Cheerleading is the fastest growing girls' sport, yet more than half of Americans do not believe it is a sport. Actually, competitive cheerleading is a sport.
A sport is a “physical activity against/with an opponent, governed by rules and conditions under which a winner is declared, and the primary purpose of the competition is a comparison of the relative skills of the participants. "Because cheerleading follows these guidelines, it is a sport.
Competitive cheerleading includes lots of physical activities. Like gymnasts, cheerleaders must learn to tumble (翻滚) . They perform lifts and tosses. This is where the "flied' are thrown in the air, held by "bases" in different positions that require strength and cooperation with other teammates.
Just as basketball and football have guidelines for competitive play, so does competitive cheerleading. The whole routine has to be completed in less than 3 minutes and 15 seconds and the cheerleaders are required to stay within a certain area.
Competitive cheerleaders' goal is to be the best. Just like gymnasts, they are awarded points for difficulty, creativity and sharpness. The more difficult a mount, the sharper the motions, the better the score. Cheerleading is a team sport so without cooperation, first place is out of reach.
Cheerleading is the number-one cause of serious sports injuries to women. Emergency room visits for cheerleading are five times the number of those for any other sport, partially because they do not wear protective gear. While many athletes are equipped with hip pads or helmets, smiling cheerleaders are tossed into the air and spiral down into the arms of trusted teammates. The fliersmust remain tight at all times so that their bases can catch them safely. Also, because cheerleading is not yet recognized as a sport by many schools, neither proper matting nor high enough ceilings are provided to ensure safety. Instead, the girls use whatever space is available. More recognition of competitive cheerleading as a sport would decrease the number of injuries.
So why do many Americans not think cheerleading is a sport? Some people argue that cheerleaders are just "flirts in skirts" with their only job to entertain the crowd, but cheerleaders today work just as hard as other athletes.
Hopefully, cheerleading will become as well-known a sport as football and basketball, and even appear in the Olympics since cheerleaders are just as athletic and physically fit as those involved in the more accepted sports.What does the underlined word "bases" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．Strength and cooperation. |
| B．Lifts and tosses. |
| C．Supporting teammates. |
| D．Physical activities |
Gymnasts are mentioned in the passage to _
| A． explain the dangers of cheerleading |
| B．show their similarities with cheerleaders |
| C．suggest cheerleaders learn to do gymnastics |
| D．present the guidelines of gymnastic movements |
It can be learned from the passage that cheerleading
| A．is a good sport for all people |
| B．lacks necessary guidelines to follow |
| C．is more than a form of entertainment |
| D．enjoys greater popularity than other sports |
This passage is written mainly to
A attract more girls to cheerleading
B draw people's attention to cheerleading
C call for more recognition of competitive cheerleading as a sport
D criticize some Americans who do not think cheerleading as a sport
People with bigger brains ftend to score higher on standardized tests of intelligence， according to new study findings.
However， the study author Dr Michael A.McDaniel of the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond emphasized that these findings represent a general trend， and people with small heads should not automatically believe they are less intelligent. For instance， Albert Einstein’s brain was “not particularly large”， McDaniel noted. “There’s some relationship between brain size and intelligence on the average， but there’s plenty of room for exceptions，” he said.
Interest in the relationship between brain size and intelligence grew in the1830s， when German anatomist(解剖学家) Frederich Tiedmann wrote that he believed there was “an unquestionable connection between the size of the brain and the mental energy displayed by the individual man”. Since that statement， scientists have conducted numerous studies to determine if Tiedmann’s assertion was， in fact， correct. Most studies have looked into the link between head size and intelligence. More recently， however， researchers have published additional studies on brain size and intelligence， measured using MRI scan(核磁共振成像扫描).
For his study， McDaniel analyzed more than 20 studies that looked into the relationship between brain size and intelligence in a total of 1,530 people. The studies showed that on the average， people with larger brain volume tended to be more intelligent. The relationship between brain volume and intelligence was stronger in women than men， and in adults than in children. McDaniel notes in the journal Intelligence.
McDaniel is not sure why the relationship was stronger for adults and women. “Other research has shown that women， on the average， tend to have smaller brains than men， but score just as well—if not higher—in tests of intelligence，” he said.
