1 . Benefits of Sports

Taking exercise is a physical, mental and social adventure. It’s a great way for children to take a break from study and release extra energy. It also helps them lead fuller and happier lives as regular sports have proven to improve general well-being.

    1     Regardless of your fitness level when you start playing sports, you’ll notice an increase in your overall fitness once you take part. Nearly every sport requires physical activity and the skills needed to be competitive. Basketball players focus on strength training.     2     The training process helps encourage physical fitness and performances in competitions.

    3     Playing sports contributes to mental health, helping to increase confidence and self-worth. A pat on the back, high-five from a teammate, or handshake after a match really raises a child’s confidence. Words of praise and encouragement from the coach, parents and other players raise the self-worth.     4     So after a game, it’s a better idea to ask “Did you enjoy the game?” rather than “Did you win?”

Children who participate in sports might also benefit from the social aspect, feeling part of a group, building up leadership and responsibility.     5     Teamwork demands both being dependable as a teammate and learning to rely on your teammates to achieve a positive outcome. Teamwork will raise your responsibility and give you an opportunity to be a leader.

There is no shortage of reasons to find a sport to take part in. Are you ready to go? Pick one and get moving!

A．It’s not just your body that benefits from sports.

B．Therefore, playing sports is going to make you more fit.

C．Football players work on speed while track athletes train through longer runs.

D．Among these, learning how to work as a team is the most important advantage.

E．But remember, a child’s self-worth should not be judged by victory or loss.

F．If you play group sports, you’ll be part of a team that takes direction from a coach.

G．The physical benefits of doing sports are probably the most obvious.

2 . Race walking shares many fitness benefits with running, research shows, while most likely contributing to fewer injuries. It does, however, have its own problem.

Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact (接触) with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.

Like running, race walking is physically demanding, she says, According to most calculations, race walkers moving at a pace of six miles per hour would burn about 800 calories(卡路里) per hour, which is approximately twice as many as they would burn walking, although fewer than running, which would probably burn about 1,000 or more calories per hour.

However, race walking does not pound the body as much as running does, Dr. Norberg says. According to her research, runners hit the ground with as much as four times their body weight per step, while race walkers, who do not leave the ground, create only about 1.4 times their body weight with each step.

As a result, she says, some of the injuries associated with running, such as runner’s knee, are uncommon among race walkers. But the sport’s strange form does place considerable stress on the ankles and hips, so people with a history of such injuries might want to be cautious in adopting the sport. In fact, anyone wishing to try race walking should probably first consult a coach or experienced racer to learn proper technique, she says. It takes some practice.

1. Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?

A．They must run long distances.

B．They are qualified for the marathon.

C．They have to follow special rules.

D．They are good at swinging their legs.

2. What advantage does race walking have over running?

A．It’s more popular at the Olympics.

B．It’s less challenging physically.

C．It’s more effective in body building.

D．It’s less likely to cause knee injuries.

3. What is Dr. Norberg’s suggestion for someone trying race walking?

A．Getting experts’ opinions.

B．Having a medical checkup.

C．Hiring an experienced coach.

D．Doing regular exercises.

4. Which word best describes the author’s attitude to race walking?

A．Skeptical.	B．Objective.
C．Tolerant.	D．Conservative.

3 . People need to relax and enjoy themselves. One way they can have a good time is to watch a baseball game or another sports event.Even thousands of years ago，groups of people gathered to watch skilled athletes(运动员)．

Over 2，000 years ago in Greece，certain days in the year were festival days. These were holidays when people stopped work and enjoyed themselves. They liked to watch athletes take part in races and other games of skill.

The most important festival was held every four years at the town of Olympia. It was held in honour of the Greek god Zeus. For five days，athletes from all parts of the Greek world took part in the Olympic Games. At the Olympic Games，people could watch them box，run，jump and so on. There was a relay race between two teams of men in which a lighted torch(火炬) was passed from runner to runner. The Olympic Games were thought to be so important that cities which were at war with one another had to stop fighting. People were allowed to travel to the games freely. Thousands of people came to Olympia from cities in Greece and from its colonies(殖民地) in Africa，Asia and Italy. They met as friends to cheer their favourite athletes and to enjoy themselves.

