1 . Skeleton is one of the three sliding sports at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, alongside the luge(单雪橇)and bobsleigh(大雪橇). With only six medals up for grabs, skeleton has the fewest events at the Winter Games—which means competition will be fierce.
The sport of skeleton has its roots in the most popular winter pastime: sleighing. In the mid-19th century, British and American holidaymakers built the first toboggan(平底雪橇)run in Davos in 1882, and thus the sport of sleighing began.
Two years later, in 1884, the famed Cresta Run—a natural ice skeleton racing toboggan track—was built in St. Moritz, Switzerland(the course has hosted the annual Grand National championships since 1885).
In 1892, a new sledge made entirely of steel was introduced, and some claim that its bony appearance gave the sledge and the sport the name ‘skeleton’.
Men’s skeleton was first introduced on the Olympic program in the 1928 Games in St. Moritz. But due to the sport only being available at the Cresta Run at the time, it fell into obscurity(默默无闻)while the luge and bobsleigh grew in popularity. However, in 2002, the skeleton was reintroduced as a men’s and women’s event at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, and has remained a part of the Olympic program ever since.
While Great Britain has the most medals(nine)in skeleton competition at the Olympics, the top spot belongs to the United States(eight medals)by virtue of having four silvers to Great Britain’s one(both nations have three golds, while Britain has five bronze medals, and the United States one).
Great Britain is the only nation to have won a medal every time skeleton has featured at the Olympic Games, and has won at least one medal in each of the five contests of women’s skeleton since its introduction.
1. How many events does skeleton have in the Olympics?A.Two. | B.Three. | C.Five. | D.Six. |
A.In 1882. | B.In1885. | C.In1892. | D.In 1928. |
A.Because its material steel was rare. |
B.Because there was only one run for it. |
C.Because only men could take part in it. |
D.Because it was not on the Olympic program. |
A.The number of medals. | B.The composition of medals. |
C.The virtue of the athletes. | D.The times of hosting the Olympics. |
Prioritizing Safety at Winter Games
The countdown to the opening of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has already kicked off. Besides Beijing’s promise of hosting a “fantastic, extraordinary and excellent” Winter Olympic Games, “safe” is also
Compared to Tokyo’s, the prevention measures in Beijing 2022 could be stricter. Beijing Organizing Committee has highlighted the importance of full vaccination (接种),
3 . Entering a sport into the Olympics can be a long process.
Which ones are out?
Some sports that were part of the Olympics in the past have been removed from the Games.
Which ones are in?
Some sports have been added, such as tac kwon do. which was first included in the Olympics in 2000. In 2016, rugby and golf. which had previously been played at the Olympics and then dropped. were included again. Similarly. baseball. which was left out of the 2012 Olympics, was approved for inclusion again at the 2020 Olympics. This happens because they are now very popular and are played all around the world.
Squash (壁球) is still waiting to get into the Olympics.
A.Which ones are popular |
B.Which ones are still trying |
C.The proposal has been under consideration for several years |
D.Squash only requires two players and a few pieces of equipment |
E.These include familiar sports such as polo, as well as more unusual sports such as motor boating |
F.There are many requirements that must be met before a sport can be considered by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) |
G.Other sports which are thought to appeal to a younger audience have also been added, such as skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing |
4 . Golden Generation
A national team, mostly consisting of teenagers, pushed China to its biggest-ever medal achievement at the Winter Olympics. At the same time, a series of breakthroughs at the Games
Gu Ailing also became the first athlete
Needless to say, another teenager star, Su Yiming, also became a
“The
“With winter sports becoming popular in our country amid the fast social and
The Beijing Winter Games also
“
A.specializes | B.signals | C.swallows | D.subscribes |
A.Thanks to | B.In addition to | C.Regardless of | D.In terms of |
A.confirmed | B.concludes | C.clarifies | D.claimed |
A.in detail | B.in history | C.by nature | D.with pride |
A.ever | B.never | C.already | D.yet |
A.incidents | B.events | C.affairs | D.issues |
A.access | B.start | C.face | D.popularity |
A.civilization | B.teenage | C.household | D.education |
A.performance | B.knowledge | C.concept | D.ambition |
A.on | B.at | C.of | D.with |
A.typical | B.fortunate | C.relevant | D.previous |
A.rise | B.profession | C.convention | D.explosion |
A.accounts | B.represents | C.estimates | D.recommends |
A.agricultural | B.historical | C.economic | D.natural |
A.hold up | B.break up | C.get up | D.pick up |
A.deeply | B.greatly | C.thoroughly | D.countlessly |
A.signed | B.allowed | C.followed | D.marked |
A.lying | B.shaking | C.laying | D.rocking |
A.As long as | B.If only | C.As far as | D.In that |
A.focus | B.impress | C.witness | D.observe |
The annual League of Legends World Championship, commonly referred to as “Worlds,”
The International Olympic Committee is introducing new events
In fact, compared with most mainstream sports, electronic sports
Yet video games are highly competitive, with professional leagues
6 . Table tennis may not seem a reasonable option for someone with no arms — but Ibrahim Hamadtou doesn't believe in limits. The 48-year-old Egyptian Paralympian breaks the barrier by holding the paddle (球拍) in his mouth and using his right foot to serve the ball.
