Doctors in Britain are warning of an obesity time bomb, when children who are already overweight grow up. So, what should we do? Exercise more? Eat less? Or both? The government feels it has to take responsibility for this expanding problem.
The cheerful Mr. Pickwick, the hero of the novel by Charles Dickens, is seen in illustrations as someone who is plump and happy. In 18th century paintings, beauty is equated （使…等同） with rounded bodies and soft curves. But nowadays being overweight is seen as indicating neither a cheerful character nor beauty but an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
So what do you do? Diet? Not according to England's chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson. He says that physical activity is the key for reducing the risks of obesity, cancer and heart disease. And the Health Secretary John Reid even said that being inactive is as serious a risk factor in heart disease as smoking.
So, having bought some cross trainers, how much exercise should you do? According to Sir Liam Donaldson, at least 30 minutes of moderate activity five days a week. Is going to the gym the answer? Luckily for those who think that running machines are boring, the Health Development Agency believes that physical activity that fits into people's lives may be more effective. They suggest taking the stairs rather than the lift, walking up escalators, playing active games with your children, dancing or gardening. And according to a sports psychologist, Professor Biddle, gyms "are not making the nation fit", and may even cause harm.
There's new scientific evidence that too much exercise may actually be bad for you. Scientists at the University of Ulster have found that unsuitable exercise releases dangerous free radicals that can adversely （oppositely） affect normal function in unfit people. The only people who should push their bodies to that level of exercise on a regular basis are trained athletes.
So, should we forget about gyms and follow some expert's advice to reduce sedentary （久坐不动的） activities and increase exercise in our daily life? After all, getting off the bus a stop early and walking the rest of the way can't do any harm! One final thought. How come past generations lacked gym facilities but were leaner and fitter than people today? Mr.Pickwick and the paintings of the 18m century are used as examples to show that_____.
| A．beauty should be overweight |
| B．a fat man is usually a cheerful character |
| C．fatness was considered something good at one time |
| D．fatness leads to an increased risk of disease |
According to Sir Liam Donaldson, we should_____.
| A．go on a diet | B．do regular physical activity |
| C．give up smoking | D．go to the gym |
The underlined phrase cross trainers probably refers to _____.
| A．people who help you do exercise | B．places where you can do exercise |
| C．a kind of shoes | D．a form of vehicles |
At present being overweight indicates _____.
| A．an increased risk of diseases | B．a happier life |
| C．a cheerful character | D．a beauty |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．how to keep fit and avoid fatness. | B．increased risks for overweight people. |
| C．the dangers of exercise in the gym. | D．the benefit of a balanced diet. |
On March 8,a big spelling mistake was made at the Selma Unified School District's Spelling Bee (拼字比赛)，in Selma, California. The mistake was made not by one of the competitors, but by the judges. Even though 12-year-old Sierra Shoemaker spelled her final word correctly, she was disqualified (淘汰)because the judges thought she had it wrong. "I didn't want to say anything because if the word master tells you you've got a wrong word, you don't really argue with him, "Sierra told local California news station KMPH.
The word Sierra was told to spell was "braille", referring to the written Language for people unable to see. Sierra spelled it out correctly, but the judges' master sheet had the word written down as "b-r-a-i-l-e", with one '1' missing. The audience immediately recognized the judges' mistake. So did Sierra. “I looked around at the audience, half of them were looking at each other, complaining quietly, "said Sierra, speaking to KMPH. She went home with a second place prize, but was frustrated, realizing that perhaps she could have won first place prize.
Determined to move on to the next level* Sierra appealed her disqualification. At first, the county rejected her appeal. Fortunately, the school community got behind her. Her school supported the appeal and won. Sierra will now advance to the Fresno County Spelling Bee. If she wins Fresno, she will then go on to represent her county in the California State Spelling Championships.
