1 . Kite surfing is a sport that takes place on the surface of the water, on top of boards that are similar in design to wakeboards (尾波滑水板), with the surfer pulled by a kite. The popularity of kite surfing has grown, although it is rather difficult to master. Kite surfing uses the same equipment as kite boarding, but is generally given more to riding on top of waves, rather than on smaller lakes or other calm bodies of water.
Early experiments in kite transportation took place through the 19th century, and at the dawn of the 20th century Samuel Cody crossed the English Channel using kites and a small boat. Kite surfing itself, however, wasn’t really born until the late 1970s. Beginning in that decade, more people became involved in using kites for personal transport and sport. Kite technology itself advanced enormously during the 1970s, with kites becoming much more controllable.
The early kite surfing was rather accidental, but innovators continued to develop the technology to make it easier to control and safer. By the late 1990s, kite surfing was becoming popular off the coast of Maui, France and throughout the world. In 1997, a special kite system was built specifically for kite surfing, which helped kite surfing into the mainstream.
Because of the high speeds and the dangers, it is generally recommended that would-be kite surfers take at least a few basic classes to learn the fundamentals. The main attraction of kite surfing is the potential for amazing tricks. The kite allows the surfer to experience enormous jumps, flying through the air for large distances before hitting the water in a controlled fashion. Like skateboarding, kite surfing makes use of a number of board grabs, with complex tricks possible due to the long period of time the surfer can remain in the air.
1. What does the author mainly intend to tell us in Paragraph 1?A.What is kite surfing. | B.Where to go kite surfing. |
C.How to enjoy kite surfing. | D.Why people like kite surfing. |
A.sport | B.experiment |
C.entertainment | D.transportation |
A.Kite surfing often leads to accidents. |
B.Maui is home to kite surfing. |
C.Kite control is the key to kite surfing. |
D.Kite surfing came into being in the 1990s. |
A.Its potential for tricks. | B.Its long time in the air. |
C.Its speed across the water. | D.Its big distance over the water. |
2 . Trying to stand out from millions of videos on the social networking platform Douyin can often be difficult, but a relatively new account(帐号), which has only been active since last year, has managed to do so easily.
The star behind this account is not a young woman with a slim figure, but a 70-year-old woman. Within just a few months Chen Jifang has attracted over 400, 000 followers with her energetic workouts (锻炼). She was once even featured on a reality show on CCTV.
"The main group that I wanted to encourage was people aging 30 to 50," says Chen. "I think they will be encouraged to work out after seeing that a granny like me can. It is never too late to pursue(追求)good health."
Chen's passion for exercising was born out of a need instead of desire to become famous. Her health had been poor since she was a child. In 2018, she was diagnosed with a lot of problems such as a fatty liver and hyperlipidemia(高血脂). The doctor suggested that she exercise more to stop the further decline of her already poor health.
Overweight Chen started with light jogging, but a fitness coach persuaded her to enter a gym on Dec 29, 2018. "Everyone in the gym was young. They were giving me curious looks," recalls Chen, who walks 3.5 kilometers to the gym every day.
Her daily training started at 8 am with 50 pushups(俯卧撑)and running. After a short break at 9 am, Chen continued working out until 3 pm. She hit the gym every day in 2019. She also gave up her favorite foods like barbecued meats and spicy hotpot.
When her health improved, Chen did more challenging workouts like weightlifting. Three months later, she lost 28 kilograms. Her health index also returned to normal.
"We cannot stop aging, but exercise can slow it down," she says. "Instead of spending money on medicine, it is better to spend money on fitness."
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?A.To attract the interest of readers | B.To encourage readers to work out |
C.To persuade readers to download Douyin | D.To introduce a social network platform |
A.Because she wanted to encourage middle-aged women to work out |
B.Because she wanted to be featured in a reality show on CCTV |
C.Because she wanted to attract more fans |
D.Because her health was in bad condition |
A.visited | B.struck. | C.became famous | D.defeated |
A.Easy to stand out through Douyin. | B.Better to Spend Money on Fitness. |
C.This Granny stands out for workouts. | D.Lose Weight Before You Are Old. |
3 . What is cross country running? Cross country is an outdoor endurance (耐久性) sport that can be mentally challenging and fun.
Stretch daily. For all runners and athletes, a regular stretching routine is an important part of conditioning.
Warm up and cool down. Muscles and tendons (跟腱) are less likely to overstretch or tear if they’ve been properly prepared for running and racing. High-intensity workouts require more prep and post-workout cool down than low-impact activities.
Wear the right shoes. Make sure your shoes fit properly and that they are neither too tight-fitting nor too loose.
Eat and drink enough. Competitive distance runners like to keep their weight low. However, consuming too few calories can harm your body, especially if you’re a girl or woman subject to eating disorders.
