Competitive Cheerleading
Over the years, cheerleading has taken two primary forms: game-time cheerleading and competitive cheerleading. Game-time cheerleaders’ main goal is to entertain the crowd and lead them with team cheers, which should not be considered a sport. However, competitive cheerleading is more than a form of entertainment. It is really a competitive sport.
Competitive cheerleading includes lots of physical activity. The majority of the teams require a certain level of tumbling (翻腾运动) ability. It’s a very common thing for gymnasts, so it’s easy for them to go into competitive cheerleading. Usually these cheerleaders integrate lots of their gymnastics experience including their jumps, tumbling, and overall energy. They also perform lifts and throws.
Competitive cheerleading is also an activity that is governed by rules under which a winner can be declared. It is awarded points for technique, creativity and sharpness. Usually the more difficult the action is, the better the score is. That’s why cheerleaders are trying to experience great difficulty in their performance. Besides, there is also a strict rule of time. The whole performance has to be completed in less than three minutes and fifteen seconds, during which the cheerleaders are required to stay within a certain area. Any performance beyond the limit of time is invalid.
Another reason for the fact that competitive cheerleading is one of the hardest sports is that it has more reported injuries. According to some research, competitive cheerleading is the number one cause of serious sports injuries to women. Generally, these injuries affect all areas of the body, including wrists, shoulders, ankles, head, and neck.
There can be no doubt that competitive cheerleading is a sport with professional skills. It should be noted that it is a team sport and even the smallest mistake made by one teammate can bring the score of the entire team down. So without working together to achieve the goal, first place is out of reach.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . What is the likelihood of you having someone who looks just like you? Would it be a good thing? And if you did have one, would you want to meet them?
Consider how often your facial features are used to identify you. Your passport, ID card and driving license all feature your face.
The word “doppelgänger” refers to a person who looks the same as you, essentially sharing your features; those that you thought were unique to you and your identity. Not identical twins, as a doppelgänger has no relation to you. The idea originated in German folklore.
So, let's get real. What are the chances of you having one in the first place? There's said to be a one in 135 chance of an exact match for you existing anywhere in the world, so the chances are pretty low, despite folk wisdom promising you otherwise. And the chances of meeting? The mathematical certainty of finding this particular person is supposedly less than one in a trillion.
That said, these statistics may be a good thing. Historically, having a double wasn't always a positive. Back in 1999, an innocent American man, indistinguishable from the real criminal, was sent to prison for robbery, where he stayed for 19 years.
A.In the end, it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity. |
B.Doppelgängers will also have some of the same DNA as you. |
C.To enter your workplace, you likely need to be recognizable. |
D.Why are people interested in finding their possible doppelgangers? |
E.Eventually, discovering a person's doppelgänger might widen trust boundaries. |
F.A doppelgänger was said to be a spirit-double that copied every human and beast on earth. |
4 . The cultivation of plants by ants is more widespread than previously realized, and has evolved on at least 15 separate occasions.
There are more than 200 species of ant in the Americas that farm fungi (真菌) for food, but this trait evolved just once sometime between 45 million and 65 million years ago. Biologists regard the cultivation of fungi by ants as true agriculture appearing earlier than human agriculture because it meets four criteria: the ants plant the fungus, care for it, harvest it and depend on it for food.
By contrast, while thousands of ant species are known to have a wide variety of interdependent relationships with plants, none were regarded as true agriculture. But in 2016, Guillaume Chomicki and Susanne Renner at the University of Munich, Germany, discovered that an ant in Fungi cultivates several plants in a way that meets the four criteria for true agriculture.
The ants collect the seeds of the plants and place them in cracks in the bark of trees. As the plants grow, they form hollow structures called domain that the ants nest in. The ants defecate (排便) at designated absorptive places in these domain, providing nutrients for the plant. In return, as well as shelter, the plant provides food in the form of fruit juice.
This discovery prompted Chomicki and others to review the literature on ant-plant relationships to see if there are other examples of plant cultivation that have been overlooked. “They have never really been looked at in the framework of agriculture,” says Chomicki, who is now at the University of Sheffield in the UK. “It’s definitely widespread.”
The team identified 37 examples of tree-living ants that cultivate plants that grow on trees, known as epiphytes (附生植物). By looking at the family trees of the ant species, the team was able to determine on how many occasions plant cultivation evolved and roughly when. Fifteen is a conservative estimate, says Campbell. All the systems evolved relatively recently, around 1million to 3 million years ago, she says.