Hamadtou, who lost his arms in a train accident at the age of ten, was drawn to table tennis after being challenged by a friend. "I was once watching a match between two of my friends," Hamadtou explains. "They disagreed on a point, When I counted the point in favor of one of them, the other player told me, 'Mind your own business as you will never be able to play.' It was that statement that fired me up to decide to play table tennis."
It took Hamadtou three years to master the sport. He says the biggest challenge was figuring out the best way to control his body. "I was trying first to use the bat under the arm, and I also tried using other things, which weren't working so well. Finally, I tried using my mouth. It took me nearly a year of practice to get used to holding the paddle with my mouth and making the serve. With practice and playing regularly, this skill was improved."
The Egyptian's incredible talent came to light in 2014 when he was awarded the best Arab Athlete of the year. He won a silver medal at the 2016 African Championships, qualified for his first Paralympics in 2016 at 43, and then again for the 2020 Tokyo Games at 48.
The inspiring athlete says, "The disability is not in arms or legs but to give up in whatever you would like to do."
1. What made Hamadtou take up table tennis?A.His passion for table-tennis. | B.His ambition to prove himself. |
C.His willingness to inspire others. | D.His suffering in a train accident. |
A.Serving the ball with his mouth. | B.Holding the paddle under his arm. |
C.Practicing strengthening his muscles. | D.Playing the game with the right body parts. |
A.He was recognized as a gifted player at 41. |
B.He was awarded the best athlete in Africa. |
C.He won a medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games. |
D.He realized his dream of winning a gold medal. |
A.Well begun is half done. | B.Love breaks down barriers. |
C.Success gives people delight. | D.Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
7 . At the Abu Dhabi Special Games in 2019, Li Xiang won two golds, four silvers and a bronze. Li Xiang is 15. But his
When Li was diagnosed (诊断) with the
It was not easy for a
“Though years of sports haven’t improved Li Xiang’s
“I
A.legal | B.physical | C.actual | D.mental |
A.failure | B.competitor | C.hero | D.sportsman |
A.preference | B.disease | C.tendency | D.injury |
A.Otherwise | B.Thus | C.Instead | D.However |
A.gymnastic | B.world | C.famous | D.best |
A.worked | B.performed | C.studied | D.explored |
A.familiar | B.used | C.blind | D.addicted |
A.viewer | B.supporter | C.champion | D.volunteer |
A.ray | B.connection | C.power | D.meaning |
A.special | B.little | C.talented | D.poor |
A.learned | B.suffered | C.benefited | D.resulted |
A.understanding | B.balance | C.skill | D.spirit |
A.training | B.instruction | C.encouragement | D.permission |
A.missed | B.rewrote | C.remembered | D.attended |
A.made | B.lost | C.harvested | D.carried |
A.intelligence | B.ability | C.hearing | D.performance |
A.putting up | B.doing away | C.getting along | D.keeping up |
A.bear | B.explain | C.guess | D.imagine |
A.bring | B.raise | C.come | D.feed |
A.appreciate | B.love | C.mind | D.admit |
8 . Ellie was a skilled gymnast(体操运动员). But she liked showing off(炫耀)). At the gymnastics tryout(选拔赛), she put on a perfect performance. "See who can do that! " she said proudly.
The next Friday, the list was posted announcing who had made the team. Ellie's name wasn't on it. "It's unfair. I'm better than all the other girls! " she said. She went to see the coach.
"You are quite talented, but your attitude is terrible, " the coach said. "Making the gymnastics team isn't just about gymnastics. It's also about being on a team. " That night Ellie complained to her parents. Her mother was angry, but her father said that the coach had a point. They had a big argument. Ellie couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about what the coach had said.
Ellie couldn't stay away from the gym, so she practiced alone. One day, after watching Ann fall off the parallel bars(双杠)again and again, Ellie ran to her and explained to Ann what she was doing wrong. Ann did as Ellie suggested and improved. Ellie didn't notice the coach was looking at her. Over the next few months, Ellie always helped the other girls. They did better and better. "We couldn't have done this without Ellie's help, " the girls said.
