1 . Torsongan Bullik is a 28-year-old cross-country skier. When he was a freshman in junior high school in 2009, he excelled at long-distance running. As an amateur in 2016, he finished third in the Xinjiang Wusu International Marathon. And then a passion for cycling revealed itself as his hometown hosted the Tour of Sayram Lake, a national road race for amateur cyclists.

“The high-spirited cyclists, their flashy costumes and helmets fascinated me,” he recalls. “I felt that cycling was really cool.”

In 2012, Torsongan’s father gave him a mountain bike that cost 5,000 yuan ($695), which was a lot of money for his family. He loved the bicycle so much that he used it at every opportunity. Two years later, he entered his first competition, although there was no fairy-tale ending as he lost his balance on a steep slope. But he was determined and kept testing his limits. This paid off as he has won medals at all levels of the sport in China.

On Oct 18, 2018, Torsongan was the first to cross the finish line during a high-altitude bike race in the Xizang autonomous region. But surprisingly, it was the national cross-country skiing team that he impressed with his endurance (耐力). They were in search of new talented athletes for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Accepting the invitation from the team marked a turning point for Torsongan’s career, but challenges remained. “After training with the team during the day, I had to go to the gym to level up my upper-body strength in the evening,” Torsongan said in an earlier interview.

He didn’t make the final list, but worked as a technician assisting (帮助) in the operations of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Regardless of the outcome of the 14th National Winter Games, Torsongan enjoyed the challenge of competing, and has his eyes set on the next race.

“I will continue with my efforts. As long as I don’t give up, I still have a chance to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics,” he says.

1. What set Torsongan on the cross-country skiing road?

A．He felt that skiing was really cool.

B．He studied on cross-country skiing.

C．A professional team looked for someone with talent.

D．He hoped to fulfill his father’s expectations.

2. Which of the following can best describe Torsongan?

A．Determined and hard-working.	B．Cautious and responsible.
C．Strong and humorous.	D．Talented and productive.

3. Which of the following can we know from the Torsongan?

A．He used to be a professional long-distance runner.

B．His hard work of bike training didn’t paid off.

C．He didn’t accept the invitation from the team.

D．He was a technician in the Beijing Winter Olympics.

4. What is Torsongan’s next plan?

A．Encouraging others to join in his activity.

B．Becoming a technician assistant in his hometown.

C．Continuing his dream at the next Winter Olympics.

D．Becoming a long-distance running player.

2 . 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

3 . In this post, we’ll introduce some top robotics competitions open to high schoolers. Keep reading to learn more.

Botball Educational Robotics Program

Level: Regional and national competitions available

Grades: 9th, 10th. 11th, 12th

Over a period of about seven weeks, students learn to code(编程) and develop complex strategies to use artificial intelligence. This allows them to create an autonomous robot together that competes in an annual game challenging against other teams in competitions at various levels across the country.

FIRST: Robotics Competition

Level: Local, regional and national competitions available

Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

Teams work together with professional teachers to design, assemble(装配), and test an industrial-sized robot .The robot then competes in a head-to-head field game against other teams.

Robo Games

Level: International

Grades: All ages and backgrounds

This self-claimed “Olympics of robots” and current largest open robot competition challenges participants in a wide variety of events to display various skills. Amateurs, professionals, young and old alike are invited to participate with the goal of winning prizes, expanding educational service, and recognizing robot-builders in the public eye.

Zero Robotics High School Tournament

Level: International, including the U.S. and member countries of the European Space Agency

Grades: 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th

This fascinating competition begins with robots called SPHERES inside the International Space Station. The first phase of the competition is entirely online, in which competitors code the SPHERES to meet a yearly challenge. Finalists compete in person, onboard the International Space Station, conducted live in microgravity by a real astronaut!

1. What do the first and second robotics competitions have in common?

A．Teamwork is a must in competitions.

B．They have the same goals and rules.

C．The robot is tested before competitions.

D．They are completely of the same level.

2. Which of the competitions has no age limitation?

A．Bot ball Educational Robotics Program.	B．FIRST: Robotics Competition.
C．Robo Games.	D．Zero Robotics High School Tournament.

3. What can we learn about Zero Robotics High School Tournament?

A．It is held by the European Space Agency.

B．It is a local robotics competition.

C．The whole competition is conducted online.

D．The final competition is held at the International Space Station.

4 . 请听下面一段独白,回答以下小题。
1. What did the schoolboys decide to do?