A.Cross country running is a sport requiring money. |
B.Tie double-knots to prevent tripping over undone laces. |
C.It’s mostly very safe in comparison to other team sports. |
D.Have a well-balanced diet and be sure to stay well-hydrated. |
E.You may encounter unexpected, non-natural barriers. |
F.It is needed to keep your bones, joints, and muscles healthy. |
G.This type of running and racing has both a physical and psychological role. |
4 . 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. |
5 . Why play sports? You might say “to get exercise” and you would be right. To have fun? That's true, too. But there's more.
Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time.
Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills.
Sports are good for a girl's health. In addition to being fit and keeping a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis(骨质疏松症).
Playing sports improves self-confidence.
A.Exercise cuts the pressure. |
B.Sports teach valuable life skills. |
C.Regular exercise increases quality of life. |
D.In fact, there are at least five more reasons. |
E.Girls who play sports feel better about themselves. |
F.Playing sports offers children more than just physical benefits. |
G.But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don't. |
6 . The Biggest Stadiums in the World
People have been pouring into stadiums since the days of ancient Greece. In around 80 A.D., the Romans built the Colosseum, which remains the world’s best known stadium and continues to inform contemporary design. Rome’s Colosseum was 157 feet tall and had 80 entrances, seating 50,000 people. However, that was small fry compared with the city’s Circus Maximus, which accommodated around 250,000 people.
These days, safety regulations-not to mention the modern sports fan’s desire for a good view and comfortable seat — tend to keep stadium capacities (容量) slightly lower. Even soccer fans tend to have a seat each; gone are the days of thousands standing to watch the match.
For the biggest stadiums in the world, we have used data supplied by the World Atlas list so far, which ranks them by their stated permanent capacity, as well as updated information from official stadium websites.
All these stadiums are still functional, still open and still hosting the biggest events in world sport.
·Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, Pyongyang D.P.R. Korea. Capacity: 150,000. Opened: May 1,1989.
·Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U. S. Capacity: 107,601. Opened: October 1, 1927.
·Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania, U. S. Capacity: 106,572. Opened: September 17, 1960.
·Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, U. S. Capacity: 104,944. Opened: October 7,1922.
·Kyle Field, College Station, Texas, U. S. Capacity: 102,512. Opened: September 24, 1927.
1. How many people could the Circus Maximus hold?A.104,944. | B.107,601. | C.About 150,000. | D.About 250,000. |
A.Michigan Stadium. | B.Beaver Stadium. | C.Ohio Stadium. | D.Kyle Field. |
A.They host big games. | B.They have become tourist attractions. |
C.They were built by Americans. | D.They are favored by architects. |
7 . “Taijiquan is a traditional physical practice in China characterized by relaxed, circular movements that work with breath regulation.” thus reads the introduction of Taijiquan by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO) on its website. Also referred to as T'ai Chi or Chinese boxing, Taijiquan has been a well-known physical practice worldwide. For a long time, different stories regarding the birthplace of Taijiquan have made the rounds, focusing mainly on two places-Wudang Mountain in Hubei Province, central China, and Wenxian County.
A tale tells how a man named Zhang Shanfeng created Taijiquan about 1,000 years ago after witnessing a fight between a sparrow and a snake, drawing inspiration from the animals' movements. The Wudang Mountain is known as one of China's major Taoist land-marks. This oldest philosophy of China has had a great impact on Taijiquan.
The story about its Chenjiagou origin has some more hard proof. In the mid-17th century, a retired general and village head named Chen Wangting combined his kungfu training with elements of Chinese philosophy to create Chen style Tai Chi. Popular belief holds that many modern styles of Taijiquan have been derived from the Chen style. Wenxian is listed as Taijiquan's birthplace on the UNESCO website.
Different from Shaolin Kungfu's powerful approach, Taijiquan looks softer and slower. This soft yet powerful spirit runs through the style of Chenjiagou, which has about 300 years of Taijiquan history.
The Chen style Taijiquan was passed down the generations. Chen Ziqiang is a direct offspring of Chen Wangting. His uncle Chen Xiaowang is now a world-renowned T'ai Chi master and his father Chen Xiaoxing, a leading actor in the video that China submitted to the UNESCO when applying for the honor, also has gained international fame.
1. What can we know from paragraph 1?A.Taijiquan benefits our body. | B.Taijiquan is for competition. |
C.Taijiquan is in a stressful movement. | D.Taijiquan features quick movements. |
A.Declined. | B.Developed. | C.Obtained. | D.Differed. |
A.The Chen style is softer and slower than modern styles of T'ai Chi |
B.The Chen style has a great impact on philosophy of China. |
C.It has about 300 years of history. |
D.It was created by animals' fight. |
A.Music. | B.Science. | C.Advertisement. | D.Culture. |
8 . Any time of the day you can commit to exercising is a good time for getting active, the best time for exercise is different for each person. Consider your lifestyle and exercise goals to help find the right time for you.
Do you struggle to get out of the bed in the morning or do you wake up energized and ready to go? Are you a night owl and never get to bed before midnight? Once you establish what your sleep tendencies are, you will have a better idea of when your body is most inclined(倾斜的)to exercise. If you are not a morning person, do not schedule an early morning workout.
Consider your daily schedule.
