1 . 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. |
| 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. |
| A．Getting experts’ opinions. |
| B．Having a medical checkup. |
| C．Hiring an experienced coach. |
| D．Doing regular exercises. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Objective. |
| C．Tolerant. | D．Conservative. |
2 . 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. |
| A．They fought. |
| B．They just talked to friends. |
| C．They cheered for good athletes. |
| D．They tried to find friends. |
| A．were weak |
| B．were strong |
| C．couldn't go to other cities freely |
| D．could see each other |
| A．Greece at War | B．Together for the Games |
| C．Stop Fighting | D．Sport |
3 . 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. |
| 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. |
| A．Social networks. | B．Staying at home. |
| C．Physical examinations. | D．Setting up families. |
| 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. |
4 . Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides. Following the rules, planning your next move and acting as a team member are all “game” ideas that you will come across throughout your life.
Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Such games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating .
Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones, which sharpens the hand-eye coordination (协调) needed in hunting.
Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it — some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.
Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.
1. What are children expected to learn Through playing hide-and-seek?| A．Be a team leader | B．Obey the basic rules |
| C．Act as a grown-up | D．Predict possible danger |
| A．Games can describe life in an exciting way |
| B．Games can turn real-life experiences into a play |
| C．Games can make learning life skills more interesting |
| D．Games can change people’s views of sporting events |
| A．It inspires people’s deep love for the country. |
| B．It proves the exceptional skills of the winners. |
| C．It helps the country out of natural disasters. |
| D．It earns the winners fame and fortune. |
| A．Bringing fun to poor kids. |
| B．Providing soccer balls for children. |
| C．Giving poor kids a chance for a better life. |
| D．Attracting soccer players to help poor kids. |
5 . 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. Make good preparations before jogging.
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.
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.
| 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 |
6 . 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.
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.
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.
Furthermore, yoga encourages you to think about what you're doing. Often you will close your eyes while doing certain movements.
| 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. |
7 . 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 |
| 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. |
| 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 |
| 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 |
8 . 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. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By comparison. |
| C．By listing statistics. | D．By explaining reasons. |
| 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. |
| A．A medical journal. | B．A news report. |
| C．A magazine about fashion. | D．A traveler brochure. |
9 . 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.
• Choose a Well-lit Route
It might not be your favourite route to run, but the most well-lit route is your first choice.
• 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
• 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.
• Put Away Your Music
Make sure you leave your radio, MP3 player, or iPad at home.
| 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 |
10 . A study has found that a lifetime of regular exercise and activity can slow down the aging process (衰老过程). Researchers say that getting older should not necessarily mean becoming more weak or sick. Their research shows that a devotion to a life of movement and exercise may help us live not only longer, but also healthier.
For their study, the researchers looked at two groups. The first group was made up of 125 non-professional cyclists between the ages of 55 to 79. This group included 84 healthy men and 41 healthy women. We will call this group the “cyclists”.
Researchers then found 130 people to make up a second group. Within this group, 75 people were aged from 57 to 80. The other 55 were between the ages of 20 and 36. The people in this group were also healthy, but they did not exercise regularly. We will call this group the “non-exercisers”. Smokers, heavy drinkers of alcohol and people with other health issues were not included in the study.
Then, researchers gave both groups a series of tests. They tested their muscle mass (肌肉质量), muscular strength, percentage of body fat and the strength of their immune (免疫的) systems. Then the researchers compared the results of the two groups.
Results showed that the cyclists did not experience body changes usually regarded as a normal aging process. For example, they did not lose muscle mass or muscular strength. Also, their body fat did not increase with age.
The researchers also found something they had not expected. The study showed that the immune systems of the cyclists did not age either.
The researchers advise us all to find an exercise that we like in our lives.
1. How did the researchers carry out the study?| A．By comparing. | B．By discussing. |
| C．By imagining. | D．By reasoning. |
| A．The cyclists kept a thin body shape. |
| B．The non-exercisers gained weight easily. |
| C．The cyclists’ muscles remained strong with age. |
| D．The non-exercisers usually had health problems. |
| A．The cyclists had normal aging process. |
| B．The cyclists’ immune systems didn’t age. |
| C．The cyclists lost nearly all their fat. |
| D．Everyone needed an exercise in their lives. |
| A．Healthy People Need More Exercise |
| B．Take an Exercise, the Harder, the Better |
| C．Cycling Is the Best Way to Prevent Aging |
| D．A Lifetime of Exercise Slows Aging Process |
