4 . How to Exercise in a New Way

Get healthy with these bite-sized amounts of exercises

   What should people do when they can’t find the time or desire to do a long workout?     1    

Exercise snacks (“零食式”运动) are a popular and inventive new way for people to stay fit. Instead of requiring hours at the gym, this concept instructs you to keep it short.     2     Then you can take a break that lasts 30 minutes to four hours before another snack. It has been reported that exercise snacks can be as effective as traditional exercise methods.

Of course, the more of these brief exercises you complete in a day, the better. Just three exercise snacks a day that gets your heart pumping can be good for your health.     3     Your concentration and creativity improve, and you can become more productive. Also, “snacking” throughout the day prevents you from sitting too long — something that’s always positive.

Another great thing about exercise snacks is that there are so many to choose from. The goal is to spend a short time doing something that raises your heart rate. Acceptable activities range from sit ups to jumping rope to running up and down some stairs.     4    

●Exercises that are strength-based such as lifting weights will fit the bill. Since most people don’t keep weights at their office, lift full water bottles.

●Squats involve moving your hips as if to sit down while keeping your back straight. This exercise helps strengthen your lower body and improve your movement. Five to ten of these should make a good snack.

●For those who don’t like traditional exercises, simply turn up the music. Pick a lively song and start dancing; it’ll make for a fun workout.

    5    

A．It doesn’t take up too much your time.

B．They should break that “large meal” into exercise “snacks.”

C．And there are plenty of other benefits beyond improved fitness.

D．These exercises can last anywhere from 20 seconds to two minutes.

E．Consider giving exercise snacks a try, and see if they are to your taste.

F．They should constantly remind themselves of the importance of exercises.

G．But for those who don’t know where to start, here are some helpful exercise options.

7 . Chloe Ricketts is only 15 years old, but she’s already signed a professional contract with the Washington Spirit soccer team. That makes her the youngest player ever to sign with the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

Chloe began working out with the Washington Spirit team in January. She trained with the team in Florida and Virginia. During training, Chloe impressed the team’s managers with her ability to compete with the other professional players, which led the team to offer her the contract.

For her part, Chloe says the chance to play for the Washington Spirit is “a dream come true”. Chloe is from Dexter, Michigan. She started playing soccer when she was seven. She claims that at the time, she was “the worst on the team”. However, she improved through hard work, extra training, and staying late after practice. It didn’t take her long to begin moving up in the soccer world.

In 2021, she played on a girls team, which went to the national finals of the Elite Clubs National League. She also played on a boys team, the 2007 Boys Ann Arbor Tigers, which won the Michigan State Cup that year. In January of 2022, Chloe signed with AFC Ann Arbor — a team that’s part of USL League Two. USL League Two helps develop players for the NWSL. When she joined AFC Ann Arbor, Chloe was just 14 — the youngest player ever to join the club.

Now, as she joins Washington Spirit, Chloe is in the 10th grade. While she is playing with the team, Chloe will continue to go to school online. But Chloe isn’t the first 15-year-old to play for the NWSL. The NWSL used to have a rule saying that no one under the age of 18 could join its teams. But in 2021, another 15-year-old, Olivia Moultrie, took the league to court.

1. What made the Washington Spirit soccer team sign a contract with Chloe?

A．Her skills.

B．Her experience.

C．Her character.

D．Her reputation.

2. Which of the following words can best describe Chloe?

A．Careful.

B．Easy-going.

C．Far-sighted.

D．Hard-working

3. On which team did Chloe win the Michigan State Cup?

A．AFC Ann Arbor.	B．USL League Two.
C．The 2007 Boys Ann Arbor Tigers.	D．The Elite Clubs National League.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Washington Spirit revised a rule to take in Chloe.

B．Olivia Moultrie took the lead in Washington Spirit.

C．Chloe values her education during playing football.

D．Chloe’s participation makes her team much stronger.

8 . We know that spending lots of time sitting down isn’t good for us, but just how much exercise is needed to match the negative health effects of sitting down all day? Research suggests about 30—40 minutes per day of building up a sweat should do it.

Up to 40 minutes of“moderate(温和的)to vigorous(有力的)intensity physical activity” every day is about the right amount to balance out 10 hours of sitting still, the research says—although any amount of exercise or even just standing up helps to some extent.

That’s based on a study published in 2020 analyzing nine previous studies, involving a total of 44, 370 people in four different countries who were wearing some form of fitness tracker. The analysis found the risk of death among those with a more sedentary(久坐的)lifestyle went up as time spent engaging in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity went down. In other words, putting in some reasonably intensive activities—cycling, brisk walking, gardening—can lower your risk of an earlier death.

While analyses like this one always require some detailed dot-joining across separate studies with different volunteers, timescales and conditions, the benefit of this particular piece of research is that it relied on relatively objective data from wearables—not data self-reported by the participants.

The research based on fitness trackers is broadly in line with the 2020 WHO guidelines, which recommend 150—300 mins of moderate intensity or 75—150 mins of vigorous intensity physical activity every week to balance out sedentary behaviour.

Walking up the stairs instead of taking the lift, playing with children and pets, taking part in yoga or dancing, doing household chores, walking, and cycling are all put forward as ways in which people can be more active—and if you can’t manage the 30—40 minutes right away, the researchers say, start off small.

1. How does the author start the text?

A．By telling stories.	B．By listing numbers.
C．By giving examples.	D．By raising questions.

2. What did the research find?

A．The longer you sit still, the earlier you will die.

B．The more you exercise, the healthier you will be.

C．Productivity can be improved through physical activities.

D．Proper intensive activities help reduce the risk of earlier death.

3. Why is the research reliable?

A．It’s based on previous studies.

B．Its data is relatively objective.

C．It’s carried out in different countries.

D．Its data is from the participants’reports.

4. What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To analyze the risk of sitting still.

B．To recommend a healthy lifestyle.

C．To inspire people to do more exercise.

D．To show benefits of physical activities.

10 . Most people know that a balanced diet and regular exercise are very important.     1     Instead of concentrating on how to get the best results efficiently and effectively, people usually rush through their workouts, or they make the same common workout mistakes. If you want to achieve the best workout results, here are a few helpful tips to bear in mind.

    2     This does not challenge your muscles, and it can actually prevent muscles from growing and repairing themselves. Instead of always sticking to the same old workout, it is important to change your routine every six to eight weeks.     3     For example, you can choose swimming, yoga, or biking to make sure your whole body stays fit. This will help make your workouts more interesting, and benefit your health and muscle development as well.

Another mistake people tend to make is to work out too hard, too often. Your body needs to rest between workouts; otherwise, no progress will be made.     4     Then, for those who don’t want to get off schedule by skipping a day, shorter workouts of about twenty minutes can be used on other days. For more variety in workouts, you could also plan an easier routine for forty to sixty minutes between days of shorter, more intense workouts. Experts recommend, however, taking at least one day off completely each week, especially after several hard workout days in a row.

In reality, no one is perfect. However, if you want to make a difference in your overall health, there are some things you can do. Stretch before and after every workout. Do not rush your routine, and do not work out too little or too much.     5    

A．Exercising on a regular basis can never be more important.

B．However, most people do not know how to exercise properly.

C．It is also important to add a variety of workouts to your routine.

D．In fact, it may take a couple of weeks to see your visible changes in your body.

E．It is best to keep the number of hard workout routines to no more than two per week.

F．One of the most common workout mistakes is doing the same routine over and over again.

G．Remember not to make these common workout mistakes, and always have fun while exercising.