1 . Teenagers around the world are familiar with the great pain of boredom. And every parent is familiar with the sounds of groaning (咕哝的) kids, sulking (生闷气) in their room or pacing aimlessly around the house. But sometimes, it’s this very sense of boredom that can inspire creativity and create fast-growing trends.
This is true for pickleball (匹克球), now a popular sport in the West. According to the Mental Floss website, the sport was invented in the summer of 1965. At that time, Frank Pritchard, 13, had nothing to do in his family’s summer home in Washington, US. After complaining loudly, his father, Joel, suggested he make up a game. When Frank replied “Why don’t you?” his father gladly took up the challenge. Thus, pickleball was born.
Certain parts of tennis, badminton and ping-pong can be seen from pickleball. It’s a bat game played on a badminton-sized court with what looks like a wiffle ball (威浮球) over a low net. Only the serving team can score points, and all serves must be made with an underhand stroke (击球).
The popularity of pickleball has grown steadily over the last decade. According to Mental Floss, the number of pickleball courts has grown by an estimated 385 percent worldwide since 2010. One reason for its popularity is that it’s “a sport for everyone”. Anyone can play pickleball because it’s relatively easy to pick up. There are simple rules, and all people need is a couple of bats and a ball, which is affordable and accessible to all. Plus, pickleball is a sport centered around fun and friendship. The game lasts as short as 15 minutes, which means less running and stress for players.
Pritchard said that the game’s rapid rise in popularity was amazing, especially considering that a bad-tempered kid “inspired a sports craze by making a stink (吵闹) about being bored one afternoon 56 years ago”.
1. What do we know about pickleball, according to the passage?| A．It was invented accidentally by a young boy. |
| B．It is a game suitable for family gatherings. |
| C．It combines elements from several ball games. |
| D．The game’s judges come from a serving team. |
| A．Why pickleball has become so well received. |
| B．What equipment pickleball players need. |
| C．How significant pickleball is to the world. |
| D．What rules must be obeyed in pickleball. |
| A．Unexpected. | B．Reasonable. | C．Natural. | D．Awkward. |
| A．To advise us to join in sports games. |
| B．To teach us how to play pickleball. |
| C．To tell us the birth of a sports game. |
| D．To motivate us to follow new trends. |
2 . There are many ways to travel within a city. We can walk, cycle, or take a bus. But no matter which way we travel, we have to follow the route (线路) the city planners laid down for us.
Parkour practitioners (跑酷爱好者), however, see the city in a completely different way. To them, there are no designed routes. There are no walls and no stairs — they jump, climb, roll and crawl to move across, through, over and under anything that they find in their path. The city is their playground.
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has noticed that this activity is drawing more and more people to it — there are 100, 000 people taking part in parkour today in the UK alone, according to The Guardian — and how it is helpful for people to be much stronger: It trains coordination and balance. So the FIG is thinking about recognizing parkour as a new sport and adding it to the Olympics by 2024.
But parkour practitioners themselves don’t seem to be happy with the idea. They see parkour as “a lifestyle”, wrote the website NextSportStar. “It’s a competition against the conditions rather than just a sport.”
Indeed, many do parkour just to “escape the daily routine and experience the city in different ways”, wrote reporter Oli Mould on The Conversation. They see parkour as a way to express themselves through relaxing moves and creative routes while freeing themselves from the pressure.
It’s great that the FIG wants to develop a new sport and stay close to a new cultural form. But it would be greater if they knew that not everything in life is a competition.
1. How do the parkour practitioners do parkour?| A．They plan the way themselves. |
| B．They move on as they wish. |
| C．They run faster than others. |
| D．They follow certain routes. |
| A．It’s a special way of life. |
| B．It draws their attention. |
| C．It helps balance people’s life. |
| D．It’s good for people to keep healthy. |
| A．It is more exciting than other sports. |
| B．It is worth adding to the sporting event. |
| C．It is more a lifestyle than a competition. |
| D．It encourages people to challenge themselves. |
| A．Parkour practitioners |
| B．Making the city their own |
| C．Training in a different way |
| D．A new sports competition |
3 . Running is a great form of exercise. However, running under certain conditions can cause a variety of injuries.
