1 . The Maasai people are the most easily identifiable in Kenya with their very colorful clothing and ornaments on the body. They live a nomadic life, raising and hunting animals near some of Kenya’s most visited wildlife parks.
It is a tradition for a young Maasai man, called a moran in the Maasai language, to kill a lion alone with a spear to show that he is a man. With the kill, a moran would be able to win a “lion name” and admiration among young women.
Mingati Samanya, at the age of 69, is one of the Maasai elders. During his youth, Samanya killed two lions to show he was a man.
A.It can help provide for their families. |
B.Quite often women also join in the events. |
C.That is how he had the “lion name” Mingati. |
D.Here comes how they protect the rights of the Maasai. |
E.But the Maasai seem to be ending the tradition. |
F.However, their hunting has often been taken as a threat to the lions. |
G.On a Saturday, the morans near Kimana will compete for rewards. |
2 . Parkour Around a City
There are many ways to travel within a city.
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has noticed that this activity is drawing more and more people to it—there are 100,000 people taking part in parkour (跑酷) today in the UK alone, according to The Guardian and how it is helpful for people to be much stronger: It trains coordination and balance.
But parkour enthusiasts themselves don’t seem to be happy with the idea. They see parkour as “a lifestyle”.
It’s great that the FIG wants to develop a new sport and stay close to a new cultural form. But it would be greater if they knew that not everything in life is a competition.
A.The city is their playground. |
B.We can walk, cycle, or take a bus. |
C.Parkour is more interesting than you ever know. |
D.Parkour began in France, back in 1988, in the suburbs of Paris. |
E.However, Parkour enthusiasts sce the city in a completely different way. |
F.For them, it is a competition against the conditions rather than just a sport, |
G.So the FIG is thinking about recognizing parkour as a new sport and adding it to the Olympics by 2024. |
3 . Walking has been considered as one of the best possible exercises. For many people, daily walking offers massive and long-term physical and mental benefits.
But the scenery is almost as important as the sweat. Just by going outside, you are stepping out of your habitual surroundings and your comfort zone, which is necessary if you want to open your mind to new possibilities. You can walk through a tree-filled neighborhood.
Walking outside cultivates our ability to collect new ideas and take in new sights, sounds, smells, and flavors. Shinrin-yoku, a common form of relaxation in Japan, suggests that being in the forest and walking among the trees there can lower your stress levels.
So instead of setting a fitness goal, why not set a creativity goal that starts with walking outdoors?
Walk not just for exercise. Walk for wonder.
A.Unfortunately, you often fail to do it. |
B.Engage more closely with your surroundings. |
C.The movement aspect of walking is obviously key. |
D.Without enough energy, you cannot wonder or create. |
E.But to receive the benefits, you do not have to live in a forest. |
F.This habit, however, isn’t just a beneficial pursuit but an element of innovation. |
G.Alternatively, you can wander around a park and observe people relaxing or birds singing. |
4 . In a world ruled by hard exercise and complex fitness programs, the simple act of walking is often ignored(忽略).
Heart Health and Weight Management
Walking is light heart exercise that helps improve heart health by increasing blood circulation(循环).
Pressure Drop and Clear Mind
Taking a relaxing walk or quick walk has been shown to give off endorphins, the body’s natural ”feel-good” materials. This leads to lower pressure levels, improved feelings, and improved mental health. Walking outdoors in nature or in a peaceful environment can provide a refreshing escape from the daily tasks.
Joint(关节)Health and Free Movement
Unlike active sports, walking is soft on the joints, making it a perfect choice for people of all ages and fitness levels.
Social Communication and Connection
A.It helps oil joints and make them stronger. |
B.It’s a cheap way to lead a healthier lifestyle. |
C.So taking a walk can make your mind relaxed and fresh. |
D.A quick walk after meals has been shown to benefit the stomach. |
E.It cuts down the risk of heart disease and brings down blood pressure. |
F.Walking is useful exercise that can easily be turned into a social activity. |
G.However, walking remains one of the easiest and most useful forms of exercise. |
5 . Research from Harvard University’s Wyss Institute have made “robotic shorts” that can help people use less energy when they walk or run.
In the past, such devices have focused only on helping people walk or run, but not both, since walking and running use different hip (臀部) movements. But a computer on the shorts can tell which way the user is moving,
The researchers found that the main benefit of the shorts was reducing the energy people needed to walk or run. In tests, the energy needed for walking was reduced by 9.3 percent.
The researchers said that while the shorts weigh about 5 kilograms, moving with them makes users feel lighter. The tests showed that a person walking with the device would feel 4 kilograms lighter,
The team now also wants to make the device itself 40 percent lighter. They hope the shorts can help people in danger of injury at work and those who want to improve their physical performance,
A.as well as those with disabilities. |
B.Are you eager to possess such kind of shorts? |
C.and someone running would feel 5.7 kilograms lighter. |
D.For running, people needed about 4 percent less energy. |
E.but those excellent athletes are also able to benefit from running. |
F.The shorts are made of soft material and are designed to be easy to move in. |
G.allowing the device to provide the right kind of assistance for both movements. |
6 . I am crazy about hiking, because it does my heart and soul good to take a pack and head out on a trail, especially when I’m alone and can let my mind wander where it will.
