Music helps us exercise—but why does it have this effect (影响)? Experts say there are two main reasons. The first is simple: Music distracts us. When we listen to a song we like, our brain pays attention to the music. For example, after we exercise for 20 minutes, our body might be tired. But we may not feel this immediately because we are listening to music. So we exercise a little longer.
. When we hear dance music, for example, we naturally start to move to the beat. An upbeat song also puts us in a good mood, so we feel happier. This gives us energy and helps us exercise longer. Music with a quick and steady beat is good for exercising. But the music shouldn’t be too fast, says sports psychologist Dr. Costa Karageorghis. Generally, songs in the range (范围) of 120-140 beats per minute (BPM) are the best.
A new study by cognitive scientist Tom Fritz suggests this is only part of the explanation, however. In an experiment, Fritz put 61 people in small groups. They all then exercised twice. One time, each group worked out while listening to music for six minutes. Another time, they exercised for six minutes on special Jymmin machines. The name Jymmin is a combination of “jammin” and “gym”. Using these machines, each group made music as they moved. At the end, 53 of the 61 people said the same thing: They felt less tired when they exercised on the Jymmin machines. When we exercise and make music-especially with other people working out seems to be easier.
How does Fritz explain this? Maybe people did better on the Jymmin machines because they had more control, he says. People created the beat. They could make it go faster or slower. Also, the activity was social. Each group was making music together and having fun. Fritz believes that Jymmin exercise may have other advantages (优势), too. He wants to find out if it can help with more serious conditions. For example, it may even be a good way to treat depression (抑郁).
1. In Paragraph 1, the underlined word “distract” means to ________.| A．bring our attention back | B．make us stronger |
| C．take our attention away | D．make us tired |
| A．Music also motivates (激励) us | B．Any kind of music helps |
| C．The faster music, the better | D．Sports psychologists disagree |
| A．A tool for listening to music while dancing. |
| B．A machine for watching music videos while exercising. |
| C．A group to make music and have fun while exercising. |
| D．An exercise machine for creating music while working out. |
| A．Advantages of music while working out. |
| B．A music playlist for workout songs. |
| C．Give instructions on using Jymmin machines. |
| D．Reasons why music helps people exercise longer. |
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【推荐1】When we think of paper, we think of newspapers and books. But there are many other uses. Only half of the world’s paper is used for books and newspapers.
Paper is very good for keeping you warm. You have perhaps seen homeless men asleep on a large number of newspapers. In Finland, it is sometimes –40°C in winter. The farmers wear paper boots(靴子)in the snow. Nothing could be warmer.
Each year, more and more things are made of paper. We have had paper cups and plates for a long time. But now we hear that chairs, tables, and even beds can be made of paper. With paper boots and shoes, you can wear paper hats, paper dresses, and paper raincoats. When you have used them once, you throw them away and buy new ones.
The latest use of paper seems to be paper houses. These are not small houses for children to play in, but real, big houses for people to live in. You can buy a house with three rooms for about 500 dollars. You can put it up by yourself in a few hours, and you can use it for about five years.
1. The farmers in Finland wear paper boots in winter to ________.| A．feel much better | B．go for a walk | C．keep their feet warm | D．save a lot of money |
| A．we could buy paper boots and shoes in paper shops | B．we had already had paper cups and plates |
| C．we could wear paper hats and paper dresses | D．we had no paper cups and paper plates |
| A．not expensive and easy to build up |
| B．made for children to play in or for homeless men to live in |
| C．made only for the rich people |
| D．big and strong that people can live for many years |
| A．use it for a long time | B．sell it to others | C．lend it to others | D．throw it away |
【推荐2】Do you feel a little sleepy after lunch? Well, that’s normal. Your body naturally slows down then. What should you do about it? Don’t reach for a coffee! Instead, take a nap (小睡).
It’s good to have a daily nap. First of all, you are more efficient (效率高的) after napping. You remember things better and make fewer mistakes. Also, you can learn things more easily after taking a nap. A nap may increase your self-confidence (自信) and make you more active. It may even cheer you up. But, there are some simple rules you should follow about taking a nap. First, take a nap in the middle of day, about eight hours after you wake up. Next, a 20-minute nap is the best. If you sleep longer, you may fall into a deep sleep. After waking from a deep sleep, you will feel worse. Also, you should set an alarm clock. That way, you can fully relax during your nap. You won’t have to keep looking at the clock, so you don’t oversleep.
Now, the next time you feel sleepy after lunch, don’t get stressed. Just take a nap!