The National Running Association recently released the results of its latest survey on common running injuries, as illustrated in the picture on the right. According to the survey results, the most reported cases are related to knee injury and muscle pull, with the former occurring a little less frequently. About a quarter of the respondents say they have had plantar fasciitis, The number of respondents suffering from Achilles tendonitis or shin splints is nearly twice that of those with stress fracture, which is also what fewest respondents report.
There are two main causes of running injury: structural imbalance and training volume. Structural imbalance occurs when a certain muscle group is weak and requires other muscle groups to help. The body adapts to stresses and becomes stronger. This is the basic principle of training. However, if you push too fast or run too far, you can stress the body in such a way that it never has time to fully recover. Training progression and moderation are the keys to avoiding overuse injury.
Here are several ways to avoid running injury.
● Prepare your body for running by walking.
● Understand your body type and be patient.
● Follow a sensible training plan or find a coach.
● Wear the right shoes.
The cause of the injury is not easy to diagnose. For example, a foot problem can cause a problem in the knees or back. Finding and treating the cause of a running injury is the job of a trained doctor. More importantly, listen to your body and recognize the signs of overtraining so that you can avoid running injury.
1. Which group of injuries best fits the blanks numbered ①, ②, ③ and ④ in the picture?| A．① knee injury; ② muscle pull; ③ stress fracture; ④ shin splints |
| B．① muscle pull; ② knee injury; ③ stress fracture; ④ Achilles tendonitis |
| C．① knee injury; ② muscle pull; ③ shin splints; ④ stress fracture |
| D．① muscle pull; ② knee injury; ③ Achilles tendonitis; ④ stress fracture |
| A．Using some muscles more intensely than others. |
| B．Training weak muscles more often than strong ones. |
| C．Adapting your body to stresses slowly. |
| D．Giving your body little time to recover. |
| A．turn to a coach for help | B．consult a trained doctor |
| C．understand your body type first | D．wear another pair of running shoes |
4 . After bikes and umbrellas are made sharable across China, some companies started eyeing the fitness market, so shared gym rooms have hit the streets in Beijing.
Unlike common gyms that provide large, open spaces for many members to share at the same time, the newly built shared gym rooms are small, stand-alone rooms for a person to use, often set up near living communities.
Every four-square-meter room is equipped with a treadmill (跑步机), an air cleaner, a mirror, a television and an air conditioner, and users can let down the curtains for privacy. When exercising, users can listen to music, watch movies and check emails by connecting to the Internet by the screen fixed on the treadmill. There’s no shower or washbasin.
Similar to using a shared bike, users can locate a shared gym room by smartphone application, book a room in advance and then need to scan a QR code for use. A refundable deposit (保证金) of 99 yuan is required, and users are charged 1 yuan every 5 minutes.
The shared gym rooms are created by Misspao, a Beijng-based technology company founded in July. Within several months since it was founded, the company has already raised over 100 million yuan, Yicai Global reports. The idea of the shared fitness experience is not entirely nascent. Last December, the Shanghai-based technology company VRUN set up shared treadmills in office and apartment buildings.
The sharing economy is still becoming popular in China. According to Yicai Global, confident investors are pouring millions into sharing start-ups. In March, the State Information Center published a report which predicts that the total value of China’s sharing economy will see a yearly growth of 40% in the coming years, and it is expected to make a great contribution to the country’s GDP.
1. What makes the shared gym room different from the common one?| A．Offering open spaces. |
| B．Standing in the living zone. |
| C．Holding one person a time. |
| D．Having some advanced equipment. |
| A．Use a smartphone. |
| B．Pay 100 yuan first. |
| C．Let down curtains for privacy. |
| D．Have a shower before exercise. |
| A．Misspao is the first to have the idea of the shared fitness experience. |
| B．VRUN set up shared gym rooms last December. |
| C．The total value of China’s sharing economy has grown by 40%. |
| D．Some investors are confident in the sharing economy. |
| A．To introduce shared gym rooms. |
| B．To advertise a technology company. |
| C．To support the shared gym rooms. |
| D．To predict the future of shared gym rooms. |
5 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. 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. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. 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. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. 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. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1. What is the meaning of the underlined words in paragraph 2?| A．resource-consuming | B．resource-developing |
| C．resource-protecting | D．resource-controlling |
| A．It is environmentally-friendly. | B．It improves our health. |
| C．It is simple and free. | D．It can make you put on weight. |
| A．Playing basketball in a gym. | B．Motor racing in the desert. |
| C．Cycling around a lake. | D．Swimming in a sports center. |
| A．To show us some major outdoor sports. |
| B．To encourage us to go in for green sports. |
| C．To discuss the influence of some popular sports. |
| D．To introduce some environmentally-friendly sports. |
6 . Sport is not only physically challenging, but it can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coaches, parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create an excessive amount of anxiety or stress for young athletes. Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological and research has suggested that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware, at all times, that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take parents’ and coaches’ criticisms to heart and find a mistake in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also be careful that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today’s youth sport setting, young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game, many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters’ performances. Positive reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout.
1. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?| A．Mental stress should be reduced. | B．Sport should be made less competitive. |
| C．Stress should be made less. | D．Sport can be mentally challenging. |
| A．it can help them learn more about society |
| B．it enables them to criticize themselves |
| C．it can provide them with valuable experiences |
| D．it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves |
| A．Parents and coaches should enable children to enjoy sport. |
| B．Parents and coaches should help children to win every game. |
| C．Parents and coaches should train children to deal with stress. |
| D．Parents and coaches should understand the meaning of sport. |
| A．To teach young athletes how to avoid burnout. |
| B．To persuade young children not to worry about criticism. |
| C．To stress the importance of encouraging children. |
| D．To discuss the skill of combining criticism with encouragement. |
7 . No Excuse Workout
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All you have to do is follow along with Ryan as he takes you through these quick, effective, four-minute workouts.
After years of research, scientists have discovered that the key to burning fat and building muscles is not longer workouts. Instead, it’s the right combination of correct exercises——intense bursts with short rests. This is known as “interval training”. For more information, read The Science Behind High Intensity Interval Training.
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1. What is a selling point of No Excuse Workout?| A．It includes a dumbbell as a gift. |
| B．It saves you lots of time on exercise. |
| C．It urges you to accept a healthy lifestyle. |
| D．It introduces to you some personal trainers. |
| A．40 minutes. | B．45 minutes. | C．60 minutes. | D．80 minutes. |
| A．By providing examples. | B．By using recommendations. |
| C．By giving scientific support. | D．By charging a cheap price. |
8 . “Running is so natural—it’s something we’ve been doing for thousands of years, and it’s something very enjoyable.” The words of Tao Geoghegan Hart, a professional (专业的) cyclist. As an ambassador (大使) for The Daily Mile, a movement that calls for one simple thing—15 minutes of daily exercise, where children run, walk, jog or skip one mile—he encourages any form of exercise and movement.
Geoghegan Hart sees schools as key to setting young people up for life with good sporting habits. “When you’re school age, sport can encourage you and take hold of you and change you more than at any other age,” he explains. “Yes, we all go on journeys with sport, but when you look back at those journeys, they start with your childhood.”
One big attraction of taking part in The Daily Mile is that it is a cost-free way in which schools can encourage regular exercise. Geoghegan Hart says he hopes The Daily Mile will encourage children to try and be more active in the future. “Something as simple as The Daily Mile can lead to much more,” he says.
At Cowley Hill Primary School, head teacher Louise Thomas says that they’ve found the movement has had a great positive influence upon the lives of their learners. Charlie Honour, year-5 teacher and PE subject leader at St Peter’s School, says that although the activity takes place out on the field, it has classroom benefits (效益,受益), too. “I find that the children are more willing to complete class work,” says Honour. “I think it is because they know they will soon be outside and getting some fresh air.”
1. What can be learned about The Daily Mile from paragraph 1?| A．It is a sports club. | B．It is a cycling race. |
| C．It is a call for exercise. | D．It is a plan for running tests. |
| A．They are easily encouraged. |
| B．They are more likely to benefit. |
| C．They have more time for sports. |
| D．They have teachers to coach them. |
| A．It’ll attract more schools to it. |
| B．It’ll start more similar projects. |
| C．It’ll get more support from the government. |
| D．It’ll push children to lead a more active life. |
| A．Its influence on students. |
| B．Its influence on teachers. |
| C．Its differences among schools. |
| D．Its differences among players. |
9 . When you love working out, taking a break from exercise can seem a waste of time — there are training plans to follow and goals to be met. So, what’s the problem? According to new research, excessive training can be damaging to mental well-being.
