1 . Pickleball. It’s got nothing to do with pickles — it’s a sport. It has been described as a combination of tennis, badminton and table tennis. Picture a small plastic ball soaring through the air that you need to bat back to your partner, or partners.

Many Brits are listening to their inner athlete and picking up this racket game. In the UK, there are currently around 7,000 players, according to Pickleball England. But the association aims to have more than 25,000 players by 2025and is even attempting to get the sport played as part of promotion for the 2028 Olympics.

How exactly do you play this game? Well, it can be played indoors or outdoors and it can be played as a singles or doubles game. There are a few easy-to-understand rules. The ball is served underhand and should be batted diagonally across the court. On the first two hits, the ball has to bounce, but after that, players are free to volley. To win a point, the defending side must miss the ball.

So, why is it popular? Firstly, it appears to be a game for all ages. The ball is lightweight because it’s full of holes. This means that, when batting, there is much less impact on the body than when hitting a tennis ball, for example. Elaine Brown, who is in her 50s and a regular pickleball player, told news organisation, The Guardian why she loves the sport. “It’s good exercise, it’s strategic, it can be as hard or as easy as you want it to be, and most of the time it’s just good fun.”

And the social aspect and low-impact nature of the game has been attracting players worldwide, creating a blossoming community of pickleball enthusiasts, such as celebrities Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio. So, if you fancy picking it up, find your local pickleball court and give it a go!

1. What is Paragraph 2 of the text mainly talk about?

A．A new event in the Olympics.	B．The favorite sport of the British.
C．The promising future of pickleball.	D．The number of people playing pickleball.

2. What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?

A．It can be played like a volleyball.

B．You don’t have to follow any game rules.

C．Defeating the defending side is very easy.

D．The game must be played with at least one partner.

3. Why does playing pickleball have less effect on the body than sports like tennis?

A．Because it is lightweight.	B．Because it is full of holes.
C．Because it is easy to play.	D．Because it is just good fun.

4. What may be Bill Gates’ attitude towards playing pickleball?

A．Indifferent.	B．Supportive.
C．Unclear.	D．Doubtful.

2 . Influenced by factors like school funding, sports facilities, teacher resources and safetyconcems, traditional physical education was limited to static (静态的) scenes and closed gymsand playgrounds, which lacked interaction and feedback functions. PE curiculum was also restricted to basic sports like ball games, track and field and gymnastics. However, the emergence and application of new technologies like virtual reality (VR), 3D technology, greatly expand and innovate sports scenes, providing possibilities for the construction of a flexible “on-site, on- campus, online” integrated new sports world.

IT can build online virtual learning environments for students, creating teaching scenes hard to achieve in physical world. Many schools have already partnered with technology companies to create different teaching scenes using digital sports products. The University of South Florida has cooperated with the VR sports training company Sense Arena, allowing students to practice tennis on its globally pioneering VR tennis training platform. Students use the Meta Quest 2 headset and VR touching racket (球拍) which imitates the weight and feel of a real tennis racket. The platform features 35 training modes imitating various scenes in real-life tennis matches, including crowd noise, dazzling sunlight, shadows and wind. Athletes can engage in various forms of training, such as skill practice, technical analysis and match imitation. Such virtual sports teaching space further enhances the experience of PE learning.

Technology-based physical education not only serves ordinary students’ physical health but also addresses the needs of special groups in sports, especially students who cannot participate in regular PE classes due to physical, psychological or social adaptation issues. Many schools offer specialized sports programs to disabled students, like the “Pathways to Inclusion” program launched by the University of Queensland, which tailors various sports activities to different disabilities, such as blind football and wheelchair hockey. This is made possible with the support of sports technology, as different symptoms require the use of different sports equipment.

Through scientific, healthy and joyful educational concepts, technology-empowered PE classes convey the values of creating and enjoying a personalized experience, developing a sports education where everyone participates and benefits.

1. How do new technologies change traditional PE class according to paragraph 1?

A．By investing more in basic sports.

B．By combining it with academic study.

C．By making dynamic PE class possible.

D．By replacing PE teachers with AI teachers.

2. Which of the following services can Sense Arena provide?

A．Real-life tennis matches.	B．Virtual headsets and rackets.
C．Imitative distracting conditions.	D．Sufficient sports space on campus.

3. What does “Pathways to Inclusion” program feature?

A．Professional knowledge about psychology.

B．Technology-assisted sports for the disabled.

C．Interactive activities with ordinary students.

D．Personalized medical treatment for disabilities.

4. What is the author’s writing purpose of the text?

A．To advertise a new VR product.

B．To raise public awareness of physical education.

C．To stress the importance of equality among students.

