1 . I come from a family that loves sports. My father coaches Little League baseball. My mother swims nearly every weekend. My brother is on his high-school basketball team, and I am the best hitter on my middle-school volleyball team. All of us have benefited(受益）from sports. One of the most common ways for kids to take part in sports is to join a team. Joining a sports team should be a school requirement.
Playing sports is good for both the body and mind. Everyone knows that exercise helps people stay fit. For example, swimming helps your heart work better and it also helps build muscle strength(肌肉力量）. In addition, school athletes(运动员） often have a healthy diet. I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and avoid fatty foods because I must stay in great condition.
Being on a team allows students to enjoy a healthier social life. They often make more friends and can be some of the most popular kids in school. Since joining the basketball team, my brother has made friends with a lot of his tea mates and has showed more interest in spending time with them.
Kids who take part in school teams sometimes earn college scholarships(奖学金）. My brother's friend, Justin, played football in high school. His family did not have money to send him to college. However, a college invited him to play on its team. The college is paying for him to go to school. Joining a team turned out to be one of the best decisions he had ever made. Now he studies at a great college and plays on its football team Not every school athlete gets a college scholarship, but joining a school team-makes it possible.
Although some people may not like the idea of forcing students to join a school team, its many benefits such as keeping kids heal thy, new friendships, and possible scholarships cannot be denied(否认）.
1. What does the author mainly tell us in Paragraph 2?| A．Joining a school team has health benefits. |
| B．Students should spend more time exercising. |
| C．Swimming is an excellent sport for students. |
| D．School athletes must try to eat a healthy diet. |
| A．He had a busier life. | B．He got more chances. |
| C．He worked much harder. | D．He became more sociable. |
| A．He is a good football player. | B．He will be given a scholarship. |
| C．He is managing a school team. | D．He comes from a wealthy family. |
| A．He doubts it. | B．He is in support of it. |
| C．He is worried about it. | D．He pays little attention to it. |
2 . Is running a marathon (马拉松) under two hours possible? Will a human ever be able to run that fast? Now, the world record for the 42.195km (26.219 miles) distance is held by the Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge. His time of 2:01:39 hours was achieved at the Berlin Marathon of 2018.
But studies published in the past have come to the conclusion that running a marathon under 2 hours can be done. They even see a time of around 1:57 as the fastest a human can ever run. However, we may have to wait longer for this to happen.
To achieve an under two-hour marathon, an athlete would have to have the perfect body size and weight, the right running plans and of course, the right nutrition (营养). Today’s perfect runners come from Kenya and Ethiopia, countries that have dominated (占优势) long distance races for years. East African athletes have long legs and lungs that can take in lots of oxygen (氧). Training at high altitudes (海拔) gives them a strong heart. Ideal weather conditions with cool temperatures and no wind will also be needed to attempt such a mark. An extremely fast marathon would only be possible on flat city courses, like Berlin or London.
Since the beginning of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, athletes have tried to run long distance races as fast as possible. In 1900, the marathon world record was at around 3 hours. In the following 30 years, men were able to reach a mark of 2:30. But in the last 15 years, the world record has improved by only 3 minutes.
On the other side, some experts think that such fast performances will only be possible with the help of some medicine.
1. Why is the world record mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To show a human can run very fast. |
| B．To prove Eliud Kipchoge is the best. |
| C．To introduce the greatest success in the world. |
| D．To show an under two hour marathon hasn’t been achieved yet. |
| A．It requires too many things to fit together. |
| B．It isn’t easy to find right running plans. |
| C．Training a perfect runner takes a long time. |
| D．Kenyan and Ethiopian runners control marathons. |
| A．High altitudes. | B．Lots of oxygen. |
| C．A perfect environment. | D．Tall and strong runners. |
| A．Men will run faster and faster. |
| B．Men made the greatest progress in 1930. |
| C．Achieving shorter time became more difficult. |
| D．It’s impossible to break the marathon world record. |
3 . I love training with my husband Chris. We do our own exercises separately, but then we really enjoy spending 30—40 minutes doing something we both like together. I also train with my family — my brother, his wife and our cousins will come to our house every now and then to train together. It's like family fun time! A little bit of competition also makes us work out harder.
Laziness, as you know, is contagious. But so is enthusiasm. If you can get your partner on board, you will be able to encourage each other on those days when the other doesn't feel like moving. If you set yourself a challenge and add competition to the mix, I promise you that the training will be much more fun. Time will fly by and you'll want to do it again.
