1 . Running is often tiring and a lot of hard work, but nothing beats the feeling you get after finishing a long workout around the track.

But while it’s long been believed that endorphins (内啡肽) —chemicals in the body that cause happiness—are behind the so-called “runner’s high”, a study suggested that there may be more to this phenomenon than we previously knew.

According to a recent study published by a group of scientists from several German universities, a group of chemicals called endocannabinoids (内源性大麻素) may actually be responsible for this familiar great feeling.

To test this theory, the scientists turned to mice. Both mice and humans release high levels of endorphins and endocannabinoids after exercise. After exercising on running wheels, the mice seemed happy and relaxed and displayed no signs of anxiety. But after being given a drug to block their endorphins, the mice’s behavior didn’t seem to change. However, when their endocannabinoids were blocked with a different drug, their runners’ high symptoms seemed to fade.

“The long-held notion of endorphins being responsible for the runner’s high is false. Endorphins are effective pain relievers, but only when it comes to the pain in your body and muscles you feel after working out,” Patrick Lucas Austin wrote on science blog Lifchacker.

Similar studies are yet to be carried out on humans, but it’s already known that exercise is a highly effective way to get rid of stress or anxiety. The UK’s National Health Service even prescribes (开药 方) exercise to patients who are suffering from depression. “Being depressed can leave you feeling low in energy, which might put you off being more active. Regular exercise can improve your mood if you have depression, and its especially useful for people with mild to moderate (中等的) depression,” it wrote on its website.

It seems like nothing can beat that feeling we get after a good workout, even if we don’t fully understand where it comes from. At least if we’re feeling down, we know that all we have to do is to put on our running shoes.

1. What did scientists from German universities recently discover?

A．Working out is a highly effective way to treat depression.

B．The runner’s high could be caused by endocannabinoids.

C．Endorphins may contribute to one’s high spirits after running.

D．The level of endorphins and endocannabinoids could affect one’s mood.

2. Why did the scientists give mice drugs in their experiment?

A．To find what reduces the runner’s high symptoms.

B．To see the specific symptoms of the runner’s high.

C．To identify what is responsible for the runner’s high.

D．To test what influences the level of endocannabinoids released.

3. What does the underlined word “notion” mean?

A．Effect.

B．Goal.

C．Opinion.

D．Question

4. What can we know about regular workouts according to the UK’s National Health Service?

A．They can help ease depression symptoms.

B．They are the best way to treat depression.

C．They only work for those with serious depression.

D．They can help people completely recover from depression.

2 . The Olympic Games are the greatest festival of sport in the world. Every four years, a hundred or more countries send their best sportsmen to compete for the highest honors of the sport. As many as 6000 people take part in over 20 sports. For the winners, there are gold medals and glory. But there is honor, too, for all who compete, win or lose. That is the spirit of the Olympics—to take part is what matters.

The Olympic Games always start in bright color 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 then enters the stadium and lights the flame. A sportsman from the host country takes the Olympic oath(誓言)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 competition begins 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 it is a few days before these sports start. Each day the competitors take part in a different sport—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, which are no longer held in the Olympics. 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 the men.

1. The spirit of the Olympics is to ________.

A．win a gold medal	B．be equal
C．gain glory	D．participate

2. From the passage, we can learn that ________.

A．the first team to march in the opening ceremony is the team of the host country

B．a sportsman represents all the athletes to take an oath after a wonderful display

C．medals are awarded for the individual winners and for national teams

D．women were allowed to take part in track and field events in 1912

3. Which of the following is NOT the Olympic event nowadays?

A．Tennis.

B．Shooting.

C．Riding.

D．Swimming.

4. Which is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．Olympic Spirit.	B．Opening ceremony of the Olympics.
C．Rules for all Olympic events.	D．The birthplace of the Olympic Games.

3 . Former pro basketball player Kobe Bryant won five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers while making himself as one of the game’s all-time greats. He died tragically in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.

Kobe Bryant was born with basketball already in his blood. His dad was a former NBA star Joe “Jellybean” Bryant. Born on August 23, 1978, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kobe spent his early years in Italy, because his dad started playing basketball in Europe and his family moved there. The family moved back to the United States when Kobe was 13 and he started playing high school basketball.

