1 . When handball was introduced to Sri Lankan schools in 2010, I wanted to bring it to my school in a remote village. This became a(n) _______ task as the sports teacher was unwilling to initiate anything _______ traditional sports like basketball. Despite being an English language teacher before _______ my post as deputy principal (副校长), I was _______ to start this game at any cost.

40 students aged between 13 and 19 _______ to play. I had the support of their parents but I still couldn’t _______ the sports teacher to agree. _______ , I used my position to get the game going.

Heshan Pradeep, an alumnus (校友) and member of the Air Force handball team, volunteered to _______ the team. Although handball is an indoor game, we trained outdoors due to limited _______. Training started early in the morning before class and ________ after school until it was dark. The boys loved the game and were ________ training. After three months of devoted training, we were able to send an under-19s boys’ team to ________ with 50 other schools. Our boys played remarkably well and ________ the semifinals. The following year, nobody could ________ our team from winning the all-island schools handball championship.

The ________ sent the whole village into carnival mode. Heshan and I were much honored to have shown the boys that dreams can be fulfilled.

1.

A．appealing

B．challenging

C．confusing

D．amusing

2.

A．regardless of

B．in relation to

C．other than

D．in terms of

3.

A．leaving

B．assuming

C．offering

D．creating

4.

A．determined

B．resistant

C．forbidden

D．grateful

5.

A．woke up

B．grew up

C．sped up

D．signed up

6.

A．allow

B．encourage

C．convince

D．force

7.

A．Ultimately

B．Occasionally

C．Similarly

D．Unfortunately

8.

A．protect

B．contact

C．coach

D．assess

9.

A．prospects

B．appliances

C．qualifications

D．facilities

10.

A．ended

B．continued

C．changed

D．functioned

11.

A．passionate about

B．particular about

C．embarrassed about

D．objective about

12.

A．debate

B．compete

C．associate

D．cooperate

13.

A．watched

B．hosted

C．reached

D．predicted

14.

A．stop

B．free

C．separate

D．excuse

15.

A．motivation

B．tendency

C．innovation

D．victory

2 . Common Mistakes New Runners Make

Running is a great way to get in shape and just about everyone can do it. However, many make a number of common mistakes, which can interfere (妨碍) with training or lead to injury.     1     , keep these things in mind to help you increase your chances of running success.

·Doing too much too soon

One of the biggest mistakes new runners make is doing too much too soon. Slowly easing into a training program will help reduce the risk of injury, so you can continue on with your new running routine     2     .

·     3    

Beginners might think they need to run every day (or nearly every day) to meet their fitness or weight-loss goals, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Running is a high-impact activity which can be really hard on your body. So it’s important to give your body a rest between workouts.

·Not wearing the right equipment

    4    , it’s important that you wear properly for your workouts. The most important piece of equipment for running is a good pair of running shoes, so be sure to do some research before you purchase a pair. Visit a running specialty store and ask an employee to fit you for a shoe.

•Running through pain

    5     If something hurts when you run, you need to stop and treat the pain. Remember: It doesn’t make you less of a runner if you listen to your body to keep it healthy.

A．Not taking rest days

B．If you’re just starting out

C．Comparing yourself to others

D．Running can be uncomfortable at times

E．It’s important not to use the same muscles

F．While it may be true that you don’t need expensive equipment to take up running

G．Experts suggest increasing your running distance by no more than 10% each week

3 . Sharing China 2023 is calling for photos and videos from all over the world until Feb.12, 2023. Welcome to send us your memorable moments from Chinese New Year celebrations.

What We are Looking for

Suggested themes include: traditional customs, modern customs and new trends, folk activities, foreigners experiencing the Spring Festival and celebrations around the world.

Awards and Prizes

We will select 50 photos (single or group) and 10 short films. Each winner will be awarded 1,000RMB.

Timeline

Starting time and deadline: from Dec.20, 2022 to Feb.12, 2023.

Selection and ranking: from Feb.13 to May 15, 2023.

Result announcement: June, 2023.

The Rules

Photos:

1. All works must be real and not doctored or edited.

2. Works can be single photos or a series of photos.

3. Works should have titles and a short photo description.

Short films:

1. Size: 1GB maximum, less than 4 minutes.

2. Dubbing and subtitles (配音和字幕): If the video is dubbed, the language could be either Chinese or English, but subtitles should be bilingual (双语的).

3. Caption: English or Chinese words to give a brief introduction.

How to submit (提交)

You can submit your works to China Culture’s Facebook. For further information, click here.

1. Which time is proper if you want to hand in your works?

A．Dec.10, 2022.	B．Jan.12, 2023.
C．Feb.15, 2023.	D．Jun.16, 2023.

