2 . Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.

Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.

Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says, According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories(卡路里) per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.

However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.

As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.

1. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?

A．They must run long distances.

B．They are qualified for the marathon.

C．They have to follow special rules.

D．They are good at swinging their legs.

2. What advantage does race walking have over running?

A．It’s more popular at the Olympics.

B．It’s less challenging physically.

C．It’s more effective in body building.

D．It’s less likely to cause knee injuries.

3. What is Dr. Norberg’s suggestion for someone trying race walking?

A．Getting experts’ opinions.

B．Having a medical checkup.

C．Hiring an experienced coach.

D．Doing regular exercises.

4. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to race walking?

A．Skeptical.	B．Objective.
C．Tolerant.	D．Conservative.

3 . 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 ancient China lived an artist    1     paintings were almost lifelike. The artist’s reputation had made him proud. One day the emperor wanted to get his portrait (画像) done so he called all great artists to come and present their     2     (fine) work, so that he could choose the best. The artist was sure he would    3    (choose), but when he presented his masterpiece to the emperor’s chief minister, the old man laughed. The wise old man told him to travel to the Li River～perhaps he could learn a little from the greatest artist in the world.

Filled with     4     (curious), the artist packed his bags and left.     5     he asked the villagers on the banks of the river where he could find the legendary (传奇的) artist, they smiled and     6     (point) down the river. The next morning he hired a boat and set out     7     (find) the well-known painter. As the small boat moved,     8     (gentle) along the river he was left speechless by the mountains being silently reflected in the water. He passed milky white waterfalls and mountains in many shades of blue. And when he saw the mists rising from the river and the soft clouds    9     (surround) the mountain tops, he was reduced to tears. The artist was finally humbled (谦卑) by the greatest artist     10     earth, Mother Nature.

4 . For most people, having things stolen feels like an offence. Robbie Pruitt admitted that he got ________ when he discovered the theft of his mountain bike last September. But soon enough, his ________ took a turn. After letting go of his anger and frustration, he found himself on a road to sympathy ________.

For Pruitt, a keen bicyclist, the first thing to do was ________ his stolen bike. But when he went bike shopping, he found few available, which got him thinking: What if the ________ of bikes was Covid-19 related, and what if the person who'd taken his bike really needed ________ to get to work?

With that thought in mind, Pruitt ________ a plan and posted it on the community website. He ________ to fix bikes free of charge for anyone who needed it. He also asked for unwanted bikes, which he would repair-again ________. And then he would donate them to folks who could truly use them but didn't have the ________ to buy one.

The day the post went live, Pruitt received thirty ________ bicycles. Then came more than 500 ________ for detailed information. By the end of 2020, Pruitt had repaired more than 140 for donation or to be ________ to their owners.

Pruitt tries to give his donations to families that are ________ struggling. ________ simply satisfying a material need, he has provided an opportunity for kids in his neighborhood to learn how to fix their own bikes.

In addition to ________ skills, Pruitt's lessons teach teamwork, encourage self-worth, and promote feelings of community. ________, the kids have gained a sense of accomplishment.

"It's a really great ________ for kids,“ said a neighbor in an interview with the local newspaper. "Pruitt is certainly providing a ________, but it's not just the bikes. It's the relationships in the community. It's the ________ that he can make on people."

1.

A．amazed

B．mad

C．curious

D．frightened

2.

A．emotions

B．career

C．opinions

D．route

3.

A．ever

B．together

C．instead

D．yet

4.

A．ride

B．lock

C．repair

D．replace

5.

A．lack

B．variety

C．increase

D．quality

6.

A．instruction

B．qualification

C．transportation

D．permission

7.

A．came up with

B．stuck to

C．gave up

D．broke away from

8.

A．remembered

B．refused

C．hesitated

D．offered

9.

A．by accident

B．in advance

C．for free

D．on credit

10.

A．profit

B．budget

C．courage

D．excuse

11.

A．shared

B．used

C．expensive

D．modern

12.

A．enquiries

B．advertisements

C．notices

D．announcements

13.

