1 . At most schools in the U. S., it’s customary to have a cheer squad (啦啦队) to support athletics. Cheerleaders drum up excitement before games, put on jaw—dropping routines at games, and provide support on the sidelines of most events. But students who participate in performing and visual arts seldom receive the same displays of support as athletes do. A group of students at Mountain View High School in Orem, Utah, decided to change that fact by creating a cheer squad just for the arts.
Their school’s athletics cheer squad is called the Bruin Crazies, so they named their artistic cheer squad the Bruin Classies! This is a new brand with which they could create something for all of the arts, whether it is band, dance show, photography and art galleries—to give them some publicity and cheer them on.
Classies wear a “uniform” of bow ties to indicate the “sense of class”artistic efforts bring their school. They carry around signs to advertise the upcoming play, musical, or dance performance. Hoping to drum up ticket sales, they encourage their fellow students to come out to support the hard work of others. They also attend performances and displays at school to cheer their classmates on.
After years of discussion to make a cheer squad for the arts, this is the first time they’ve been able to pull it off. More than 90 students have already signed up to be a Bruin Classy! “The students have poured their time and energy into their arts, and it is worthy to be celebrated. ”Caleb Stay, the cheer squad leader, said, “If you worked really hard on something and no one showed up, it would be disappointing. We just want to make sure that no one feels that way. ”
This is such an amazing idea! We can’t believe no one has come up with it before, but hopefully these thoughtful teens have started a new trend to support the arts in other schools, too.
1. Why did the students in Mountain View high school set up the Bruin Classies?A.To support the arts in their schoo1. | B.To compete with the Bruin Crazies. |
C.To participate in the art performing. | D.To cheer the athletes on in the games. |
A.By offering free tickets to students. |
B.By popularizing the art performances. |
C.By inviting students to attend performances. |
D.By wearing a special uniform for art festivals. |
A.More students will sign up the Bruin Classy. |
B.Few students like to attend the art performance. |
C.The artistic cheer squad will become a new trend. |
D.The students’artistic efforts deserve to be admired. |
A.Move over, “Crazies,” the “Classies” are here |
B.“Crazies” keep up, never give in to “Classies” |
C.The Bruin Crazies, a “uniform” of bow ties |
D.The Bruin Crazies, a big hit in Orem, Utah |
2 . Skeleton is one of the three sliding sports at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, alongside the luge(单雪橇)and bobsleigh(大雪橇). With only six medals up for grabs, skeleton has the fewest events at the Winter Games—which means competition will be fierce.
The sport of skeleton has its roots in the most popular winter pastime: sleighing. In the mid-19th century, British and American holidaymakers built the first toboggan(平底雪橇)run in Davos in 1882, and thus the sport of sleighing began.
Two years later, in 1884, the famed Cresta Run—a natural ice skeleton racing toboggan track—was built in St. Moritz, Switzerland(the course has hosted the annual Grand National championships since 1885).
In 1892, a new sledge made entirely of steel was introduced, and some claim that its bony appearance gave the sledge and the sport the name ‘skeleton’.
Men’s skeleton was first introduced on the Olympic program in the 1928 Games in St. Moritz. But due to the sport only being available at the Cresta Run at the time, it fell into obscurity(默默无闻)while the luge and bobsleigh grew in popularity. However, in 2002, the skeleton was reintroduced as a men’s and women’s event at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, and has remained a part of the Olympic program ever since.
While Great Britain has the most medals(nine)in skeleton competition at the Olympics, the top spot belongs to the United States(eight medals)by virtue of having four silvers to Great Britain’s one(both nations have three golds, while Britain has five bronze medals, and the United States one).
Great Britain is the only nation to have won a medal every time skeleton has featured at the Olympic Games, and has won at least one medal in each of the five contests of women’s skeleton since its introduction.
1. How many events does skeleton have in the Olympics?A.Two. | B.Three. | C.Five. | D.Six. |
A.In 1882. | B.In1885. | C.In1892. | D.In 1928. |
A.Because its material steel was rare. |
B.Because there was only one run for it. |
C.Because only men could take part in it. |
D.Because it was not on the Olympic program. |
A.The number of medals. | B.The composition of medals. |
C.The virtue of the athletes. | D.The times of hosting the Olympics. |
3 . Climate breakdown threatens to cause a global food production crisis. The UN forecasts that by 2050, feeding the world will require a 20% expansion in global water use for agriculture. It is hard to see how agriculture can feed the population of the planet, let alone toward the end of the century and beyond. Agriculture is a major cause of climate breakdown, and both river and air pollution. Industrial fishing is similarly driving ecological collapse in seas around the world.
However, at this critical time, farming (a new kind of food technology) is creating astonishing possibilities to save both people and the planet. Farming will enable the return of vast areas of land and sea to nature, greatly reducing carbon emissions (排放物). It means an end to the employment of animals, a stop to overfishing, and a dramatic reduction in cutting down forests and the use of pesticides (杀虫剂). It is the best hope for stopping the destruction of the planet and, if it is done right, it means cheap and abundant food for everyone.
