Athletes who can run several marathons in jus...

Athletes who can run several marathons in just months might seem unstoppable.The biggest obstacle，it turns out，is their own bodies.A new study find out for the first time a “ceiling” for endurance activities such as long­distance running and biking.

“Physiologists and athletes alike have long been interested in just how far the human body can push itself.When exercising over a few hours，a wealth of evidence suggests most people max out at about five times their basal metabolic(代谢的)rate(BMR)．How humans use energy during longer endurance activities is another question entirely，”says Herman Pontzer，an evolutionary theorist at Duke University，North Carolina.

Pontzer saw an opportunity to answer that question when Bryce Carlson，an endurance athlete and former biochemist at Purdue University，organized the Race Across the USA in 2015.Runners covered 4，957 kilometers over the course of 20 weeks in a series of marathons stretching from Los Angeles，California，to Washington，D.C.

To find out how many calories the athletes in the study burned，Pontzer，Carlson，and colleagues replaced the normal hydrogen and oxygen in their drinking water with harmless，uncommon isotopes(同位素)of those elements.By chemically tracing how these isotopes flush out in urine，sweat，and breath，scientists can calculate how much carbon dioxide an athlete produces — a measure that directly relates to how many calories they burn.

Pontzer's team then collected energy consumption data over the course of the race to see how many calories they burned per day.They found that whatever the event is，energy consumption leveled off after about 20 days，eventually staying at a steady level at about 2.5 times an athlete's BMR.At that point，the body is burning calories more quickly than it can absorb food and turn it into energy，representing a biologically determined ceiling on human performance.

“It was just one of those moments of discovery that as a scientist you just live for，” Pontzer said.“We ended up plotting out the very limits of human endurance，the envelope for what humans can do.”

1.What does the underlined word “ceiling” in the first paragraph refer to?

A.The weakness of human bodies.

B.The effect of lasting exercise.

C.The way humans use energy.

D.The limit of human endurance.

2.Which of the following is a direct measure of an athlete's energy consumption?

A.The hydrogen and oxygen in their drinking water.

B.The carbon dioxide their bodies create.

C.The amount of their urine，sweat and breath.

D.The remaining isotopes in their body.

3.What is the purpose of Pontzer's study?

A.To confirm that an athlete's physical extreme is mainly determined by his BMR.

B.To compare human limits in common exercise with those in endurance activities.

C.To find out where the highest energy consumption of an athlete lies.

D.To set a reasonable standard for researches concerned with human body

4.How did Pontzer feel when their study results came out?

A.Excited. B.Regretful.

C.Surprised. D.Hopeful.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

The most successful retired athletes are those who can ____ the life skills they learned in sports to another area of life.

A. contribute　　　　　 B. employ　　　　 C. apply　　　 D. arrange [

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

At the first Olympic marathon in 1896, athletes ran a shorter course than today's 42. 2-kilometer event. Even so, only the winner finished within three hours. However, runners have improved, and one expert predicted last year that the two-hour mark would be broken in 2028.

On Oct 12, Eliud Kipchoge came in ahead of schedule----literally.

The 34-year-old Olympic champion from Kenya became the first person to run a marathon in less than two hours, Clocking in at 1:59:40. Kipchoge pumped his chest and even sped up after crossing the finish line as he ran happily to his wife.

"No one is limited. This shows the positivity of sport," Kipchoge told the BBC after the race in Vienna, Austria," Together when we run. we can make it a beautiful world."

Apart from Kipchoge's strong willpower and outstanding physical condition, a few tricks of science and technology Helped him reach this milestone in human athletic achievement.

Hills and turns slow runners down, so Kipchoge's team picked the course in Vienna for its gentle curves (弯曲度）.

The city's cool and dry weather was also important," said Wired. The magazine talked to exercise physiologists, who think the weather helped keep Kipchoge's body running more efficiently throughout the race.