D．To introduce a new application of technology in PE class.

3 . Is it bad to work out in cold weather?     1    . With winter now, here is what the doctors and personal trainers want you to know about exercising in cold weather.

Burn extra calories

In cold climates, your body needs to perform extra heat to keep your body warm. Brown fat is the type of body fat that helps control body temperature. When you’re outside in the cold, brown fat burns calories in order to increase body temperature.     2    .

Help increase willpower

Working out in the heat can cause you to become tired more easily, since it increases sweating and your heart rate more rapidly.     3    . It may mean you can build willpower (毅力) more easily.

    4    

Exercising outside during the winter is thought to be one useful way to avoid a type of disorder or depression that tends to affect people during the dark winter months. Sunlight and exercise both have a positive impact on your mental (精神的) condition. They help give out more “feel good” chemicals, including serotonin and endorphins.

Help you sleep better

The combination of sunlight exposure (暴露) during the daytime, fresh air and physical activity can help you relax and sleep well at night.       5    . It is also called your “internal clock” which makes you feel sleepy enough at night and awake enough in the morning.

Exercising in cold weather isn’t for everyone, though. If you have any health problems, it is advisable to talk with your health care provider first.

A．Support heart health

B．Improve your mental health

C．It can make you take regular exercise

D．In this process it can likely help you to lose weight

E．Sunlight is important for controlling your sleep-wake cycle

F．As long as you take preventive measures, it is actually pretty beneficial

G．On the other hand, exercising in the cold can allow you to work out longer

4 . Long before the term “snowboarding” existed — at least 80 years before it was an Olympic phenomenon — people were flying like surfers down snow-covered hills. The first known instance came in 1917, when 13-year-old Vern Wicklund stood on a sled (雪橇) that he rode down his parents’ backyard in Cloquet, Minnesota. Wicklund patented the idea nearly two decades later but produced only a handful of models.

The sport picked up speed in 1965, when Michigan’s Sherman Poppen created the Surfer by connecting two skis and adding a string at the front to control the direction. Poppen sold close to one million units by 1970. But the real breakthrough happened when Dimitrije Milovich, a Cornell University student, founded Winterstick, the first modern snowboard company, in 1972. With steel edges, solid fiberglass and, most crucially, two belts for one’s feet, Winterstick’s boards allowed riders to fly through more complex topography (地形) than previous riders could do.

Snowboarding went mainstream soon thereafter due to the competition between Jake Burton Carpenter and Tom Sims. Sims, a New Jersey-raised professional skateboarder who was more interested in aerial stunts (空中特技) than in how fast he could slide, founded SIMS Snowboarding in 1976. Carpenter, a race enthusiast from Long Island who was credited with coining “snowboarding”, created Burton Snowboards one year later.

In the 1980s, most North American ski resorts (滑雪场) banned snowboarding, citing insurance liability and the rudeness of too many riders. However, the sport was more accepted in Europe, particularly in France. By the 1990s, though, almost every resort in North America allowed riding. The appearance of the Pipe Dragon, a machine to cut half-pipes through snow, enabled new aerial stunts, and when snowboarding appeared at the 1998 Olympics, the half-pipe was the sport’s biggest draw.

1. What contributions did Milovich make?

A．He created a variety of aerial stunts.	B．He did a lot to improve snowboards.
C．He invented the word “snowboarding”.	D．He popularized snowboarding in France.

2. How did Sims differ from Carpenter?

A．Sims preferred skills to speed.

B．Sims had his own skateboard company.

C．Sims participated in more competitions.

D．Sims did better in flying through complex topography.

3. What can be learned about the half-pipe?

A．It appeared after the 1998 Olympics.	B．It was banned in most European ski resorts.
C．It made snowboarding an appealing sport.	D．It could produce incredible amounts of snow.

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

A．Vern Wicklund and his patent	B．A brief history of snowboarding
C．Snowboarding and the Olympics	D．A newborn sport in North America

5 . Anyone who’s lived through middle school knows those years can be particularly challenging. Some researches show youths across the U.S. are struggling with mental health. The physical health benefits of bike riding have been well-documented. Wilson, a researcher at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, and his co-authors carried out a new study to see if taking part in a cycling program could result in measurable changes in mind for teenagers.

The study involved more than 1,200 students, ages 11 to 14. Students participated in a cycling class for at least three days a week, for a period of 6 weeks. They learned cycling safety and practicing skills outdoors while raising their heart rate and just having fun. The students completed standardized questionnaires before and after the program designed to measure their health.

“We know cycling can benefit the body. Our research shows how it benefits the mind and social relationships as well. Bike riding can be an ideal activity for adolescents because of the benefits it offers,” said Wilson.

