refugees. |
Boxing is a popular sport that many people seem to be fascinated by . Newspapers , magazines and sports programmes on TV frequently cover boxing matches . Professional boxers earn a lot of money , and successful boxers are treated as big heroes.
It seems to me that people , especially men ,find it appealing because it is an aggressive sport . When they watch a boxing match , they can identify with the winning boxer , and this gives them the feeling of being a winner themselves . It is a fact that many people have feeling of aggression from time to time , but they cannot show their aggression in their everyday lives .
However , there is a negative side to boxing .
| A．Watching a boxing match gives them an outlet for this aggression . |
| B．I am personally not at all in favor of aggressive sports like boxing . |
| C．In my personal opinion, boxing can be so thrilling that many people dare not to have a try. |
| D．Professional boxers are much more at risk than their amateur counterparts. |
| E．Furthermore , studies have shown that there are often long-term effects of boxing |
| F．It is likely to threaten personal safety of people. |
7 . The name of the race comes from the name of an Alaska gold rush town, Iditarod. It means “distant” or “distant place.” It comes from one of the languages of native Alaskans.
More than sixty sled teams begin the race in Anchorage. When the teams reach the outskirts(郊外) of town, they get a taste of Alaska’s wilderness. For about two weeks, they will fight the unbearable cold, wind, snow, and ice to complete the race. The temperature on the trail is often well below zero degrees. The Iditarod trail extends for about a thousand miles. It has many rendezvous points. At these meeting places, the race teams “check in” to let the officials know how they are doing. Some teams get into trouble along the way. Officials will stop them and give them the help they need. For example, officials might stop a team’s progress to give first aid, or to collect an injured or tired dog. These dogs are well cared for and will be reunited with their owners after the race.
The Iditarod trail is an important part of Alaska’s history. A part of the trail was used by some heroic dogs and humans in 1925. In Nome, Alaska, many people were catching the deadly disease Diphtheria. So the whole town was in quarantine, or isolation, in order to stop this disease. The only way to get medicine to Nome was by dogsled. About twenty "mushers, "or dogsled drivers, offered to help. They wanted to save the people of Nome from this terrible disease.
Today the Iditarod race shows honors to this special heroic journey and to all of the journeys on the famous trail. As the race organizers say, the Iditarod is “the last great race on Earth.”
1. Which of the following is TRUE about the Iditarod race?| A．It is held every year in the downtown streets in Anchorage. |
| B．It usually lasts about two weeks in freezing cold weather. |
| C．It is held to honor the gold seekers who once lived in Iditarod. |
| D．Its trail is totally different from the one used by some heroic dogs. |
| A．to finish the race unnoticed | B．to meet its owner again |
| C．to work for a new owner | D．to get timely treatment |
| A．can get whatever they want easily | B．have to exchange gold for medicine |
| C．are not allowed to go out freely | D．will be remembered as heroes |
| A．life in Alaska | B．a dogsled race of Alaska |
| C．a period of Alaska’s history | D．heroic dogs and people in Alaska |
Take Care of Your Spine (脊柱)
The spine stands at the center of your health, providing your body with structure and support. It also contains your spinal cord, a massive collection of nerves that sends electric signals from the rest of your body to your brain. Therefore, it’s important to take care of it.
Maintaining your good posture is one of the most important things you can do to keep your spine healthy. Proper posture means standing or sitting while keeping your spine straight, except for its natural curves. Posture comes into play even when you’re asleep. Sleeping on your side puts less stress on your spine than most other positions. Having a comfortable bed is also very important as sleeping in a position that isn’t comfortable can leave your back feeling sore the next day.
Exercise is also an important factor in the health of your spine. Staying still for too long—even if your posture is good—can be hard on your back. Especially if you work at a desk most of the day, it’s important to get up and stretch periodically. Stretches can help the muscles around your spine relax and allow bones to shift into better positions. Strength exercises with light weights or bodyweight exercises like pushups can also help by strengthening the muscles around your spine. However, don’t overdo the exercise, as repeated motions can hurt the muscles around your spine.
Your diet also affects the health of your spine because many vitamins are necessary for bones and nerves. In particular, B vitamins help keep nerves healthy, so you may want to consider taking a supplement (补充物). Another important factor is vitamin D, which is essential for strong bones, but it’s also absorbed from sunlight, so it may help to do some of those back exercises outside.