Whether the 37 examples of plant cultivation identified by the team count as true agriculture depends on the definitions used. Not all of the species get food from the plants, but they do rely on them for shelter, which is crucial for ants living in trees, says Campbell. So the team thinks the definition of true agriculture should include shelter as well as food.
1. According to biologists, why is ant-fungus cultivation considered as a form of true agriculture?A.Because it occurred earlier than human agriculture. |
B.Because it fulfills the standards typical of agricultural practices. |
C.Because it redefines the four criteria for true human agriculture. |
D.Because it is less common than previously thought. |
A.They determined on new family trees of the ant species. |
B.They overlooked some tree-living ants that provided nutrients for the plants. |
C.They never studied the ant-plant relationships within the context of agriculture. |
D.They never identified any an t species that engaged in cultivation of fungi. |
A.Ants’ cultivation of plants is limited to a few specific species. |
B.The cultivation of fungi by ants is considered the earliest form of agriculture. |
C.True agriculture in ants involves only food-related interactions with plants. |
D.Ants have independently cultivated plants on at least 15 distinct occasions. |
A.The evolution of ants in the plant kingdom. |
B.The widespread occurrence of ant-plant cultivation. |
C.The discovery of a new ant species engaging in agriculture. |
D.The contrast between ant agriculture and human agriculture. |
5 . Reducing the workweek to four days could have a climate benefit. In addition to improving the well-being of workers, cutting working hours may reduce carbon emissions. But those benefits would depend on a number of factors, experts emphasize, including how people choose to spend nonworking time.
Commuting and travel
Transportation is the biggest contributor to greenhouse emissions. A November 2021 survey of 2,000 employees and 500 business leaders in the United Kingdom found that if all organizations introduced a four-day week, the reduced trips to work would decrease travel overall by more than 691 million miles a week.
But the climate benefits of less commuting could be eliminated, experts said, if people choose to spend their extra time off traveling, particularly if they do so by car or plane.
Energy usage
Shorter working hours could lead to reductions in energy usage, experts said. According to a 2006 paper, if the United States adopted European work standards, the country would consume about 20 percent less energy.
Energy could also be conserved if fewer resources are needed to heat and cool large office buildings, reducing demands on electricity. For example, if an entire workplace shuts down on the fifth day, that would help lower consumption — less so if the office stays open to accommodate employees taking different days off.
Lifestyle changes
It’s possible that fewer working hours may lead some people to have a larger carbon footprint, but experts say research suggests that most people are likely to shift toward more sustainable lifestyles.
One theory is that people who work more and have less free time tend to do things in more carbon-intensive ways, such as choosing faster modes of transportation or buying prepared foods. Convenience is often carbon-intensive and people tend to choose convenience when they're time-stressed. Meanwhile, some research suggests that those who work less are more likely to engage in traditionally low-carbon activities, such as spending time with family or sleeping.
“When we talk about the four-day workweek and the environment, we focus on the tangible, but actually, in a way, the biggest potential benefit here is in the intangible,” experts said.
1. What is identified as the leading cause of greenhouse emissions according to the passage?A.The well-being of employees. |
B.The conservation of energy. |
C.Commuting and travel. |
D.The European work standard. |
A.People will have big potential in achieving intangible benefits while working. |
B.People are more likely to engage in carbon-intensive activities due to time constraints. |
C.People may shift toward more sustainable lifestyles and lower carbon footprints. |
D.People may travel more frequently by car or plane during their extra time off. |
A.highlight the importance of shortening working time in the context of well-being |
B.provide an overview of transportation emissions worldwide |
C.analyze the impact of reduced working hours on mode of business |
D.illustrate factors affecting the climate benefits of a shorter workweek |
6 . Montessori was born in Italy in 1870 with progressive parents, who frequently communicated with the country’s leading thinkers and scholars. This enlightened family environment provided Montessori with many advantages over other young girls of the time.
Her mother’s support was vital for some important decisions, such as her enrolment in a technical school after her elementary education. Her parents’ support also proved to be essential for her decision to study medicine, a field that was dominated by men.
Soon after graduating, in 1896, Montessori began work as a voluntary assistant in a clinic at the University of Rome, where she cared for children with learning difficulties. The rooms were bare, with just a few pieces of furniture. One day, she found that the children were enthusiastically playing with breadcrumbs (面包屑) that had dropped on the floor. It then occurred to her that the origin of some intellectual disabilities could be related with poverty. With the right learning materials, these and other young minds could be nurtured, Montessori concluded.