1. What happened in Greece over 2，000 years ago?

A．People stopped work and enjoyed themselves.

B．The cities there were often against one another.

C．People watched baseball games.

D．People didn't go to any games at all.

2. What did people do at the games?

A．They fought.

B．They just talked to friends.

C．They cheered for good athletes.

D．They tried to find friends.

3. Greek cities then were fighting so they ______．

A．were weak

B．were strong

C．couldn't go to other cities freely

D．could see each other

4. The best title for the story is ''______''．

A．Greece at War	B．Together for the Games
C．Stop Fighting	D．Sport

4 . Playing tennis regularly could help keep people off death, but football, rugby and running may not help people to live longer, a study suggests.

A study followed more than 80,000 people for an average of nine years to find out if certain sports protected them against early death. It found that people who played racket sports regularly were the least likely to die over the study period, reducing their individual risk by 47 percent compared with people who did no exercise. Swimmers also reduced their chance of death by 28 percent, aerobics (有氧运动) fans by 27 percent and cyclists by 15 percent. Yet running appeared to have no impact at all on dying early, and neither did playing football or rugby.

Scientists say the difference may lie in the social aspect which goes alongside sports like tennis and squash (壁球), which often involve clubs and organized activities outside of the game. It means that people often have larger social net-works and tend to keep up activities into later life, both of which are proven to be good for health.

In contrast, people who play team sports often do not move onto a new sport once their teams break up for family, or injury reasons. They become watchers rather than participants in their chosen activity.

The researchers found that playing racket sports was associated with a 56 percent lower risk from heart death. Similarly, swimmers lowered their heart disease or stroke risk by 41 percent, and people who took part in activities like aerobics, dance or gymnastics lowered their risk by 36 percent. But again running, football and rugby had no significant impact on heart deaths.

However, other experts argue that this study must not be misinterpreted as showing that running and football do not protect against heart disease. In this study both runners and footballers had a lower rate of death from heart disease.

1. Which sport has hardly any impact on protecting people against early death?

A．Cycling.	B．Swimming.
C．Rugby.	D．Tennis.

2. According to the study, which makes a big difference in keeping healthy?

A．Playing basketball with their friends occasionally.

B．Watching football games every day.

C．Taking up gymnastics and joining a club.

D．Doing running in the park every day.

3. What is considered more important to people's health?

A．Social networks.	B．Staying at home.
C．Physical examinations.	D．Setting up families.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．Thousands of people participated in a 9-year research.

B．Study finds playing tennis helps people live longer.

C．It is wrong to say running has no impact on heart disease.

D．There are differences between racket sports and team games.

5 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Both the British and Americans like playing football．However，they play it quite       1     (different)．For most Americans，British football，also     2    (know) as soccer is a bit dull and boring．

American football is not like soccer．The ball is not round．It is like a big egg．Each team     3    （make）up of eleven players．All the players can touch the ball with both     4    (foot) and hands．Players sometimes kick the ball     5     they often throw the ball and run with it．

If they can move it across the opposing team's goal line，they can get six points，     6     is called a touchdown．

    7     is not easy to move the ball．Eleven men in the   opposing team   do all they can     8    (stop) the man with the ball．If he     9     (fail) to move the ball ten yards，his team will have to kick the ball to the opposing team．

In almost every big university in the USA，football is a popular sport．Whenever an important game is played，thousands of people come to watch it,     10     ( cheer) for their favorite teams．

6 . Spring and summer are the best seasons of the year for lots of activities, especially jogging(慢跑). This kind of running is the choice of many people who live in the city, work in the office and want to keep healthy.     1    

1. Make good preparations before jogging.

    2    There, you’ll have an opportunity to find and buy all the necessary sportsware. Pay attention to the selection of jogging shoes, if you don’t want to suffer from the feeling of heaviness, pain and leg swelling after the run. With all these pieces of wisdom. your body will be truly grateful to you.