A．Take a good rest.

B．Set a new record.

C．Run a marathon.

2. How many players are there in each team?

A．Five.

B．Six.

C．Nine.

3. How did the schoolboys feel before sleeping on the first night?

A．Excited.

B．Worried.

C．Bored.

4. What can we learn about the game?

A．It started at 6: 00 am.

B．It lasted about four days.

C．It ended in failure.

5 . 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

6 . Fourteen-year-old Harini Logan won the Scripps National Spelling Bee last Thursday, defeating 12-year-old Vikram Raju in a tiebreaker. It’s the first time that the contest has ever been decided by a tie-breaking round of spelling.

A spelling bee is a contest where players take turns spelling words. Though the bee is mainly about spelling, it also focuses on the meaning of the words. During parts of the contest, students were asked to choose the correct meaning of a word.

That caused trouble for Harini. She was asked about the meaning of the word “pullulation”. She said the word described the nesting of birds. The contest organizers had expected the answer to be the “swarming of bees”. Harini was removed from the contest. But soon she was back in- the judges double-checked and learned that Harini’s definition was also correct. One by one, the other students spelled a word wrong and got out. Finally, only Harini and Vikram were left.

To make ties much less likely, a “spell-off” was added to the contest in recent years. In the spell-off, Vikram and Harini each took turns trying to spell the words they were asked, but both made blunders. At one point, Harini could have won by spelling the word “drimys” (a kind of plant) correctly. But she missed it.

That put the two into a super tie-breaking event, where they were each given 90 seconds to correctly spell as many words as they could. The New York Times reports that the two spelled so quickly that the judges needed to review the video to see who had won. In 90 seconds, Vikram had spelled 15 words correctly, Harini had 21 correct spellings, making her the new winner.

This was Harini’s fourth at the Bee and it’s the first time she’s made it to the finals. Describing her win, she said, “This is just such a dream!”

1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly tell us about the spelling bee?

A．Its significant meaning.	B．Its competition content.
C．The importance of spelling.	D．Players’ struggle for spelling.

2. What happened to Harini?

A．She failed to enter the final round.	B．She was confident about her answer.
C．Her answer was misjudged at first.	D．She refused to accept the judgement.

3. What does the underlined word “blunders” mean in Paragraph 4?

A．Efforts.

B．Ways.

C．Senses.

D．Mistakes.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．A Tie-Breaking Event

B．Scripps National Spelling Bee

C．Teen Wins Spelling Bee in Exciting Tie- Breaker

D．A Girl’s First Time to Make Her Dream Come True

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Why do people all over the world enjoy sports?

A．Because sports are exciting.

B．Because sports have a long history.

C．Because sports enable them to live longer.

2. When do people get excited while watching the games?

A．When their favorite team wins.

B．When they win the game.

C．When they get good news.

3. What sport has a long history?

A．Basketball.

B．Jumping.

C．Sailing.

4. Which is one of the newest in the family of sports?

A．Martial arts.

B．Swimming.

C．Water-skiing

8 . Marcus is a handsome and athletic kid. He plays tennis and _________ the state tournament every year. Marcus’s neighbor, Conrad, is also _________ to compete, but he has rheumatoid arthritis (类风湿性关节炎). Although it pains him just to walk, he _________ painful days at school walking to the sports field. He loves watching his school compete so he doesn’t _________ a game.

Marcus has known Conrad since primary school. They’ve always been _________. He sees Conrad in pain and his _________ at not being able to play sports. So, every day alter school, Marcus _________ his classmates to go to Conrad’s for a moment of discussion about the game competition. The discussion is as _________ as a real high school game, which makes Conrad forget the hurt.

Finally, the doctors found a new _________ to reduce the pain. Conrad walks without much pain, and then begins running, but he still has to learn the __________ of running. After a childhood of walking carefully and taking __________ steps, Conrad has to train his walking like a kid again and stay in shape. He pushes himself every day，building his lungs and doing leg lifts repeatedly for his leg __________. He knows what pain feels like, but running for Conrad is no longer __________.

To Conrad’s delight, he gets a chance to join the cross country team. Conrad doesn’t win, not once, but Marcus is there, __________ for him who always finishes in the middle of the competitors, breathing in wind and waving his hands __________.

1.

A．gives up

B．competes in

C．hears of

D．breaks through

2.

A．able

B．lucky

C．eager

D．calm

3.

A．bears

B．counts

C．forgets

D．escapes

4.

