1 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What made Catherine start boxing?

A．A film.

B．A friend.

C．A game.

2. What did Catherine’s family think of her when she took up boxing?

A．Brave.

B．Smart.

C．Crazy.

3. What does Catherine usually do before a boxing match?

A．Stay relaxed.

B．Go camping.

C．Get training.

4. What is the best thing Catherine gains from doing boxing?

A．Friendship.

B．Fitness.

C．Respect.

3 . Defeating Daniil Medvedev in New York on Sunday, Djokovic, one of the greatest tennis player, bagging 24 Grand Slam (大满贯) singles titles, equalized the record held by Australian Margaret Court, the same number of singles titles in the all-time count.

With the victory, Djokovic became the oldest US Open men’s singles champion in the Open Era. In total, he has 10 Australian Opens, seven Wimbledons, four US Opens and three Roland Garros titles, making him the only man to win all four majors at least three times. “When I realized that, I started to dream new dreams and set new goals. I never imagined that I would be here talking about 24 Slams,” he said afterwards.

Djokovic reached all finals in the Grand Slams in 2023, and the only loss was at Wimbledon, when Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, 20, brought home the champion after an intense battle lasting four hours and 43 minutes.

Djokovic, at 36, shows few signs of losing physical edge. He stays healthy, keeps exceptional skills and always desires to win more. Capturing his first Grand Slam in 2008, Djokovic bagged half of his 24 major titles after he turned 30.

“One of the biggest lessons I have learned probably mentally throughout my career is that even if you find a formula (方案) that works, it’s not a guarantee, and actually most likely it’s not going to work the next year, so I keep reinventing myself and always trying to find better ways to win,” said Djokovic.

For Djokovic, who always gets tough when the going gets tough, 24 is just a number that he can go beyond. “I’ll continue to prioritize Grand Slams as my most important tournaments and where I want to play the best tennis. That will stay the same in the next season, or I don’t know how many more seasons I have in my legs,” he added, “So, let’s see.”

1. What does the underlined word “equalized” in the first paragraph probably mean?

A．Set.

B．Broke.

C．Levelled.

D．Approached.

2. What can we know about Djokovic according to the passage?

A．He won 12 Grand Slams in his thirties.

B．He won all the finals in the Grand Slams in 2023.

C．He attached the same importance to all the matches.

D．He is the oldest men’s singles champion in the open era.

3. What seems the “secret” of Djokovic’s great achievement?

A．Losing physical edge.	B．Attending more Grand Slams.
C．Following a good formula.	D．Finding flexible and proper strategies.

4. Which of the following can best describe Djokovic?

A．Confident and emotional.	B．Ambitious and devoted.
C．Aggressive and stubborn.	D．Enthusiastic and generous.

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。

Chinese wushu athlete Cao Maoyuan outperformed all others in men’s Nanquan,     1     (enable) him to gain the first gold medal of the Chengdu World University Games.

Cao, 25, a student from Chengdu Sport University,     2     (dress) in a red outfit with a green dragon picture, stole the show on the carpet as the local audience     3     (warm) cheered for him.

“I was a little nervous and excited in     4     beginning, because it was my first formal     5     (appear) at the Games,” Cao said after the competition. “I’m glad that I secured the first gold of the Games. I believe I will do better in the future.”

Wushu, or kung fu,     6     (be) the collective term for the martial art practices     7     originated and developed in China. Wushu is categorized into two main categories, namely Taolu (Routines Competition)     8     Sanda (Free-Fighting Competition). Nanquan, or Southern Fist, is part of Taolu, which consists     9     styles that originated and are popular in the southern banks of the Yangtze River. It     10     (characterize) by low stances with fewer leg techniques and a focus on short, powerful arm strikes often accompanied by vocal articulation (关节发声).

5 . There are few shirts in football as celebrated as the Manchester United No. 7, a grand tradition that is generally considered to go all the way back to George Best. The reality, though, is a little more complex.

At Manchester United, the No. 7 clearly means something to supporters and the club itself. From Best to Ronaldo, this is the story of United’s No. 7 shirt.

