1 . A woman about 100 years old just proved that age means nothing by breaking three amateur(业余的) swimming world records.

On Saturday, Jan. 20, Betty Brussels _________ the Victoria Masters Swim Club Meet and beat the rivals in the 50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke, and 400m freestyle in the 100- to 104-year-old age _________.

Betty Brussel didn’t get into _________ swimming until she was in her 60s, and this was the first time she had been able to _________ such an achievement. She was able to break the records despite _________ a pacemaker(心脏起搏器) she received after suffering a heart attack in her 70s.

Betty finished her 50m backstroke in 1:24.91, which was almost five _________ faster than the previous record. She surpassed(超过) the _________ standing 400m freestyle record of 16:36.80 by _________ hers in 12:50.03. Betty set the first record for the 50m breaststroke with a time of 1:56.22.

“I was surprised by my own _________ yesterday,” said Betty. “I gave it my all; I never give up. It was wonderful. I was totally __________ by everybody’s support. I like to win, but __________ have never been the most important thing to me. If somebody else wins, I am __________ for them.”

Even though Betty Brussels only just __________ her own achievements, award-winning filmmakers Hannah Walsh and Emma Puchniak are already talking about a possible __________ that could be released in about a year.

“I live life every day and __________ it,” Betty told the publication. “I feel very fortunate to do what I do.”

1.

A．set aside

B．called on

C．headed for

D．engaged in

2.

A．group

B．court

C．period

D．department

3.

A．challenging

B．demanding

C．appropriate

D．competitive

4.

A．regain

B．reach

C．commit

D．recall

5.

A．building upon

B．carrying out

C．relying on

D．showing off

6.

A．minutes

B．seconds

C．moments

D．meters

7.

A．formerly

B．regularly

C．temporarily

D．interestingly

8.

A．improving

B．completing

C．raising

D．stopping

9.

A．behavior

B．function

C．restriction

D．swim

10.

A．fascinated

B．attracted

C．touched

D．affected

11.

A．records

B．dreams

C．beliefs

D．failures

12.

A．happy

B．anxious

C．sorry

D．thankful

13.

A．declined

B．proved

C．revealed

D．marked

14.

A．novel

B．advertisement

C．documentary

D．interview

15.

A．cue

B．enjoy

C．purchase

D．deserve

2 . Attention! We need to put a stop to parents doing harm to youth sports. It has gotten out of hand.

A recent study showed 26 million American children took part in non-school sports. By the age of 13, about 18.2 million quit.

No wonder kids are quitting. Many parents show no sportsmanship. They often shout happily at an injury if the injured player is on the other team. My brother Mario Widdowson got hit in the face during a soccer game. The parents from the other team were shouting gladly at his pain. All of the players were down on one knee waiting for Mario to get up, out of respect and it was the right thing to do. The kids did much better than these parents.

There are different types of parents. In the book “Parenting with Love and Logic” the authors describe two different types of parents. The first is helicopter parents, who don’t allow their kid to succeed or fail on their own. The other type is lawnmower parents, who clear anything in their child’s path to make life as easy as possible.

I have observed helicopter parents. When my brother was playing club soccer, one of his teammate’s parents shouted at their son. “Shoot the ball”. It was from about half field. He did it and the coach stopped him from playing and asked him to leave the field.

The parents are trying to coach their kids. The players on the field follow blindly and many mistakes happen. It’s not good for kids’ confidence. What is the purpose of youth sports anyway?

Problems happen in youth sports all over the United States. Parents need to behave themselves. Then the number of students who quit at the age of 13 will drop greatly.

1. What does the author want to show by using numbers in Paragraph 2?

A．American kids are sports lovers.

B．Parents can’t behave themselves.

C．Most kids give up sports half-way.

D．Non-school sports are popular among teens.

2. What did some parents do when Mario got injured?

A．They lent a helping hand.	B．They cheered at his injury.
C．They waited for him to get up.	D．They kept shouting at their kids.

3. Why was the boy asked to leave the field?

A．He made a mistake.

B．He missed his goal.

C．He turned to the coach again.

D．He didn’t want to go on with the sport.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Parents Should Respect Sports.	B．Non-school Sports Is Popular.
C．Encouragement Is Important for Kids.	D．Kids Need to Love Sports.

3 . Felicia Grimmenhag of Sweden doesn’t let anything get in her way — even a life-changing injury. After surviving a serious car accident, Felicia had to _________ getting around in a wheelchair. But it didn’t stop her from _________ her dream as a champion horseback rider and Paralympic (残奥会) hopeful.