Kobe knew he was already good enough to play in the NBA, so he skipped college and was selected right after high school. He played in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in 1998 and by 2000, Kobe had developed into one of the best basketballs players. Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal teamed up to lead the LA Lakers to three straight NBA Championship (冠军) Titles from 2000 to 2002.

In 2003, Kobe was caught by the police. In 2004, the case against Kobe was dropped, but Kobe still had to live with a damaged reputation. In 2004, Kobe tried to prove that he could lead the LA Lakers without Shaq. After Kobe told the Lakers he wouldn’t be wearing the purple and gold if Shaq was in the team, O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat before the 2004-2005 season.

In 2008, Bryant was named Most Valuable Player and carried his team to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics. In the 2009 NBA Finals, the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic to win the championship.

Although later seasons were affected by injuries, he surpassed (超越) Michael Jordan for third place on the NBA all-time scoring list in December 2014 and retired in 2016 after scoring 60 points in his final game.

1. Kobe Bryant passed away at the age of _______.

A．37

B．40

C．42

D．45

2. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Kobe’s blood was special when he was born.

B．All of Kobe’s family members are basketball players.

C．Kobe got a basketball when he was born.

D．Kobe was born to be a basketball player.

3. We can infer from the passage that Kobe was _________ about his own ability to play basketball.

A．upset

B．confident

C．doubtful

D．not confident

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．A Brief Introduction of Kobe	B．How to Become A Basketball Star
C．The NBA All-Star Game	D．The LA Lakers

4 . Every time I passed boys who were playing basketball, I stopped to silently watch them. I really envied them. But as a girl, I once thought that I could _______ play basketball.

I like playing basketball though I’m not good at it. I’ve had a basketball _______ I was a child. At first, I could play freely because no one _______ when I was just a kid. But as I grew up it seemed harder for me to enjoy basketball. At school, boys always played basketball during PE classes. The girls were _______ allowed to play volleyball or badminton. My parents did not _______ me play basketball at home.

“Basketball is not fit for girls,” they said. _______ I went to play basketball with my friends, boys _______ at me on the court as if I were an alien. I was feeling _______ and had lost hope of playing basketball. _______, something changed the first day of high school. I made some friends who also enjoyed playing basketball. They ________ me to get back on the court.

One of them told me with a smile, “Go your own ________, let others talk.” This girl would always play basketball with me. Even the boy who sat next to me in class talked about ________ with me almost every day.

I was inspired by them. Confidence and passion ________ to my heart. I will play as well as I can, ________ for me, even the sky is boundless (无限的).

Basketball has become an important part of my ________. I am interested in it. I watch matches and enjoy playing almost every day. Through basketball, I not only feel happy and confident, but also ________ a lot.

I’ve heard the NBA star Tracy McGrady say, “Nothing is impossible.” I have ________ to realize that life is just like playing basketball. You should have an ________. After that, just be confident and ________ going. Never give up and you’ll make it sooner or later.

I love the motto of the NBA. It can ________ my strong feelings for basketball, “I love this game!”

1.

A．ever

B．often

C．never

D．always

2.

A．until

B．before

C．after

D．since

3.

A．tried

B．cared

C．enjoyed

D．joined

4.

A．only

B．almost

C．hardly

D．not

5.

A．refuse

B．dislike

C．let

D．invite

6.

A．Still

B．Yet

C．Just

D．Even

7.

A．looked

B．heard

C．settled

D．stared

8.

A．happy

B．down

C．excited

D．satisfied

9.

A．Unluckily

B．Naturally

C．Unexpectedly

D．Clearly

10.

A．encouraged

B．suffered

C．devoted

D．requested

11.

A．vote

B．way

C．business

D．reward

12.

A．basketball

B．homework

C．interests

D．dreams

13.

A．stuck

B．referred

C．turned

D．returned

14.

A．but

B．though

C．and

D．however

15.

A．wish

B．life

C．work

D．study

16.

A．bring

B．borrow

C．learn

D．play

17.

A．come

B．turned

C．refused

D．happened

18.