McDaniel insisted that the relationship between brain size and intelligence is not a “perfect” one. “One can certainly find lots of examples of smaller-sized people who are highly intelligent，” he said， “But， on the average， the relationship holds.”. What does the text mainly talk about？
| A．MRI scans are applied to intelligence. |
| B．On the average， a bigger brain means higher IQ. |
| C．Dr McDaniel did well in his intelligence study. |
| D．Scientists are interested in Tiedmann’s idea. |
By mentioning Albert Einstein， the writer wants to show .
| A．Albert Einstein was intelligent |
| B．the result of intelligence test was false |
| C．being hard working is more important than intelligence |
| D．brain size doesn’t necessarily decide the level of intelligence |
The underlined word “assertion” in Para. 3 probably means “ ”.
A. experiment B. statement C proof D. demand After Frederich Tiedmann wrote his article， .
| A．many scientists agreed with him |
| B．numerous studies have failed to prove his idea |
| C．MRI scan became popularly used |
| D．lots of researchers were interested in the connections between head size and intelligence |
According to the text， Dr McDaniel’s study .
| A．proves Tiedmann’s idea was completely true |
| B．shows women are smarter than men |
| C．involves many studies and a lot of people |
| D．explains why people with smaller brains are clever |
The temperature is rising again in the Arctic. The sea ice area has dropped to one of the lowest levels on record， climate scientists reported last week.
“The new Arctic Report Card tells a story of widespread and continued effects of a warming Arctic，” said Jackie Richter-Menge of the US’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory.
“This isn’t just a climatological (气候学的) effect. It impacts the people that live there，” she added.
Scientists concerned about global warming focus on the Arctic because that is a region where the effects are expected to be felt first， and that has been the case in recent years.
There was a slowdown in Arctic warming in 2009， but in the first half of 2010 warming was near a record pace. The monthly readings were over 4 degrees Celsius above normal in northern Canada， according to the report card. The report card was prepared by 69 researchers in eight countries.
Researchers said last winter’s big snow storms that struck some Northern countries were tied to higher Arctic temperatures.
“Normally the cold air is bottled up in the Arctic，” said Jim Overland of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “But last December and February， winds that normally blow west to east across the Arctic were instead bringing the colder air south，” he said.
“As we lose more sea ice... warming in the atmosphere can create more of these winter storms，” Overland said.
There is a powerful connection between ice cover and air temperatures， Richter-Menge explained. When temperatures warm， ice melts. When ice melts it shows darker surfaces underneath ， which absorb more heat. “That， in turn， causes more melting and on the cycle goes，” she said.
In September the Arctic sea ice extent was the third smallest in the last 30 years， added Don Perovich of the US Army Laboratory. He said the three smallest ice covers have occurred in the last four years. Scientists care so much about the warming in the Arctic region because .
| A．the climate in the Arctic doesn’t change much |
| B．global warming effects are most serious in the Arctic region |
| C．there has been a major decrease of Arctic warming in recent years |
| D．by studying the region they can make predictions about the future impact of global warming |
. Which of the following shows that the Arctic is getting warmer？
A. The surface of the sea ice in Arctic is getting darker and darker.
B. The Arctic sea ice extent has disappeared over the last 30 years.
C. The sea ice extent has increased to one of the highest levels on record.
What does the underlined word “cycle” refer to？
| A．Ice giving off heat when it melts. |
| B．Higher temperatures bringing more storms. |
| C．The cause and the result of the melting. |
| D．The life of the people living in the Arctic getting worse. |
According to researchers what led to big snow storms attacking some Northern countries last winter？
| A．Higher Arctic temperatures. |
| B．The melting ice. |
| C．The cold wind blowing west to east. |
| D．Cold air bottled up in the Arctic. |
What is the main point of the article？
| A．Last winter’s big snow-storms. |
| B．Winds in the Arctic region. |
| C．Arctic warming and its possible effects. |
| D．Changes to the life of people living in the Arctic. |
Healthy eating begins with learning how to “eat smart”. It’s not just what you eat，. how you eat. Pay attention to what you eat and choosing foods that are both nourishing
enjoyable helps support an overall healthy diet.