1. It is ________ to get sleepy for you at noon.| A．normal | B．strange | C．amazing (令人惊奇的) | D．interesting |
| A．stressed | B．confident (有信心的) | C．sleepy | D．careful |
| A．as long as you like | B．eight hours | C．about twenty minutes | D．an hour |
| A．A cup of coffee. | B．A quick meal. | C．An alarm clock. | D．Some fruit. |
| A．Just a quick nap | B．Just for a coffee |
| C．A quick meal is enough | D．Sleep longer |
Can dolphins talk? Maybe they can’t talk with words, but they can talk with sounds (声音).
Dolphins talk to the other dolphins in a group. They give information.
They make a few sounds above water.
Sometimes people catch a dolphin for a big aquarium. (An aquarium is a zoo for fish.) People can watch the dolphins in a show. Dolphins don’t like to be away from their group to be in an aquarium.
There are many stories about dolphins. They help people.
| A．Do you see a dolphin show? |
| B．They are sad and they miss their group. |
| C．They tell when they feel happy or sad or afraid. |
| D．Sometimes they save somebody’s life. |
| E．They make many sounds under water. |
| F．They also show their feelings with sounds. |
【推荐1】Naturally, American schoolchildren love holidays. And they get a lot of them each year.
Besides having national holidays such as Thanksgiving and Presidents’ Day off from school, students get longer breaks in the spring and summer holidays. In fact, kids in the US only go to school for about 180 days a year. To students, holidays are perfect. However, parents think there are advantages and disadvantages.
On one hand, school holidays allow families to spend time together. Many American parents take time off from work during June, July or August to travel with their children on vacation either in the US or a foreign country. On the other hand, schoolchildren get much more time off school than parents get vacation time. This means that parents with young children may have to pay more in babysitting or daycare costs. As well, the long summer holidays mean that students sometimes get bored.
Besides going on trips with their parents, American students enjoy taking part in different kinds of activities during the holidays. For example, some kids enjoy summer camps and outdoor adventure(冒险) holidays. Such trips are great for adventurous students. They also have a lot to offer students who aren’t usually interested in traditional PE activities. You can do courses in survival(生存) skills, for example. Students learn how to make a camp in the forest, which wild food they can eat and how to find their way back to the center.
Students who are not excited about summer camps and outdoor adventure may take part in courses in computer game design, filmmaking and photography during the holidays. Finally, the traditional school trip to foreign countries is always popular. Students can practise their foreign language skills and experience everyday life in a different culture.
1. What does the underlined word “They” refer to in the third paragraph?| A．Different traditional PE activities. | B．Some kids. | C．Summer camps and outdoor adventure. | D．Parents. |
| A．Both parents and students think school holidays are perfect. |
| B．Parents can take care of their young children during all the holidays. |
| C．Students enjoy taking part in different kinds of activities during holidays. |
| D．Students don’t like to have school trips to foreign countries during holidays. |
| A．School trips in the US. | B．School holidays in the US. | C．School activities in the US. | D．Outdoor adventure in the US. |
Mr. Black is a taxi driver. He likes to drive in Beijing. Mrs. Black is a school teacher. She is visiting a city school today. Their daughter is a middle school student.
Mrs. Black is going to meet some Chinese students.They are taking a lot of pictures in China. When they return（回到）to America, they are going to show the pictures to their friends. They want the American people to know more about China.
1. The Blacks are from _____.
| A．China | B．England | C．Canada | D．America |
| A．England | B．Beijing | C．Shanghai | D．New York |
| A．a teacher |
| B．a doctor |
| C．a taxi driver |
| D．a worker |
| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |
| A．Because the pictures are very beautiful. |
| B．Because they like China. |
| C．Because they want the American people to know more about China. |
| D．Because they want the American people to come to China. |
【推荐3】Hands play an important part in our daily life. But do you know which of your two hands you use more? Very few people use both hands equally well. Most of us are right-handed. Only about five people out of a hundred are left-handed. New-born babies can take hold of things with either of their hands, but in about two years they usually use their right hands. Scientists don’t know why this happens.
Monkeys are our close relatives (亲戚) in the animal world. Scientists have found that monkeys like to use one of their hands more than the other, but it can be either hand. There are as many right-handed monkeys as left-handed ones. Next time you visit a zoo, watch the monkeys carefully, you will see that some of them will use their right hands and others will use their left hands. But most of the people use their right hands better and this makes life difficult for those left-handed people. We live in a right-handed world.
1. How many people among 100 people use their left hands better?| A．5%. | B．50%. | C．95%. | D．30% |
| A．both of their hands | B．neither of their hands | C．their right hands | D．their left hands |
| A．There are more monkeys using their right hands than left hands. |
| B．There are more monkeys using their left hands than right hands. |
| C．There are as many right-handed monkeys as left-handed ones. |
| D．There are not as many right-handed monkeys as left-handed ones. |
| A．Most people use their right hands better. | B．Few people use their right hands better. |
| C．Half of the people use their right hands better. | D．Some people use their right hands better. |
