1 . 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. |
2 . 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. |
1. How much did the top winner get as his prize?
A.75,000 dollars. | B.50,000 dollars. | C.100,000 dollars. |
A.West Hartford, Connecticut. |
B.Grand Junction, Colorado. |
C.Bloomington, Illinois. |
A.16 years old. | B.17 years old. | C.18 years old. |
A.The top winner did well in mathematics. |
B.The second place winner studied the Rain-bow Ramsey Theory. |
C.The third place winner has invented an electronic device. |
4 . Because I had played soccer for many years, my decision to play football in my senior year was rather bold. Before summer
When I was ten, I received the
After four years in London, I changed. Five months into my fifth year, my family decided to
I will never
A.competition | B.practice | C.vacation | D.time |
A.reply | B.detail | C.note | D.recommendation |
A.experience | B.race | C.interview | D.impression |
A.order | B.fact | C.news | D.invitation |
A.modern | B.narrow | C.far-off | D.beautiful |
A.excited | B.frightened | C.confident | D.annoyed |
A.running across | B.coming from | C.struggling with | D.leading to |
A.go | B.apply | C.travel | D.return |
A.different | B.recent | C.past | D.valuable |
A.judging | B.considering | C.appreciating | D.reviewing |
A.hoped | B.realized | C.insisted | D.promised |
A.forget | B.remember | C.regret | D.admire |
A.challenged | B.greeted | C.punished | D.requested |
A.equally | B.sadly | C.awkwardly | D.simply |
A.quit | B.try | C.register | D.expect |
5 . With more and more kids picking up bats and gloves, efforts to build a “baseball ecosystem” in China continue to produce impressive results. And with Major League Baseball a key contributor to the drive, Chinese kids are learning from the very best in the business.
“The baseball environment has changed greatly since MLB entered the Chinese market. When we first came to China in 2007, the baseball population in the country was very limited.” said Tony Qi, managing director of MLB China. “But in 2019, the active baseball population had reached over 20 million. When we first organized the youth baseball match in five Chinese cities in 2008, each city had only one age-group to take part. But this year we have 20 cities, and in some cities we have competitions for five age groups.”
Around 400 teams have taken part in the MLB China Cup, a nationwide youth competition designed to encourage kids to take up baseball. During one recent season in Beijing, there were about 100 teams that wanted to take part in the MLB Cup. So, MLB, the Chinese Baseball Association and local baseball organizations are all working together for a brighter Chinese baseball future.
Audiences have also been attracted by the 2020 short film Tough Out, which tells the lives of a group of Chinese teenagers whose lives are changed through baseball. “In the short film, the kids build a new home in their baseball team, together with their coaches in a Beijing suburb (郊区),” said Qi. “The notion (观念) of home is very important in baseball culture. Through baseball, these kids gained home, friendship and confidence. They also gained the courage to fight against the hard situations they found themselves in. We’re planning to produce more content like this to make baseball culture popular.
1. How does the author show the great change of baseball environment?A.By sorting out the facts. | B.By listing benefits. |
C.By making comparisons. | D.By stressing importance. |
A.To show Chinese baseball future. |
B.To inspire kids to take up baseball. |
C.To award more prizes to the youth. |
D.To prove the popularity of baseball. |
A.It attracts more people to live in Beijing suburb. |
B.It gives kids courage to take part in baseball match. |
C.It has greatly changed the life of Chinese teenagers. |
D.It is very important to make baseball popular in China. |
A.Concept of home. | B.Self-confidence. |
C.Fair competition. | D.Player’s safety. |
Table tennis first
The International Table Tennis Federation has taken table tennis to a
World Table Tennis Day is celebrated by
1. 表达祝贺;2.向他学习,并希望他能够分享提高英语口语的方法
注意:1.开头和结尾已给出不计入总词数之内
2.词数100词
3.参考词汇:the 100th anniversary ceremony of the Communist Party of China中国共产党100周年纪念庆典
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8 . Each year, the women of Olney and Liberal compete in an unusual footrace. Dressed in aprons (围裙) and headscarves, they wait at both towns’ starting lines. Each woman holds a frying pan with one pancake inside. At the signal, the women flip (轻抛) pancakes and they’re off!
This “pancake racing” tradition is said to have started on Shrove Tuesday, 1445, in Olney. Shrove Tuesday is the day before the Christian season of Lent (大斋戒) begins. During Lent, many people decide to give up sugary or fatty foods.
Legend says that in 1445, an Olney woman was making pancakes to use up some of her sugar and cooking fats before Lent. She lost track of time and suddenly heard the church bells ring, signaling the beginning of the Shrove Tuesday service. Realizing that she was going to be late for church, she raced out the door still wearing her apron and headscarf and holding her frying pan with a pancake in it. In the following years, the woman’s neighbors imitated her dash to church, and pancake racing was born.
The rules are simple. Racers must wear the traditional headscarf and apron. They must flip their pancakes twice - once before starting and once after crossing the finish line. After the race, there are Shrove Tuesday church services. Then Liberal and Olney connect through a video call to compare race times and declare a winner.
In both towns, the races have grown into larger festivals. Olney’s festival is an all-day event starting with a big pancake breakfast. Liberal’s festival lasts four days and includes a parade, a talent show, and contests that feature eating and flipping pancakes. Although the women’s race is still the main event, both towns now hold additional races for boys and girls of all ages.
1. How did pancake racing start?A.A woman in Olney created it. |
B.Women made pancakes before Lent. |
C.A woman dashed to church with a pancake. |
D.People followed the suit of an interesting incident. |
A.They can wear fashionable headscarves and aprons. |
B.They must flip their pancakes once in the race. |
C.They must flip their pancakes at the beginning of the race. |
D.They can flip their pancakes in the middle of the race. |
A.People can show their talent in Olney festival. |
B.People can enjoy a one-day holiday in Liberal. |
C.The race is not only intended for women now. |
D.People can have a big pancake breakfast in both towns. |
A.The origin of pancake racing. |
B.The history of pancake racing. |
C.The development of pancake racing. |
D.The introduction to pancake racing. |