2. Do fitting warming-up activities

Every runner, especially the beginners should know that all physical activities without proper warming up can cause a terrible pain and result in harm to muscles. It will probably lead to a final discomfort in your body or even disease.     3    Actually, it usually just takes you 15 minutes to increase the range of motion of our joints and warm up every muscle of the body.

3.    4    When running, you usually feel physical and mental pleasure. Sometimes this pleasure can be replaced by negative feelings or even some kind of pain. No matter how healthy you’re, you should always pay attention to how your body reacts. If something is wrong during your jog or run, the body will certainly let you know by giving you some hints(暗示). Watchfulness can help you avoid all possible aftereffects of over exercise.

Every type of sport is special and useful in its own way. While jogging can sometimes bring pain and discomfort, it really offers you greater joy and satisfaction. So don’t step back.    5    I hope these tips will help you prepare yourself for jogging and avoid any serious issues.

A．Listen to your body signals.

B．Never give in to difficulties while jogging

C．However, jogging without preparation will bring great harm.

D．One of the best ways to prepare is to go to specialized (专门的) shops.

E．Just go in for jogging, but remember to follow the above rules

F．Therefore, you should make it a habit to warm up before jogging

G．Here are some basic rules to make jogging safe, useful and comfortable

7 . Try This at Home!

Are you looking for a new pastime that will create a balance between physical activity and relaxation? Then yoga may be the perfect choice for you. Yoga can be practiced by people of all ages and levels of fitness.    1     It's a great way to strengthen your muscles and become more flexible.

In the 1930s, Indian Sri Tirumali and K. Pattabhi developed one of the most popular forms of yoga practised worldwide today. They worked together using an ancient Sansknt text called Yoga Korunta to create a set routine of yoga movements and breathing exercises.     2    

Ashtanga is different from other forms of yoga. It is a very powerful form of aerobic (有氧的)exercise which creates deep heat in the body.     3     In other forms of yoga, however, the routine can change each time and the stretching exercises aren't aerobic.

    4    As well as making you stronger and more flexible, it can also help you to stay calm. By focusing on your breathing while doing physical exercise, you are able to get a balance between mind and body. In addition, yoga helps to make us healthier so we are less likely to get common illnesses like colds.

Furthermore, yoga encourages you to think about what you're doing. Often you will close your eyes while doing certain movements.    5    After a few lessons you'll stop looking at what the others around you are doing. You will stop comparing yourself and start focusing on yourself.

A．It can also be done anywhere at any time.

B．The result of their co-operation was ashtanga yoga.

C．Whatever kind of yoga you choose, there are many long-term benefits.

D．This allows you to concentrate better and it makes you less competitive.

E．Every time someone practices ashtanga, he or she does exactly the same movements.

F．If you're interested in yoga, but can find a class near you, then it might be     an excuse to travel.

G．Recently, it has become extremely common for beginners as well as advanced yoga students to go on yoga holidays.

8 . Winter-swimming has become popular in Beijing. Three years ago, few people would go swimming in the city waters. But now there is a Winter-swimming Enthusiasts’ Club(冬泳爱好者协会) and it has more than 2, 000 members. The oldest is 84 years of age and the youngest is only 7. The members are from all ways of life. They may be workers, peasants, soldiers, teachers, students....

Though it is now the coldest part of the season and the water temperature in the city’s lakes is around 0°C, many winter-swimmers still swim in the icy waters, even when it is snowing. They enjoy themselves in the lake, while the people by the side of the lake are wearing heavy clothes.

Why are so many people interested in winter-swimming? Because winter-swimming can be good for one’s health.

Bei Sha is a good example. He is 69 years old, and he once suffered from heart trouble for 26 years. After ten years of winter-swimming he is now in good health. Scientists are now studying the effects of winter-swimming on health.

1. Among the winter-swimmers the oldest man is ________ years older than the youngest one.

A．91	B．84
C．77	D．7

2. Guess what “The members are from all ways of life” means.

A．The members do different jobs at different places.

B．They come from all parts of Beijing.

C．They are persons of different ages.

D．They are men and women, old and young.