A special pair of shoes also played a big part. According to The New York Times, the shoes Kipchoge wore were designed to give a significant edge to anyone wearing them in a race.

One other key to this breakthrough was Kipchoge's pacing strategy.

He ran with a dream team of pacers. deployed (部署 ) by sports scientists. Five runners formed a V-shape ahead of Kipchoge, reducing drag, and two runners followed directly behind to push him forward. Kipchoge stayed in the center of the formation. The team rotated (轮换）members every five kilometers, and be stayed under a two-hour pace for almost the entire length of the race .There was also a pace car driving 15 meters in front of everyone, casting a laser line on the road to keep them on track.

"Few world records today are technology free,” noted The Telegraph. Hard work and dedication are still the core of athletic achievement, but science and technology are helping modern athletes maximize their potential.

1.What do we know about Eliud Kipchoge?

A.He will keep running marathons until 2028.

B.He began running marathons when he was a child.

C.He broke the two-hour mark in a marathon race.

D.He is the first Olympic champion Kenya.

2.What did Kipchoge's team do to help him?

A.They trained him to run in places with hills and turns.

B.They designed a pair of lightweight shoes for him.

C.They kept a special formation around him during the race.

D.They drove a car in front of him to give him food and drinks.

3.What is the author's main purpose in writing the article?

A.To recommend some effective ways to run marathons.

B.To stress the importance of teamwork in athletic achievements.

C.To prove that technology has become the core of athletic achievement.

D.To show how science and technology help athletes break their limits.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

University of Cambridge has several funds to support university athletes. Full information can be found below:

TASS-The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme

Launched in April 2004, TASS is designed to help promising young athletes who want to balance their sporting ambitions with a University or college education.

If you would like to be considered for the TASS Scheme, please contact your National Governing Body to see if you are eligible. You can find out more about TASS here.

UCAPP-University of Cambridge Athlete Performances Programme

UCAPP was set up in 1985 thanks to the kind generosity of Mark Hanson, who was a Modern Pentathlete during his time at Cambridge.

This programme aims to provide core services that any high-performance athletes would benefit from including Lifestyle Management, Physiotherapy, Strength and Conditioning, Nutrition Advice, Sports Psychology Support and Gym Membership.

To find out more information, please click here.

The Eric Evans Fund

The Eric Evans Fund was set up in 1996. The Fund is intended to support students who wish to improve their personal sporting performance beyond University level, or to enable them to undertake qualifications in connection with officiating, coaching or the administration of sport.

The fund is managed by the Director of Sport and two other persons appointed by the Sports Committee. If you still have any further question, please send an e-mail to the Managers.

The Hawks Charitable Trust

The Trust was established in January 1996 with a relatively small capital donated by some of the members to provide financial help to current Cambridge University students, male and female, whose sporting activities were being held back by financial problems.

For more information on this Trust, including the qualifications required for application, please see the Hawks Website.

1.What is special about UCAPP?

A.It favors the promising young athletes.

B.It requires no qualifications.

C.It is intended for high-performance athletes.

D.It helps to improve students’ personal sporting performance.

2.How can you get more information about the Eric Evans Fund?

A.By visiting the website.

B.By sending an e-mail.

C.By going to the director’s office.

D.By giving a telephone call to the message.

3.Which programme will you favor if your club needs money for a sport game?

A.TASS B.UCAPP

C.The Eric Evans Fund D.The Hawks Charitable Trust

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

阅读表达

There was a man named Ken Nwadike, who wanted desperately to run this year’s Boston Marathon. But the Boston Marathon is different from most marathons: you have to qualify in order to enter it. Namely, you have to have completed your previous marathon in a certain amount of time, depending on your age category.

Well, the man in question was 23 seconds short of the qualifying time he needed in order to enter the marathon. He had a number of options. He could get angry. He could blame someone. He could get depressed. Any of them could easily have led to his turning tail(逃走) and going home, angry or depressed.