“Cycling engages several parts of brain function. You are looking at your hearing, you’re balancing, you’re navigating and turning. Oftentimes, you’re doing it with someone else, so there’s the positive effect of company or group activity,” said Allan Reiss, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.

While exercise has powerful mental health benefits, it’s not universal. For example, previous research has shown that teenage girls are at higher risk of mental health problems like depression and anxiety than boys. The current study found that, while middle school girls reported increased well-being after participating in the cycling program, that increase “may just reach the kind of baseline level for male students,” Wilson said. And other aspects of healthy living are also important, noted Wilson. The study found that teenagers who didn’t limit screen time to a maximum of two hours a day, or who got less than the recommended 8.5 hours of sleep, saw less improvement in their well-being, he said.

1. What does the new study mainly focus on?

A．Challenges in middle school.	B．Youths in America.
C．Physical benefits of cycling.	D．Mental effects of bike riding.

2. What did the students do in the program?

A．Attend the cycling class for a week.

B．Learn how to keep safe while cycling.

C．Raise their heart rate by cycling indoors.

D．Design questions to measure their health.

3. What is Reiss’s attitude to the result of the study?

A．Supportive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Unclear.

D．Negative.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．Application of the research results.

B．Doubts about the research methods.

C．Further explanation of the research findings.

D．Supporting evidence from previous research.

6 . Sporting holidays are some of the most unforgettable because it’s all about doing what you love most. Here are the four best sports resorts (胜地) around the world for you to spend your next sporting holiday.

Sardinia

Sardinia is one of the most popular Mediterranean islands, offering golden sands and fun in the sun for the whole family.

Chia Laguna Hotel Village is a top destination for the best sports resorts around the world, where families can enjoy various activities. Children between 6-16 are encouraged to join the various sporting programs, especially relevant lessons to fire their passion while learning from some of the best in the business.

Peloponnese

For the adventurous, the range of exciting activities makes this the perfect spot for an amazing sporting holiday. The resort offers mountain biking, rock climbing, windsurfing (帆板运动), and paddle boarding, to name a few.

For an ocean adventure, the PADI-certified scuba diving (戴水肺潜水) course centre is where you want to be. Learn the basics or make small changes to your diving skills to enjoy a holiday alongside the local sea life.

Corfu

Visit the beautiful Ikos Dassia in Corfu for a luxury holiday filled with fun and relaxation for the whole family.

Football fans are invited to the five-day (Monday-Friday) football camp that takes place on the beautiful grounds of the resort. Each day, a two-hour training session awaits with some licensed UEFA coaches. The program is suitable for boys and girls between 5-15 years old at any skill level.

Algarve

Located among green pines with amazing views over the Atlantic Ocean, Pine Cliffs Hotel is the perfect place to spend an adventure-filled holiday in Algarve, Portugal.

Get ready to enjoy the various activities on offer, including the Annabel Croft Tennis Academy, which has five courts. You can learn top skills with the coaching courses or show off with the guest tournaments.

1. Which place is ideal for water sports lovers?

A．Sardinia.

B．Corfu.

C．Algarve.

D．Peloponnese.

2. What do these four resorts have in common?

A．They offer sports training courses.	B．They provide adventurous activities.
C．They guarantee amazing seaside views.	D．They feature sports courses for teenagers.

3. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To preserve the rare views.	B．To entertain various visitors.
C．To compare four sport resorts.	D．To advertise the sports resorts.

7 . Have you ever started a workout, but then felt exhausted? Here are my thoughts on how to learn to listen to your body and enjoy exercise in a healthy way.

Check before you stretch yourself. The busy schedules make us seldom take the time to notice how we feel or if our plans are in-line with what we need. Do a mindful check to get in touch with your body and mind     1    Noticing how you feel, you can move forward in choosing a suitable workout.

    2    .I love hard workouts, but I don’t do high-intensity workouts every day. In fact, I usually let my energy and body awareness tell how hard I work. I take that as a sign that I need to go easier that day, such as slowing down or focusing on recovery    3    because sometimes doing less brings you more joy,

Give it 20 minutes. If you are not sure whether to start a formal workout, give it a 20- minute shot. Start slow and case into it. Sometimes it can turn you from a sleepyhead to an energizer bunny, but sometimes it doesn’ t work that way. Maybe you will feel good after exercising longer     4    .

Be a conscious consumer. Get away from those “motivational” quotes that tell you “Unless you pass out, keep going”     5    , and will end up hurting you mentally or physically. If an instructor makes you feel pressured to push, it ‘s probably not a healthy source of fitness support.