This is why I wanted to learn Chris' favourite sport — surfing. Not only would we have more things to do together, but it would be a great challenge for me. In turn, I have introduced Chris to two of my favourite activities: horse riding and motorbiking. Now he also loves them, which means we have even more chances to have fun together. Encouraged by our example, my brother and his wife now train together too. This is what it's all about at the end of the day: quality time with your partner.
What if you don't have a partner? Well, I'm sure you have a friend who would love to train with you. Or, if you have young children, why not train in the backyard with another parent while they play? You just need some music. The important thing is to have a plan and to make the time to do it. It will be much more fun than doing it on your own.
1. How does the author train with her husband?| A．They train on a daily basis. | B．They start with separate training. |
| C．They train for half an hour each time. | D．They always try to do the same exercise. |
| A．Everyone gets more active. | B．Everyone relaxes after work. |
| C．Everyone is very competitive. | D．Everyone feels time is slowing down. |
| A．It's more for men than women. | B．It makes her feel discouraged. |
| C．It's not so hard as she expected. | D．It requires lots of hard work to learn. |
| A．To look for help. | B．To express thanks. |
| C．To make a promise. | D．To give encouragement. |
4 . A study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology took a closer look at music in sports, specifically how listening to music could affect one’s overall performance.
Researchers asked 150 volunteers to throw a ball into a basket. For the first stage of the study, participants threw the ball from a fixed point. They threw the ball while listening to music of their choice, while not listening to music, or while listening to music that the researchers selected. For the second state they were able to choose where to stand when throwing the ball and performed the same activity with the various music choices.
The study found that listening to music, whether it was music of the volunteer's choice or a song chosen for them, did not make the participants more or less likely to get the ball in the basket. It had no effect, What it did do was increase self-esteem and make the study participants more likely to take risks, especially for males who were allowed to choose their own music.
The results suggest that music many pump you up. And it may even help you workout harder and longer than you would without it. But no matter what song you listen to, it's not going to help you get that ball into the basket.
Another study look a detailed look at how music pace might affect exercise. Researchers found that listening to high-pace music makes people feel like they're working less while also benefiting their bodies more.
Listening to high-pace music while exercising resulted in the highest heart rate compared with not listening to music. This means that the exercise seemed like less effort, but it was more beneficial in terms of enhancing physical fitness.
The study found that the beneficial effects of high-pace music were greatest for people who were walking or running and were felt the least for those who were doing high-intensity exercises such as weightlifting.
1. What were volunteers allowed to do while shooting in the second stage test?| A．Choose position and music. | B．Shoot from a fixed point. |
| C．Shoot with fixed music. | D．Shoot with no music. |
| A．Music given by experts. | B．Music males chose. | C．Peaceful music. | D．Loud music. |
| A．It has no effect on sports. | B．It improves your athletic skills. |
| C．It helps easily achieve better workout. | D．High-pace music is beneficial for all forms of exercise. |
| A．Reducing. | B．Balancing. | C．Changing. | D．Strengthening. |
5 . Once Popular Sports in Ancient Capital Xi'an
The ancient capital Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi province is holding the National Games. As the capital of 13 dynasties throughout Chinese history, the ancient city has never been far from sports. Starting from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, the city has held many sports events.
Cuju: Origin of modern soccer
Cuju was an ancient Chinese competitive game involving kicking a ball through an opening into a net. As the ancestor of soccer, it first appeared in the renowned ancient Chinese historical work Zhan Guo Ce（“Strategies of the Warring States”）, which describedCuju as a form of entertainment among the general public. Later, cuju was commonly played in the army for military training purposes, during the Han Dynasty.
Jiaodi: Chinese-style wrestling
Sumo, known as Japan's “national sport”, actually started in ancient China. Sumo was called jiaodi or jiaoli in ancient times. Ancient jiaodi,a Chinese-style wrestling, was performed by athletes wearing ox horns and wrestling with each other imitating wild oxen. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, jiaodi was highly favored by emperors. In the Tang Dynasty, jiaodi was part of military training and a kind of entrainment and athletic sports.
Jiju: Ancient polo
Jiju is a sport which uses a stick to hit balls while riding on a horse, pretty similar to modern polo. It was popular in the royal court and among common people in the Tang Dynasty. There were many fields for playing polo in the court and it was also a major military training program in the army. In the Tang Dynasty capital, there were formal polo courts, such as the stadium pavilion in Chang' an palace.
Archery
During ancient times, the origin of archery was closely related with hunting and defense. Ancient archery was not only an athletic event,a military training program, and an entertainment activity, but also part of education. As early as in Zhou Dynasty, the archery was listed as one of the six practical disciplines, also called the Six Arts, becoming an important and competitive form.