George Best played in the days before permanent squad numbers, when it wasn’t uncommon for footballers to wear multiple numbers in the same season. Best certainly did wear the No. 7 on occasion, most famously during the 1968 European Cup final victory over Benfica, but he didn’t actually wear it particularly often — only in 30 per cent of his Manchester United games. The idea that Best started United’s grand history of the No. 7 shirt isn’t entirely unfair, but Best himself evidently didn’t actually care.

Another United Legend, Eric Cantona did care — although he played a variety of numbers during his days in France, he insisted on wearing the No. 7 shirt at United. So it was Eric Cantona, rather than Best, who really made the No. 7 iconic at Manchester United. It was rare to see that number being worn by a forward, instead of a midfielder, but that somehow fitted into the aura of Cantona: a player who interpreted his role in an unusual way.

When Cantona left, Alex Ferguson decided to honour David Beckham with the No. 7 at his request. As a right-sided midfielder, Beckham fitted the No. 7 perfectly. He became so associated with the number that he incorporated it into his own fashion brand known as DB07. He enjoyed six years with the No. 7 shirt until his move to Real Madrid.

Upon Beckham’s departure in 2003, United signed the perfect replacement as No. 7 — Cristiano Ronald. Ronaldo played on the right of midfield, so the shirt number made sense, although he had initially requested No. 28. However, Ferguson insisted on him taking No. 7. It proved a fine decision. Not only did Ronaldo shine on the pitch, but he also replicated Beckham by incorporating the number into a fashion range: CR7.

After Ronald’s transfer to Real Madrid and Ferguson’s retirement, it became clear that United, a club increasingly’ obsessed with branding, wanted to further the legacy and history of the No.7. However, then there was a period when no one seemed to want it. To fill the huge gap left by Ronald’s departure, to be frank, is always something extremely challenging. And whoever comes next must be a confident player who is happy to invite that added scrutiny.

1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The number 7 in the football world is usually worn by a forward player.

B．George Best often wore the No. 7 during his time at Manchester United.

C．In 1960s, players started to wear fixed numbers during the same season.

D．Eric Cantona truly helped United’s No. 7 become a famous sporting icon.

2. Which of the following is Not one of the similarities between Beckham and Ronald?

A．Both of them have played for Manchester United and Real Madrid in their career.

B．They each have successfully created a fashion brand related to their No. 7 shirt.

C．Neither of them has voluntarily asked their coach Sir Alex for the No.7 shirt.

D．When representing United, they played the same position on the football pitch.

3. None of the players wanted to wear the No. 7 shirt after Ronald probably because ______.

A．the value of United’s No.7 has been decreasing significantly

B．United has shifted attention from football to gaining commercial success

C．the pressure brought by fans’ heightened expectation is overwhelming

D．Sir Alex Ferguson has officially retried from the football world

4. What might be the best title for the passage?

A．The Story of Great Players.	B．The Legendary Number.
C．Who’s the Next United’s No.7?	D．Glory Glory Man United.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the talk mainly about?

A．Making money.

B．Becoming successful.

C．Choosing a good job.

2. How old was Albert Einstein when he learned how to read?

A．Four years old.

B．Five years old.

C．Seven years old.

3. Who was told that he had no good ideas?

A．Walt Disney.

B．Thomas Edison.

C．Vincent van Gogh.

4. What difficulty did Michael Jordan have to overcome?

A．He did not get paid for his work.

B．He could not speak until he was four.

C．He was not good enough to play basketball in high school.

7 . Many footballers struggle when they leave the beautiful game for retirement in their mid-thirties, with stories that are sad or even terrible. However, in his new book Kicking On! Tony Rickson reveals the footballers who have achieved success after retirement, whether it’s by setting up charities, helping others cope, creating multi-million-pound businesses or going into media, politics or back into the football world.

Tony Adams, a former footballer, set up a charitable foundation more than 20 years ago called Sporting Chance and said it’s one of his greatest achievements. He’s wrong. Despite all the cups he won while captaining Arsenal during a highly successful 22-year career at his only club, and all the times he played for England, it is his greatest achievement. Not just one of them.

