1 . Known as kung fu in the West, Chinese martial arts come in many forms. From aunties in the park to Shaolin monks (和尚), everyone is, in fact, practicing kung fu.
Tai chi
Tai chi, or Taijiquan as it is more commonly known, is perhaps more connected with aunties in the park than with powerful martial artists. But tai chi is practiced for both its health benefits and as defense training. Tai chi features its slow movements. Meeting brute force (蛮劲) with brute force is sure to leave both sides injured. Meeting brute force with softness, however, allows the incoming force to exhaust itself so it can more easily be redirected.
Wing Chun
Like tai chi, Wing Chun is based on a philosophy of overcoming hardness by softness. Relaxation and calmness are central to Wing Chun’s fighting style. Wing Chun’s two most famous practitioners were Yip Man and his pupil, Bruce Lee.
Bajiquan
Bajiquan, meaning eight extreme fists, is much more forceful in style than tai chi or Wing Chun. It features explosive, short-range motions and is famous for its elbow and shoulder strikes. The first practitioner clearly identified in history was a man named Wu Zhong.
Sanda
Sanda, also known as Sanshou, is a mixture of traditional kung fu and modern combat practices. Sanda is believed to have originated from ancient Chinese Lei Tai fights. As part of the development of martial arts sports by the Chinese government, a standard curriculum (课程) for Sanda has been developed.
1. What do tai chi and Wing Chun have in common?| A．They have many ageing fans. | B．They rely on soft movements. |
| C．They belong to defense training. | D．They are famous for their practitioners. |
| A．Its long history. | B．Its explosive motions. |
| C．Its violent strikes. | D．Its extreme requirements. |
| A．Lei Tai fights. | B．A standard curriculum. |
| C．Traditional practices. | D．A philosophic thought. |
In every gym class I've taken, I felt like the odd one out. Opening the door, I hesitantly asked, “Is this where the HIIT class is?” The instructor yelled, “Grab a dumbbell and yoga mat. We're late for warm-up!” Breathing heavily on the mat, I wasn't sure if I'd make it through the hour.
Glancing around the room, I seemed to be the only one struggling. Everyone else, in their tightly fitted gym wear and not a sign of sweat to be seen, looked as if they belonged. I, on the other hand, with my messy hair and oversized clothes, wondered why I had ever bothered coming.
Earlier that year, I had decided to give fitness a real shot. All my life, exercise had been a foreign concept and in school, gym class was a place of guaranteed embarrassment and humiliation.
I nervously showed up to my university gym for spin class (动感单车课程) on a Sunday morning. I had considered canceling multiple times, but I told myself that showing up was all that mattered.
The instructor was incredibly kind. Within minutes of seeing my weak form, he knew I was new to the class. He walked us through all the various positions on the bike multiple times.
The first time I tried to stand on the bike pedals, I felt my legs shake and immediately sat down. But with each class, my comfort on the bike grew and I became less focused on how I looked and more focused on looking inward. Whether I needed to think about something bugging me, dream about the future or just mindlessly pedal, spin class became my hour a week just for me.
The more I spun, the more I realized how powerful my body was. For what felt like the first time, I was proud of my body's capabilities.
After nine months of spinning, I wanted to challenge myself again. And that's how I found myself in the high-intensity class. If spin class got me used to moving my body, then HIIT class taught me that I have to continuously work to build my fitness and tackle my insecurities.
In all, what truly matters is showing up, not what you wear or your fitness abilities. Because once you show up, the rest gets easier, one sweaty adventure at a time.
1. Why did the author feel like the odd one out in the gym class?(no more than 10 words)2. What does the underlined part mean in paragraph 3?(no more than 10 words)
3. What did the author realize about her body after attending spin class for nine months?(no more than 6 words)
4. Why did the author decide to challenge herself by attending a high-intensity class? (no more than 12 words)
5. What message does the author convey in the text? How does it inspire you?(no more than 25 words)
3 . The holidays can be a difficult time to stay on track with your fitness goals.