A．idea

B．aim

C．opinion

D．effort

19.

A．want

B．stop

C．keep

D．make

20.

A．inform

B．connect

C．ignore

D．express

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In the field of sports there are some famous living legends, such as Lang Ping, and Michael Jordan.

As a player, Lang Ping brought not only honour but also glory to     1     (she) country. As     2     coach, she led the China Women’s volleyball team to medals at world championships as well as the Olympic Games. As a person, she is     3     (love) by fans at home and abroad. Before the 2015 World Cup, she     4     (face) a great challenge — two important     5     (player) had to leave because of health problems. However, Lang Ping didn’t lose heart and she led her volleyball team     6     (win) the championship.

Known as “Air Jordan”, Michael Jordan changed basketball with his graceful moves and jumps. Jordan’s skills were impressive but the mental strength     7     (make) him unique. The secret to his success is learning     8     his failures. In life, Jordan has learnt to share his     9     (succeed) with others. The Boys and Girls Club     10     he started in Chicago has been helping young people since 1996.

6 . The true Olympic spirit has been displayed by Canadian cross-country ski coach Justin Wadsworth, who helped Russian athlete Anton Gafarov with his broken ski during the Men’s Sprint Free Semifinals.

Gafarov’s start wasn’t smooth. He fell three times, crashing early in the race and breaking his ski. It was clear that Gafarov was out of the race for the men’s finals and wouldn’t be able to compete for medals. Still, he wanted to finish in front of the home crowd, but his left ski was too badly damaged in the crash and its base had come off. The Russian skier faced finishing the race by walking to the line, not skiing.

However, the Russian’s fall was seen by Canadian coach Justin Wadsworth, who immediately ran on to the course and helped Gafarov. “I went over and gave him one of Alex Harvey’s, a member of the Canadian team who didn’t qualify for the finals. It was about giving Gafarov some dignity (尊严) so he didn’t have to walk to the finish area,” Wadsworth said. “We help because we know everyone works so hard in our sport,” says Wadsworth, who was an Olympic skier for the S before becoming a coach. “Everyone wants fair results. It was a matter of allowing Gafarov to finish the race.”

Gafarov was thoughtful about his performance. “My fall cost me a broken ski and a pole,” said Anton Gafarov, adding that he decided to continue fighting for the finals despite all the difficulties.

Gafarov believed the race should be finished in any way possible. “It was a matter of principle to hold on to the end,” he added. He is not devastated (毁灭) by his failure and is eager to take part in the next Winter Olympics despite back problems due to injuries.

1. What happened to Gafarov during the Men’s Sprint Free Semifinals?

A．He lost his ski in the unlucky crash.

B．He gave up the race after falling three times.

C．He got the gold medal for the men’s finals.

D．He had his ski broken in the early race.

2. What do we know about Wadsworth?

A．He felt happy for Gafarov’s bad luck in the race.

B．He knew what price Gafarov paid for the competition.

C．He was angry with his player’s not qualifying for the finals.

D．He once worked hard to become an Olympic skier for Canada.

3. According to the text, which statement may Gafarov agree to?

A．Every dog has its day.	B．Rome isn’t built overnight.
C．Never give up in face of difficulty.	D．There is no end to learning.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Olympic Spirit	B．The Unlucky Day
C．The History of Olympic Games	D．The Winning Gold Medal

7 . 假如你是李华，你的英国朋友Mike给你发来一封邮件，信中提及他喜欢户外运动和骑自行车。他很想知道你在运动方面的喜好及看法。请根据以上内容给他回一封邮件。
注意： 1.词数80左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Mike,

Thanks for your e-mail. I am a bit like you.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wish you good health!

Yours,

Li Hua

8 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Which team has played in every World Cup?

A．Brazil.

B．Portugal.

C．South Africa.

2. What is the trophy(奖杯) named after?

A．A famous place.

B．A special stadium.

C．The organizer.

3. How many cities was the 2018 World Cup held in?

A．32.

B．15.

C．11.

4. Why does the speaker say Japan made history?

A．They won the champion once.

B．They beat a South American team.

C．They made their fourth appearance.