1. Which was popular in the army during the Han Dynasty?| A．Cuju. | B．Jiaodi. |
| C．Jiju. | D．Archery. |
| A．Only by riding a horse. |
| B．By hitting balls wearing ox horns. |
| C．By kicking a ball through an opening into a net. |
| D．By hitting balls while riding on a horse with a stick. |
| A．They were only for entertainment. |
| B．They all disappeared late gradually. |
| C．They were military training programs. |
| D．They all originated from Han Dynasty. |
6 . Many of the sports in ancient Egypt are still practiced today. In fact, many of the basic elements of sports, like rules and uniforms, were first used by Egyptians. The sports had important functions in society. Some were played for fun and fitness. Others were played to make stronger warriors(武士) and leaders.
The first group of sports, mostly for fun was those like rowing, hunting, and the high jump. Hunting and fishing could be enjoyed by the kings and regular people. The same was for rowing. Rowing needed strength. Teams of people got into boats and followed the commands of a leader. He would give regular, sharp calls to tell them when to row. This technique is still used for rowing teams today. Another popular game was tug-of-war. This was a game where two teams had to pull each other over a line. If team fell forward, they lost. This game is still played today in the country.
The second group of sports prepared people for the army and the temple. These included boxing, horse riding, running, and archery(箭术). They were ways to work on skills for fighting. They were also ways to work on mental and spiritual power. Running a marathon was a good example of this. The king would run to show he had the mental strength to guide his country. Hockey was another Egyptian game. Players held tree branches with a bent end, just like modern hockey sticks. They had to hit a ball made of leather that was brightly colored.
These sports were a part of Egyptian culture. They kept the people happy and fit. The basic rules were created thousands of years ago. They are still seen in some forms today.
1. According to the passage, what was the purpose of sports?| A．They could stop people from being angry at the king. |
| B．They could stop people from working too much. |
| C．They could keep people busy with no time to fight. |
| D．They could keep people happy and in good shape. |
| A．clear | B．hopeful |
| C．keen | D．energetic |
| A．To explain how hockey is not fashionable. |
| B．To state his opinion on ancient Egyptian games. |
| C．To provide another example of an old game played today. |
| D．To contrast its simplicity with the complexity of other games. |
7 . Until quarantine (隔离期) ends, we are left picturing what sport we might do: working out at the gym, playing on a competitive sports team, swimming, biking, or rock climbing. However, we don’t often think of martial arts as possible activities; instead, we rule it out because we think it’s dangerous, uncommon, and even, impossible. Martial arts aren’t considered a sport, right?
Well, here’s some good news: you’re wrong! Martial arts aren’t much more common than people think, and you can start learning at any age. Practicing martial arts is a great way to keep in shape, both physically and mentally. They’re much less boring and much less arduous sport than they’re usually described as in movies, so do not worry that they need a lot of effort.
Martial arts generally require you to focus on the position and movement of every one of your legs and arms, sometimes even your breathing too. Think about it: when you leave the gym, your mental state has improved and you are much calmer. This is because you’ve only paid attention to one activity. It is a great way to clear your head. And practicing it can help you learn to stay more focused, which is the greatest advantage of martial arts training.
Martial arts also improve your coordination (协调性), and greatly improve your posture (姿势). I have personally seen students go from slouching (没精打采) to walking tall with their shoulders back in just a couple of months.
There are many styles and countless kinds of martial arts. Whichever one you like better, know that all of them are good choices.
1. What can we know about martial arts from the first two paragraphs?| A．They often have people hurt. | B．They are difficult to practice. |
| C．People have a wrong view on it. | D．People practice them more often. |
| A．Interesting. | B．Difficult. | C．Friendly. | D．Exciting. |
| A．Adjusting the breath. | B．Enjoying one’s free time. |
| C．Correcting the movement. | D．Keeping one’s attention. |
| A．They are not sports. | B．They attracted many teenagers. |
| C．They are beneficial and helpful. | D．They were invented to protect others. |
8 . A new study has found that braving the cold maybe a good way to help burn off some fat.
The research was carried out by scientists at Canada’s Laurentian University and focused on high-intensity interval training(HIIT). This format has grown in popularity of late due to the fat-burning benefits it brings, and the team set out to explore how temperature might influence its effects.
The study involved 11 overweight adults who took part in two HIIT sessions a week apart. One of these was carried out in a “thermoneutral” environment with temperatures of around 70 °F(21℃),and the other at a cold 32 °F(0℃). The sessions consisted of 10 separate cycling race at 90 percent effort lasting one minute, followed by 90-second “recovery” periods of cycling at30 percent intensity.