Instead, Ken Nwadike attended the Boston Marathon in his own way. He made a “ Free Hugs” sign, and with that had a camera on a tripod (三脚架), he gave out hugs and smiles to the runners that passed him by, his way of encouraging and supporting them. From that humble beginning, Ken began his widely acclaimed Free Hugs Campaign, which states its purpose as follows: “continuing the movement of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the mission of the Free Hugs Project is to spread love, inspire change and raise awareness of social issues.” His campaign, which quickly became a huge success, got the widespread compliments.

When things go wrong in our lives, as they do from time to time --- sometimes seemingly all the time --- we have a choice. We need to take a deep breath, judge the situation, and find a positive direction in which we should go. Whether it’s something relatively small, like missing a marathon, or large, like losing a loved one, let Ken’s story inspire you to take that breath, re-orient(重新调整)yourself, and move on to doing something worthwhile with the experience.

1.Why couldn’t the man take part in the Boston Marathon at first? (no more than 10 words)

_________________________________________________________________________

2.What did Ken Nwadike mainly do during the Boston Marathon? (no more than 10 words)

_________________________________________________________________________

3.What does the underlined word mean in the third paragraph? (1 word)

_________________________________________________________________________

4.What is the aim of Ken Nwadike’s Free Hugs Campaign? (no more than 15 words)

_________________________________________________________________________

5.What do you think of Ken Nwadike from his story? Why? (no more than 25 words)

__________________________________________________________________________

高三英语阅读表达中等难度题查看答案及解析

Running is a great way to get in shape and just about everyone can do it. Given that it’s so easy to take up the sport, a lot of beginners jump right into running without actually knowing what it takes to establish a healthy routine.1.. If you are just starting out, avoid the following things to help you increase your chances of running success.

Doing too much too soon

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is doing too much too soon. Picking up a new hobby like running is no doubt exciting. Runners need to ease into the sport before increasing the distance.2..

3.

Beginners might think they need to run nearly every day to meet their fitness or weight-loss goals, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. 4., especially for beginners whose muscles and bones haven’t　 yet been conditioned for such intense (剧烈的) exercise. So it’s important to give your body ample rest between workouts. Follow a training plan that includes rest days.

Comparing yourself to others

5., You’re excited about running, so you are probably reading running blogs, magazines and message boards where you might start to feel inadequate about your own running pace. Instead of getting down on yourself, remember that every runner was once a beginner and use their success as motivation!

A. Not taking rest days

B. Not running every day

C. As mentioned, a healthy routine is what they attach importance to

D. Running is a demanding activity which can be really hard on your body

E. When starting out with running, it’s tough not to compare yourself to others

F. It will help reduce the risk of injury, so you can continue with your new running routine

G. Many make a number of common mistakes, which can interfere (干扰) with training or lead to injury

高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析

In just two months, the latest buzzword from the Internet, diaosi, has spread so much that it can be found everywhere—from online forums(论坛) to micro blogs. Many people even call themselves diaosi. It’s not the first time a term has gone popular on the Internet in China. However, why is the word so viral that is has become a cultural phenomenon? Here, we tell you something you want to know about it.

Where it began

The word originated in Baidu. Com’s Tieba (a top Chinese bulletin board system) of soccer player Li Yi. There, fans of Li, who are called yisi in Chinese, not only talk about soccer but complain about their lives, work and relationships. Yisi, who are known for their rude and dirty language, were given the name diaosi by others who have seen their posts.

What a “diaosi” is like

The word diaosi was coined first by single, young men who feel they have dead-end lives. Generally, men in this category don’t earn enough, are not good-looking, and have difficulty winning promotion(晋升). Unlike their upper-class contemporaries(同代人), they lack influential families, useful social networks for their careers, and most importantly, suitable women to marry. “I’m just a diaosi, poor and plain-looking. Who will marry me?” The sigh can be heard, which is half self-mockery(自嘲), half reality. Many young men call themselves diaosi because they feel they are among the lowest classes of the society.