3. Winter-swimming has become popular in Beijing because ________.

A．more and more people like to swim in winter

B．it is more interesting than swimming in summer

C．winter-swimmers are brave men

D．winter-swimming does a lot of good to one’s health

4. The best title for this passage should be ________.

A．People in Beijing Like Swimming in Winter

B．Winter-swimming — A Craze(狂热) in Beijing

C．People Benefit from Winter-swimming

D．Winter-swimmers Are Brave Men

9 . Older women who walk a little over three kilometers each day might live longer than less active women of the same age, a new study suggests.

Many Americans hoping to stay healthy set a daily goal of 10, 000 steps, or about eight kilometers. They often have this goal because they are wearing electronic devices which set that target, note researchers in the United States. Their findings appeared recently in the publication JAMA Internal Medicine.

But it is not clear how much intensity(强度)or speed matter when counting the health benefits of every step, the researchers write. They add that 10,000 steps per day might not be the right goal for everyone.

For the study, researchers observed 17,000 women, all in their early 70s. They asked the women to wear accelerometers for at least four days. Accelerometers are small devices that measure the number of steps and the intensity of movement. The researchers followed up with the women much later, around 4. 3 years later, on average. Since the beginning of the study, 504 women had died. Compared to women who took no more than 2, 718 steps daily, the women who took at least 4,363 steps per day were 41 percent less likely to die.

“Even a modest amount of steps is associated with lower death rates, "said I-Min Lee, the lead writer of a report on the study. "The rate of stepping did not matter in these older women: it was the number of steps that mattered.

The study had a few limitations. For example, the researchers only measured women’s movements once, at the start of the study period. It is possible that the women’s behaviors changed over time. Still, the results are "good news for older adults who may have difficulty walking at faster paces, "said Keith Diaz, a researcher at Columbia University. He was not involved in the study.

“Any walking is better than nothing, " Diaz said by email. "With even small amounts of walking, your risk of death will be sharply reduced "For those who have difficulty walking, other research shows that any form of aerobic activity provides health benefits," he added. "Swimming, bicycling or any form of activity that is continuous in nature will provide health benefits.

1. What conclusion can we come to from the text?

A．People who walk about 10,000 steps can live longer.

B．10,000 steps per day might be the right goal for people.

C．The more steps one walks per day, the longer life he may live.

D．The number of steps is important for a long life among older women.

2. How is paragraph 4 mainly developed?

A．By giving examples.	B．By comparison.
C．By listing statistics.	D．By explaining reasons.

3. What can be leaned from what Diaz said?

A．People who walk fast will get more health benefits.

B．If people have a habit of walking, the risk of death will be reduced.

C．People with walking difficulty can not benefit from activities

D．Activities such as swimming and bicycling are not as beneficial as walking.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A medical journal.	B．A news report.
C．A magazine about fashion.	D．A traveler brochure.

10 . With busy schedules and limited hours of daylight, some runners find their only me to run is in the darkness of early morning or evening.    1    . But if you have to run at night or in the early morning, make sure to follow these guidelines.                   

• Choose a Well-lit Route

It might not be your favourite route to run, but the most well-lit route is your first choice.     2     and you'll always be able to see the road and avoid potential hazards.

• Always Run Against Traffic

It's easier to avoid cars if you can see them coming. Avoid busy roads and those with no shoulders or sidewalks.

• Run With a Friend

    3    . If possible, try to never run alone. If you're running alone, let someone know the route you're running and approximately how long you will be out.

• Watch Out for Bikes and Runners

Even if you're running on a path or in a park with no cars, always be aware of other runners and cyclists.     4     This advice applies to running in both daylight and darkness.

• Put Away Your Music

Make sure you leave your radio, MP3 player, or iPad at home.     5    . You can't hear oncoming cars, cyclists yelling to move, dogs, or any other potential threat.

A．Oncoming cars see you better

B．There's strength and safety in numbers

C．Running in daylight is always a safer choice

D．A headlamp is also an essential item for runners

E．Before you stop or turn around, make sure your path is clear

F．Cutting off your sense of hearing leaves you at a disadvantage

G．Put your driver's license in your pocket or wear an ID tag on your shoe