1 . British Cycling had recently hired Dave Brailsford as its new director. At the time, professional cyclists in Great Britain had ________ nearly one hundred years of mediocrity(平庸). In fact, their________   had been so poor that one of the top bike companies in Europe ________ to sell bikes to the team because they were afraid that it would hurt sales if other professionals saw the British people using their bikes.

What made Brailsford different from previous coaches was his________ of searching for a tiny improvement in everything they do. The whole principle came from the idea that if you________   everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, improve it by 1 percent and you will get a________ increase when you put them all together.

Brailsford and his coaches began by making small________. They redesigned the bike seats to make them more________. They asked riders to wear electrically heated over-shorts to ________ ideal muscle temperature while riding and used biofeedback sensors to ________how each athlete responded to a particular workout.

But they didn’t stop there.They________ to find 1 percent improvements in overlooked areas. They hired a(n)________ to teach each rider the best way to wash their hands to reduce the ________ of catching a cold. They even painted the ________ of the team truck white, which helped them ________little bits of dust that would normally slip by ________ but could affect the performance of the________tuned bikes.

As these and hundreds of other small improvements were ________, the results came faster than anyone could have ________. Just five years after Brailsford took over, they________ the road and track cycling events in all the important Games.

1.

A．lost

B．enjoyed

C．showed

D．suffered

2.

A．score

B．track

C．performance

D．model

3.

A．failed

B．refused

C．expected

D．pretended

4.

A．promise

B．opinion

C．dream

D．philosophy

5.

A．broke down

B．took down

C．put up

D．gave away

6.

A．flexible

B．temporary

C．significant

D．random

7.

A．differences

B．adjustments

C．programs

D．efforts

8.

A．attractive

B．empty

C．soft

D．comfortable

9.

A．maintain

B．raise

C．reduce

D．discover

10.

A．change

B．monitor

C．manage

D．produce

11.

A．continued

B．happened

C．learned

D．bothered

12.

A．coach

B．secretary

C．assistant

D．surgeon

13.

A．sessions

B．chances

C．records

D．reactions

14.

A．tyres

B．roof

C．inside

D．seats

15.

A．gather

B．recognize

C．spot

D．send

16.

A．surrounded

B．unnoticed

C．removed

D．discovered

17.

A．finely

B．initially

C．slightly

D．positively

18.

A．took off

B．picked up

C．built up

D．got off

19.

A．achieved

B．remembered

C．mentioned

D．imagined

20.

A．dominated

B．witnessed

C．celebrated

D．attended

2 . When my dad finally finished the triathlon (铁人三项)in Montauk, the crowd cheered. It showed me how his hard work paid off and it excited my_________ . I wondered whether a small boy of my size could _________ something like that. I found myself _________this out loud and my father overheard me. He _________me and said I could train with him.

Training with my clad turned out to be very_________. We would get up very early for a morning jog or go for a swim in the pool after school. After a few weeks of training, I _________ my first triathlon. Before the competition, I nervously waited for the_________.

When someone fired the gun. I was off,_________towards the distant buoy (浮标)that marked my turn. I finished the half-mile swim and ran towards my _________. I was dripping wet,trying to __________it. Once on the bike, I experienced an excitement specific to __________. I went through the transition zone and__________ my running shoes. At the start of the run part of the triathlon, my__________ already felt like they were made of cement (水泥).

For me, the real competition began during the run, because now I could see each competitor as a target. No matter my__________in the field, each racer was either following me__________ being followed. The run part of the race was in fact__________tolerance.

“Shut up, legs”, one of my favorite sayings, kept me from thinking about the__________feeling. Then I crossed the finish line. I took a breath and then began a(an)__________with the other finishers. The sense of__________was there for all of us.

Looking back, I remember the small boy on that day in Montauk who doubted whether he could__________it, like his dad. Now, that same boy is not only a huge fan, but also a training partner as well.

1.

A．pride

B．congratulations

C．concern

D．curiosity

2.