Felicia was 17 when she was _________ by a car while riding her motorbike. Despite being legally dead for 15 minutes, she _________ pulled through. When she finally _________ three days later, she discovered her legs had disappeared. While this new reality would be a(n) _________ pill for anyone to take, Felicia focused all her energy on getting back on the horse! She’d _________ as a little girl and decided to try again. And shockingly, about 10 weeks after the _________, she was riding once again! “Horses have meant a lot to me, both _________ and also physically,” she told Great Big Story. “When I sit on a horse, I don’t feel like the __________ Felicia, but the horse-riding Felicia.”

Felicia has since taken part in competitions around the world, proving she doesn’t need __________ to win. In 2020, the 25-year-old won the silver at the Swedish Championships. Now she __________ to compete at the Paralympics! “What I have learned from all this is that you should dare to __________ yourself, and remember that it’s only you who sets your own __________,” she said.

It’s true that when you want something, all you need is the __________ and drive to achieve it.

1.

A．give up

B．worry about

C．adjust to

D．speak of

2.

A．forgetting

B．pursuing

C．losing

D．describing

3.

A．pick up

B．searched for

C．sent away

D．knocked down

4.

A．magically

B．immediately

C．logically

D．hopelessly

5.

A．rang up

B．stood up

C．woke up

D．turned up

6.

A．tough

B．additional

C．forbidden

D．acceptable

7.

A．swum

B．skated

C．cycled

D．ridden

8.

A．excuse

B．accident

C．mistake

D．conflict

9.

A．technically

B．biologically

C．mentally

D．intellectually

10.

A．disabled

B．frightened

C．disciplined

D．focused

11.

A．cars

B．motorbikes

C．horses

D．legs

12.

A．hesitates

B．fails

C．intends

D．pretends

13.

A．suspect

B．challenge

C．evaluate

D．protect

14.

A．preferences

B．schedules

C．principles

D．limits

15.

A．pressure

B．desire

C．budget

D．responsibility

4 . It might be a shock, but video games might be added to the 2024 Olympics. The debate over this gives both sports and video game fans something to consider.

The Olympic Games were created in the 1890s with the inspiration of replicating (重现) the ancient Olympic Games which were a celebration for the ancient Greek God, Zeus. Thereafter, it changed to be a great competition to show off the athletes’ strength, physical abilities, and skills. On the other hand, video games were first made for entertaining the people. It wasn’t until 1972 that the first competitive video game was created. Afterwards, people held competitions to exhibit players’ skills: hand-eye coordination (手眼协调), quick thinking, and even teamwork. With these two types of similar events, it’s easy to see why people are considering combining the two.

With this addition to the Olympic Games, it gives the competitors more competing events, gives different types of entertainment to viewers, and allows more people to join the Olympics. Besides, allowing video games in the Olympics will not only exhibit physical strength, but also bring intelligence, reaction speed, and more teamwork to the competition.

However, every coin has two sides. One disadvantage of this extension of the Olympic Games is the increase of “Haters”. There have already been cases of people who dislike video games in their everyday lifestyle. If the two activities were to combine, the popularity of this event would be lowered.

The worst downside appears. If video games were to enter the Olympics, it would not be the competition that it was originally made to be. The Olympics were made for great athletic abilities and skills, not for pushing buttons to control something that isn’t physically real.

With both positive and negative effects, it will be a hard choice whether or not to place video games in the Olympics. Although the final decision hasn’t been made yet, we’d better keep open-minded about that.

1. Which of the following shows the structure of the text?

A．①②/③/④⑤/⑥	B．①②③/④⑤/⑥
C．①/②③④/⑤/⑥	D．①②/③④/⑤/⑥

2. According to the author, what does adding video games to the Olympics mean?

A．Some other events will be got rid of.

B．The atmosphere will be more harmonious.

C．The inclusiveness of the Olympics will increase.

D．The chance of winning in the Olympics will decrease.

3. What is the biggest disadvantage of adding video games to the Olympics?

A．Video games will become widely popular with children.

B．People will lose interest in great athletic abilities.

C．The original purpose of the Olympics will be lost.

D．The popularity of the Olympics will fade.

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

A．Should the events of the Olympics be expanded?

B．Should the Olympics be encouraged to change?

C．Should video games be further encouraged?

D．Should video games be in the Olympics?

