1 . Teenagers have long been told that being active and taking part in various sports is good for their health. But new research suggests that too much sport for teenagers could negatively affect their well-being just as much as too little sport.

Researchers from Switzerland say their study suggests that 14 hours of physical activity a week is best for promoting good health in teenagers. However, they found that more than 14 hours appears to be detrimental to their health. To reach their findings, the researchers surveyed more than 1,245 teenagers aged between 16 and 20 from Switzerland.

All participants were required to answer questions on height and weight, sports practice, sports injuries and well-being. Their well-being was assessed(评估) using the World Health Organization (WHO) Well-Being Index,and the average well-being score for all participants was 17.

The researchers divided sports participation into low (0—3.5 hours a week), average (3.6— 10.5 hours), high (10.6— 17.5 hours), and very high (more than 17.5 hours).The researchers found that participants in the low and very high activity groups were more than twice as likely to have well-being scores below 13, compared with participants in the average group. The researchers found that the highest well-being scores were gotten by participants who carried cut around 14 hours of physical activity a week, but exercising beyond 14 hours resulted in lower well-being scores.

Commenting on their findings, the researchers say physical activity has been connected with positive emotional well-being, reduced sadness, anxiety and stress disorders, and improved self-respect in teenagers.

The researchers suggest that their study stresses the importance for physicians caring for teenagers to check their level of sports practice and ask them about their well-being. Teenagers probably need a supportive and closer follow-up of their health and well-being. The findings can provide information for guideline groups who produce recommendations on sports practice for teenagers.

3 . Last year, I started the journey of being a remote product designer. The thought of a ________ schedule, a comfortable home office, and the escape from the crowded public transport was incredibly ________. The first few weeks were filled with a long-lost feeling of ________.

However, the ________ of working from home gradually set in. I had started my day with the best intentions, promising myself quick breaks and regular ________. But deadlines, endless emails, and virtual meetings ________ me to my computer throughout the day, leaving me little time to ________. Gone were the short walks to a colleague’s desk and the quick lunchtime walks around the office complex. Finally, my world was ________ to the walls of my home, my steps ________ in mere meters rather than kilometers.

One day, I tried ________ one of my favorite dresses and it wasn’t passing through my waist at all. Glancing at myself in the mirror, I saw a ________ person carrying extra weight, rather than someone enjoying freedom. The ________ of work and personal life had left me feeling like I was a never ending motion machine.

This incident marked the ________ of a journey of self-discovery. I made up my mind that I needed a(n) ________ not just for my waistline but for my overall well-being. It was a promise to prioritize my physical and mental health, and a commitment that I could ________ control over my life and my body.

4 . Most people in their eighties would consider themselves lucky not to have health problems, but this is not the case with Toshisuke Kanazawa. The 82-year-old Japanese bodybuilder is not only in perfect physical condition, but also looks better than a lot of men a quarter his age.

Kanazawa is a living example that you’re never too old to hit the gym and achieve the body you’ve always dreamed of. A champion bodybuilder in his youth, Kanazawa stopped exercising completely after he retired(退休) at age 34, drinking, smoking and eating whatever he liked. It wasn’t until he turned 50 that he wanted to regain the perfect body of his younger years.

Kanazawa’s wife felt sick frequently, and the former bodybuilder remembered that she had never been happier than when he won the national championship. So, to please her, he decided to return to the gym and completely change his diet.

His workout schedule had to change according to his age. In his youth, he would spend up to six hours training in the gym every day, and his body would recover within two days after a particularly intensive workout, but that was not the case anymore. He cut the daily gym time to three hours and started giving his body one week to recover after exercising every muscle group.

Kanazawa’s efforts paid off. In 2016, at the age of 80, Kanazawa defeated many opponents and placed sixth in the world in a match for bodybuilders over 65, and won the admiration of the crowd.

Sport keeps this elderly man healthy, as he has not suffered so much as a cold since he started bodybuilding again at age 50.

“I want to be a super old man in the bodybuilder community,” Kanazawa said, “If I have a goal, I can continue moving forward. I have to work much harder.”

5 . In 2020, Nancy Ballard, a 60-year-old retired entrepreneur, went for a routine checkup at her doctor’s office that turned into something extraordinary. In fact, she was carrying a painting of a plant she’d done when she arrived there. “It would be great if we had ___________ like that for our chemotherapy rooms (化疗室),” the nurse said. Ballard asked to see one.

She was ___________ by what she found. The walls were grey and bare, and the paint was chipping. “___________, the patients here have nothing to look at while taking chemo drips,” she said, “I couldn’t imagine how anyone could even get healthy in such ___________rooms like that.” She made it her mission to ___________ the place.