A．learn

B．deserve

C．achieve

D．organize

3.

A．saying

B．figuring

C．acting

D．leaving

4.

A．admired

B．encouraged

C．pushed

D．convinced

5.

A．unbearable

B．exciting

C．enjoyable

D．challenging

6.

A．learnt from

B．suffered from

C．signed up for

D．dropped out of

7.

A．signal

B．announcement

C．result

D．permission

8.

A．riding

B．walking

C．swimming

D．dashing

9.

A．bike

B．horse

C．destination

D．coat

10.

A．take off

B．get on

C．knock out

D．put away

11.

A．running

B．traveling

C．cycling

D．swimming

12.

A．kicked off

B．switched to

C．prepared for

D．polished

13.

A．arms

B．clothes

C．shoes

D．legs

14.

A．size

B．position

C．age

D．career

15.

A．or

B．and

C．but

D．so

16.

A．breathlessness

B．thirst

C．stress

D．pain

17.

A．winning

B．nervous

C．burning

D．proud

18.

A．suggestion

B．celebration

C．impression

D．organization

19.

A．accomplishment

B．guilt

C．sorrow

D．participation

20.

A．join

B．move

C．prove

D．make

3 . Do you like running enough to make it a habit? Tierney Wolfgram does; she has made running a lifelong career and isn’t stopping.

In February, the 16-year-old from Woodbury High School, Minnesota, US, competed at the 2020 US Olympic Trials.

She finished the marathon (42.195 km) with a time of 2:42:47 as the youngest competitor in the race and ranked 76th out of 390 runners.

However, the cross-country (越野的) season was postponed to winter because of the coronavirus pandemic. So she jumped at the opportunity to train for another race — the Parkway Marathon in California.

In November, Wolfgram, who turned 17, broke the Women’s American Junior marathon record with her time of 2:31:49. The old record was 2:34:32, which had stood since 1984.

“I’m absolutely stunned,” said Wolfgram’s assistant coach, EmKay Sullivan. “I knew she was going to break it, but she really showed out!”

During the run, Wolfgram once hit a wall pretty hard, but she overcame it to finish. “I guess I can say I gave it my all,” she told Runner’s World.

“I When I finished all was thinking was I was super happy,” Wolfgram said.

This was only her third marathon. In 2018, when Wolfgram was 15 years old, she ran her first marathon just because she wanted to see if she was capable of doing it. “I believed that I would get faster as the distances got longer… and I’m still gad that I did it.”

When preparing for that first marathon, she ran up to 120 miles (about 190 kilometers) per week.

Although her parents didn’t have any background in running, they helped Wolfgram train. At first, her dad would take her out in the morning and run about l3 miles. The distance would gradually increase each day. On top of her runs in the morning, she would do cross-country practice after school.

After the Parkway Marathon, Wolfgram shifted to recovery mode. She and her team now prepare for the indoor track and cross-country race this winter.

As for the marathon, Wolfgram will consider attending the Olympics Games in 2024 after it’s scheduled.

1. Why does Wolfgram choose running as a career?

A．She enjoys it so much.

B．She can earn a lot of money.

C．She wants to compete in Olympics.

D．She doesn’t want to be stopped by others.

2. Why did Wolfgram train for the Parkway Marathon instead of the cross-country season?

A．Only adults cold compete in the cross country season.

B．She was not fully prepared for the cross-country season.

C．The cross-country season was put off because of COVID-19.

D．The two competitions were held on the same day.

3. How did EmKay Sullivan feel after heating Wolfgram breaking the record?

A．Doubtful.

B．Surprised.

C．Worried.

D．Interested.

4. What inspired Wolfgram to run her first marathon?

A．Her coach’s support.	B．Her parents’ encouragement.
C．Her hope to break the national record.	D．Her desire to prove to herself she could do it.

5. Which of the following words best describes Wolfgram?

A．Strong-willed.	B．Outgoing.
C．Humorous.	D．Modest.