After each session, the participants cooled down by gently cycling or walking, ate a nutrition bar before going to sleep and enjoyed a high-fat breakfast the morning after. During these sessions, the scientists monitored skin temperature, core body temperature, heart rate and the amount of oxygen. Blood samples were also drawn to help calculate fat burning rates following the breakfast the next day.
“The present study found that high-intensity exercise in the cold increased lipid oxidation (脂质氧化) by 358 percent in comparison to high-intensity exercise in a thermoneutral environment,”the team writes.
The authors also note that the idea that cold temperatures help us burn more fat during exercise will need further investigation (调查), though the first-of-a-kind study does indicate it’s a possibility worth pursuing.
1. What is good for burning off fat according to the study?| A．Cold food. | B．Low temperature. |
| C．Hard workout. | D．Cycling race. |
| A．Introduction to the study. |
| B．Some data in the study. |
| C．The participants in the study. |
| D．The process of the study. |
| A．Further study needs to be done. |
| B．Doing exercise burns more fat. |
| C．The efforts of scientists are in vain. |
| D．The study result is unreasonable. |
| A．High-intensity Workouts Help Burn off Extra Calories |
| B．Cycling in the Cold Is a Great Way to Build upYour Body |
| C．Study Shows Fat-burning Potential of Exercising in the Cold |
| D．Researchers Have Found More Fat-burning Workouts |
9 . A lot of teenagers in middle school want to do more sports.
Watching TV and playing video games are becoming more and more popular among teenagers.
One of the biggest problems in our society today is obesity，and it's not just a problem with adults. More and more kids are becoming overweight.
Encouraging teenagers to do more sports also benefits parents. It is a great way for parents to show they love their kids.
Doing sports is a great way for teenagers to get out of the house，get moving，make friends and keep healthy. So why not join in and get into sports today？
| A．They may find new friends in this way |
| B．Doing sports helps teenagers grow faster |
| C．They prefer to stay at home rather than go out |
| D．Joining in a team sport will help teenagers get some exercise without feeling pressured to lose weight |
| E．Teenagers want to be stronger through doing sports |
| F．Parents can play with them and help them practice sports |
| G．Many do it because they think it will make them become more popular |
10 . The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included on December 17, 2020 China's Tai Chi on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was announced during the online meeting of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held from December 14 to 19 in Kingston, capital of Jamaica.
“Born in the mid-17th century in a small village named Chenjiagou located in Central China's Henan province, Tai Chi is not only a kind of traditional Wushu integrated with slow movements and deep breathing, but is also deeply rooted in many areas of Chinese culture, such as medicine and philosophy,” Zhu Xianghua says, who is the son of the famous Tai Chi master Zhu Tiancai.
Although it has spread to more than 150 countries and regions, attracting more than 100 million people to practice, the idea that Tai Chi is for the elderly has stopped many young people practicing the ancient Wushu. They think of it as a slow exercise, which is specially made and better suited for their grandparents. Instead, many young people are turning to the Indian practice of yoga to relieve stress, which was placed on the UNESCO's List in 2019.
In order to promote Tai Chi, joint efforts have been made from individuals and the Chinese government in the last decades. Xi'an Jiaotong University requires students to learn Tai Chi. Wang Yunbing, a professor in the university's sports center, stressed that Tai Chi is not only good physical exercise-researchers from the American College of Rheumatology find that it can help manage several diseases but is also conned ted to ancient Chinese civilization. Since 2014, the World Tai Chi Championships have been held every two years by the International Wushu Federation. It provides a platform for communication and learning between the Tai Chi masters and Tai Chi lovers around the globe. In January 2020, Tai Chi became an official event in the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games.
1. What does Zhu Xianghua say about Tai Chi in paragraph 2?| A．It originated from fast Kung Fu action. |
| B．It was born around the 1750s in a village. |
| C．It is related to other cultural fields of China. |
| D．It integrates Chinese medicine and western philosophy. |
| A．They think it easier to practice yoga to keep fit. |
| B．The elderly stop young people practicing Tai Chi. |
| C．They consider Tai Chi is custom-built for old people. |
| D．Yoga was included in the world culture earlier than Tai Chi. |
| A．To promote contemporary Chinese civilization. |
| B．To show many efforts made to popularize Tai Chi. |
| C．To stress the importance of Chinese Tai Chi masters. |
| D．To advise people to practice Tai Chi to cure diseases. |
| A．Tai Chi Steps on the UNESCO's List. |
| B．Tai Chi is Competing against Yoga. |
| C．Tai Chi Has Regained populate Globally. |
| D．Opinions Greatly Differ on Tai Chi and Yoga. |