Take time to chew your food： Chew your food slowly， savoring every bite. We tend to rush through our meals， forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures(质地) of is in our mouths. Reconnect with
joy of eating.
Avoid stress while eating： Avoid eating while working， driving， arguing， or watching TV. Try taking some deep breaths before beginning your meal， or light candles and play soothing music to create a relaxing atmosphere.
Listen to your body： Ask if you are really hungry. You may really be thirsty， so try drinking a glass of water first. During a meal， stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes
your brain to tell your body that it has had
food， so eat slowly.
Eat early： Starting your day a healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism(新陈代谢)， and eating early in the day gives your body time to work those calories off.
Sitting on the peaceful coast of Galapagos Islands. Ecuador, watching the sun move quietly into the sea, you shouldn’t forget that Charles Darwin (1809-1882) arrived here in 1835. He stayed on the islands for five weeks, observing various animals. This finally inspired (启发) his famous work, On the Origin of Species. You can certainly follow Darwin’s footsteps and enjoy a trip from four to seven days to the islands.
The islands are certainly a paradise (天堂) for wildlife, as there are no natural killers on the islands and the number of boats and visitors is under government control. Though you cannot walk freely as Darwin did about 200 years ago, each day is as impressive as it could be.
The most well-known animals of the Galapagos is the giant tortoise(巨型海龟), which can be seen moving slowly around the highlands of Sanra Cruz, the second largest island in the archipelago(群岛). Some of these creatures are so old that they might have been seen in their youth by Darwin himself.
Despite strict control over activities and timing, your stay on the Galapagos will be remembered as a chain of incomparable pictures: diving with sea lions that swim and play within inches of you; feeling small sharks touch your feet as you swim; and, most magically, seeing a whale and her baby surface with a great breath of air.
Travelling between the islands and observing the wildlife that so inspired Darwin, you will feel as though you are getting a special view of an untouched world. At night you will sleep on board the ship, leaving the wildlife in complete occupation of the islands, which are as undisturbed now as they have been since the beginning of time. What do we know about Darwin’s visit to the islands?
| A．He studied different creatures on the islands |
| B．He completed his famous book on the islands |
| C．He was touched by the geography of the islands |
| D．He was attracted by well-known animals of the islands |
Your stay on the islands will be most impressive mainly because of .
| A．The beautiful sea views | B．Darwin’s inspiring trip |
| C．a closer view of animals | D．various daring activities |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．A Unique Attraction for wildlife Lovers |
| B．Calapagos as a Paradise for Adventures |
| C．Charles Darwin as a symbol of Galapagos |
| D．A successful Example of wildlife protection |
First Frenchman: I once heard someone shout, "Look out," I put my head out of a window and a basin of water fell on me. It seems that "Look out" may mean "don‘t look out."
Second Frenchman: Once I was on a ship and heard the captain shout, "All hands on deck," I put my hands on the deck and someone walked on them.
Third Frenchman: I once visited an English friend early in the morning and the maid who came to the door and said, "He’s not up yet. Come back in half an hour," When I went again for him, she said, "He‘s not down yet."
"If he’s not up and he’s not down, where is he?" I asked.
She said, "He’s still in bed. When I say ‘He’s not up ’ I mean ‘he has not yet got up’. When I say ‘He’s not down ’ I mean ‘he has not yet come downstairs,’" "All hands on deck" means “ _______ ”.
| A．All the sailors gather on deck | B．Give your hands to me |
| C．Put your right hand and left hand on deck | D．Shake your hands with me |
When the maid said, “He’s not up yet.” She meant that _______ .
| A．he has not grown up yet | B．he has not yet got up |
| C．he has not woke up yet | D．he has not yet come upstairs |
When the third Frenchman went back, the English friend _______ .
| A．was washing his face | B．was having his breakfast |
| C．was still in an upstairs room | D．was reading a newspaper |
Which do you think is the best title for this article?
| A．Three Frenchmen and their English Friends |
| B．The English Language |
| C．Three French Stories |
| D．What a Language! |
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