5 . Sports fandom is about more than just entertainment. It can boost your self-esteem (自尊) and make you happier — and you don’t have to root for the winning team to gain the benefits.     

Being a sports fan is a “very psychologically healthy activity,” says Daniel Wann, professor at Murray State University whose research program centers on the psychology of sport fandom. Fandom connects us to other like-minded people, which satisfies our human need for belonging, he says.

These relationships are significant: People who identify as sports fans have higher levels of self-esteem, lower levels of loneliness and tend to be more satisfied with their lives compared to those who aren’t interested in sports, Wann says. Fans tend to have more access to social support, help and resources as well. Research suggests that when people have support from their communities, they have better health.

Beyond bonding, fans get to enjoy the psychological benefits of winning, even if they have nothing to do with the players or games, says Stephen Reysen, associate professor at Texas A&M University-Commerce who studies identity and fandom.

“Individuals feel that the fan interest (in this case a sport team) is a part of them,”   Reysen says. “So when the team is winning, you feel like you are winning even though you are not a player.”

Of course, teams sometimes lose.

So, why do people continue to put their faith behind teams that tend to lose? People who feel a strong psychological connection to a team are more likely to root for a team when they’re having a losing season, Reysen says.

“Sports fandom has nothing to do with the outcome of a game,” Wann says. For example, if a pizza restaurant continually got your order wrong, you’d likely switch to a more reliable one. But because being a fan is so central to people’s identities, people are willing to accept defeat and continue to be loyal to a team.

Being part of a fan community can also help people cope with losses. A 2019 study found that watching a football game with other fans helps to ease the negative psychological effects of losing.

“For fans of the losing team, sharing the pain may have protected them from losing self-esteem,” Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, co-author of the study and professor of communication at The Ohio State University said in a release.

1. According to the passage, why do sports fans feel happier?

A．Because they could gain the benefits from the winning team.

B．Because they can share pains and happiness with people who have the common interests.

C．Because they could have a low level of self-esteem.

D．Because most of them are optimistic.

2. What is the significance of the relationships between sports fans?

A．Sports fans have support from their favorite teams.

B．Sports fans have higher levels of loneliness.

C．Sports fans are likely more content with their lives.

D．Sports fans tend to compare themselves to those who aren’t interested in sports.

3. According to the passage, if the team has a losing season, the sports fans may .

A．display their identities

B．have a boost of self-esteem

C．not support the team any more

D．have a negative psychology period

4. According to the passage, what can help sports fans deal with losses of their team?

A．Being part of the team.

B．Ordering a pizza in a different restaurant.

C．Sharing the pain with family members.

D．The loyalty to the team.

5. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Sports fans have a closer relationship with other like-mined people.

B．Sports fans have higher self-esteem and are more satisfied with their lives.

C．Sports fans always put their faith behind their favorite teams.

D．Sports fandom has nothing to do with the outcome of a game.

6 . U.S. Open Championships

The US Open has been in existence for more than 120 years. The first tournament (锦标赛) was held in 1881 at the Newport Casino. It was called the US National Singles Championship. Entry was limited to only those clubs which were members of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association, and the competitors were all male, competing in both singles and doubles. Richard Sears won the men’s championship and he went on to win the next six men’s singles championships.

The Wimbledon

In 1875, the All England Croquet Club was troubled financially due to declining membership. A new sport called lawn tennis was gaining fast in popularity and taking away the members. Two years later, a new roller was needed for maintaining its lawns so the club proposed to hold a tournament to raise money. Twenty-two players entered that first Wimbledon tournament which was won by Spencer Gore in straight sets over W. C. Marshall. Two hundred spectators each paid a shilling to watch the final game, enabling the club to buy the needed roller plus some extra cash.

The French Open

The very first French Championship was held way back in 1891, and the tournament has since grown into one of the four tennis Grand Slam tournaments we know today. The first competition was a one-day national championship which was won by a British. The competition was poorly attended by world class players. It took 24 years before it became fully international and an accepted tennis grand slam event (大满贯赛事). After the First World War, French tennis was achieving stature (名声). Suzanne Lenglen was the predominant French player, winning the championships six times between 1920 and 1926.