As Adams admits in his memorable book, Addicted, he suffered from alcoholism and drug abuse while still a professional footballer. Setting up Sporting Chance was his response, and ever since it’s treated and supported sports professionals suffering from drink or drug problems. The charity’s offer is: “We understand that it takes courage to ask for help, either during or following a career in sport, so when you’re ready to reach out, we’re ready for you.”

Since retiring from playing in 2002, Adams, who has a statue in his honor outside the Arsenal ground, has managed and coached in several countries alongside his charity work. He told The Sun: “What happened in my life with alcohol makes me feel so sad but also grateful that I found a way out of it. I’ve had highs and lows, in and out of football, given up playing and gone into coaching and management. I’ve not had a drink through any of it. My self-esteem (自尊) has come back and I am all right.”

The self-assessment as “all right” also applied to his 2022 appearance in TV’s Strictly Come Dancing, when Adams showed an admirable ability to laugh at himself.

1. What is Adams’ greatest achievement according to Rickson?

A．Setting up Sporting Chance.	B．Captaining the team Arsenal.
C．Playing for England all his life.	D．Writing his bestseller Addicted.

2. What problem did Adams have as a professional footballer?

A．Losing his position on the team.	B．Lack of courage to seek advice.
C．Addiction to alcohol and drugs.	D．Tense relations with teammates.

3. What can we infer about Adams from Paragraph 4?

A．Adams worked as a coach immediately he retired.

B．Charity work made Adams recognized in his circle.

C．Adams began his football career at the age of 22.

D．Arsenal thinks highly of Adams’ contribution to it.

4. What is the text?

A．A news report.	B．A biography.
C．An introduction to a book.	D．An entry of a diary.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What helps Karl most to become successful?

A．Hard work.

B．Good training.

C．A set schedule.

2. What does Karl usually do before the game day?

A．He has good meals.

B．He has a good rest.

C．He does more training.

3. When does Karl get to the stadium on the game day?

A．At about 8:30 a. m.

B．At about 9:00 a. m.

C．At about 9:50 a. m.

4. Why do Karl’s team watch videos of past games?

A．To avoid the mistakes they’ve made.

B．To relax themselves completely.

C．To know the opposing team.

10 . No matter how successful—or lately, unsuccessful—Manchester United has been on the court, which has always prided itself on an incredible ability to generate the game’s brightest young stars. The latest breakthrough talent, it seems, is 18-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.

The teenager’s emergence from the youth academy (学院) has been one of the few satisfying points in an otherwise difficult season for the team, and the highlight of his fledgling (刚刚起步的) career came during United’s 4—3 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Thursday.

After the host had seemingly got a draw in the 95th minute of the match, Mainoo showed his considerable potential by scoring a winner in the dying moment. The English youngster received the ball under pressure outside of the opposition’s box before rushing his way towards the goal, hitting against a Wolves defender on the way. Then, when other players might have panicked, Mainoo was composed and guided a perfect shot into the far corner of the net.

While his teammates celebrated wildly, Mainoo knelt down and slid towards the crowd after scoring his first Premier League goal. It was a sensational moment and a goal which might change the teenager’s life forever.

“I’ve still not come down from it. I still feel like I’m dreaming, to be honest,” Mainoo told TNT Sports after the match. “To start playing in the Premier League for my boyhood club has been amazing. Now I am just trying to play more games and win more games.”

There have been moments this season, though, where his inexperience has shown, but the future looks bright for the young midfielder who seems to have his feet firmly on the ground. “He is making incredible progress. He has great abilities as a modern midfield player,” Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag told reporters after the game. “He can defend and attack but also he has the physicality to do both ways.”

Manchester United is currently ranked seventh in the Premier League and they are working hard to secure the top four, which will ensure qualification for next season’s Champions League.

1. What does paragraph 3 mainly tell us about Kobbie Mainoo?

A．His goals.	B．His education.
C．His teammates.	D．His performance.

2. What does the underlined word “sensational” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Boring.

B．Dramatic.

C．Suitable.

D．Possible.

3. Which word can best describe Kobbie Mainoo?

A．Ambitious.

B．Humorous.

C．Experienced.

D．Shy.

4. What is the aim of Manchester United now?

A．To bring out more young stars.

B．To qualify for the next Premier League.

C．To play in the Champions League next season.

D．To finish in the top seven of the Premier League.