“Diaosi” culture reflects social changes

According to Zhu Chongke, a professor in the School of Asia-Pacific Studies at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, the popularity of this word diaosi stems from the fact that is was created by common people and thus resonates(共鸣) with a huge population. “Labeling yourself a diaosi offers a way for people to mock themselves and relieve pressure, hence it spread quickly,” he told Xinhua Agency. “The attitude is basically: ‘I already have little to lose, so why don’t I mock myself for gun?’.” The phenomenon reflects a larger social issues. These young people have no influential family background, no chances of receiving promotion at work or no economic strength to find a proper woman to marry. It reflects a deep sense of loss.

1.Diaosi refers to the ones with following features except________.

A. the ones who don’t earn much.

B. the ones who are not good-looking.

C. the ones who have difficulty winning promotion

D. the ones who have suitable people to marry.

2.The word “diaosi” is so popular because ________.

A. It was used to describe the fans of soccer player Li Yi.

B. It was created by common people and resonates with a huge population.

C. It is new and interesting.

D. It helps people who are among the lowest classes mock themselves.

3.Which of the following is NOT true?

A. It’s not the first time a term like “diaosi” has gone popular on the Internet.

B. The name “diaosi” was given by those people who are among the lowest classes.

C. Many young people call themselves diaosi because they have a deep sense of loss.

D. Calling yourself diaosi can probably mock yourselves and release pressure.

4.The author’s attitude to diaosi is________.

A. positive           B. negative       C. neutral(中立的)        D. indifferent

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Running on Empty

For almost a century, scientists have assumed, tiredness—or exhaustion—in athletes originates(起源于) in the muscles. Precise explanations have varied, but all have been based on the “Limitations Theory”. In other words, muscles tire because they hit a physical limit: they either run out of fuel or oxygen or they drown in harmful by-products(副产品).

In the past few years, however, Timothy Noakes from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, has examined this standard theory. Tiredness, he argues, is caused not by signals springing from overtaxed muscles, but is an emotional response which begins in the brain. The fundamental nature of his new theory is that the brain paces the muscles to keep them well back from the edge of exhaustion. When the brain decides it’s time to quit, it creates unbearable muscle tiredness. This “Central Governor” theory remains controversial, but it does explain many puzzling aspects of athletic performance.

A recent discovery that Noakes calls the “lactic acid paradox” made him start researching this area seriously. Lactic acid is a by-product of exercise, and the increase of it is often mentioned as a cause of tiredness. But when research subjects exercise in certain conditions created artificially, they become tired even though lactic acid levels remain low. Nor has the oxygen content of their blood fallen too low for them to keep going. Obviously, something else was making them tire before they hit either of these physiological limits.

Noakes conducted an experiment with seven cyclists. It has long been known that during exercise, the body never uses 100% of the available muscle fibres(纤维). The amount used varies, but in some tasks such as this cycling test the body calls on about 30%. His team found that as tiredness set in, the electrical activity in cyclist’s legs declined—even when they were making a great effort to cycle as fast as they could.

To Noakes, this was strong evidence that the old theory was wrong. “The cyclists may have felt completely exhausted,” he says, “but their bodies actually had considerable reserves that they could theoretically tap by using a greater amount of the resting fibres.” This, he believes, is the proof that the brain is regulating the pace of the workout to hold the cyclists well back from the point of extreme tiredness.

1.Which of the following is supported by “the Limitations Theory”?

A.Tiredness is caused by signals from brain.

B.Athletes feel tired when they use up all their energy.

C.The body uses 100% of the muscle fibres in exercise.

D.Athletes become tired though lactic acid levels remain low.

2.Noakes has found out that ___________.

A.muscle fibres control athletes’ movements

B.Lactic acid levels remain high in cycling test

C.mental processes control the symptoms of tiredness

D.different exercises use different amount of muscle fibres

3.It is likely that both theories accept that ___________.