5 . What are the limits of the human body? Is there a point at which it is physically impossible to do something?

“One thing we’ve all learned in the last 30 years or so is that just about anything is humanly possible,” says Dr. Jack Wilmore, author of Physiology of Sport and Exercise. “As time goes by, I think you’ll see more records continue to fall in every sport. The talent pool is better than ever. With more and better athletes involved and competing, records will fall and new standards will be set.”

Many believed it was physically impossible for a human to run a mile in under four minutes, but Roger Bannister proved that theory wrong with a three-minute, 59-second mile in 1954. Today, sub-four-minute miles are considered routine even in high school. And Bob Beamon stretched human performance in the 1968 Olympics with his historic long jump of 8.90 metres. In an event where a record is usually broken by mere inches, he broke the previous jump record by more than 21 inches, but even his record was broken in 1991.

One factor is now becoming more understood and heavily emphasized: sports psychology. Getting inside the athlete’s head can be as effective as training and long workouts. According to Wilmore, the psychological aspect of sports has become more and more esteemed. He points out that most professional teams have hired sports psychologists for their players.

In addition, every aspect of athletics --- training, nutrition, injury treatment --- is far better than it’s ever been. “Besides, children today tend to specialize in one or two sports instead of competing in several as was common twenty-five years ago,” Wilmore says. “That means they start concentrating on a sport much earlier and more intensely, and they become much better at it.”

“There’s a lot we don’t know yet about the human body,” he adds. “And one of those   things is the full range of human potential. It would be foolish to try and put limits on what the human body can do.”

1. Which statement will Wilmore probably agree with?

A．It is preferable to set universal standards for athletes.

B．Athletes will become the most sought-after celebrities.

C．It is necessary for athletes to learn the limits of the body.

D．Athletes will continue to surprise us with their achievements.

2. Why are Roger Bannister and Bob Beamon mentioned in paragraph 3?

A．To introduce two great athletes.

B．To show some of the latest world records.

C．To prove the limits of the body can be pushed.

D．To explain what athletes can achieve under stress.

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

A．Similar.	B．Valued.
C．Complex.	D．Specialized.

4. How are today’s children different from those years ago according to Wilmore?

A．They participate in far more sports.

B．They are less likely to get injured in sports.

C．They begin playing sports at a much earlier age.

D．They become more skilful at one particular sport.

6 . Participating in photography competitions can bring you various benefits. The following are four great photography competitions you may want to attend this year.

Communication Arts Photography Competition

Most photo competitions come with cash prizes. This competition doesn’t. But it is still a respected competition. To be qualified (符合资格的), your images need to be first produced or published in a period from the previous March to this March. Each participant can present five images at most, and the images must be created for the same project. The winning images will spread worldwide in Communication Arts and on commarts.com.

Sony World Photography Awards

The competition provides winners with cash prizes as well as Sony equipment. Another great thing about this competition is its travelling exhibition. No matter which country you are in, you can always notice the winning images. Participants are allowed to present five to ten images. You will love this competition because it is free to enter, and you can choose from many different categories (类别).

Moscow International Foto Awards

The goal of the competition is to discover and recognize talented photographers worldwide and introduce them to the creative community in Russia. There is a discount on entry fees for students. Participants can enter up to twenty images, both individual images and photo series in any of its nine categories.

Nikon Small World

Being a long-standing camera producer, Nikon has been running this competition since 1975. This competition is all about photomicrography. Anyone can enter, and each participant can present three images. If you don’t feel like entering even if it is free, checkout the previous winners. The images are amazing, and that might just get you in the mood for application.

1. What can we know about the Communication Arts Photography Competition?

A．It awards winners a large sum of money.

B．It accepts images that have been published only.

C．It enables the winning works to be widely seen.

D．It allows a participant to present works on various topics.

2. Which competition allows participants to present the most images?

A．Nikon Small World.

B．Moscow International Foto Awards.

C．Sony World Photography Awards.

D．Communication Arts Photography Competition.

3. What do Sony World Photography Awards and Nikon Small World have in common?

A．They both enable one participant to compete in many categories.

B．They both offer the winning images worldwide exhibition tours.

C．They both only qualify photos taken by their own-brand cameras.

D．They both give participants free entrance.