We are about to welcome one of the biggest economic transformations, of any kind, for 200 years. Arguments continue about plants against meat-based diets; however, new technologies will soon make these arguments irrelevant. Before long, most food will come neither from animals nor plants, but from micro-organisms (微生物).
Not only will food be cheaper, it will also be healthier. Due to the fact that farming creates food products built up from simple components rather than broken down from complex ones, hard fats and other unhealthy components can be screened out. Meat will still be meat, but it will be grown in factories rather than in the bodies of animals. Fats will still be fats, but food is likely to be better, cheaper and much less damaging to the living planet.
1. What is the major cause of sea ecological breakdown?A.Food production. | B.Global farming. |
C.Industrial fishing. | D.Climate breakdown. |
A.Its benefits. | B.Its security. | C.Its research. | D.Its limits. |
A.Sea animals. | B.Wild plants. | C.Micro-organisms. | D.Farm products. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Positive. | C.Disapproving. | D.Unclear. |
4 . Fast walkers may live longer than dawdlers (缓慢的人)— regardless of their weight, a new study suggests.
Researchers at Leicester University analyzed data on 474, 919 people with an average age of 52 in the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2016. They found women who walked briskly had a life expectancy of 86.7 to 87.8 years old, and men who kept up the pace had a life expectancy of 85.2 to 86.8. Slow walkers hadn’t much encouraging prospects (前景): women had a life expectancy of 72.4, and men of 64.8 years old, if they were more leisurely in their movements. According to the paper, published last week, that ratio held true even if the fast walkers were severely overweight. It does not necessarily mean fast walkers will live longer. Experts say it suggests walking speed could be a simple way for doctors to judge their patients’ general health alongside other tests.
It is hardly the first study holding up walking speed as a powerful evidence that appears to improve and determine our health.
In 2011, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study by Stephanie Studenski, who found the same: walking speed was a reliable predictor of life expectancy.
In 2013, US researchers found walking pace was linked to lower heart disease risk and longer life expectancy. In 2018, a study from the University of Sydney found picking up your walking pace to even an “average speed” could cut your risk of premature death by a fifth.
And Tom Yates, the physical activity professor at Leicester who's behind the latest study, has been publishing findings on this connection for years.
In 2017, he analyzed the same UK Biobank data and found walking speed appeared to affect the risk of dying from heart disease — concluding that the slowest walkers were twice as likely to suffer a heart-related death compared to quick walkers.
1. What does the underlined word “briskly” in paragraph 2 probably mean?A.Casually. | B.Quickly. | C.Actively. | D.Energetically. |
A.Most fast walkers are overweight. |
B.Fast walkers have a simple way of living. |
C.Walking speed can help doctors know about their patients’ general health. |
D.Doctors will surely have better ways to cure their patients of their illness. |
A.Walking slowly is bad for people's health. |
B.Walking speed can predict a person’s life expectancy. |
C.People won't die early by increasing their walking pace. |
D.Lower heart disease risk is determined partly by walking pace. |
A.Fast Walkers May Have a Long Life Expectancy |
B.Life Expectancy Is Determined by Exercise |
C.Researchers Try to Improve Life Expectancy |
D.The Public Doubt Researches on Walking Speed |
5 . Most young people are always on their phones, which may upset many people.
Each teen spent at least an hour of one-on-one time with their oldsters. Based on their
Some of the oldsters actually wanted to take part in e-commerce (电子商务), and needed help to
In addition to arranging group lessons for all of the seniors to
The eighth graders earned their “Silver Award,, for their job. After experiencing the
A.Otherwise | B.Therefore | C.However | D.Besides |
A.service | B.praise | C.invitation | D.donation |
A.keep | B.untie | C.share | D.unlock |
A.technological | B.medical | C.psychological | D.physical |
A.record | B.teach | C.recall | D.investigate |
A.get back | B.set up | C.check out | D.pay off |
A.patience | B.luck | C.fun | D.trouble |
A.write | B.phone | C.text | D.read |
A.sweet | B.simple | C.rare | D.common |
A.play | B.live | C.talk | D.review |
A.amazed | B.experienced | C.confused | D.respected |
A.success | B.arrangement | C.change | D.pressure |
A.performances | B.clinics | C.clubs | D.competitions |
A.organized | B.managed | C.visited | D.funded |
A.needed | B.refused | C.enjoyed | D.deserved |
6 . When someone is homeless or trying to recover from a natural disaster, they are in need of a lot of the basic life necessities that many of us take for granted (认为……是理所当然的). While people are often encouraged to donate canned goods, not everyone is thinking about things like shoes.
Of course, you can’t go looking for a new job or a home, if you have no shoes to walk in. One woman in Hays, Kansas took this into consideration, and found a way to help hundreds of people.