“The benefits of regular physical activity are well-established, but it’s possible to have too much of a good thing, says Janet, an expert at physical training. But how do you know if you’re doing too much? ”Over-exercising can mean training for too long or too intensely without enough rest for your personal limits,” she says. “Some of us may feel unable to stop.” Indeed, one research shows almost 40 percent of us feel guilty if we miss a workout and less than 59 percent regularly take a rest day. So should you be taking more time out?
By exercising beyond your limits, not only could you injure your body and reduce muscle mass, you could also end up feeling anxious, too. Over-exercising can impact your mood, relationships and ability to function in other areas of your life, warns Janet. “Exercise releases the stress hormone cortisol. For most people, this can help you better manage stress levels. Over-exercising, however, can lead to increased levels of cortisol in the blood stream which can lead to poor sleep, depression and problems with memory and concentration.”
Still not convinced? If you find it hard to put down your trainers, you’re not alone. Up to 10 percent of endurance athletes are affected by overtraining syndrome, with common effects including muscle soreness, persistent fatigue and even mental breakdown, says Professor James. “In addition, over-exercise can stimulate hyper inflammation, which has a severe effect on brain health.” There is a simple solution, however. “It has been shown that exhaustion may be delayed almost indefinitely by frequent and regular short breaks,” assures James.
1. What is Janet’s attitude towards excessive exercising?| A．Favorable. | B．Tolerant. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Definitions of over-exercising. |
| B．Effects of excessive exercising. |
| C．Benefits of exercising with friends. |
| D．Approaches to reaching people’s limits. |
| A．Over-exercising can lead to severe stress problems. |
| B．Taking a rest from over-exercising could ease tiredness. |
| C．Brain health can be guaranteed by improving concentration. |
| D．Over-training syndrome is common for those who exercise regularly. |
| A．What is regular exercising? | B．Say no to extreme exercise. |
| C．Take a short break from exercise. | D．How to balance exercise and work? |
10 . Over the past decades, experts have done a considerable amount of research to explore different ways to encourage children’s learning. Especially, there has been a common focus on how physical activity, separated from the learning activities, can improve children’s learning. However, there has been less of a focus aimed the potential of integrating physical activity into the learning activities.
The main purpose of the Basket Mathematics study conducted at five Danish primary and elementary schools by researchers from the University of Copenhagen therefore was to develop a learning activity that integrates basketball and mathematics and examine how it might affect children’s motivation for mathematics.
756 children from 40 different classes at Copenhagen area schools participated in the project, where about half of them－once a week for six weeks－had Basketball Mathematics during gym class, while the other half played basketball without mathematics.
“During classes with Basketball Mathematics, the children had to collect numbers and perform calculations associated with various basketball exercises. An example could be counting how many times they could sink a basket from three meters away vs at a one-meter distance, and adding up the numbers. Both the math and basketball elements could be adjusted to suit the children’s levels, as well as being adjusted for whether it was addition, multiplication or some other operations that needed to be practiced,” explains Linn Damsgaard, a leading researcher.
The results showed that children’s motivation for math integrated with basketball was 16% higher compared to classroom math learning. Children also experienced a 14% increase in self-determination compared with classroom teaching. Meanwhile Basketball Mathematics improved their math confidence.
“We are planning to do research to examine whether the Basketball Mathematics model can strengthen performance in mathematics. Once we have the final results, we hope that they will inspire school teachers and principals to prioritize more physical activity and movement in such subjects. Eventually, we hope to succeed in putting these tools into school system and teacher education,” says Associate Professor Jacob Wienecke.
1. What is the purpose of paragraph 1?| A．To show the advantage of the study. | B．To explain the reason for the study. |
| C．To conduct a review of past research. | D．To introduce a way to raise math grades. |
| A．All kids didn’t play basketball. | B．Kids were divided into 40 groups. |
| C．It studied kids’math performance. | D．It tailored activities to different kids. |
| A．More motivation for exercise. | B．More confidence in basketball. |
| C．A gain in desire to learn math. | D．A rise in determination to learn. |
| A．Make math learning easier. | B．Inspire students’ math confidence. |
| C．Build physical activity into teaching. | D．Notice the benefits of physical exercise. |