Planning is the best way to make sure you don’t lose track of your goals. Plan your workouts for the week and mark them in your schedule to assure they are a part of your day.
Exercise early.
Keep moving.
Research shows that getting up for just five minutes every 30 to 60 minutes and performing light activities reduces the risk of heart disease risk factors. Small efforts to get moving can help your overall health during the holidays. In addition to staying active, try to avoid sitting for long periods of time, such as when watching football games or eating.
Think out of the box.
The holidays are busy, but do your best to avoid the “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to physical activity.
| A．Plan ahead |
| B．Plan out your route before you go |
| C．Exercising in the morning is one of the biggest tips |
| D．Remember: too much sitting is harmful to your health |
| E．Your schedule will be filled with family gatherings and celebrations |
| F．Get creative with exercise and make physical activity a family affair |
| G．Rather than skipping the gym altogether, make time for a quick workout |
4 . How exercising changed their life
Name: Katelyn Block, 19 The problem: At the end of her junior year of high school, she fell into a serious eating disorder. The change: She was an athlete, but while she was sick, she stopped running. Later, she decided to get back into running. She made the decision to build her body back from the ground up. With a few months of hard work and determination, she graduated from high school with a healthy body. | Name: Amalia Biro, 24 The problem: Amalia was a horseback rider with her sight set on the Olympics, until one day she was thrown off a horse, leaving her left knee badly injured. The change: She ran a 5K at the request of her friend. Running lets her clear her head. She found herself starting to turn to running instead of breaking away from her social life. And she was in good shape and felt better than before. |
Name: Sarah Jane Parker, 28 The problem: She had a lot of fear and anxiety about different things. The fear was taking over her life. The change: She tried indoor rock climbing with her friend’s encouragement. When she finally managed to climb to the top, she fell in love with the sport. Eventually she used the courage she got from climbing to break away from her fear. | Name: Kimberly Whittaker, 25 The problem: Two car accidents in one month made Kimberly have joint problems in both knees and pain in her lower back. The change: She joined a gym and worked with a physical trainer three times a week to help her become healthy again. She took spin classes (动感单车) the most often because she felt like she was able to focus her energy just on riding. |
| A．She got a fever. | B．She was anxious. |
| C．She couldn’t eat normally. | D．She hurt her knees. |
| A．They had the same dream. | B．They attended the Olympics. |
| C．They didn’t trust themselves. | D．They should thank their friends. |
| A．By changing her diet. | B．By seeing a doctor. |
| C．By joining a gym. | D．By studying hard. |
5 . There’s no doubt that football is the global sport. Though basketball, tennis, and other sports are popular too, nothing comes close to football. Being played in every country in the world, football provides dozens of superstars. The numbers are greater when compared to any other sport, and this drives the popularity of football up. Have you ever wondered when the sport started and became popular?
Football has its origin (起源) in China and has a history of more than 2,000 years. However, modern football originally appeared in Britain in the 19th century. Folk football matches had been played before in many cities and towns, but never on a professional level.
Football became a winter sport game played in different schools. The rules were carried out by each school, and this made it difficult for players to play an official game with each other. It all changed in 1849 at the University of Cambridge that invented a set of standard rules known as the Cambridge rules of football. From that moment, a new star sport was born.
By the early 20th century, football had spread all across Europe. In 1904, FIFA was set up. There are seven original members, including France, Denmark and Spain, FIFA became the governing body for many associations in Europe.
England’s international success improved the popularity of the sport in the country. The league (联赛) in Britain was set up in 1992. From the 1990s, it became a truly impressive piece of football organization, becoming the world’s top football league in the process.
Football is obviously the most popular sport in the world. It is impossible for any other sport to take its place, especially with leagues spending billions of pounds every year to stay in the focus.
