4 . When Marco was a boy, he tried everything to get his father’s love and attention. He studied hard to get good ________ and tried to behave well. He was shy and shorter than the other boys. Besides, his father was ________ and had little time for him. Except for his ________ for housework after school, there was no communication. Marco felt very ________.

One day, his maths teacher called him that some young teenagers were ________ a public speaking contest. She thought he should give it a ________. She firmly believed he could perform on stage (舞台) like other kids. Feeling her strong trust, Marco agreed to ________ the contest.

All winter, he took a bus to ________ twice a week in another city, where the competition would take place. Marco was taken by a strong ________ he never felt before. Finally, the big day arrived. His father, and yes, his maths teacher, were present. When he stepped onto the stage and began to speak, he felt ________ at home. He was funny, and acted very naturally. He won! He noticed his father’s eyes were ________ — he was so proud. It was then that his father ________ he should pay more attention to the child.

As the winner, his name was ________ in the local papers. He knew this was the ________ of his new life. It all happened because of a phone call, from one who ________ him.

5 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.

Some sports are resource-hungry (消耗资源). Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.

There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes, and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.

Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements (代替物) for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.

7 . Sports can help us a lot. Taking exercises can make us strong. In collective sports like basketball, volleyball or football, we will learn the importance of cooperation. And sports can also help us relax after work or study.

However, as the saying goes, “there are two sides of everything.” Sometimes we may hurt other players or ourselves if we are not careful enough when participating in sports activities. What’s more, too much or hard practice can be bad for our health.

Sports can make us healthy both physically and psychologically. It is also a good way for people to know each other and can improve friendship between people. So long as we are careful enough, sports can do us nothing but good.

8 . You’ve probably tried easy center-city Beijing rides if you enjoy riding. Now it’s time to level up your rides so they will take you out into the countryside and attractive mountains.

It may sound terrifying, but Beijing’s cyclists named this northern route “Death Valley” on account of the huge tomb it passes, not the number of on-road accidents it has seen. In reality, it’s the closest, mostly car-free loop to the city center and great for really stretching your legs.

While it’s not particularly scenic, there are few traffic lights, and the roads are not too busy and have adequate bike lanes on each side, making it a relatively trouble-free ride. If you’d like to ride with a group, seek out early morning Beijing rider groups and join them on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 5 a. m. or 6 a. m. depending on the season.

It passes a cafe with good (although expensive) food, and even high-end accommodation, but the best part is their super welcoming attitude towards cyclists. It’s a hike that is well worth the effort, as you are rewarded with amazing views of the Great Wall upon arrival, and a ride back that is mostly downhill.

This park is the closest place for riders to enjoy the Grand Canal from Beijing. The Grand Canal is a true wonder in China, and one of the greatest civil engineering projects in history. The oldest parts of it date back to the 5th century BC. It will be a fun ride here.

9 . Exercise and I have never had a good relationship due to my fear of sports. From a young age, my dad _________ me into a dozen sports. _________, I didn’t like any of them.

When I entered University of Regina, my dad _________ telling me “You have to find a way to stay _________” or “You don’t want to get the Freshman 15 pounds, do you?” So I _________ to give swimming a shot, but I _________managed to go to the pool twice during the fall semester (学期). Worse still, I was _________ to convince myself that “Yeah, that’s OK.”

Spring semester came. A friend of mine _________ me one day asking if I wanted to go to Zumba with her. All I knew about Zumba was that it was basically exercise dancing to Latin and pop songs. It didn’t sound too bad, but I couldn`t be _________.

I went, and that was it. Zumba became my __________ of tea. The instructor would always say: “Don’t worry about the steps. Have fun. Do your own thing.” That removed my __________ about sports. I didn’t have to be __________. I didn’t even have to be good. I just need to __________ the music and move. Zumba did __________ me from the Freshman 15 pounds, but it also did so much more. It let me make peace with (于一重扫于好) my __________ past with physical fitness, and enjoy staying healthy.

10 . Exercise and I had never had a good relationship due to my fear of sports. From a young age, my dad _______ me into a dozen sports. I didn’t like any of them, _______.

When I entered the University of Regina, my dad _______ telling me “You have to find a way to stay _______.” or “You don’t want to get the Freshman 15, do you?” So I _______ to give swimming a shot, but I _______ managed to go to the pool twice during the fall semester (学期). Worse still, I was _______ to convince myself that’s OK.

The spring semester came. A friend of mine _______ me if I wanted to try Zumba (尊巴) with her. All I knew about Zumba was that it was basically a kind of exercise: dancing to Latin pop songs. It didn’t sound too bad, but I couldn’t be _______.

I went, and that was it. Zumba became my ________ of tea. The instructor would always say, “Don’t worry about the steps. Have fun. Do your own thing.” That removed my ________ of sports. I didn’t have to be ________. I didn’t even have to be good. I just needed to ________ the music and move. Zumba did ________ me from the Freshman 15, and it also did so much more. It let me make ________ with my unpleasant past about physical exercise, and enjoy staying healthy.