【推荐1】These days, are you spending more time feeling guilty about not working out than working out? If so, you’re probably the kind of lapsed boomer. You’ve joined the 4-in-10 adult Americans of all ages who admit they’re not physically active at all, according to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Exercise experts like Richard Cotton and Cedric Bryant have heard it all before — busy boomers complaining that, between car pools and van pools and making ends meet, they hardly have time for a movie, much less regular exercise. Here are some of their best tips.

Prepare.

Plan your workout wardrobe so you’ll be comfortable. Consider the weather you will be walking in and decide: long pants, long sleeve, shorts, hat?

Don’t skimp (克扣) on shoes.

Which type? “If you are walking with the hope of jogging finally, buy running shoes,” says Cotton. If you plan to walk as your main exercise, get walking shoes.

Start slowly.

“Do much less than you think you are able to,” Cotton suggests. Take a 10-minute walk if you’re newly back to workouts. It’s not enough, “but it’s a start.” Consider walking as a good way to get back to exercise.

Do the talk test.

If you can’t talk without difficulty as you walk or jog, you’re going too fast and trying to do too much, Bryant says.

Consider getting an exercise buddy (同伴).

That could help increase your faithfulness to your new habit. “An exercise partner is always nice”, Cotton says, “especially if you can get someone who already has the habit. That’s a free ride.”

Be realistic about the payoff.

You might notice looser waistbands but no difference on the scale. “As you get up into 35-, 40- or 45-minute walks, you can expect weight loss,” Cotton says. “But even if you do not lose a pound, you are healthier if you exercise.” And quite possibly, that might put you higher up on Bush’s invite list, should he host another run.

1. The “lapsed boomer” mentioned in paragraph 1 refers to people who ______.

A．are professional sports experts

B．work hard and hate taking exercise

C．try to get inactive people back into sports programs

D．are physically inactive and have no time for regular exercise

2. According to the passage, when you take exercise, you’d better not ______.

A．wear comfortable clothing	B．be realistic about weight loss
C．find an exercise partner	D．do more than you think you are able to start

3. What can be inferred from the part of “talk test”?

A．Talking is not allowed while you are taking exercise.

B．You may feel better if talking with someone while running.

C．It is used to test the intensity of your running.

D．The more you talk, the longer you will run.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Being different on the scale is more difficult than losing weight.

B．You can’t expect weight loss unless you walk 45 minutes a day.

C．Exercise can bring you at least health more than weight loss.

D．You can be invited to a running race unless you lose weight.

5. What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?

A．To illustrate how to do sports.

B．To warn people not to work too hard.

C．To advocate people to bring fitness back in life.

D．To give people advice on how to lose weight.

【推荐2】It can be hard to convince homeowners to use less water on their lawns (草坪), particularly during a hot and dry summer. But tell them it’s a competition for the ugliest lawn, and suddenly they may be more willing to give up using the sprinkler(洒水器).

This clever strategy was employed by the government of Gotland, Sweden’s largest island located in the Baltic Sea. Gotland sees its population double during the summer months as tourists arrive. This puts pressure on the island’s already-limited water supply, which is projected to decrease by 13% between 2021 and 2050, as demand is expected to rise by 40% by 2045.

The campaign, called “Gotland’s Ugliest Lawn”, urged homeowners to compete for the saddest, deadest and brownest yard. They were asked to avoid watering for an entire season, then post a photo of the lawn using a label that linked it to the campaign.

Mimmi Gibson, the acting marketing and brand manager at Region Gotland, said that “the ugliest lawn contest would remind the islanders not to waste water, and to talk about ways they can adapt their gardens to suit the existing conditions and the climate crisis”.

The winner for this year was announced in mid-August, and it’s Marcus Norstrom, who did not water his lawn once throughout the entire summer. His photo shows a large brown space   with some sparse yellow grasses sticking out——the kind of yard in which you would not want to walk barefoot (赤脚地)for risk of hurting your feet. The government must be feeling pleased ; its strategy has worked.

