1 . My Favourite Sport
Skiing is my favourite sport, even though I have only skied for four days in my whole life. Last year, my father promised to take me on a holiday if I did well in my final exams. When I got straight A’s, Dad said, “How about a weekend at the Botanical Gardens?” However, my mum said, “No, you promised a special holiday. I think you ought to keep your word.” And, despite the expense, he did.
My dream was to see some real snow, so in the Christmas vacation we flew to Seoul, South Korea, and then took a shuttle bus which runs back and forth between Seoul and Muju Resort. As the bus climbed through the mountains, we saw the snow on the trees. I was raring to get out of the bus. No one in my family had ever touched snow before, so soon after the arrival, we were all like little children — we picked snow up, made snowballs, and threw them at each other!
Then we checked in at the hotel. Our room overlooked one of the ski slopes. The slope was floodlit, so we watched people skiing until 10 p. m. We could not wait to try it ourselves.
The next day we had our first skiing lesson. We rented our ski suits, boots and skis, and went outside onto the snow. Wearing skis for the first time makes you feel very strange. Suddenly you find you cannot even walk.
Our instructor took us onto a gentle slope, and showed us some basic skills. In order to go up a hill, you have to stand sideways, and go up step by step. You must point the tips of your skis together so that you can stop. However, the tips must not cross, or you will fall. You should not ski alone in case you fall and get injured. To be honest, that first lesson was not a great success, and I kept on falling down!
However, the next day I definitely improved. I only fell over a few times, and I managed to do a few longer runs. I felt pleased with myself, and the instructor congratulated me, so I felt great. Although it was very cold, I spent most of that holiday skiing. It was the most wonderful time of my life.
Nevertheless, it was all over too soon. Now I have decided to work part-time this summer after the College Entrance Examination, so I can earn enough money for another super skiing holiday.
1. The author was able to enjoy his skiing holiday mainly due to ________.| A．his mother’s promise | B．his poor skiing skills |
| C．his good marks | D．his dream of seeing snow |
| A．dying | B．afraid | C．gutted | D．determined |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．The author is now a student in the graduating class. |
| B．The author wants to work as a ski instructor in the future. |
| C．The hotel the author lived in was well-lit, overlooking the ski slope. |
| D．The author spent all his days skiing during the holiday. |
2 . To complete a study, a team of scientists left Boston and went to the middle of Kenya. They wanted to find out more about barefoot running.
Sure, people can run barefoot anywhere. But the Rift Valley Province in Kenya has produced some of the most famous long-distance runners in history, and many of these athletes grew up not wearing shoes. With a video camera in hand, scientist Daniel Lieberman and his colleagues visited some of these runners to figure out what a difference shoes make.
It was a big difference, and not necessarily for the better. In particular, when a bare foot hits the ground, the blow is softer and the running motion is smoother. This research suggests that running barefoot may have advantages over running with shoes on, though more studies are needed to determine whether or not barefoot running reduces the chances of injuries.
Previous studies have shown that when a person runs barefoot, he lands on the front or middle of the foot. Then the heel goes down. During this process, the weight of the body is at first on the front of the foot, then moves to the heel. When a person wears shoes, however, he tends to run so that his heel hits the ground first. The impact of the heel hitting the ground may be much more forceful than the impact of the front of the foot hitting the ground.
In the 1970s, shoe companies began selling running shoes that had cushioned soles (加垫子的鞋底). Those soles spread the body weight through the foot and may have influenced the way people ran. Once runners started wearing these shoes, they could land on their heels and still be comfortable.
The researchers also studied barefoot runners in their lab in Boston. The goal was to measure the force with which a runner’s foot hits the ground. By studying this force, the scientists could compare the impact of different running styles.
“A rear-foot strike is like someone hitting you on the foot with a hammer, with about one and a half to three times your body weight. It would hurt without a shoe,” Lieberman said. “A fore-foot strike is like having no one hit you at all.”
