1 . Most new runners assume that the best way to improve is simply to run greater and greater distances. While it’s true that going farther and faster will improve your running skills, most coaches and trainers will advise some level of strength training as well. Focusing on your core (核心) is a common suggestion. A recent study seems to back this up. In the Journal of Biomechanics, researchers investigated a symptom that has long confused runners from beginners to experienced ones. A good number of runners, 14 percent to be exact, experience gradual lower back pain. The results of the new study seem to suggest that weak deep core muscles might be to blame. When these muscles aren’t strong enough, the study found, muscles on other areas of the body kick in to keep the runner up-right, eventually leading to back pain.

To understand the role that these muscles play, the researchers had eight volunteers with minimal running experience run along an indoor track. High-speed cameras and 3D motion detectors analyzed which muscles moved, and how much. Once they created a working computer model for each runner, the scientists imitated what would happen if certain deep muscles were weaker, or shut off completely. As it turns out, when a person can’t use their deep core muscles very well, their bodies still want (and need) to maintain a good running form, and uses surface muscles to do so.

What’s wrong with that? A muscle is a muscle, right? Not exactly. While the surface muscles are often targeted in workouts - they give you a six-pack (六块腹肌), after all - they are pretty useless when it comes to supporting your spine (脊柱). The deeper core muscles, which essentially lie beneath and can’t be seen from the outside, do all the heavy spinal lifting.

It’s important to note that even when you’ve made these muscles super strong, you won’t likely notice visible results. But they will probably help you run better and definitely help prevent potential back pain. Perhaps throwing a nice long plank (平板支撑) may work.

1. Why do most new runners want to run farther and faster?

A．Because they think it can improve running skills.

B．Because some coaches and trainers advise them to do so.

C．Because a recent study proves it to be helpful.

D．Because it’s a kind of useful strength training.

2. What does the new study show us when people do the running?

A．14 percent of the runners have weak muscles.

B．The muscles on other areas lead to back pain.

C．Strong deep core muscles can prevent back pain.

D．The beginning runners usually have weak core muscles.

3. What happens when people do the running?

A．A working computer model can be created.

B．Certain deep muscles become weaker.

C．Surface muscles are the most important for running.

D．Deep core muscles probably function first.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Why are core muscles so important when running?

B．surface muscles play a role.

C．Train the six-pack.

D．Build Super strong muscles.

2 . What activity does the man like?

A．Snowboarding.

B．Snowkiting.

C．Climbing.

3 . 阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空。

Football is the most popular outdoor game all over the world. It is one of the oldest games and is played in many    1    (country).

Football helps improve concentration and creates team spirits,    2    requires a lot of physical strength. This game started from Italy where there was a village    3    (call) Rugby and according to some sources, the game originated from China.

The game can be used    4    (reduce) stress and can be played by people of all ages. The game is played by    5    (hit) the ball with a foot so it is called football. So far, it    6    (become) a very popular game in many parts of the world. People are    7     (excite) to see their favorite team win.

There are different kinds of football rules known as “Football Codes”. However, the way that football is played is    8    (actual) similar everywhere. It is played by two teams with eleven players in each team and two judges and each game lasts for 90 minutes, with    9    break of 15 minutes. The aim of the players is to score and prevent the opposite team     10    making a goal.

4 . Sobhi from Egypt, who has worked as a bodybuilder for almost 60 years, often says that age is just a number. Whenever people ask him when he is going to retire, his only answer is “never”.

It is generally accepted that people grow less active and lose passion for life as they age. However Sobhi believes that age can never block ambitions if people still have strong wills.

Sobhi’s love for sports started when he joined his school gymnastics team. He once won the third place in Cairo’s Gymnastics Championship. In university, he started to pay more attention to bodybuilding, not only for a better shape, but also for a better health.

His body is so well-shaped that it even helped him appear in a famous film. Sobhi played a minor role of a muscleman in the film, which was filmed in Egypt and tells the story of an Ancient Roman soldier who was sent to Egypt by Julius Caesar to monitor one of his commanders.

As an 80-year-old man, Sobhi said training hard and having a good exercise schedule as well as a healthy diet are the real foundations of bodybuilding. He warned young people that taking bodybuilding supplements (补充剂) can lead to health risks. He recommended them to go for vitamins and other all-natural supplements that do not cause harm.

“Sobhi is 40 years older than me, but he does his exercises as if he is much younger than me,” Gabr, an athlete, said. He also said Sobhi is a great example for all athletes at the club, where Sobhi has been working out for the past 40 years. They are lucky to do sports with such a “hero” “We watch him working out in shock. We wish we could just be like him when we are at his age,” Gabr added.

1. What does the underlined word “passion” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Production.	B．Encouragement
C．Love.	D．Dislike.

2. What did Sobhi once work as?

A．An advisor.	B．An actor.
C．A teacher.	D．A fitness trainer.

3. What did Sobhi advise young people to do?

A．Train as hard as they can.	B．Exercise whenever they like.
C．Pay more attention to body shape.	D．Take all-natural supplements.

4. What did Gabr show for Sobhi in the last paragraph?

A．Admiration.	B．Indifference.
C．Dissatisfaction.	D．Disagreement.

7 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What sport did the woman play yesterday afternoon?

A．Basketball.

B．Table tennis.

C．Tennis.

2. What are the woman’s favorite sports?

A．Swimming and football.