The Australian Open

The very first tennis tournament ever played in Australia was held in January 1880, on the courts of the Melbourne Cricket Club. In 1905, the Australian Open was established as the Australasian Tennis Championship and was played at the Warehouseman's Cricket Ground in Melbourne. It became the Australian Championship in 1927 and the Australian Open in 1969. Women’s events were added in 1922.

1. What is special about the first U.S. Open?

A．It has a history of more than 120 years.

B．Only men were allowed to play in the game.

C．Richard Sears won six championships.

D．It has remained about the same through all these years.

2. The purpose of the first Wimbledon tournament was to ________.

A．raise some fund for a lawn roller

B．attract more people to play tennis

C．attract more audience to watch the game

D．celebrate the renaming of the club

3. According to what is said about the first French Open, ________.

A．the tournament has been played in the same place all these years

B．twenty-two players played in the first tournament

C．few good tennis players took part in the first French Championship

D．the players played in singles and doubles in the tournament

4. What is common about the four international tournaments is that ________.

A．they were all born in the same year

B．they all had only male players in the first tournament

C．they have all experienced financial difficulties

D．they all have had a history of 120 years or more

5. The passage mainly tells us ________.

A．how the four international tennis tournaments came into being

B．how long it took for women to have the right to play in the game

C．how the four international tennis tournaments get their present names

D．why the tennis tournaments are held in these four countries

7 . In 2016, 60-year-old Marshall Reeves got onto his bike in California. He began the Race Across America, a 3,000-mile _______ that runs from coast to coast.

The goal was to _______the finish line in Maryland in two weeks. This goal had_______him twice already: In 2011 he made it to Manchester, Ohio, and in 2014, he was forced to stop at West Union, West Virginia. But for his third_______, Reeves had a new source of motivation: He was racing with 3,000 miles to a Cure, which raised money for brain cancer_________

The race is one of the longest running and _______respected events in the country. But it’s also one of the most_______. Only about half the competitors are able to finish. Unlike other long-distance bike races that are done in timed_______, it is continuous---once the clock starts in California, it doesn’t _______until Maryland. To stay on track, racers have to meet________time cutoffs(截止点)along the way.

Racers are typically________ in cars by a small crew. It’s the crew’s job to keep the racer not only physically ________, but also mentally motivated. In the early days of the race, when Reeves had ________to stop at a hotel, he would be ________ to a full-body massage （按摩）and a good night’s sleep. But after three days,________ was a luxury（不常有的乐趣）as he raced to make the time cutoffs biking for more than 20 hours a day.

After crossing the two points where his________attempts had ended, Reeves entered a new, unknown area. With just 25 miles left, Reeves struggled to stay ________, catching quick naps（小睡） in the car. At last, he crossed the finish line in 12 days, 13 hours, and 52 minutes.

This year, Reeves will________across America again, but this time, he’ll be working the other side of the race. Some of his road crew members will create a relay team（接力队）, and Reeves will________ them as road chief,________the favor for his crew’s hard work.

1.

A．width

B．process

C．journey

D．record

2.

A．cross

B．touch

C．draw

D．kick

3.

A．attracted

B．defeated

C．shaken

D．reminded

4.

A．choice

B．plan

C．decision

D．attempt

5.

A．meeting

B．report

C．research

D．challenge

6.

A．fully

B．highly

C．truly

D．clearly

7.

A．difficult

B．exciting

C．important

D．wonderful

8.

A．areas

B．orders

C．stages

D．goal

9.

A．change

B．count

C．continue

D．stop

10.

A．short

B．strict

C．long

D．enough

11.

A．followed

B．protected

C．linked

D．taken

12.

A．relaxed

B．available

C．effective

D．healthy

13.

A．luck

B．time

C．energy

D．courage

14.

A．determined

B．adapted

C．treated

D．acquired

15.

