The beach may seem like an inviting place to run on a cool summer morning, but is running on the sand good for your body? It can be, but it's important to know the challenges that some beach runners experience.
Running on the beach can be a good thing. It's certainly different from running on the pavement or a track. For starters, sand can be a challenge because it has an uneven (不平坦的)surface. As you push off, you're going to lose some of your push as the sand moves. So, you're not going to be able to push your-self forward as you would on a track or a pavement. But this unevenness has an upside: It gives your body an extra workout, forcing you to exercise muscles that don't get as much use during run on firm surfaces. For instance, your feet, ankles and lower back might feel sorer and more tired than usual after a beach run just because that surface is constantly moving and changing step to step.
You also might feel sore afterward because beaches tend to slope (倾斜) down to the water. If you're going for a long run on the beach, you might notice that one side of your body might feel sorer because you're putting more pressure on it due to the slope.
Some beach runners prefer to run barefoot. However, if you're not used to barefoot running, start slowly and don't run long distances at first. That's because running barefoot uses different muscles than running with shoes does, and it's important to strengthen these muscles and adapt (使适应) your feet. If you want to run barefoot, it's great, but ease into it.
In spite of these challenges, running on the sand can be a smart choice for you, because running on softer ground surfaces can reduce muscle damage.
1. Why is it difficult to run on the beach?A.The soft surface makes people fall over easily. |
B.It takes much effort to run on its moving surface. |
C.People need to run carefully on its uneven surface. |
D.It's hard to keep one's balance on its sloping surface. |
A.Advantage. | B.Reason. | C.Character. | D.Challenge. |
A.Disapproving. | B.Supportive. | C.Doubtful. | D.Impersonal. |
A.Is running on the beach good for your body? | B.Do you need to adapt yourself to beach running? |
C.What are the challenges of running on the sand? | D.Why do you feel sore after running on the beach? |
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【推荐1】Now, new research suggests frequent exercise might help you live well in another meaningful way—that is, in terms of income. Researchers investigated whether individuals who stayed active would earn more money as a result of their active lifestyle. It revealed that staying active not only resulted in higher present earnings, but also predicted increased future income throughout one’s life.
The researchers set out to explore three key correlations (相互关系):How mobility-the ability to move, affected income, how mobility influenced income overtime, and whether exercise could help people maintain their mobility as they aged. The team analyzed data from Health and Retirement Study(HRS), the largest study tracking changes overtime in Americans aged 50 and above. This study takes into account various life aspects, including work, social status, health, psychology and family matters, as individuals age.
To evaluate the impact of current mobility on income, the researchers examined data from over 19, 000 respondents (调查对象) to determine how well they could perform simple tasks, such as climbing stairs, or moving around a room. Each person received a score, with 5 indicating full mobility and 0 indicating difficulties with these tasks. The researchers found that for each decrease in the mobility category, individuals lost out on an average of $3, 000 in annual income compared to their peers. Those who were active were also significantly more likely to remain working for longer than the other group. It appeared that engaging in exercise enabled individuals to maintain mobility and engage in professional life for a longer period of time than those who were less active.
Looking at earnings overtime revealed even more substantial benefits for those who remained active throughout their lives. Active individuals showed an overall income level that was $6, 500 higher, along with higher rates of employment. For the third part of the study, it’s not surprising that those who engaged in exercise continued to maintain their mobility after the age of 55 and had higher employment rates. Even exercising just one day a week showed improvements in mobility outcomes.
While this study doesn’t definitively prove that leading a healthy lifestyle directly leads to higher earnings, it strongly suggests that staying healthy and mobile brings benefits beyond just lower levels of disease.
1. What didn’t researchers take into consideration when designing their experiment?A.Family matters | B.Work and social status |
C.Health and psychology | D.Educational background |
A.Increased mobility slightly reduces annual income |
B.Greater mobility is closely related to higher income |
C.Decreased mobility greatly increases the overall income |
D.Maintaining mobility has nothing to do with the income |
A.Favorable | B.Indifferent | C.Opposed | D.Doubtful |
A.Exercise Lowers Levels of All Diseases |
B.Exercise Promotes Work Efficiency |
C.Exercise Helps to Make More Money |
D.Exercise Ensures A Longer Lifespan |
【推荐2】A study led by the University of Granada has made sure for the first time the number of steps at which most people can get health benefits. The study has provided the first scientific evidence for how many steps you need to take per day to reduce the risk of premature (过早的) death: about 8,000 steps. Given the length of a human step, taking 8,000 steps is just like walking about 6.4 kilometers a day.