The following year, Ellie tried out for the gymnastics team again. This time, she was modest. When the girls praised her, she just smiled and thanked them. When the coach posted the list of who had made the team, her name was on it. Ellie and the other girls were all very happy.
1. How did Ellie feel when she went to see the coach?A.Angry. | B.Happy. | C.Proud. | D.Nervous. |
A.she slept too much in the afternoon |
B.she had an argument with her mother |
C.she was worried about the gymnastics tryout |
D.she was thinking about the meanings of the coach's words |
①Ellie practiced alone. ②Ellie's parents argued.
③Ellie coached other girls. ④Ellie showed off at the gymnastics tryout.
A.③①④② | B.③④②① | C.④②①③ | D.④①③② |
A.A serious coach | B.A gymnastics team | C.Gymnastics tryouts | D.Gymnastics competitions |
9 . Anyone watching the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China over the last few days will have seen lots and lots of snow ----– man-made snow. Since the area gets little natural snow, this is the first time the Winter Olympics is taking place on almost 100% artificial snow.
This year’s Winter Olympics are being held in Beijing, China, and in two areas northwest of Beijing, Yangqing and Zhangjiakou. The areas get cold in the winter, but they don’t get a lot of snow. That’s because they’re not far from the Gobi Desert, and are generally very dry.
That meant some serious changes were needed to hold the Winter Olympics there. China took water from a reservoir which helps supply Beijing’s drinking water and sent it to a nearby river. To carry the water to the mountains for making snow, the country ran miles and miles of pipes. China says making the snow took about 49,000 gallons (185,500 liters) of water. Outside experts say it probably took a lot more water than that.
China hired an Italian company called TechnoAlpin to create the snow. TechnoAlpin created artificial snow at several earlier Winter Olympics. For the snow in this year’s Olympics, TechnoAlpin laid over 40 miles (64 kilometers) of pipe and brought in hundreds of snow-making machines. Even with all of those machines, making the snow for this year’s Games took seven weeks.
It’s useful to be able to make snow when nature doesn’t provide enough. But artificial snow isn’t the same as natural snow, which has more air and less water. An athlete used to natural snow might have to adjust their style on man-made snow.Still, the machines that make artificial snow are quite advanced. They can make several different kinds of snow depending on what’s needed for each sport. For example, the snow they make for downhill skiing is different from the snow made for cross-country skiing.
A few athletes have complained about the snow at this year’s Olympics. Most others say it’s been just fine.
In recent years, it has become more and more common to use artificial snow at winter sports events. That’s true even in places that used to have a lot of snow naturally. Some artificial snow was used in the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014 because of warm weather. In the 2018 Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, roughly 90% of the snow was man-made.
As the world warms because of climate change, problems like this are expected to become far more common. Michael Mayr, who leads TechnoAlpin in Asia, says, “You could not have winter sports now without man-made snow.”
1. Why does the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics use artificial snow?A.To save energy. | B.To keep athletes happy. |
C.To provide enough snow. | D.To protect th eenvironment. |
A.built a reservoir | B.lay miles of pipes |
C.find the source of water | D.carry the water to the mountains |
A.the friendship between China and TechnoAlpin | B.the request of the Olympic Committee |
C.the lack of snow making company | D.TechnoAlpin’s rich experience |
A.The reasons of climate change. | B.Some examples of warm weather. |
C.The expectations of artificial snow. | D.The necessity of using artificial snow. |
10 . The Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, just six months after the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Summer Olympics, will be held in a strict dosed loop to prevent infections.
Vaccination(接种疫苗)
•It will be required to be fully vaccinated at least 14 days before departure for China, in order to be allowed entry.
•Athletes and team officials may be exempted(豁免)for medical reasons only. Anyone not fully vaccinated will need to quarantine(检疫)for 21 days upon arrival in Beijing.
•The “My 2022” app will be needed to monitor and track your health for 14 days before your departure for China.
•A negative COVID-19 test result will be needed before your departure for China.
Closed loop(闭环控制)
•Within the closed loop system, all Games participants will only move between permitted destinations in dedicated Games transport.
•COVID-19 screenings will happen daily during the Games.
•Avoid crowds if possible.
Hygiene(卫生)
•Wear a face mask at all times, except when training, competing, eating, drinking, sleeping or when alone.
•Wash your hands regularly. Support athletes by clapping instead of singing or chanting.
•Get a test if you experience any symptoms.
1. What is required for the Games entry before coming to China?A.Vaccination received immediately. |
B.Quarantine required for 21 days. |
C.The “My 2022” app to track health. |
D.A positive COVID-19 test result. |
A.Move anywhere by bus. | B.Support athletes by clapping. |
C.Escape COVID-19 screenings. | D.Take off face masks at any time. |
A.A science book. | B.An official website. |
C.A fashion magazine. | D.An online course. |