A．exported

B．sold

C．lent

D．returned

14.

A．hardly

B．slightly

C．truly

D．instantly

15.

A．Without

B．Beyond

C．Upon

D．Among

16.

A．practical

B．commercial

C．mathematical

D．social

17.

A．Otherwise

B．However

C．Somehow

D．Meanwhile

18.

A．promise

B．celebration

C．comfort

D．experience

19.

A．competition

B．service

C．ceremony

D．suggestion

20.

A．compromise

B．impression

C．impact

D．progress

5 . The journey my daughter Cathy has had with her swimming is as long as it is beautiful.

Cathy suffered some terrible _______ in her early childhood. After years of regular treatment, she _______ became healthy.

Two years ago, while Cathy was watching the Olympics, a dream came into her sweet little head—to be a swimmer. Last summer, she wanted to _______ our local swim team. She practiced hard and finally _______ it. The team practice, _______ was a rough start. She coughed and choked and could hardly _______ her first few weeks. Hearing her coughing bitterly one night, I decided to _______ her from it all. But Cathy woke me up early next morning, wearing her swimsuit _______ to go! I told her she shouldn’t swim after a whole night’s coughing, but she refused to _______ and insisted she go.

From that day on, Cathy kept swimming and didn’t ________ a single practice. She had a ________ intention within herself to be the best she could be. My ten-year-old was growing and changing right before my eyes, into this ________ human being with a passion and a mission. There were moments of ________ of course: often she would be the last swimmer in the race. It was difficult for Cathy to accept that she wasn’t a ________—ever. But that didn’t stop her from trying.

Then came the final awards ceremony at the end of the year. Cathy didn’t expect any award but was still there to ________ her friends and praise their accomplishments. As the ceremony was nearing the end, I suddenly heard the head coach ________, “The highest honor goes to Cathy!” Looking around, he continued, “Cathy has inspired us with her ________ and enthusiasm. ________ skills and talents bring great success, the most valuable asset(财富) one can hold is the heart.”
It was the greatest ________ of my daughter’s life. With all she had been ________ in her ten years, this was the hour of true triumph(成功).1.

A．failure

B．pressure

C．loss

D．illness

2.

A．usually

B．finally

C．firstly

D．frequently

3.

A．improve

B．train

C．join

D．contact

4.

A．increased

B．found

C．created

D．made

5.

A．however

B．therefore

C．otherwise

D．instead

6.

A．use

B．survive

C．save

D．waste

7.

A．pull

B．tell

C．hide

D．fire

8.

A．afraid

B．nervous

C．ready

D．free

9.

A．take off

B．set off

C．give up

D．show up

10.

A．attend

B．miss

C．ban

D．start

11.

A．rich

B．weak

C．firm

D．kind

12.

A．trusted

B．determined

C．experienced

D．embarrassed

13.

A．frustration

B．delight

C．excitement

D．surprise

14.

A．beginner

B．learner

C．partner

D．winner

15.

A．cheer on

B．compete with

C．respond to

D．run after

16.

A．admitting

B．explaining

C．announcing

D．whispering

17.

A．humor

B．will

C．honesty

D．wisdom

18.

A．Although

B．Since

C．Once

D．Because

19.

A．discovery

B．choice

C．influence

D．moment

20.

A．through

B．under

C．across

D．around

6 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

In much of Asia, especially the so-called “rice bowl” cultures of China, Japan, Korea,     1     Vietnam, food is usually eaten with chopsticks.

Chopsticks are usually two long, thin pieces of wood or bamboo. They can also be made of plastic, animal bone or metal. Sometimes chopsticks are quite artistic. Truly elegant chopsticks might     2     (make) of gold and silver with Chinese characters. Skilled workers also combine various hardwoods and metal     3     (create) special designs.

The Chinese have used chopsticks for five thousand years. People probably cooked their food in large pots,     4     (use) twigs (树枝) to remove it. Over time,     5     the population grew, people began cutting food into small pieces so it would cook more quickly.