She started by e-mailing 20 local interior ___________. She wrote, “You don’t know me. But my heart ___________ after seeing these rooms.” She then asked whether they would ___________ their time and money to transform just one of chemotherapy rooms each.

Six of them leapt into ___________ action and each designer chose a theme: The dragonfly room, for example, ______________ bright artworks and dragonfly wall ornaments. Most rooms got new ______________, lights, artworks, and furniture. When the transformation was done ______________, Dr. Hufford was delighted. “All the patients feel ______________ by it,” he said. He even noted that his own tone of voice was ______________ in the rooms and that he was better able to connect with his patients. Ballard was so encouraged by the patients’ reactions, but when praised, she said, “What I did paled ______________ the patients’ courage to fight cancer”.

7 . Crowdfunding is a fundraising method that makes use of the power of the Internet and social networks. It involves raising small amounts of money from a large number of individuals or investors, typically through online platforms. These platforms connect entrepreneurs (创业者) with potential backers who contribute funds to support a specific project, business, or idea.

Donation-based Crowdfunding-People donate a small amount of money without receiving credit. Reward-Based Crowdfunding-Backers get a reward, such as a product sample or easy access, in exchange for their contribution. This model is popular for startups and creative projects.

Equity (股权) Crowdfunding-Investors receive shares or equity in the business in exchange for their funding. This model is ideal for small businesses looking to raise substantial capital and is subject to specific regulations.

Debt Crowdfunding-Entrepreneurs borrow money from backers and agree to repay it with interest over time. This model is similar to a loan and is suitable for businesses with a clear repayment plan.

Set clear goals: Define your funding goal, the purpose of the funds, and how you’ll use the money.

Persuasive story: Make an appealing and genuine story about your business. Explain why it matters and how backers’ contributions will make a difference.

Transparency: Be transparent and honest about your project’s progress and any challenges you encounter. Backers appreciate honesty.

Fulfill promises: Once your campaign is successful, fulfill your promises to backers timely and communicate regularly.

8 . I recall as a young child bringing a bunch of brilliant flowers to my mother. She was, amazed at its shape but her passion eventually ________. Both my parents hated the ________ of these flowers in the lawn.

There were an ocean of them! We spent hours picking them. But the supply of dandelions (蒲公英) never ________. My father would cut off all the heads with the lawnmower (割草机) once a week, but that didn’t ________ these hardy wonders.

And for those flowers that escaped the honor of being ________ to my mother or the destiny to be killed by the lawnmower, there was another ________ of existence. The emergence of a new dandelion caused endless amazement as we had thought all were ________.

As I worked in my garden last week, I again ________ at the flowers. And I hope I had the ________ of a dandelion. If only I could stretch my roots so deep that nothing could ________ me completely from the source that feeds me life. If only I could face the world with a sunshiny face after someone has run me over with a ________. If only I could spread love as freely as this flower spreads seeds of itself.

The lawns are now beautiful green ________. The only patches (块) of color come from well-placed and well-controlled flowerbeds. Chemicals have managed to kill what human ________ couldn’t. I hope you and I can be ________. I hope that we can stretch our roots deep enough that the strongest poison can’t reach our ________. I hope that we can overcome the poisons of anger, fear, hate, and competitiveness.

9 . When training for my first marathon, I treated myself to an expensive fitness watch that tracked my time, pace and splits.

At the end of my final training run, I threw myself down on the floor the moment I got home, only to see my watch had failed me. Twenty-one miles briefly flashed on the screen before it went blank and disappeared forever. I screamed in pain. That tragic image of me crying on my living room floor pretty much sums up my relationship with exercise tracking technology.

It can be a total joy to watch your data change as you get stronger and faster, but sometimes it became a stick for punishment. I would compare my pace with other people’s or criticize myself for not doing it 30 seconds faster. I never really recognized this as a problem. To me, tracking was the route to self-improvement, and the point was to be better.

In the past year, “being better” has taken on a different meaning. My mental health dropped, and things like brushing my teeth became unimaginably difficult. Being better stopped meaning getting faster or stronger. It meant taking care of myself and feeling some joy. Once I started getting better, I reflected on what made me happy and what did not. So, I stopped tracking my runs and deleted all the data.

I then found I genuinely love running. I run around my local park with a silly little smile. But I do not love running quickly. I do not like races. I do not want to be pushed to be faster. I now notice how my legs feel and how my mind feels afterwards — clear and focused. I notice the smell of the wild plants and the sunshine on my face.

I am better. Sometimes I am worse. But either way I’m moving forward slowly and firmly, and that’s good enough.