Lieberman’s study explores the physics of running, which is a complex topic. Reed Ferber is a biochemist at the University of Calgary, Canada. The idea that barefoot running is better is a big assumption. He said, “Basically, there are no studies out there that show barefoot running is less injurious.” In other words, don’t throw out those fancy running shoes just yet.”
1. The best title for the passage might be “________”.| A．The Study of Running Barefoot | B．The Function of Shoes in Running |
| C．Race and Long-Distance Runners | D．Mystery of Increasing Running Speed |
| A．the feeling of feet when they touch the ground |
| B．the force with which a runner’s foot hits the ground |
| C．the way of spreading the body weight through the foot |
| D．the degree of comfort one enjoys in running |
| A．Shoes with cushioned soles can greatly increase one’s running speed. |
| B．The lighter a runner’s body weight is, the faster he can run. |
| C．One of the advantages of barefoot running is less chance of injury. |
| D．A fore-foot strike has great advantages over a rear-foot strike. |
| A．Future runners will be trained in a barefoot way. |
| B．People prefer running with shoes on to running barefoot. |
| C．There is still no clear evidence that running barefoot is superior to running with shoes on. |
| D．Some running shoes may bring about amazing results to the people who wear them. |
3 . Soreness (疼痛) Is Good and Scales Are Pointless: The Ten Biggest Myths in Fitness
It’s easy to think that fitness is confusing-but it isn’t. The basics stay the same, and we know the science. These are the ten biggest myths in fitness-memorize them, and exercise with confidence.
1. Soreness is a sign of a good workout
Sore muscles don’t mean progress. They are probably caused by small tears in muscles and happen when you do movements you’re not used to or when you do too many repetitions. So reduce the number of repetitions. You can make progress without pain.
2. Lifting heavy weights will make you strong
There are two ways to get stronger: increasing the size of each muscle and getting more muscles to work together when you need to use them. Getting big requires specific, targeted training and extra calories and protein-and it almost never happens by accident.
3. ?
Actually, it’s the opposite: exercises done correctly will strengthen the muscles around your knee joints, protecting you from injury. As for running, a 20-year study by Stanford University found that regular runners suffered less from arthritis (关节炎) than non-runners as they got older.
4. You can target fat and reduce it
Before the days of the internet, there was a myth that you could reduce the fat around your stomach by doing hundreds of sit-ups. “The truth is, we all have areas of fat that seem to take the longest to get lean,” says Storey-Gordon. “But don’t give up. Those areas will get leaner, too. Patience is the key.”
5. Less rest means you’re working harder
“For most people — especially beginners — periods of recovery between sets mean a lower risk of injury and better results,” says coach George Anderson. Or, in other words: if you train too hard for a whole hour, you’ll have to lift smaller weights, go slower and generally do less work than you would with some recovery.
1. According to the passage, “myth” refers to ________.| A．a false belief or idea | B．a set of rules |
| C．a traditional way of doing things | D．an amount of money |
| A．Shorter is better. | B．Scales are pointless. |
| C．Exercise is bad for your knees. | D．There is one “best” way to train. |
| A．sore muscles mean you have made progress in working out |
| B．the harder you work and the less you rest, the more weight you can get rid of |
| C．detailed, targeted exercise alone can make you bigger |
| D．reducing fat takes time and patience |
4 . The new federal (联邦的) physical activity guidelines were updated for the first time since 2008, and they still urge adults to do 75 minutes of intense (or 150 minutes of moderate) aerobic (有氧的) exercise each week, plus muscle-strengthening activities like weightlifting or yoga twice a week. But only 23% of Americans do so, and a recent study found that a quarter of American adults sit for more than eight hours per day. The addition of a simpler imperative to the guidelines — “move more and sit less”, no matter what form that movement takes or how long it lasts-may make people more likely to meet them.