Beyond each state’s spelling bee is the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Winners from state championships move on to compete against each other, as well as against students from countries outside the United States. With her spirit of determination, we believe we will see Sierra on the stage of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. At the Selma Unified School District's Spelling Bee, Sierra ________ .
| A．was disqualified |
| B．made a big mistake |
| C．argued with the judges |
| D．had her final word wrong |
Why did some of the audience look at each other according to Paragraph 2?
| A．They felt sorry for Sierra's mistake. |
| B．They wanted to know how to spell the word. |
| C．They wanted to make friends with each other. |
| D．They thought that the judges had made a mistake. |
Sierra will advance to the Fresno County Spelling Bee because ________ .
| A．the county accepted the appeal finally |
| B．she asked the news station KMPH for help |
| C．she was given the first place prize after her appeal |
| D．the audience forced the judges into changing their decision |
Which of the following shows the author's attitude towards Sierra?
| A．She is tolerant. |
| B．She is hard-working. |
| C．She is open-minded. |
| D．She is strong-minded. |
Pierre de Coubertin was born on January 1，1863，in Paris, France. As a child of a noble family, he received a good education and developed a strong interest in literature and history. He refused the military career planned for him by his family, as well as giving up a political career in order to serve his people better.
Coubertin was a very active sportsman and practiced the sports of boxing, fencing (击剑)，horse-riding and rowing. He believed that sport was the tool for moral energy and he defended his idea with rare tenacity (坚初).
His study of history made him wish the Olympics could still be held. He thought it was the ideal that everyone should try to reach. He was sure that bringing athletes together would make friendly relations between the countries. It was this idea that led him to announce at the age of 31 that he wanted to revive the Olympics.
He made this announcement in a meeting at the Union of French Societies of Athletic Sports, for which he was Secretary General (秘书长). No one really believed him and his statement was greeted with little passion. Coubertin, however, was not discouraged and on 23 June, 1894 he founded the International Olympic Committee(IOC)in a ceremony held at the University of Sorbonne in Paris. Demetrius from Greece became the first president of the IOC.
Two years later, in 1896, the first Olympic Games of the modern era was held in Athens. On that occasion Coubertin was elected the second president of the IOC and he remained president until 1925. Due to the 1st World War, Coubertin requested permission to establish the headquarters of the IOC in Lausanne, Switzerland, which was a neutral (中立的)country, Coubertin withdrew from the IOC in 1925 to devote himself to his pedagogical (教育学的)work, which he called his "unfinished symphony(交响乐)".
Coubertin suddenly died of a heart attack on September 2，1937, in a park in Geneva, and thus his "symphony" remained unfinished. The city of Lausanne had decided to award him honorary citizenship (荣誉市民)of the city, but he died just before the ceremony.
In accordance with Coubertin's last wish he was buried in Lausanne, although his heart was buried separately in a monument near the ruins of ancient Olympia. Pierre de Coubertin was not interested in ________ .
| A．literature |
| B．history |
| C．military |
| D．sports |
Coubertin wanted to revive the Olympic Games because ________ .
| A．he thought bringing athletes together would make friendly relationships between the countries |
| B．he knew he would be the 2nd president of the IOC |
| C．he loved history and sports so much |
| D．he thought everyone should try to reach the ideal that the Olympics could still be held |
"unfinished symphony(交响乐)" refers to ________ .
| A．the work Coubertin did for the IOC |
| B．the pedagogical work |
| C．the ceremony of awarding Coubertin honorary citizenship |
| D．the fact that Coubertin's heart attack never got well |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Coubertin was awarded honorary citizenship by the city of Lausanne before he died. |
| B．Coubertin worked as the president of the IOC for less than 20 years. |
| C．Coubertin devoted all his life to the sports career. |
| D．Coubertin's heart was buried in Greece. |
Every two years, cities around the world make bids to the International Olympic Commission (IOC)to host the Olympic Games. Today, cities are selected through a much more rigorous (严格的） process.
Any city that wants to host the Olympic Games puts in its name to the IOC and is considered an “Applicant City”. For the next ten months, the IOC investigates the city on several points：
1. The city must prove that it is big enough to handle the Olympics. They also need to show that they can handle the high level of security needed at the games.
2. The city needs to convince (使明白）residents that the expenses of covering the Olympics (which may be covered by raising taxes)are worth it in city improvement and new jobs.
3. The city needs to maintain a highly positive media exposure to carry the games.
If the IOC decides that a city has fulfilled the three points above, the city is considered a “Candidate City” and goes into the second phase of the process. After submitting an application and an application fee, the IOC makes a final judging on which city is the best candidate for the coming Summer or Winter Olympic Games.
The costs for bidding for the games are incredibly high. Bid committees must pay an application fee to the IOC. Following these fees, the cities generally need to begin large construction projects like building the “Olympic village”， new sports arenas(竞技场） and stadiums, and transportation systems.