B．Table tennis and basketball.

C．Swimming and volleyball.

3. What is the man’s favorite sport?

A．Volleyball.

B．Football.

C．Tennis.

8 . The idea that I wasn’t athletic lived with me for years. I wasn’t fond of _______or conflict in sports. What I only enjoyed were _______ things such as playing with phones and watching TV. Not until my Senior High did I _______ I needed a change, as I was in poor health. In Senior Two, my friend, Lora, took part in our school’s marathon club and _______ me to join too. To my relief, there weren’t any qualification tests: everyone who signed up was_______. It’s believed that most people—even those who were _______ in sports— could run a marathon, if they_______ for it.

I still remember the first day of training, when everyone arrived on the school’s playground and the coach _______it’s time to start. Before that, I thought the warming-up would be a _______ jog for about 800 metres along the track as in previous PE classes . However, I soon ________ it was a 2-km run! That’s out of my expectation. After running two kilometres, I was totally ________. More________ , the real exercise for that day was a 10-km run. As soon as I got home, with aching legs, I thought about ________. But with Lora’s encouragement, I finally ________ myself to persist(坚持), determined to get stronger physically.

I didn’t make real progress ________. I ran the last during exercise for a long time. With days passing by, I tried harder and harder. Gradually, during the exercise I could be in the ________ of the team—the fastest runners were always ahead, while the slowest were behind. Because of my ________, warm-up became a real warm-up. The 10-km run turned into a(n)________   practice. For me, who don’t like sports, this was a great ________. I do believe it is from the power of ________. Once you make up your mind, you will definitely make progress.

1.

A．art

B．rules

C．schoolwork

D．competition

2.

A．challenging

B．relaxing

C．interesting

D．exciting

3.

A．wonder

B．imagine

C．realize

D．declare

4.

A．demanded

B．accompanied

C．invited

D．assisted

5.

A．accepted

B．needed

C．tested

D．questioned

6.

A．good

B．hard

C．skilled

D．poor

7.

A．ran

B．cared

C．applied

D．trained

8.

A．announced

B．hoped

C．thought

D．asked

9.

A．practical

B．regular

C．tough

D．tiring

10.

A．thought out

B．made up

C．found out

D．believed in

11.

A．amazed

B．exhausted

C．encouraged

D．energetic

12.

A．unexpectedly

B．interestingly

C．naturally

D．apparently

13.

A．crying

B．going

C．quitting

D．complaining

14.

A．helped

B．asked

C．taught

D．persuaded

15.

A．immediately

B．actually

C．gradually

D．separately

16.

A．top

B．middle

C．bottom

D．front

17.

A．efforts

B．acts

C．work

D．contribution

18.

A．hard

B．easy

C．funny

D．avoidable

19.

A．example

B．exception

C．failure

D．improvement

20.

A．honesty

B．modesty

C．determination

D．inspiration

9 .     1       However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.

Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses（球场）in good condition.     2     For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.

    3     Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don't have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit.     4     Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.

Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements（代替物）for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces.     5     And best of all, it’s free.

A．It will cost you a lot.

B．This causes major environmental effects.

C．There are many environment-friendly sports.

D．Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature.

E．If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones.

F．There is no special requirement for you to start your membership.

G．More and more people are concerned about environmental protection.

10 . Roller coasters are fast and exciting. But passing a painful kidney (肾) stones is not. The process is painful and can take a long time. But American researchers have found that a roller coaster ride just might help those suffering from a kidney stone. They say such rides help patients pass the stones with a 70 percent success rate.

David Wartinger led the study. He found that where the person sits on the roller coaster can make a big difference. He said, “In the pilot study, sitting in the last car of the roller coaster showed about a 64 percent passage rate. Sitting in the first few cars only had a 16 percent success rate.”

It also mattered where the stones were located in the kidney. The researchers found that stones located in the upper part of the kidney model were passed 100 percent.

When it comes to passing kidney stones, not all roller coasters are equal. The researchers used 174 kidney stones of differing shapes, sizes and weights to see if each model worked on the same ride and on two other roller coasters. They found that Big Thunder Mountain was the only one that worked. The other two roller coasters both failed the test. Wartinger said the other rides were too fast and too violent. The movement forced the stones against the side of the kidney. He said that the ideal roller coaster is rough and quick with some twists and turns.

Wartinger thinks roller coaster rides could also be used as a preventative measure. He said that a yearly ride on a roller coaster could even prevent stones from developing. “You need to heed the warnings before going on a roller coaster,” he said. “If you have a kidney stone, but are otherwise healthy and meet the requirements of the ride, patients should try it.”

He adds that it’s definitely a lower cost alternative to other treatments. And riding a roller coaster is definitely more fun!

1. According to the text, passing kidney stone is ______.

A．fast	B．exciting
C．interesting	D．painful

2. Which of the following benefits people with a kidney stone most?

A．Sitting in the first car of a roller coaster.

B．Sitting in the middle car of a roller coaster.

C．Sitting in big roller coasters with doctors’ care.

D．Sitting in rough and fast roller coasters with twists and turns.

3. What’s Wartinger’s attitude to riding roller coasters for people having a kidney stone?

A．Worried.	B．Negative.
C．Supportive.	D．Skeptical.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Some treatments of kidney stones

B．Advantages of riding roller coasters

C．Roller coasters can help pass kidney stones

D．Kidney stones can be cured by riding roller coasters