If more Americans follow the guidelines, they stand to gain significant health benefits, including longer lives. Recent research suggests that activities you’d never think of as exercise, like cleaning the bathroom, still lead to the benefit of a long life span. In a study of older women, each half hour of light activities like these was linked to a 12% lower risk of dying early compared with their more sedentary peers.
That every movement matters may be the message Americans need to hear to get more active, says Jack Raglin, a professor at the Indiana University Bloomington School of Public Health. “The fitness industry tends to keep people focused on the standard modes of exercise, but it may not be that easy to go to a gym, especially if you are older, not fit or overweight,” Raglin says. “You want something that’s not too hard for most people, and that you can do any time or place.”
Even things like standing on the subway or walking while you talk on the phone, rather than sitting down, can have an impact, says Jacque Crockford, a certified personal trainer. Studies show that these easy activities are associated with lower body weight, better overall health and increased life span. “It’s important to recognize the difference between planned exercise and just being active,” Crockford says. “We put a lot of weight on the exercise part, rather than thinking of it as, ‘I’ll just move my body.’ ”
Of course, formal exercise may help you reach your goals faster, and intense exercise often brings the biggest health benefits, at least for young, healthy people. But even if you don’t move enough to meet the federal recommendations, any progress towards them likely contributes to better health, says Michael LaMonte, a research associate professor at the University at Buffalo. “Don’t put a time scale on it; don’t put an intensity on it,” LaMonte says. “We need to go back to the old days, when movement was a way of life.”
1. What can be inferred from paragraph 1?| A．Muscle-strengthening activities are often neglected. |
| B．The form of movement counts more than how long it lasts. |
| C．75 minutes of aerobic exercise may do more harm than good. |
| D．The old federal physical activity guidelines were hard to meet. |
| A．have a higher risk of early death | B．spend more time sitting |
| C．are more interested in sports | D．have reached an older age |
| A．argue against the standard modes of exercise | B．highlight the impact of sports on health |
| C．encourage people to move more | D．remind people of the old days |
| A．When it comes to exercise, every movement matters. |
| B．It is recommended that each activity should last 30 minutes. |
| C．There will be more research on how active a person should be. |
| D．Formal exercise works better for some people than for others. |
Gary McKee ran 365 marathons in as many days to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support and Hospice at Home West Cumbria.
Gary McKee, 53, from Cleator Moor in Cumbria raised his arms in victory and was cheered by a crowd of supporters as he completed his 365th marathon of the year on New Year’s Eve. As of 4 pm on Saturday, he had raised more than £ 890,000 for the charities Macmillan Cancer Support and Hospice at Home West Cumbria, just shy of (缺少) his £1 million fundraising target. The father of three has gone through 22 pairs of sports shoes and has run 9,563 miles in rain, snow and sunshine to raise money for the charities.
“The support has been amazing and it always is and the West Cumbrians get behind us, but cancer affects everybody so it isn’t just a West Cumbrian thing, it’s a national thing,” said Gary. “I just hope that people do get behind us and we do raise those million pounds.” Gary has not only raised money for two fantastic charities, but he has also sprinkled magic on the local community and brought people together to support him with the challenge.
Chris Young, 29, ran 90 marathons with Mr. McKee. “Gary set a good example to me this year when I began running frequently with him and has given me both physical and mental resilience (适应力) that I don’t know if I would have ever discovered in myself in a million years. I know I don’t just speak for myself on that front as he has inspired not just me or the few, but the entire local community and beyond,” said Chris, “This challenge has raised a great amount of money for two fantastic charities, but the impact Gary has provided to the community and people around him is immeasurable. A lot of people’s lives will be much better off thanks to Gary’s efforts, mine included.”