Payless stores were going out of business, and shoes were selling for as little as $1 per pair, so a woman named Addy Tritt bought out all the remaining shoes at the Hays Payless store—more than 200 pairs—and donated them to flood victims (灾民) in Nebrsska.
Those shoes were then included in a flood relief shipment taken to farmers in Nebraska by Fort Hays State University. Tritt, who recently graduated from FHSU’s human resources program, wanted to “pay it forward”.
“I have been so lucky,” she said. “There have been so many great people in my life who have inspired me. I see so many terrible things in the news. So many people have helped me when I was down. They influenced me so much that I want to help if I can.”
Tritt has a history of charitable (慈善发) acts. She has donated more than 60 bags of school supplies to Hays students, and organized a baby clothes drive and two supply drives for the animal shelter.
“I really feel I have been directed and guided to help people,” she said. “If you can do something for someone else, you need to find a way even if it is a pair of shoes.”
1. How did Tritt help flood victims?A.By sending some food to them. |
B.By helping them find new jobs. |
C.By selling shoes to raise money for them. |
D.By buying shoes for them. |
A.Pay ahead of time. | B.Save some money. |
C.Pass the love. | D.Put forward the plan. |
A.The low price of shoes. | B.Other people’s influence. |
C.Ideas from her school. | D.The sad situation of victims. |
A.Caring. | B.Independent. |
C.Clever. | D.Brave. |
1. When did Betty Jameson win the Southern Championship?
A.In 1932. | B.In 1934. | C.In 1939. |
A.The United States Amateur competition. |
B.The United States Women’s Open. |
C.The Western Open. |
A.Golf. | B.Basketball. | C.Tennis. |
A.About 70 years old. | B.About 80 years old. | C.About 90 years old. |
8 . Recent research discovered that a low-cost computer training program can help older persons drive less dangerously.
“We developed a training program, called Drive Aware, which could be used by anyone who has a computer,” says Jing Feng, co-author of the study and a professor of psychology at NC State. “Drive Aware is a cognitive (认知的) training program for older persons that helps them notice traffic risks more effectively. The purpose of our recent study was to see how much Drive Aware changes trainees’ driving behaviors once they get behind the wheel.”
The researchers found 27 persons aged 65 and up to test Drive Aware. In a driving simulator (模拟器), all of the study participants (参与者) experienced a basic driving exam. The “active training” group was made up of nine of the study participants. Every two weeks, the active training group had two Drive Aware trainings. A group of nine additional study participants was asked to take “passive training”. This group watched videos of others receiving the Drive Aware instruction. This happened twice, with each lasting about a week. The control group, which was made up of the remaining nine study participants, received no training. After that, all 27 study participants performed a second driving exam in the simulator.
The study participants in the active training group experienced 25% fewer “unsafe incidents (事件)” following the training, according to the researchers. There was no obvious change in the number of dangerous incidents among study participants in the passive training and control groups.
“This testing was done with a fairly limited number of study participants,” Feng says. “If we can succeed in getting the fund, we’d like to further our testing with more people to clearly prove how effective this training is at reducing accidents among older drivers.”
1. What does the underlined phrase “get behind the wheel” in paragraph 2 mean?A.Take a risk. | B.Start a program. |
C.Drive a car. | D.Use a computer. |
A.Experience no training. | B.Receive two Drive Aware trainings. |
C.Take three driving tests. | D.Observe videos of Drive Aware trainings. |
A.By quoting former figures. | B.By investigating car accidents. |
C.By operating the driving simulator. | D.By comparing participants’ performances. |
A.Unclear. | B.Worried. | C.Positive. | D.Doubtful. |
9 . You will have an opportunity to meet your new neighbors after you move into the neighborhood. And getting to know your neighbors will help you feel like you're at home and settle into your new space.
Careful observation.
What if you have nothing in common? No problem. There's absolutely nothing wrong with just walking up to the from door, and introducing yourself or inviting them to a small get-together. Let them know you just moved in and where you moved from. If that still feels uncomfortable, then ask about garbage pick-up or recycling centers in the neighborhood. Remember that you live on the same street, in the same neighborhood.
Host a get-together. Though it might be the last thing you warn to do while you're still unpacking, hosting a casual get-together is a great way to meet your neighbors all at the same time.
A.Meet neighbors outdoors. |
B.Spend more time walking. |
C.Check out your neighborhood. |
D.If the weather is nice, host it outside. |
E.That's enough to start any conversation. |
F.If they're interested, they'll say so or even invite you in. |
G.The following suggestions do necessarily make it easier to do. |
A group of musicians from China, Germany and Switzerland joined hands in a special concert to celebrate the 100-day countdown to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. The event, also known as China Media Group(CMG) China-Europe Music Festival,
It’s part of a program of special events running up to the Winter Olympics, which will begin on February 4, 2022. Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC),
The concert
Bach added, “The beautiful performances by this talented group of international artists show that inspirational moments are possible when we are dreaming together. This is
CMG President Shen Haixiong said, “Sport and music are the common language of all mankind. Artists from different countries perform wonderfully