A．Do less if you feel tired

B．Don’t do strength training

C．Give it a shot to awaken your body first

D．That’s not motivating but body shaming

E．You should listen to your body if it’s telling you to stop

F．Find out where you might store stress, tension or emotion

G．Tracking time you spend daily allows you to make fitness a habit

8 . Trainers and parents saw children play sports at a young age and then saw them become professional. Many correlated the training to success. Competitive sports are good for young children because they teach children life skills, provide health benefits, and offer special opportunities.

To begin with, sports teach children life skills. A formal athlete stated, “I played soccer in high school and college and found team sports weren’t just about winning, but also about developing a solid ethic(行为准则), and learning why that’s important.” In short, playing highly competitive sports teaches kids many life skills like teamwork. People will have to use teamwork for the rest of their life, and sports can help them improve that skill. Taking part in sports can help develop a positive attitude towards life, which will help in the long run.

Sports are also good for kids because they provide health benefits. It is healthier for a kid to play a sport competitively than to waste time playing video games all day. Furthermore, a research group of University of California said, “96 percent of the participants(参与者) said they enjoy their sports. They’re all loving life.” That is to say, kids playing highly competitive sports tend to enjoy life instead of doing something else like watching TV.

On the other hand, some people might argue that competitive sports are bad for young children because they are so time-consuming. However, the time spent is not “robbing” kids of their childhood, but offers unique opportunities. Athletes can get success to live their dream life by playing sports. Even though sports are time-consuming, they offer distinctive opportunities.

In conclusion, competitive sports are good for children because they can provide wholesome benefits, create new experiences, and build skills that will last a lifetime.

1. Why is the formal athlete mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．To show a reason	B．To give an example.
C．To list a background.	D．To draw out a new point.

2. What is the most participants’ attitude to sports?

A．Supportive.

B．Uncertain.

C．Uncaring.

D．Doubtful.

3. What does the underlined word “distinctive” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Common

B．Unreasonable

C．Unique.

D．Frequent.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．The ways to play sports.

B．The reasons for playing sports.

C．The problems of kids’ playing sports.

D．The benefits of kids’ playing sports.

9 . After a long summer, do you gain weight? Do you want to do some exercises to lose weight? Are you busy in dealing with new school matters? Are you struggling to find a workout time that fits into your schedule?     1     This series of exercises dumps(释放), or releases, your body’s nitric oxide(一氧化氮) into your muscles, causing them to relax. It also causes your blood vessels to widen, which helps lower your blood pressure. The exercises can help control blood-sugar levels for those with diabetes.     2     And the routine can be done in just three to five minutes! You have no need to worry about your study time which may be affected by long time workout.

According to Dr. Zach Bush, who developed the routine, it’s simple and effective. Every movement must be done quickly and properly.     3     Start with 10 repetitions of these four exercises and work up to 20 over time.

    4    

1. Squat(蹲) like you’re sitting down while swinging your arms out in front.

2. Swing your arms one by one forward and backward at a 90-degree angle.

3. Swing your arms up from your bellybutton out to your sides and up over your head and down to the starting position.

4.     5                             

Get up and get moving. Your body will thank you for it.

A．So check your form.

B．You should move your body slowly.

C．Now let’s take a look at the simple steps.

D．Look no further than the Nitric Oxide Dump.

E．Heart may suffer because of your heavy weight.

F．Push your arms from your shoulders over your head and back.

G．It’s also said that people lose weight because of all the calories being burned.

10 . Three stretches (伸展) you should do every day

For one who doesn’t get much physical activity, a sore and achy back is a common problem.     1    . What are the basic stretches everyone should try?

Here are a few simple moves that anyone can fit into their daily exercise.

    2    

Slowly rolling your neck in one direction, then the other, is a simple but effective way to relax some of your muscles. When you’re done, move on to rolling your shoulders forwards and backwards. They may seem simple, but these are really good for reducing stress and tension in the body. Most people hold a lot of tension in their shoulders.     3    .

Forward folds (弯曲)

Even if you can’t touch your toes, folding your body forwards is a great move for loosening up your back.     4    : you can stand up and bend down towards the ground, sit down with your legs in front of you and reach towards your feet, or even just bend forwards in your office chair.

Butterfly poses

It’s great for you to stretch your back and inner thighs.     5    . If the pose is new to you, don’t worry about making the stretch very deep — you can move your feet further away from your body to make things easier, and stay seated straight up.

A．Neck and shoulder rolls

B．Walk forwards and backwards

C．Rolling them really helps relieve it

D．You should take long and deep breaths

E．Sit with your feet together and knees apart

F．There are a few ways you can go into a fold

G．However, making stretches can help improve it