A．accept

B．enjoy

C．lose

D．miss

5.

A．strangers

B．enemies

C．friends

D．teachers

6.

A．surprise

B．sadness

C．impatience

D．tiredness

7.

A．promises

B．asks

C．drives

D．forces

8.

A．long

B．noisy

C．boring

D．interesting

9.

A．treatment

B．excuse

C．period

D．topic

10.

A．goal

B．style

C．speed

D．skill

11.

A．suitable

B．serious

C．small

D．comfortable

12.

A．strength

B．show

C．shape

D．advantage

13.

A．relaxing

B．beneficial

C．painful

D．meaningful

14.

A．queuing

B．arguing

C．running

D．cheering

15.

A．excitedly

B．curiously

C．anxiously

D．actively

9 . 4 STEM Competitions for High Schoolers

eCyberMission

You can participate(参加) in this competition without leaving the house. eCyberMission is   a web-based contest in which participants—working in teams of two to four students—use science, math, and technology to solve problems facing their communities. First-place winners receive $1,000.

Grades: 9th

Competition Type: Regional, state, and national

Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision

Interested in what the future has to hold? Consider ExploraVision’s STEM competition. Working in teams of two to four, students will research a particular technology and discuss the ways in which it may impact lives moving forward. Participants are required to write a paper and draw web pages communicating their vision.

Grades: 7th- 9th and 10th- 12th

Competition Type: Regional and national

Spellman Clean Tech Competition

The Spellman Clean Tech Competition tests students’ ability to research and design—it requires participants to recognise a real-world issue, research the problem, and design a solution that uses clean technology. Participants gain a better understanding of STEM fields and may help make the earth a healthier place. In addition to the honor of winning a well-known STEM competition, there are some awards for top finishers—including a $7,000 first prize.

Grades: 9th- 12th

Competition Type: International

Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)

The most promising young scientists in the nation compete in the Regeneron STS—one of the country’s oldest and most famous STEM competitions. The competition is open to high school seniors and challenges them to carry out an independent research project and submit(提交) their findings along with a paper and up to four recommendations(推荐信). Winners can take home awards of up to $250,000!

Grades: 12th

Competition Type: National

1. What is special about eCyberMission?

A．It allows group work.	B．It is designed for seniors.
C．It takes place online.	D．It offers the most prize money.

2. Which competition is open to foreign high school students?

A．eCyberMission.	B．Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision.
C．Spellman Clean Tech Competition.	D．Regeneron Science Talent Search.

3. What is a requirement for participants in Regeneron Science Talent Search?

A．Being a well-known scientist.	B．Doing their research work alone.
C．Providing a research schedule.	D．Finishing a book about their findings.

10 . Last December, sixteen teams took part in the first rugby championship (橄榄球锦标赛) for primary and middle school students in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. Young players all enjoyed themselves in the games.

The event was held in Fuzhou No. 10 High School. The school set up the city’s first high school students’ rugby team in December 2020. And from September last year, it started to give rugby classes and students are very interested in them.

The event played an important role in developing students’ interests in sports, teaching students about team spirit and supporting the development of rugby in China. “Rugby is a good way to develop teamwork (合作) skills, said Yeh Chao-hsiang, a rugby teacher at a university in Fujian. “Students are taught to respect their teammates and opponents (对手).”

When playing rugby, players must follow strict rules. And since rugby is a sport that needs body contact students safety has to be put first. So when the students are playing a rugby game, they are requested to follow an important rule - when there is a touch on the body of the player who carries the ball, the player should put the ball down and let a teammate continue. “With this rule, rugby is a safe sport for both boys and girls and people of any age.” said WuLusheng, head of the Fujian Rugby Association.

“The sport is easy to learn and the rules are easy to understand. Even small children can take part in rugby training and competitions,” said Wu. “They are curious and excited when they see the egg-shaped ball and the special ways the game is played.”

1. What do we know about the rugby championship mentioned in the passage?

A．It was held in 2020.

B．20 teams took part in it.

C．It was for primary and middle school students

D．The team from Fuzhou No. 10 High School won at last.

2. What does paragraph 3 focus on about the championship?

A．Its plan.

B．Its theme.

C．Its meaning.

D．Its popularity.

3. The important rule mentioned in paragraph 4 is to deal with the problem of

A．team spirit.

B．body contact.

C．training time.

D．age difference.

4. From which part of a newspaper can we read the text?

A．Sports.

B．History.

C．Health.

D．Technology.