7 . 假定你是李华，你的英国笔友Tom看到中国女足在2022年2月6日举办的女子亚洲杯决赛中，在比分落后的情况下，最终反超比分，夺得亚洲杯冠军，非常敬佩，来信询问你的感受。请用英语给他回一封邮件，内容包括：
1. 介绍决赛的情况；
2. 为中国女足的成绩感到自豪；
3. 女足精神对你的启示。
注意：1. 词数100左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

参考词汇：the China Women’s Football Team中国女子足球队；the final of the Women’s Asian Cup女足亚洲杯决赛
Dear Tom,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

8 . M-U-R-R-A-Y-A is the word that pushed Zaila Avant garde, 15, to victory in the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee. The annual event took place in July, 2021, in Florida.

After correctly spelling Murraya, which is a type of flowering tree, Zaila became the first Black American contestant ever to win the national title. She is the second Black winner, after Jody-Anne Maxwell of Jamaica, who won the bee in 1998.

Since 1925, the Scripps spelling bee has promoted literacy. Competing in the event helps students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies and develop self-confidence.

Zaila, who is from Harvey, Louisiana, put in a lot of work to become the top speller. She studied for two years. ”I worked with a tutor and studied some days up to seven hours,“ she said.

In addition to being an award-winning speller, Zaila enjoys juggling, playing basketball and inspiring other students. ”Whether I’m studying for spelling bees or playing basketball,“ she said, ”the main motivation for me is to inspire others.“

In the months following her spelling bee win, Zaila made several television appearances. She was also named the 2021 SportsKid of the Year by Sports Illustrated.

The rising star is not finished. She has big goals for the future. “I’d like to play basketball at Harvard, play in the WNBA, become a head coach in the WNBA, and work for NASA,” she said.

Zaila’s parents introduced her to basketball when she was a young child. After receiving a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records on her eighth birthday, she set her sights on becoming a record holder. “When I looked in the book,” she said, “I decided that I wanted to be in it.” Now, at the age of 15, Zaila holds three world records.

1. What is the main purpose of the Scripps spelling bee?

A．Getting good grades in school.	B．Raising reading efficiency.
C．Improving spelling ability.	D．Grasping new learning ways.

2. When did Zaila start to prepare for the spelling competition?

A．At the age of 8.	B．At the age of 13.
C．At the age of 14.	D．At the age of 15.

3. What is known about Zaila’s big goals?

A．They are about spelling.	B．They are easy to achieve.
C．Being a star is her favourite.	D．Being a head coach is one of them.

4. What inspired Zaila to bold many world records?

A．A birthday gift.	B．Her parents’ hope.
C．Her teacher’s guide.	D．Her wild imagination.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Dragon Boat Racing     1     (hold) for more than 2,000 years throughout southern China. Now it has become an international water sport.

Hundreds of people gathered at Marina del Rey in southern California     2     Saturday for a Dragon Boat Festival featuring dragon boat racing, a live music show and family gatherings. Nearly 40 teams     3     (compete) in the racing in the harbor, with participants’ age     4     (range) from 10 to 70. “The fast growing sport of dragon boat racing promotes cultural diversity and fitness. It brings people together in a fun and     5     (excite) atmosphere.” said Nathan Salazar, the organizer of the activity. Heidi Stone, a member of the Aero Dragon team, told Xinhua. “I love the sport, for I can experience Chinese culture     6     taking part in the racing. It is a team sport, and we have to work together very well     7     (win) the games.”

    8     (tradition), a dragon boat,     9     is about 20—35 meters long, is shaped and decorated in the form of a Chinese dragon. During a dragon boat race, dozens of team     10     (member) sit in pairs paddling the boat at a pace that is set by the drummer sitting in the front.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

My heart was beating rapidly in my chest as I found a     1     (comfort) place to rest my tired body. I could hear     2     (I) breathing heavily as I looked up at the blue sky. When my breathing returned to normal, I reflected on what had just been achieved. Six weeks ago, my friends told me that     3     city half-marathon for amateurs was being organized     4     (help) raise money for charity, and encouraged me to take part. Despite my lack of running experience, I agreed. In order not to hurt my knees or     5     (ankle), I started my training very gently by running just one kilometer on the first day. Over the next six weeks, I     6     (gradual) increased the distance I ran in each training session. Soon I was running distances     7     I had never thought possible. The day of the half-marathon finally arrived and I felt well prepared. I ran my race,     8     (relax) and confident, even though my limits were being tested like never before. I was happy to learn that a lot of money     9     (raise) for charity. I felt really proud     10     myself, and my friends and I agreed to run in the next city marathon!