If the Olympics are so expensive, why do cities want to host the games? Cities bid for the Olympics for a variety of reasons ： the desire to show pride in their city and their country, the eagerness to be in the international spotlight for two weeks, the opportunity to bring new jobs into the community, and to build up tourism to that city. The point that the city must be big enough to handle the Olympics is probably because __________
| A．it makes sure that there will be enough people to watch the games |
| B．a huge number of tourists, athletes, journalists. and politicians will come with the games |
| C．there will be enough money to build sports arenas and stadiums |
| D．the Olympic Games was never held in small cities before |
Which of the following is the correct order to be a city to host the Olympics?
a. To build large construction projects.
b. To put in its name to the IOC.
c. To fulfill the IOC's points for bidding.
d. To succeed in getting the final judging from the IOC.
e. To pay the application fee to the IOC.
A. a, e，b, c，d
B. b, a，c, e，d
C. c, b，a, d，e
D. b, c，e, d，a Which of the following is NOT the result of hosting the Olympics?
| A．Raising the position on the international stage. |
| B．Promoting the development of tourism. |
| C．Creating more employment opportunities. |
| D．Strengthening the citizens' physical body. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．History of the International Olympic Commission |
| B．How the Olympic Locations are Chosen |
| C．How Expensive to Bid for the Olympics |
| D．Advantages of Hosting the Olympics |
Bored? Lonely? Out Of Condition? Why Not Try Camden Sports Centre TENNIS
Indoor and outdoor courts(球场）. Coaching from banners to advanced, every day～not evenings.
Children only—Saturday mornings
SWIMMING
2 pools 1 heated.
Olympic length.
Lessons available.
Women ： Tuesday and Thursday
Men ： Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Children ： Saturday
Family day ：Sunday
GOLF
9-hole practice course.
Professional coaching ； lessons must be booked in advance in the daytime. Evening practice. Minimum age(最小年龄）：9 SKIING
Dry slopes(斜坡）：3 levels. Instructors at weekends and Fridays. Daytime practice. 8 years upward. GYMNASTICS Maximum age(最大年龄）：18 Children aged 5-10，Mondays and Wednesdays 4:00 pm-6 ：00 pm
10-18-year-old, Friday evenings. In the Camden Sports Centre, you can do the following sports in the evening EXCEPT __________
| A．golf |
| B．tennis |
| C．gymnastics |
| D．swimming |
The Smiths want to go swimming in the Camden Sports Centre. They had better go on __________.
| A．Sunday |
| B．Saturday |
| C．Monday |
| D．Tuesday |
If you're 19 years old, you can't take part in __________ practice in the Camden Sports Centre.
| A．golf |
| B．skiing |
| C．swimming |
| D．gymnastics |
According to the passage, we can learn that __________
| A．an 8-year-old can take golf practice in the Camden Sports Centre |
| B．swimming pools in the Camden Sports Centre are smaller than the ones in Olympics |
| C．children can play tennis in the Camden Sports Centre on Saturday mornings |
| D．you needn't book them in advance if you want to take golf lessons in the Camden Sports Centre |
All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help people to keep healthy, happy and help them to live longer.
Sports change with the season. People play different games in winter and summer. Games and sports often grow out of people's work and everyday activities. The Arabs use horses or
camels in much of their everyday life; they use them in their sports, too.
Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere go in for them. Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers.
Some sports or games go back to thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese boxing, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet. People are inventing new sports or games all the time.
People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game they often become good friends. Sports help to train a person's character (性格）. One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace(体面）. According to this passage we know that __________
| A．people began to play about 100 years ago |
| B．about 100 years ago people ran or jumped when they played |
| C．basketball has a longer history than volleyball |
| D．not all games have a long history |
The writer didn't tell us in this passage that __________
| A．basketball was invented in America |
| B．sports change with the season |
| C．games and sports often have a close relationship with people's work and everyday activities |
| D．football is played all over the world |
People enjoy sports because __________
| A．sports are interesting |
| B．sports help to keep people healthy, happy and help them to live longer |
| C．sports help to train one's character |
| D．all of the above |
From this passage we can see that __________.
| A．sports and games are unimportant things that people do |
| B．sports and games should be treated(看作） only as amusement(娱乐） |
| C．sports and games are only useful to the old |
| D．none of the above is true |