Hiking keeps your brain sharper than many other forms of exercise. As a professional writer, although I am busy with my work, I often spare some time to hike.
Hiking helps to keep you calm and happy.
Hiking helps strengthen a positive relationship with the natural world. Besides being good for us, hiking may also help the world around us. After all, if we stick to walking and covering longer distances, we could use cars less and reduce our carbon footprint.
So, grab a water bottle, a backpack... and head out on the trail. You won’t be sorry you did.
A.Hiking can increase our creativity. |
B.Beyond that, hiking benefits our planet indirectly. |
C.Following are the benefits you can get from hiking. |
D.Exercise in general can be a good way to decrease stress. |
E.It’s easy for me to come up with creative ideas while sitting alone. |
F.It not just makes me feel good, but also helps me keep the brain in top shape. |
G.This all goes to show that hiking maybe one of the best ways to move your body. |
7 . One of the hardest parts of any weight loss program is staying motivated throughout it. In fact, being able to keep your motivation while trying to lose weight is the essential success factor.
One of the first ways to keep your level of motivation is to create a strong plan, which will help you to see where you are headed at each stage of your program.
Making a list of positive changes from lost weight will also help. Will you feel much better because you’ve become healthier? Will you have a better self-image because you can finally fit into that dress you’ve been admiring?
The final way to stay with your weight loss program is to vary your routines. Your mind is quite likely to get bored if your weight loss program never changes.
A.Your plan should be specific. |
B.Whatever will change about your life, list it. |
C.Will you make an effort to have a balanced diet? |
D.So how can you stay motivated during your weight loss program? |
E.Have you thought of the problems that might come up if you are too fat? |
F.Another good way is to think positively about your weight loss program. |
G.So start a different exercise program you might be interested in every few months. |
8 . People refer to never forgetting how to ride a bike or throw a baseball as examples of “muscle memory”, the result of a motor learning.
Previous research has shown that the changes actually persist in the muscles themselves. In one study of mice, the results suggest that after nuclei in muscle cells multiply in response to an overload of training, those extra nuclei aren’t lost during subsequent periods of inactivity. They are retained (保留), essentially waiting to be reactivated. If you fell off the fitness wagon (马车) during the pandemic, don’t be frustrated. Once you have got additional nuclei, you are banking the capacity.
Ultimately, muscle memory is a payoff for all the past work you put into learning a sport.
A.The best way to tap into it is to “get back on the horse”. |
B.Physiologists, on the other hand, define it in a different way. |
C.This convinces the researchers that muscle memory may not be long lasting. |
D.That is to say, we can do the sports automatically without conscious thought. |
E.It is generally safe to increase these elements by 5 percent every week or two. |
F.It is evident that the more you exercise, the more muscle memory savings you will have. |
G.All this news about muscle memory is encouraging for those who fell off the fitness scheme. |
9 . Have you ever heard of underwater football? Underwater football has been called one of the world’s least-known sports.
The goal of the game is to score a point by placing a ball on the opponents’ side of the pool. The ball can only be possessed by players who completely stay underwater holding their breath.
Just like on land, underwater football is a game of control and possession.
To win the ball back or keep it away from your opponents, you must use all your strength and abilities underwater.
A.To play it you need snorkeling equipment. |
B.Underwater football involves two teams of five players. |
C.The equipment necessary for underwater football isn’t very complex. |
D.The ball must be passed or dropped when players go to the surface for air. |
E.It is a sport that combines the fundamentals of football with the excitement of diving. |
F.To play well, you need to master the basics of spacial awareness and decision-making. |
G.All these skills require practice if you want to become an expert at this exciting sport. |
10 . The benefits of walking are many, but deciding how many miles to cover and how much time to spend walking each day is another matter.
Studies have shown that the average American takes between 3,000 and 4,000 steps daily doing everyday tings — about 1.5 to 2 miles.
It may also be helpful to health to make walking a part of one’s daily routine. People can take the stairs instead of the elevator, park at the other end of the lot and walk a further distance to a store’s entrance when shopping.
On top of such physical benefits, walking has been shown to improve sleep and mental health including mood and self-esteem.
A.Combine walking with everyday routine. |
B.They will provide the same health benefits. |
C.What if counting results by miles isn’t your thing? |
D.Still, why not get off public transportation a stop early? |
E.Walking sessions should be continuous to be beneficial. |
F.That amount alone has been shown to lower one’s death risk. |
G.Walking requires no special equipment, gym membership or training. |