The researchers conducted a systematic literature review and analysis of data from twelve international studies involving more than 110,000 participants. The results are in line with other recent studies, which show that health benefits are got at about 8,000 steps.
“What makes our study different is that, for the first time, we set clear step aims. It shows that measurable benefits can be got with small increases in the number of steps per day, and that for people with low levels of physical activity, every additional 500 steps improves their health. This is good news because not everyone can walk almost 8,000 steps a day, at least not at first, so you can set small, reachable goals and gradually make progress and increase the number of steps per day,” explains Esmée Bakker, one of the lead authors of the study.
So, should we stop walking when we reach around nine thousand steps? “Absolutely not,” Francisco B. Ortega, another lead author of the study, said firmly. “More steps are never bad. Our study showed that even as many as 16.000 steps a day does not pose a risk; on the contrary, there are additional benefits compared to walking 7,000-9,000 steps a day.”
The study gives people clear and easily measurable goals. Here lies the importance of the study—to provide simple and concrete (具体的) aims for the number of daily steps that people can easily measure with their phones or smartwatches, and thereby contribute to people’s health.
1. What can we learn about the study according to paragraph 1?A.Its findings were based on scientific evidence. |
B.It explored the length of a human step. |
C.It proved the benefits of walking. |
D.It found a new way to prevent premature death. |
A.The number of steps is becoming larger. |
B.The number of steps is about 8,000 steps a day. |
C.The number of the whole steps is about 500 steps. |
D.The number of steps with a small increase can get benefits. |
A.To recommend a way to keep healthy. |
B.To show the significance of the study. |
C.To encourage people to walk more steps. |
D.To prove the contribution of modern technology. |
A.Education. | B.Sports. | C.Health. | D.Environment. |
【推荐3】Playing badminton can be a fantastic sport.
Build a strong body
You get to run up and down the court. You jump up high and bend down low when playing. Your movement has to be flexible, with good hand-eye coordination. The movements give your legs good exercise. At the same time, swinging the racket exercises your arms, shoulders, stomach and back. Before you know it, your entire body will benefit from better coordination.
Have a good heart
Playing badminton can actually lower your blood pressure, and reduce your chances of heart diseases.
Enjoy a colorful social life
Gyms often host leagues, tournaments, and parties.
Make a slim figure
A.You can even grow stronger and more attractive. |
B.Playing the game, you can make your heart stronger. |
C.You can find a badminton court in public parks or gyms. |
D.To people of different ages it is also an easy light exercise. |
E.It's important to drink plenty of water when playing the sport. |
F.Of course, one of the most welcome benefits of playing it is quick weight loss. |
G.They provide chances for you to meet friends, or other people with similar interests. |
1)Pearlcorder S702 $64
This simple model at the bottom of the Olympus range scored the most points for its excellent quality of recording. Background noise hardly affects the sound and recording from a pocket is perfectly possible, but it doesn’t turn off automatically.
Tape length: 30 minutes per side. Weight:240g.
2)Sony M9 $49.95
Small and very good looking, sony’s latest offering scored most for appearance. Sounds clear, but there is slight machine noise. The big control buttons are a great improvement on some of the complicated little controls on other tape-recorders. Doesn’t switch off automatically but a red light shows if the machine is still running.
Tape length: 60 minutes per side. Weight: 195g.
3)Sony M400 $115
Lots of little control buttons that make a noise and are difficult to use . Recording was good but machine noise lost points. Tape counter and automatic switch-off when tape has finished recording or rewinding are useful Tape length: 60 minutes per side. Weight: 230g.
4)Imperial OEM. MC $29.95
Cheap and simple compared with the rest, but recording was good as long as there was no background noise. Use only its own make of cassette. No light to show it is on; no fast forward button and the record button makes a loud noise.
Tape length: 30 minutes per side. Weight: 285g.
5)Philips 585 $80
Handsome and simple to use, but recording is very poor at more than the recommended distance of 5 cm-designed for dictation. No recording light. Tape length: 15 minutes per side. Weight: 220g.
1. The machine that produces the best recording with the least unwanted noise is the .
A.Pearlcorder S702 | B.Sony M9 |
C.Sony M400 | D.Imperial OEM MC7 |
A.Pearlcorder S702 | B.Imperial OEM MC7 |
C.Sony M400 | D.Philips 585 |
Pocket Tape-Recorders”Family and Home Magazine” test what’s on the market now.