It’s an interesting strategy which attempts to normalize and even celebrate dead grass. It is reasonable to assume that the more people see it around their communities, the more acceptable it will become. They may also grow curious when they realize there are other ways to create and maintain an attractive-looking yard, even without irrigation(灌溉).

1. What’s the aim of the competition for the ugliest lawn?

A．To reduce the waste of water.	B．To limit the growth of local lawns.
C．To strengthen citizens’ friendship.	D．To enhance citizens, health awareness.

2. What do the numbers in paragraph 2 show?

A．Gotland is rich in water resources.

B．People will have no water to drink in 2050.

C．Gotland is faced with serious lack of water.

D．The population of Gotland grows faster and faster.

3. What’s Mimmi Gibson’s attitude towards the ugliest lawn contest?

A．Unconcerned.

B．Doubtful.

C．Unclear.

D．Positive.

4. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To explain the success of the strategy.

B．To tell citizens the danger of the ugliest lawn.

C．To discuss why it’s dangerous to waste water.

D．To show citizens what the ugliest lawn looks like.

【推荐3】The best way to learn new skills has been widely debated. In 2008, Malcolm Gladwell published Outliers, which introduced the so-called “10,000 hours rule” that states it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert in a subject.

    1    Let’s break down what this involves.

You’re willing to learn from people you don’t like.

We tend to get annoyed with people who don’t share our view of the world.    2    That’s exactly why they offer opportunities to learn. You don’t need to buy into someone’s values about the world to learn from them and they can offer a new perspective.

    3    

Stick to one comfortable mode of learning is a bad idea. Master learners are willing to learn from lots of sources, including the following: technical dry books or manuals, YouTube or Instagram, calling or visiting people they don’t know, searching the internet and through friendships and social relationships.

You can reflect on your work and think outside of the box.

Master learners don’t just become good in their field. They think about what they learn in ways that aren’t focused on one topic.     4     They allow their minds to move in creative ways and connect seemingly diverse concepts and tools that other people don’t connect.

You approach learning with your learning objectives in mind.

I love learning about other people’s learning processes. I once watched a video made by a medical student who stopped going to lectures. She recognized that the lectures weren’t as efficient or effective as reading her own books.

Master learners don’t follow someone else’s learning plan. For example, they don’t use one learning app for hundreds of lessons without exploring other options.     5    

A．You’re willing to try out different thinking styles.

B．You’re ready to learn through different modes and channels.

C．People who are different from us will tend to approach problems differently.

D．But from a psychological perspective, what makes someone a master learner?

E．They develop their own learning plan based on their specific learning objectives.

F．The smartest, most creative people don’t rely solely on focus for getting things done.

G．To add to our learning, we’ll need to be willing to learn from people who we don’t personally like.

【推荐1】How to choose a college major and develop a career plan

Going to college can seem daunting (使人畏惧的), and no small part of that is the prospect of having to choose a major, which will set the course for the rest of your career life. Here are some steps that might help make your decision easier:

Step 1: Consider your interests and passions.

Do you want a career where you’ll be able to express yourself, or work with numbers?     1     The average person will spend nearly 100,000 hours working in their profession before retirement. Make sure that time will be spent doing something you enjoy!

Step 2: Consider how long you want to be in school.

If you’re pursuing a career in professional fields like medicine or law, you may require more than a four-year degree to get the job that you want.     2     Will you want to jump right into a job after you graduate, or do you really want to dive into higher education? These are important when deciding what major is the best fit for you.

Step 3: Research prospective careers.

If you think you have a career in mind, do some investigating in person or online. Try connecting with people in the field and ask them what challenges they faced in getting their degrees and finding jobs afterwards.     3     Their journeys to success might surprise you!

Step 4:     4    

Remember, you don’t have to make this decision right away. Taking basic-level courses when you first get to college helps decide your level of interest in pursuing a degree program. Plus, you could always decide to be an Interdisciplinary (跨学科的) studies major!     5     Thus, you can discover where your interests lie, and have classes related to the career that you want.