The observation would lead Montessori to develop a new method of education that focused on providing optimal stimulation during the sensitive periods of childhood.
At its centre was the principle that all the learning materials should be child-sized and designed to appeal to all the senses. In addition, each child should also be allowed to move and act freely, and use their creativity and problem-solving skills. Teachers took the role of guides, supporting the children without press or control.
Montessori opened her first Children’s House in 1907. When the Fascists (法西斯主义者) first came into power in Italy in 1922, they initially embraced her movement. But they soon came to oppose the emphasis on the children’s freedom of expression. Montessori’s values had always been about human respect, and the rights of children and women, but the Fascists wanted to use her work and her fame.
Things reached a breaking point when the Fascist tried to influence the schools’ educational content, and in 1934 Montessori and her son decided to leave Italy. She didn’t return to her homeland until 1947, and she continued to write about and develop her method until her death in 1952, at the age of 81.
1. The primary reason for Montessori to develop a new educational method was ______.A.her family’s supportive influence on her education |
B.her experience as a voluntary assistant in a clinic |
C.her observation of children playing with breadcrumbs happily |
D.her decision to study medicine, a field dominated by men |
A.Providing standardized, one-size-fits-all learning materials. |
B.Encouraging strict discipline and control over children’s actions. |
C.Focusing on rote memorization and competition. |
D.Creating a free and children-centered learning environment. |
A.she wanted to explore other countries and cultures |
B.she wanted to avoid the Fascist’s influence on her work |
C.she was offered a better job in a different country |
D.she wanted to retire and enjoy a peaceful life in another country |
A.Observant and innovative. | B.Traditional and emotional. |
C.Progressive and dependent. | D.Open-minded and indifferent. |
7 . Investors probably expect that following the suggestions of stock analysts would make them better off than doing the exact opposite.
Gennaioli and colleagues shed light on this
After observing strong earnings growth—the explanation goes—analysts think that the firm may be the next Google. “Googles” are in fact more frequent among firms experiencing strong growth, which makes them
In related work, the authors also show that the same model can
These works are part of a research project aimed at taking insights from cognitive sciences and at
Representativeness helps describe
A.Consequently | B.Furthermore | C.Nevertheless | D.Meanwhile |
A.curious | B.controversial | C.concerned | D.optimistic |
A.In brief | B.By contrast | C.In addition | D.Without doubt |
A.engagement | B.concentration | C.puzzle | D.definition |
A.memorize | B.prioritize | C.modernize | D.fertilize |
A.representative | B.argumentative | C.executive | D.sensitive |
A.harsh | B.adaptable | C.crucial | D.rare |
A.cheers | B.disappoints | C.stabilizes | D.improves |
A.account for | B.count on | C.suffer from | D.hold up |
A.pouring | B.admitting | C.integrating | D.tempting |
A.pretend | B.afford | C.offer | D.tend |
A.effects | B.delights | C.intervals | D.codes |
A.companions | B.scales | C.expectations | D.findings |
A.necessity | B.involvement | C.perseverance | D.reluctance |
A.equivalent | B.exceptional | C.mysterious | D.distressing |
A. smoothing B. remain C. switched D. likelihood E. impact F. tip G. broadly H. headed I. booming J. positioning K. reliably |
Sea-level rise predictions
A team of University of Idaho scientists is studying a fast-moving glacier in Alaska in hopes of developing better predictions on how quickly global sea levels will rise.
Tim Bartholomaus, a professor in the Department of Geography and Geological Sciences, spent several weeks on Turner Glacier in Alaska’s southeastern
A surging glacier is defined,
During Turner’s surges, the mass of ice and rock will increase its speed from roughly 3 feet a day to 65 feet per day.
All of that is important because glaciers falling into the ocean are a major contributor to sea level rise, and current climate change models don’t
Glacial movement has something to do with water running underneath the glacier. Glaciers are full of holes, and water runs through those holes. When the water pressure is high underneath a glacier, it starts to move, partly because it’s lifting the mass of ice and rock off the ground and partly because it’s
But how exactly does that water move through the glacier, and how does the movement
Bartholomaus, some graduate students and researchers from Boise State University,
Japan’s robot revolution in senior care
Japan’s artificial intelligence expertise is transforming the elder care industry, with
The rapidly graying population
The long-standing shortage of professional care workers has encouraged the Japanese government
Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, the attitudes to dirt are always changing.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, and washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. The king of England did something similar in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. France’s Henry IV was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief above was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbour ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War II. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea; clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist(免疫学家) , encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
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