A.No light shows when it is on |
B.It requires a special cassette. |
C.It picks up background noise. |
D.The record button makes a noise. |
【推荐2】At Sho Farm in northern Vermont, farmers Melissa Hoffman and Shawn Smith work hand in hand with the land and its inhabitants, and among them are hundreds of ducks. The ducks at Sho Farm are not being raised to be killed for food. Rather, they are naturally involved in farming operations, helping to manage pests and add fertilizer (肥料) to the soil.
In the beginning, Hoffman, who has a background in organic farming and ecology action, worked with ecologists and biologists to survey the plants and wildlife all around the area. This was “to understand who was living here, so that everything we did was in relationship to the life already here,” he says.
So, at Sho Farm, focus is placed on living harmoniously alongside other life and working with traditional ecological knowledge. Food is seen not as a commodity (商品) but as a relationship with land and life.
The methods of food production at Sho Farm, as well as the farmers’ philosophy of working with rather than against nature, are in sharp contrast to most modern agricultural systems. And that’s the point. “We’ve been talking a lot about the broken food system and the consequences of it to the environment, to wildlife, to the animals in animal agriculture and to human health,” says Hoffman, adding that it’s not just the food system that’s broken. “It’s the relationship between humans, non-human animals, land and nature.”
The ducks play a vital, integrated role on the farm, explains Hoffman, by naturally providing pest control, fertilizer and (fuel-free) land maintenance (维护), just as by-products of their existence. “We noticed where we summered groups of ducks and parts of the food system that were not doing very well. The following year, the food system was efficiently improved,” he says.
It’s a symbiotic relationship that works well. “Animals don’t have to be part of a farm in a commodity sense. They can be part of the farm as a partner,” Hoffman says. “They are wonderful partners.”
1. Why did Hoffman do a survey in the beginning?A.To get familiar with the surroundings. |
B.To have a good relationship with other people. |
C.To live in harmony with other life on the farm. |
D.To have a good understanding of organic farming. |
A.The causes of the broken food system. |
B.The reasons for Hoffman’s farming methods. |
C.The changes in modern agricultural systems. |
D.The process of food production at Sho Farm. |
A.Animals are treated well at Sho Farm. |
B.Animals are not to be sold for money. |
C.People and animals play the same role in organic farming. |
D.People and animals work together and benefit each other. |
A.Efficient. | B.Modern. | C.Natural. | D.Economical. |
【推荐3】China will follow up on its successful mission (任务) to the far side of the moon by sending a probe to Mars next year, one of its top space scientists said Sunday. Wu Weiren, chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program, said the red planet was the natural next step. “Next year we’ll launch a Mars probe to orbit around the Mars, land on it and probe it,” he said. China will also send another probe to take back samples from the moon’s surface.
Wu’s comments came as a Mars simulation(模拟) base opened in Qinghai’s Qaidam Basin. According to the state-run Global Times, while the red rocky area bears a strikingly similarity to Mars, it’s extremely difficult to simulate Mars due to its special natural features and hostile environment—low air pressure, strong radiation and frequent sandstorms, as well as vast differences in geography.
China didn’t send its first satellite into orbit until 1970, by which time America had already landed an astronaut on the moon, but it’s been catching up fast. Since 2003, China has sent six crews into space and two space labs into Earth’s orbit In 2013, China successfully landed a rover, Yutu 1, on the moon, becoming only the third country to do so.
Last December, China landed another probe and a rover, Yutu 2, on the far side of the moon. Progress has been slow going since then: due to the extreme conditions there, the rover often has to hibernate to preserve its capabilities for further exploration, Wu said. “The temperature there is minus 190 degrees Celsius, which all components and parts cannot stand. So we let it sleep for a while, making sure it can spend the night safely. A few days ago, it woke up automatically to work. We’ve gained lots of data in the past few days, and we're going to make the data known to the world,” Wu said.
1. What’s China’s next step in its space exploration?A.To get back a probe from Mars. |
B.To probe Mars next year. |
C.To land a rover on Mars successfully. |
D.To open a Mars simulation base. |
A.Stable. | B.Uncertain. |
C.Unfavorable. | D.Friendly. |
A.Yutu 2 often has to hibernate to save its energy. |
B.The data from Yutu 2 is accessible to the world. |
C.Progress has been steady in the past exploration. |
D.Yutu 2 can survive the moon's extreme conditions. |
A.Two space labs have been set up. |
B.Six crews were sent into space in 2003. |
C.Samples from the moon have been taken back. |
D.China became the third to send a satellite to Earth’s orbit. |