A.lactic acid is produced in muscles during exercise

B.the oxygen content in blood may rise after sports

C.tiredness is a harmful by-product of exercise

D.the energy in human bodies can be balanced

4.What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A.The description of a new test.

B.The explanation of the theory.

C.The puzzling evidence of a study.

D.The whole process of the research.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

More and more people take part in marathons these days – over 30,000 people will run the London Marathon this weekend, for instance. But it’s not just the 26 miles and 385 yards that could be a daunting prospect. “I have to admit to being completely frustrated by the blocking and for 18-19 miles was just keeping away from people and being held up,” one participant grumbled after the 2012 London Marathon. “I had to overtake a lot of people and ended up with bruised（淤肿的）forearms from all the elbows,” said another.

How do such crowding problems arise, and could they be reduced? Some researchers believe that we can find the answers through a more familiar system in which jams appear – road traffic flow. Martin Treiber, of the Technical University of Dresden in Germany, has previously developed models for traffic flow. One of the first attempts to model traffic flow was made in the 1950s by James Lighthill and his collaborator Gerard Whitham of Manchester University. They considered the traffic as a kind of liquid flowing down a pipe, and looked at how the flow changes as the fluid gets denser(浓稠). At first the flow rate increases as the density increases, since you simply get more stuff through in the same period of time. But if the density becomes too high, there’s a risk of jams, and the flow rate drops sharply.

Treiber’s model of a marathon uses this same principle that the flow rate first increases and then decreases as the density of runners increases, thanks to an sudden switch from free to crowded flow. He assumes that there is a range of different preferred speeds for different runners, which each maintains throughout the race. With just these factors, Treiber can calculate the flow rate of runners, knowing the “carrying capacity”(承载能力)at each point on the route.

This allows Treiber to figure out how blocking might depend on the race conditions – for example, for different starting procedures. Some marathons start by letting all the runners set off at once (which means those at the back have to wait until those in front have moved forward). Others assign runners to various groups according to ability, and let them start in a series of waves.

Treiber has applied the model to the annual Rennsteig half-marathon in central Germany, which attracts around 6,000 participants. The traditional route had to be changed in 2013, because the police were no longer willing to close a road to ensure that runners could cross safely. It could pass either over a 60m wooden bridge or through a tunnel. Treiber used his model to predict the likely blocking caused in the various options. The model predicted that a mass start would risk an overload of runners if the bridge were to be used. Only by moving the starting point further back from the bridge could the danger be avoided – and even then, if some of the numbers assumed in the model were only slightly inaccurate, there was still a risk of jams at the bridge. On the other hand, no dangerous blocking seemed likely for the tunnel route. The run organizers consulted Treiber’s team, and eventually chose this option.

1.What is the worst thing while running a marathon?

A. The long distance.　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Too many participants.

C. The dangerous blocking.　　　　　　　　　 D. Serious injuries in forearms.

2.Which of the following statements is true?

A. James Lighthill is the first expert trying to model traffic flow.

B. The denser the flow is, the faster the flow rate becomes.

C. The flow rate increases in the beginning because fewer people passed together.

D. The flow rate increases first and then decreases later when the flow is too denser.

3.What is NOT true about the Rennsteig?

A. It has much less participants than the London Marathon in 2014.

B. It has a shorter distance than the London Marathon.

C. The route was changed because the traditional one is not safe any longer.

D. The participants running this marathon will pass a tunnel because this choice is safer.

4.What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. Make a comparison between marathon and road traffic.

B. Running a marathon is somewhat dangerous if it is not well organized.

C. Introduce a new technology to solve the blocking problem in marathon.

D. Some advice for people who are to run a marathon.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Tom says he ________ successfully in three marathons by the time he finishes this one.

A.will run B.will have run C.has run D.runs

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析