1. What is the author’s purpose of writing paragraph 1?| A．To describe the level of football. |
| B．To introduce the topic of the text. |
| C．To debate the main idea of the text. |
| D．To introduce famous football leagues. |
| A．In China. | B．In France. |
| C．In Britain. | D．In Spain. |
| A．The rules always changed. |
| B．There were no common rules. |
| C．The season made players hard to win. |
| D．Officials made players misunderstand the rules. |
| A．By time order. | B．By space order. |
| C．By listing numbers. | D．By giving examples. |
6 . Canyoning
The sports of canyoning (蹦谷) explore the high-energy environment where water meets rock on the coast. Protected by wetsuits and helmets, people jump from cliffs and waterfalls and discover caves that would not normally be arrived at.
It was first done in the U.K. by TYF Adventure (01437 721611, www.tyf.com) and several thousand people jump from the cliffs near St David’s each year. A half day canyoning trip costs ￡50 (￡30 for children under 16).
Diving
Diving is not popular with British people. The difficulties of wild waters are greater because the water is colder and not clear enough, but the coasts of Cornwall, Wales and Scotland have some of the best diving in the world.
The British Sub Aqua Club (0870 112 9133, www.bsac.com) and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (01580 819688, www.padi.com) run courses teaching the important skills.
Surfing
The best surfing places in the UK are on the southwest coast where it is warmer, especially in Cornwall. The best time of year to surf in the UK is late summer and autumn.
The British Surfing Association (01479 861256, www.britsurf.co.uk) has a list of famous surf schools around the country.
Rock climbing
The most popular natural rocks in Britain include the Peak District, the Lake District, while large areas of Scotland are a climber’s ideal place. Climbing courses and climbing walls can be found on the website of the British Mountaineering Council (0870 010 4878, www.thebmc.co.uk).
1. If a couple with their child of 15 join in Canyoning for a day, they will pay ________.| A．￡130 | B．￡160 | C．￡260 | D．￡320 |
| A．Canyoning. | B．Diving. | C．Surfing. | D．Rock climbing. |
| A．Visitors who want to pay a visit to Britain |
| B．Visitors in Britain who are keen on extreme sports |
| C．Chinese students who are interested in British culture |
| D．Travelers who are enthusiastic about camping in China |
7 . Lake City Skating Programs
Skating is a fantastic activity for people of any age. Patience, participation and perseverance are a few of the many values that the sport can teach its students. Our programs are thoughtfully prepared to embrace the natural progression of learning on ice for people dependent on their original abilities and age. Read on to learn more about our programs.
Learn to Skate Program
Come to Learn to Skate at the Frontier Ice Arena. Classes include skate rentals, 30-minute instruction from Lake City Figure Skating coaches, plus U. S. Figure Skating membership, record books and sports accident insurance.
Super Skaters Program
We are excited to bring back our 16-week Super Skaters Program. This program is open to any potential skater aged 3~8. Super Skaters is a 16-week set of lessons offered on Tuesdays from 5 to 5:30 PM. Your $99 fee includes skate rentals, lessons fees and access to the 5:45 PM public session.
Rising Stars Bridge Program
The Rising Stars Bridge Program is the perfect progression for skaters who have passed Basic 3 and are looking to step into the big kid skater world. Bridge skaters will have access to the 8~9 AM freestyle session and they will now enjoy a 30-minute group lesson from 9 to 9:30 AM. Private lessons may be taken during freestyle time for an additional cost
Theater on Ice Program
Theater on Ice is a form of competitive figure skating that combines the grace of figure skating with the excitement of theater and dance. Teams consist of between 8 and 30 skaters. In addition, solo skating is discouraged, but is permitted in limited amounts if it enhances the overall telling of the program’s story.
1. What should skaters consider when choosing a suitable program?| A．Original abilities and age. | B．Experience in other sports. |
| C．Skating equipment and cost. | D．Values learned from textbooks. |
| A．Learn to Skate Program. | B．Super Skaters Program. |
| C．Rising Stars Bridge Program. | D．Theater on Ice Program. |
| A．Solo skating. | B．Private lessons. | C．Accident insurance. | D．Performance art. |