Food in small pieces could be eaten easily with twigs which     6    (gradual) turned into chopsticks.

Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius,     7     lived from roughly 551 to 479 B.C., influenced the     8     (develop) of chopsticks. Confucius believed knives would remind people of killings and     9     (be) too violent for use at the table.

Chopsticks are not used everywhere in Asia. In India, for example, most people traditionally eat     10     their hands.

7 . Call for entries: young women writers competition

Guardian Weekend magazine is launching a writing competition for UK women aged 16-21 on the theme of conversations．

How to enter

All you have to do is submit a 700-word personal essay that shows off your talents——on the theme of conversations．Did you have an unforgettable conversation with your grandmother about her youth that changed how you viewed her? Do you find having certain conversations really hard, and if so, why? Is there a conversation you regret, or one you regret you never had? We're keen to hear about your personal experiences．

All entries must be sent to weekend@the guardian．com by midnight on 9 March．

The Prizes

There will be one winner and two runners-up．The three winners will each receive £250．The winners will be notified（通知）by email or telephone on or before 30 March 2021 and given details of how to claim their prizes．As part of the editing process, the three winners will participate in a video call with a Guardian Weekend editor to discuss and edit their essay for publication．The one overall winner will also receive a 1-1 work shop with a Guardian editor．

Rules

Follow all rules carefully to prevent disqualification．

■Only one entry is permitted per person．Entries on behalf of another person will not be accepted and joint submissions are not allowed．

■The Competition opens at 09:00 on 22 February 2021 and closes at 23:59 on 9 March 2021．Entries received outside this time period will not be considered．

■Your entry must not be copied, and must not contain any third-party materials or content that you do not have permission to use．

■You must include your name, age and contact details, including your email address and phone number．

1. What's the theme of the writing competition?

A．Regrets．	B．Conversations．
C．Grandmother's youth．	D．Personal experiences．

2. What extra prize will the overall winner receive?

A．An additional £250．	B．A video of the competition．
C．A prior notification of the win．	D．A 1-1 workshop with an editor．

3. Which of the following will result in disqualification?

A．Co-authoring an entry．	B．Including contact details．
C．Mailing your entry on 1 March．	D．Using others' content with permission．

8 . Because of the spread of COVID-19, many students are forced to study at home. But parents are worried about how their children can learn more efficiently. The following websites might give you a clue.

Scratch

With Scratch, you can program your own interactive stories, games, and animations — and share your creations with others in the online community. Scratch can be downloaded free of charge. Scratch is designed especially for ages 8 to 16, but is used by people of all ages. Scratch is used in more than 150 different countries and available in more than 40 languages.

Mr. Bob

Mr. Bob is a science teacher, author, maker, and presenter that knows how to share the world of science. Bob encourages parents and teachers to practice Random Acts of Science by providing instructions and videos for interactive science experiments on his website. Bob has also coauthored a very popular series of science adventure books for kids.

Oxford Owl for School

Oxford Owl for School is home to online teaching, learning and assessment resources and expert support for primary schools. Free teaching, learning and assessment resources are provided, including book recommendations, storytelling videos, activity sheets and teaching notes. With a library of free, tablet-friendly eBooks, you’ll find the perfect eBook for every pupil.

The National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization to explore and protect our planet. We fund hundreds of research and conservation projects around the world each year and inspire new generations. Our yellow border serves to explore the farthest reaches of the Earth and beyond. We reach millions of people around the world, with our television networks in 172 countries and our publications available in 41 languages.

1. Which website is most suitable for science lovers?

A．Scratch.	B．Mr. Bob.
C．Oxford Owl for School.	D．The National Geographic Society.

2. What is special about Oxford Owl for School?

A．It owns a library in America.	B．It offers materials for students only.
C．It provides online books for free.	D．It is suitable for students of all ages.

3. What do Scratch and the National Geographic Society have in common?

A．They have users worldwide.	B．They choose books for kids to read.
C．They are designed especially for kids.	D．They are both nonprofit organizations.