1. What did Gary do when he completed his 365th marathon? (no more than 10 words)2. What is Gary’s goal of running 365 marathons? (no more than 10 words)
3. How do you understand the underlined part in Paragraph 3? (no more than 10 words)
4. In what ways has Gary McKee influenced Chris Young? (no more than 5 words)
5. What does Gary’s story inspire you? Put it in your own words. (no more than 20 words)
6 . When watching sports events, we often notice athletes with their earphones on while preparing in the locker room or entering the stadium. They keep their eyes shut, and gently nod along the beats. It seems as if the music is empowering them and toughening them up for the competition. But is there any science behind such practice?
According to a recent research, it turns out there is. Music actually does make us feel powerful, but not all songs have the same effect. The research was led by Dennis Hsu of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in the US. His team had people listen to 31 songs of different types. The listeners felt powerful after listening to some songs, such as Queen’s We Will Rock You and 2 Unlimited’s Get Ready for This. Researchers also found that high-power music made people want to take control in social events and come first in competition. As for the reason for music’s magical power, Hsu’s team came up with one possible explanation: When people hear music that expresses a sense of power, they mimic these feelings in their mind.
So, when choosing music, we need to look at the type of music. In previous research by the Music in Exercise and Sport Group at Brunel University in London, they found that pop was perfect for slower, more repetitive-type tasks. Dance music was found to be best suited to strength and weight training because it’s “fast and rhythmical”. During high-intensity workouts, though, you’d better not listen to rock. Its different changes in tempo can affect your rhythm.
1. Why athletes were mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．To list things athletes have in common with other people. |
| B．To describe athletes’ common habits before sports games. |
| C．To get readers to wonder whether music matters in sports. |
| D．To explain why athletes like listening to music before games. |
| A．Listening to music can always boost the athlete’s performance. |
| B．People listening to powerful music are likely to produce similar feelings. |
| C．The result of a game is mainly affected by the physical condition of the players. |
| D．Most athletes don’t know the effects of high-power music on their performance. |
| A．Pop music. | B．Dance music. | C．Rock. | D．Blues. |
| A．With comparisons. | B．Through examples. |
| C．By giving general rules. | D．Through listing figures. |
7 . Is Adventurous Sports Teaching Good or Bad?
In recent years, adventurous sports such as bungee jumping have become increasingly popular. More and more people are taking these kinds of sports whatever the cost is. They say it is so exciting and enjoyable to take part in an adventure, which can relieve pressure or stress.
According to ED, some schools in the U.S. have also been urged to increase class teaching about adventures. And many have.
The study involved injuries treated in hospital emergency departments. Only two percent were serious.
The researchers did not try to identify the causes of the increase, but they have some theories. Lara McKenzie from Ohio State University was the lead researcher. She says one possibility is a decrease in the number of school nurses during the period they studied. For example, a study in 2004 showed that the number of school nurses nationally failed to meet federal guidelines.
Another possible reason for more injuries is a change in the traditional idea of adventure. Cheryl Richardson is with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. From her point of view, this “New adventure” expands the kinds of sports that are taught.
The researchers say larger class sizes are another possible reason for the increase in injuries.
| A．Classes on large scales can mean less supervision and cause potential injuries. |
| B．Yet now comes a study showing an increase in the number of injuries in “adventurous” class. |
| C．Generally speaking, untrained nurses could be more likely to be unemployed. |
| D．Adventurous sports help to relax students’ pressure and benefit their mental health. |
| E．But high-risk activities some schools offer now, like bungee jumping, can also expand the risks. |
| F．Schools without a nurse on duty may be more likely to send an injured child to a hospital. |
8 . Do you want to live in a healthy lifestyle? Practicing yoga is one of the best choices. Yoga has a well-deserved fame for helping to improve balance and flexibility and for gaining calm and relaxation.
Several studies have confirmed that doing yoga does reduce cortisol (皮质醇) levels.
In a 2016 study, participants involved in practicing yoga realized that they tended to notice not only the amount of food they ate, but what type of foods they ate and the impact of eating those foods as well. “Subjects are reported becoming aware of the effect of certain foods on their bodies during their yoga practice, including sugar, dairy, meat and alcohol,” wrote the authors of the study.