A．food

B．bathing

C．smiling

D．rest

16.

A．quick

B．previous

C．happy

D．sudden

17.

A．awake

B．asleep

C．amazed

D．amused

18.

A．set about

B．set up

C．set off

D．set down

19.

A．consider

B．refuse

C．recommend

D．join

20.

A．receiving

B．returning

C．thanking

D．asking

8 . A cancer survivor has become the first woman to complete an exhausting “Sea to Summit” triathlon（三项全能运动） which saw her swim, cycle, and run over 330 miles in just five days. Andrea Mason was overjoyed when she crossed the finish line early Wednesday morning.

The race was set in the French Alps. Setting off at 6:15am on Friday, 39-year-old Mason battled through severe pain, and hallucinations(幻觉)，but she pushed on --managing to complete the race in an impressive four days, 23 hours, and 41 minutes. Andrea had been diagnosed with cancer and needed life-saving surgery. Following a successful operation, she is now hoping to raise awareness of women’s health. In the past year，Andrea set up her own charity, Lady Talk Matters, in order to improve surrounding female’s health.

Andrea, from Blackpool in Lancashire, England, said，“I am so happy all went according to plan as there were so many things that could have gone wrong. I wanted to do it in five days， and I did，but it was very tough. I had some low moments, particularly when I couldn’t sleep in my limited rest periods, and when I couldn’t keep any food down as I was running. For sure I had some doubts along the way as I was exploring the unknown with such a huge run, particularly as large parts of it were in the dark. It was bigger than I imagined, the impact on my body was huge. But every time I felt like giving up，I thought about all the women out there in pain or who still hadn’t been diagnosed. That is why I put myself through this.”

Andrea had to swim 23 miles around Lake Annecy, cycle 205 miles with 30,000 feet of vertical climbing around Mont Blanc, and run 105 miles with 4,000 feet of vertical climbing around The Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc. You could say Andrea’s actually spent a lifetime training for an event like this. She completed her first three-mile race “powered by chocolate bars＂ when she was just four.

1. What brought Andrea Mason so much joy？

A．She joined a race	B．She defeated cancer.
C．She finished a marathon in five days.	D．She finished a triathlon lately.

2. What is the purpose of Andrea’s creating her own charity？

A．To help the poor women.	B．To promote women’s health.
C．To focus on women’s life.	D．To raise the status of women.

3. When did Andrea become doubtful during the running？

A．When she couldn’t eat.	B．When she couldn’t sleep.
C．When she was running at night.	D．When she met too many difficulties.

4. What made Andrea finish the race successfully？

A．Her strong willpower.	B．Her family’s support.
C．Thinking of other women who might have cancer.	D．Thinking of other women who had more pain.

5. What does the author mainly tell us in the last paragraph？

A．Andrea liked sports very much.	B．Andrea faced huge challenges.
C．As a little girl, Andrea won many races.	D．Andrea’s success lied in long-term effort.

9 . 体育无处不在，运动带给了我们很多东西。为此，你校英语社团的微信公众号展 文活动，分享你与自己喜爱的一项体育运动的故事。假设你叫李津，打算参加这次活动，请你用英语写一篇征文稿，内容包括：
(1)你是如何开始这项运动的； (2)你对这项运动的理解； (3)你在这项运动中所付出的努力；
(4)你的目标和打算。
注意：(1)不少于100词； (2)内容充实、行文连贯；
(3)文章的开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总词数。

My Sports Story

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

January 15

By Li Jin

10 . 假设你是李津，得知2020年女排亚俱杯(Asian Women’s Volleyball Club Championship)将于1月20日至28日在天津举行。请你写信给在天津某国际学校的英国朋友Chris，内容包括：
（1）告诉Chris天津女排将代表中国参加比赛；
（2）解释值得学习的女排精神；
（3）邀请他一起去观看比赛。
注意：
（1）词数不少于100；
（2）可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
（3）开头已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Chris,

How is everything going?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Jin