2. Which of the following meets the rules?

A．An edited photo.	B．A 3-minute video.
C．A photo without a title.	D．A video with only English subtitle.

3. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A science report.	B．An encyclopedia.
C．A story book.	D．A website.

4 . 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。

The Yin-yang diagram is an illustration of t’ai chi. Yin and yang are not     1     (complete) opposite, one of which can turn into the other. Chinese people boil down the laws of the universe, nature and the human body to this:Yin and yang are in a circle; man and nature exist in unity.     2     (base) on such philosophical ideas,     3     (tradition) knowledge and sports practice about physical and mental cultivation have been formed and passed down from generation     4     generation. Thus t’ai chi ch’uan came into being.

Chinese people believe that movement is contained in stillness and fastness is contained in slowness. T’ai chi ch’uan     5     (contain) these two kinds of energy. Do you think the most important characteristic of t’ai chi ch’uan is     6     (soft)? No. The fighting principle of it is to mobilize the internal energy flow of the human body,     7     has both speed and explosive power.

The greatest uses of t’ai chi ch’uan are for people     8     (experience) life, the true principles of movement and stillness in nature, and to maintain harmony with nature in mind and body. So far, it     9     (prove) by medical research that t’ai chi ch’uan is     10     ideal therapy against a number of chronic diseases. It can not only promote physical health, but also help ease your mind and delight your spirits.

5 . Online training is one of the fastest growing parts of the fitness industry. If you’re considering joining the online fitness community, consider these benefits and drawbacks.

One of the most popular reasons for working out following an online video is that it offers ultimate convenience. No need to roll out of bed at 5 a. m. to attend that 6 a. m. boot camp class, which may end up being full when you arrive.    1    And what if you’re on the road? No problem. You can access your workout video through your phone.

    2    Most online fitness programs are much less expensive than similar offline programs—most range in cost from $ 10 to $ 20 per month. Some are even free. For example, the online Les Mills+program offers a free 30-day trial of its 1,500-plus workouts.

Online training also has broad offerings. When you head online, you have instructors from around the globe, all ready and willing to help you master your favorite moves.    3    Just because there isn’t a Krav Maga class in your area doesn’t mean you can’t go online to find one led by qualified instructors.

All these are undoubtedly positive-online training provides fitness resources to general consumers wherever they are, without requiring access to a gym or fitness studio.    4    

Very few online fitness programs enable the instructor to see you, check your form, and offer corrections based on your performance.    5    This is particularly concerning for beginners, as they’re more likely to do incorrectly. Besides, if you struggle with self-motivation and prefer a social workout environment, online fitness may not be for you.

A．Another is the price.

B．But it’s not without problems.

C．The same goes for different types of exercise.

D．However, online personal training isn’t for everyone.

E．Instead, you can turn it on at home at your convenience.

F．That being said, online workouts aren’t perfect when it comes to safety.

G．This means you could perform exercises wrongly, or even unsafely, without knowing it.

6 . The Biggest Stadiums in the World

People have been pouring into stadiums since the days of ancient Greece. In around 80 A.D., the Romans built the Colosseum, which remains the world’s best known stadium and continues to inform contemporary design. Rome’s Colosseum was 157 feet tall and had 80 entrances, seating 50,000 people. However, that was small fry compared with the city’s Circus Maximus, which accommodated around 250,000 people.

These days, safety regulations-not to mention the modern sports fan’s desire for a good view and comfortable seat — tend to keep stadium capacities (容量) slightly lower. Even soccer fans tend to have a seat each; gone are the days of thousands standing to watch the match.

For the biggest stadiums in the world, we have used data supplied by the World Atlas list so far, which ranks them by their stated permanent capacity, as well as updated information from official stadium websites.

All these stadiums are still functional, still open and still hosting the biggest events in world sport.

·Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, Pyongyang D.P.R. Korea. Capacity: 150,000. Opened: May 1,1989.

·Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U. S. Capacity: 107,601. Opened: October 1, 1927.

·Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania, U. S. Capacity: 106,572. Opened: September 17, 1960.

·Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, U. S. Capacity: 104,944. Opened: October 7,1922.

·Kyle Field, College Station, Texas, U. S. Capacity: 102,512. Opened: September 24, 1927.

1. How many people could the Circus Maximus hold?

A．104,944.

B．107,601.

C．About 150,000.

D．About 250,000.

2. Of the following stadiums, which is the oldest?

A．Michigan Stadium.

B．Beaver Stadium.

C．Ohio Stadium.

D．Kyle Field.

3. What do the listed stadiums have in common?

A．They host big games.	B．They have become tourist attractions.
C．They were built by Americans.	D．They are favored by architects.