Making Weight Loss LastUltimately, the best yoga is the practice that fits you—the one you’ll commit to. There are now many accessible styles of yoga that meet you where you are no matter what your weight, age, physical challenge or background.
| A．Finding the best food |
| B．Moving Well, Eating Well |
| C．Everybody and every body can benefit from a certain style |
| D．Yoga is also well-known for helping you burn more calories |
| E．High levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, can lead to an increase in fat |
| F．Another study shows that someone in a more positive mood are less likely to overeat |
| G．Recent research shows that yoga may help to improve long-term weight loss outcomes |
9 . At an age where many of his contemporaries are winding down, Jo Schoonbroodt is somehow speeding up. On Sunday, the 71-year-old from the Netherlands, ran a marathon in 2hr 54min 19sec to become the fastest septuagenarian (70-90 年龄组) in history.
A few days later, when the Times catches up with him, his achievement is still sinking in. “I only started jogging at 36 because my doctor told me I had high cholesterol (胆固醇),” he says. “But last year I ran 7,242 kilometres, which is more than double what I did in my car.”
But the secrets of his success might surprise you。 “Most runners train too hard. I do a lot of my training with groups who run very slowly. And then I build on these basics with some faster interval training.”
Schoonbroodt often runs at 9-or 10-minute mile pace, far slower than the 6.38min / mile he ran for 26.2 miles to set his world record, but he says the crucial thing is that he listens to his body. “A lot of people follow a training plan or coach and push on even when their body is saying: ‘No, this is not a good day to do it.’ But if you go out the door and just do what you feel, it’s easier to keep running and stay injury-free.”
Being a late bloomer (大器晚成), he believes, has actually helped him because his ego (自我意识) never had to worry about chasing faster times of his youth. “Because I started so late, I missed my best years. But that’s no problem. Everything is still new to me.”
Schoonbroodt, meanwhile, has no plans to put his feet up. “My next marathon is in two and a half weeks, on an old Roman road built 2,000 years ago,” he says, the excitement obvious. It will be his third in 2023. And with that he is off. After all, the quest (追求) for another sub-three-hour marathon waits for no man. Not even one who is 71.
1. What message does Schoonbrodt’s story carry?| A．It is never too late to run. | B．More haste, less speed. |
| C．Time waits for no man. | D．An earlier bird catches the worm. |
| A．He competed with slower runners. |
| B．He made full use of the intervals. |
| C．He trained in line with his condition. |
| D．He ran faster in the races than in trainings. |
| A．He can draw lessons from other runners. |
| B．He has no youthful success to think back to. |
| C．He can equip himself with new running skills. |
| D．He has a strong desire to make up for the lost time. |
| A．He is unsure of winning it. | B．He is eager to participate in it. |
| C．He has no plan to enter for it. | D．He will not run it in three hours. |
10 . Trying to motivate yourself to exercise can sometimes feel like a fruitless attempt. Here are some tips on setting your mind on getting active, and getting fit.
Make your fitness goals known. Tell your family, friends and co-workers about your fitness goals and encourage them to ask you how your goals come along.
Make an appointment with your doctor. Ask the doctor about your health condition and how becoming more physically fit can help you become healthier.
Consider healthy living, not just workouts. Even if you spend three hours a week in the gym, what of the other 100-plus waking hours each week? Fit people keep energetic during their entire day.
Do it for charity.
| A．Hire a personal trainer. |
| B．Then ask for some suggestions. |
| C．Focus on what matters most to you. |
| D．Some of us get great satisfaction from helping others. |
| E．The ongoing everyday activity leads to a whole lot of fitness. |
| F．Documenting your workouts and progress is a good way to hold yourself accountable. |
| G．Knowing that everyone is watching you provides great motivation to stick to your goals. |