When are you the busiest? When do you tend to schedule your most important tasks?
Determine your exercise goals.
Are you trying to lose weight? Are you trying to improve your performance? Or are you trying to develop a consistent exercise routine? If you are trying to develop a routine, you may want to exercise in the morning.
A.Pay attention to how well you sleep. |
B.Determine when you have the most energy. |
C.Experiment with both morning and evening workouts. |
D.People who exercise in the morning are more consistent. |
E.Try to fit in your exercise before or at least around these events if possible. |
F.You are more likely to hit the snooze button instead of getting a workout in. |
G.If your mornings are busy and you have trouble making it out of the door on time, an evening workout may be best. |
9 . Scientific research on yoga has found that yoga practice can help with problems such as back pain, depression and anxiety. Still, yoga studies tend to be of uneven quality, often relying on self-reported survey data. However, a 2019 review paper focused on a more objective measure: brain scans. Though far from definitive, the findings show that the practice may improve brain health, and they indicate a way to bring yoga and science more convincingly together.
The review, led by Neha Gothe, director of the Exercise Psychology Lab, examined 11 papers that used various types of brain scans to assess the impact of yoga practice on the brain. Gothe and her colleagues limited their review to studies in which all three major elements of yoga were included: the physical poses, breathing exercises, and meditation or mindfulness. Three patterns emerged with some consistency: yoga practice could be linked to increased gray matter volume(体积) in the hippocampus, a key structure for memory; increased volume in certain regions of the prefrontal cortex, the seat of higher-order-cognition(认知); and greater connectivity across the default mode network. This network plays a role in processing memories and emotions.
Jessica Damoiseaux, a co-author of the review paper, focuses her research on aging-related changes in the brain, and she notes that the structures that seem to be strengthened by yoga are ones that tend to shrink with aging. The greater volumes linked to yoga are similar to those seen in studies of aerobic (有氧的)exercise. This raises a question: Is there really anything special about yoga or is it just another brain-preserving workout?
At this point it’s hard to say. Clearer answers will come with better studies that build on the smaller experiments. Gothe, for example, recently received government funds for a study that will assign 168 old adults to six months of classes of yoga, aerobic exercise, or stretching and strengthening. “It’s exactly the kind of trial we need,” says Gothe.
1. What do we know about the 2019 review paper on yoga?A.It is far from objective. | B.It is centered on brain scans. |
C.It proves to be of low quality. | D.It relies on self-reported data. |
A.Three major elements of yoga. | B.The key structure for memory. |
C.The finding of the review by Gothe. | D.The emotion processing network. |
A.Take aerobic exercise. | B.Apply for government funds. |
C.Assign old people to jobs. | D.Carry out smaller experiments. |
A.Yoga back in fashion. | B.Age can affect brain power |
C.Brain trials on the way | D.Yoga may boost brain health |
10 . Unicycles are one-wheeled vehicles that developed from the original bicycle, the Penny Farthing, which consisted of a large front wheel and a much smaller back wheel. When this bike hit bumps(凸块) or suddenly slowed down, the back wheel came off the ground, so many riders learned to balance on just the front wheel. Thus, bicycle-makers began making vehicles with just one wheel.
Some of the benefits of riding a unicycle include burning calories, and increasing your levels of coordination (协调), concentration and balance. Because unicycles don’t have any handlebars, riders must balance, using only their abdominal (腹部的)muscles and leg muscles. This helps you build a healthier core. Long cycling sessions also increase your heart rate, which can lead to a healthier cardiovascular (心血管的) system. Riding a unicycle is an effective way to get in a low-impact workout for those with damaged knees and legs.
Unicycling is a fun activity regardless of your ability level. Riding a unicycle is self-motivating and psychologically stimulating because you will notice improvements each time you ride. Some people find that it gives them feelings of control when they can achieve balancing and riding on just one wheel.
Some riders use their unicycles as their primary mode of transportation for work or school. Because unicycles don't require any type of fuel, you can save money at pump. Unicycles also have only a few moving parts that might break. This means that you typically don't have to spend much money on repairs. You also won' t need to spend money on storing or transporting your unicycle.
Unicycling is a somewhat uncommon activity. Because of this, a sense of unity tends to grow among unicycle riders. Many riders travel significant distances just to go on rides and spend time with other unicyclists. Unicycling is often a family activity, and riding together can bring family members closer.
1. Why were one-wheel vehicles created?A.Because it was more beneficial for one's health. |
B.Because it was more likely to avoid road bumps. |
C.Because the front wheel only could also be used for balancing. |
D.Because a bicycle’s back wheel wasn’t fixed well. |
A.Having a handlebar. | B.Stopping a unicycle. |
C.Increasing strength. | D.Balancing a unicycle. |
A.Typical features of cycling. | B.Basic modes of transportation. |
C.Economic benefits of unicycling. | D.Ways to store and transport unicycles. |
A.introduce benefits of unicycling | B.show how unicycles are spread |
C.display varieties of unicycles | D.advocate cycling for teenagers |