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.

2 . The planet has a new world record for running the Zurich Marato Barcelona while pushing a wheelchair!

Eric Domingo Roldan of Barcelona, Spain, first tried to run a 26.2-mile race while _______ his mother Silvia back in 2020. When they _______ the mark by just 1 minute and 21 seconds, Eric vowed (发誓) to _______ in 2021 to win the title.

True to his _______ , Eric and Silvia have done just that! On November 7, 2021, Eric and Silvia crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 53 minutes and 28 seconds. The _______ record was 2: 58: 40, so they pulled off their _______ with time to spare!

Eric has a very special _______ for setting such a goal. Many people don’t know multiple sclerosis (多发性硬化) (MS). Eric runs to draw _______ to MS, which his mother has dealt with for more than 17 years. He also runs to raise money for MS. He _______ to collect more than €3, 000 before the marathon. All of the money was used to ________ MS research.

The son said achieving the world record means even more to them, because it encourages them to go on after they went through the hardest time of their life. ________ her MS, his mother is still recovering from a battle with COVID-19 back in August.

While she was ________ about the race, Silvia was all smiles in her wheelchair as Eric ran. She loved the feeling of the wind in her hair as her son pushed them both toward the finish line.

“It was a dream come true,” Eric added. “I was often looking at my watch to check if we were ________ , and the last 195m were the ________ seconds of my life. To cross that line meant that we finally did what we ________.”

1.

A．carrying

B．guiding

C．following

D．pushing

2.

A．missed

B．created

C．passed

D．found

3.

A．stop

B．work

C．rest

D．return

4.

A．value

B．name

C．word

D．nature

5.

A．original

B．former

C．personal

D．exact

6.

A．victory

B．deal

C．design

D．track

7.

A．tip

B．plan

C．reason

D．gift

8.

A．hope

B．question

C．standard

D．attention

9.

A．continued

B．managed

C．arranged

D．waited.

10.

A．prove

B．share

C．support

D．review

11.

A．Thanks to

B．Because of

C．In terms of

D．In addition to

12.

A．nervous

B．sure

C．careful

D．sorry

13.

A．as usual

B．on time

C．in place

D．at risk

14.

A．best

B．quietest

C．most

D．busiest

15.

A．suggested

B．required

C．promised.

D．realized

3 . Standing at the finish line, 70-year-old Bob Long spent a while reflecting on the achievement he’d just made. Behind him was the wild, endless Mongolian grassland extending into the distance. This American had just become the oldest person ever to complete and win the Mongol Derby, the world’s longest horse race.

Long, a rider all his life, entered the race after being inspired by All the Wild Horses, a movie based on the grueling event.

Fearing that he wouldn’t be able to complete it, he set about preparing his mind and body for this “hardest, toughest, most demanding thing you can do on a horse”, an annual 1,000-kilometer race that was recognized as the world’s longest horse race by The Guinness Book of Records in 2011.

Although Long had been riding horses for many years, the hardship and uncertainty of the task pushed him to his limit and forced him to depend entirely on his own will. The race organizers had provided an extensive support network to keep an eye on the participants from afar. Despite that, the physical strain of riding such a long distance made simple things like squatting (蹲) down at the end of the day almost impossible.

Along the vast race course there were unpredictable circumstances beyond Long’s control, however well prepared he’d been. Weather was one of them, which could switch from heavy rain to burning sun unexpectedly.

Above all else, the biggest obstacle was the state of mind. Without a living soul in sight, Long was desperate for interaction, guidance, and comfort. This feeling of loneliness accounted for his hope that one of his fellow competitors would catch up.

Regardless of the hardship, Long felt a sort of spiritual adventure while traveling through the wilderness. He was provided with some memorable moments while connecting with nature. Still holding the passion for riding, Long never dismisses the idea of competing in another Mongol Derby.

1. What distinguished Bob Long from other competitors in the Mongol Derby?

A．He rode the whole race course alone.

B．He was the oldest participant of the horse race.

C．He was most likely to enter the competition again.

D．He was made into The Guinness Book of Records in 2011.

2. What does the underlined word “grueling” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Pains-taking but senseless.	B．Comfortable and pleasant.
C．Difficult and exhausting.	D．Romantic but time-consuming.

3. What was the biggest challenge that Long faced during the race?

A．The changeable weather.

B．The mental state in the course.

C．The difficulty in finding the right route.

D．The physical strain of riding a long distance.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．An introduction to the Mongol Derby.

B．A review of a film based on the longest horse race.

C．The contributions Bob Long made to the horse race.

D．The experience of the Mongol Derby’s oldest winner.