A．Give yourself enough time to decide.

B．Think about what you like to do in high school.

C．What if your major conflicts with your parents’ expectations?

D．Are you passionate about justice, or do you want to have a career focused on helping people?

E．If you can’t connect in person, try to find role models online and read about their histories.

F．This degree program gives you the freedom and flexibility to take a wide variety of classes.

G．On the other hand, there are some careers where a master’s degree won’t necessarily be helpful.

【推荐2】If you are seeking a new career opportunity rather than just a job, you are not alone. So how can you make sure your job is the right fit for you?     1     Luckily, you are in the right place to get some tips on landing the career you are looking for after graduation.

    2     It may sound simple, but many recent graduates struggle with the big picture. Often, we see career seekers fall into the workforce without a true understanding of what they truly want to do. It is important to understand what you want to accomplish in your career. Find out what you like to do by completing a self-evaluation.

Understand your salary requirements.     3     This is common; however, you can find yourself in an unsatisfying field if satisfying your salary requirements is impossible in that field. That is a problem. It will make your job much less fulfilling.

Set your work-life balance needs. This is important for finding the career that best suits you. In selecting a career, you often have to take various factors into account. Understand how much time you need for the other aspects of life.     4    

Reach out to the place where you want to work. You may have understood the career you want to pursue, but the only problem is that the company isn’t offering that position. Don’t let that discourage you.     5     You may be surprised that the company may be able to offer you a similar job or the ideal position in the future.

A．Know what you want to pursue in life.

B．Show off your competence properly.

C．It’s a tough question without a simple answer.

D．Contact the hiring manager at that company to express your interest.

E．Then find a job that will allow you enough time away from the office.

F．A lot of recent graduates struggle to find a job from which they can get adequate pay.

G．Keep yourself well informed of the latest information about the labor market.

【推荐3】Joel Ramsey remembers the moment when he’d been in prison for the fourth time. “I made a decision that this was the last time,” he said. For the next 12 years, he kept his goal in sight. But when he was finally set free, his chances of success weren’t good. A 2018 study by the University of Michigan showed one in four formerly imprisoned individuals couldn’t find work and that nearly half reoffended.

In New York City, Hector Guadalupe aims to help people like Ramsey. His non-profit, A Second U Foundation, helps those formerly jailed get certified (合格的) as personal trainers in the fitness industry. It’s a path that Guadalupe traveled himself in his teenage, he ended up spending 10 years in prison for drug dealing. There he became crazy with fitness and got certified as a personal trainer. When he came home, he was determined to work at a gym.

“I filled out every application,” Guadalupe said, “but nobody called me back because of my past. I didn’t give up, though.” After nine months, he landed an opportunity and worked without a day off for four years to establish himself in New York’s fitness scene. Now, he devotes much of his week to helping others do the same.

He and his team of volunteers offer a free eight-week program for 10-15 students to prepare for the national certification exam. It was a perfect fit for Ramsey since fitness got him through his time in prison. “The program was intense,” Ramsey said. “It was like studying to be a doctor.”

Once students have passed the exam, Guadalupe helps them get jobs. After Ramsey graduated in 2017, he got a job at one of the city’s top gyms. Now, he has his own fitness company and volunteers with the program. “I owe a lot to Guadalupe. He just gave me the foundation to where I could become successful.” Seeing people like Ramsey succeed keeps Guadalupe motivated. “That’s the glory,” he said. “That’s why second chances are important.”

1. What problem did Ramsey meet with after his release from prison?

A．He couldn’t adapt to the life outside.	B．He failed to set a goal for his new life.
C．He had a slim chance of employment.	D．He was caught breaking the law again.

2. What can we learn about Hector Guadalupe?

A．He made sure everyone in his program got a job.

B．He had traveled a lot before being put into prison.

C．He lost heart after being turned down by many gyms.

D．He helped former prisoners start a new chapter of life.

3. Ramsey thinks the program is ________.

A．tough but rewarding	B．primitive but effective
C．controversial but helpful	D．simple but professional