1 . A gym membership can be nice.
Spend 5 to 10 minutes warming up before every workout. Not sure what to do? Try jumping jacks, leg or arm circles, or even dancing. Just get your blood pumping. Do a progressive aerobic (有氧的) activity that uses the same muscles you want to work out.
Do strength training twice a week to build muscles. Strength training, also called resistance training, makes you stronger and builds endurance (忍耐力).
Set achievable goals that you can break into smaller tasks. It’s one thing to say you want to get fit, but that means something different for everyone.
| A．After all, we work out to build our muscles. |
| B．Equipment is the key to carrying out a workout plan. |
| C．But you don’t have to have one to get into great shape. |
| D．For instance, slowly jog if you are going for a longer run. |
| E．Spend five to ten minutes cooling down after each workout. |
| F．Figure out what you plan to achieve and make that your goal. |
| G．Try to do exercises that work many parts of your body and make you feel stronger. |
2 . Common Mistakes New Runners Make
Running is a great way to get in shape and just about everyone can do it. However, many make a number of common mistakes, which can interfere (妨碍) with training or lead to injury.
·Doing too much too soon
One of the biggest mistakes new runners make is doing too much too soon. Slowly easing into a training program will help reduce the risk of injury, so you can continue on with your new running routine
·
Beginners might think they need to run every day (or nearly every day) to meet their fitness or weight-loss goals, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Running is a high-impact activity which can be really hard on your body. So it’s important to give your body a rest between workouts.
·Not wearing the right equipment
•Running through pain
| A．Not taking rest days |
| B．If you’re just starting out |
| C．Comparing yourself to others |
| D．Running can be uncomfortable at times |
| E．It’s important not to use the same muscles |
| F．While it may be true that you don’t need expensive equipment to take up running |
| G．Experts suggest increasing your running distance by no more than 10% each week |
3 . Every time Oksana Chusovitina competes in a gymnastics event, she catches the audience’s attention. The Hangzhou Asian Games proved no exception. When the 48-year-old Uzbek gymnast took part in the event on Monday, thousands of audiences cheered for “Qiu Ma”, which translates to “Mother Chusovitina”.
“I’m touched by Chusovitina’s story. She tried to save her son and just never gave up. She is beautiful both as an athlete and as a mother,” said Zhang Anqi, a Hangzhou local who attended the event.
After completing her competition, Chusovitina blew a kiss to the audience and formed a “heart” shape with her hands. “It is the love and support of the people that keep me going and give me the strength to achieve more,” Chusovitina said. “I am not very satisfied with my performance tonight. Actually, I was a little over-excited. I will increase the difficulty in the final,” she added.
Chusovitina has a storied history at the Asian Games, having won eight medals, including two golds in 2002. Her Olympic journey began in 1992, representing the former Soviet Union. She later stood for Uzbekistan. When Chusovitina’s son got a serious illness in 2002, she chose to take German citizenship (国籍) to compete at global events for a higher income and better medical treatment. She took her Uzbek citizenship in 2013 again.
Her heartfelt feeling, “I dare not grow old until you are well,” has moved many. After her son’s recovery, Chusovitina continued her gymnastics journey simply out of love for the sport. Though she announced her retirement after the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she decided to return shortly after. “The biggest power is my desire. I want to perform. I love gymnastics, and it brings me great joy. I’m just doing what I love, so why should I stop?” Chusovitina said.
1. What made Chusovitina a beautiful mother?| A．Her attractive personality. |
| B．Her determination to save her son. |
| C．Her being a good example to her son. |
| D．Her ability to balance work and family. |
| A．Her love for gymnastics. |
| B．Her strong desire to win. |
| C．Her joy of her son’s recovery. |
| D．Her eagerness for higher income. |
| A．Deep Love for Gymnastics |
| B．A Great Athlete and Mother |
| C．Chusovitina’s Return to Gymnastics |
| D．A Touching Story of Mother and Son |
4 . Exercise is good for us. It reduces the risks of dying from all causes, including cancer and heart disease. But many people who work all week have little time for exercise. So, they might try to do something to increase their heart rates over the weekend—go for a long run, take a bike ride or hike in the mountains. But is it healthy to avoid exercise during the workweek and then try to fit it all in during the weekend?
A new study suggests that, yes, it is healthy. Australian researchers at the University of Sydney did the study. It took place over a nineyear period. During that time, the researchers looked at the selfreported exercise habits and health examinations of more than 63,000 adults in England and Scotland. Then they connected that information to death records.
The researchers found that people who exercised only one or two days a week improved their chances of living longer than people who did not exercise at all. Even those who are fat could extend their lives by exercising a couple of days per week.
Emmanuel Stamatakis is the senior author of the study. He says that he found it very encouraging that even people who exercised as little as one or two times a week appear to lower their risk of early death. In other words, their health improves even if they don’t meet the suggested weekly amount of physical activity. However, to be in the best health, Stamatakis says more exercise is better.
The WHO suggests that adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense activity per week. For the best results, the organisation suggests 75 minutes per week of intense physical activity. However, if you are busy with work and family duties, exercise as much as you can.
1. In which part of a website can we find this text?| A．Science. | B．News. |
| C．Sports. | D．Health. |
| A．It was carried out in three places. |
| B．It lasted for more than nine years. |
| C．It studied both children and adults. |
| D．It was led by Emmanuel Stamatakis. |
| A．A little exercise is better than none. |
| B．We’d better do exercise on weekdays. |
| C．Fat people usually live shorter than thin people. |
| D．Exercise habits have a big influence on death. |
| A．Paying attention to the risk of early death. |
| B．Trying to do more exercise if we have time. |
| C．Getting at least 150 minutes of activity a week. |
| D．Avoiding doing much intense physical activity. |
5 . For people suffering from depression, there’s an all-natural treatment they should use — getting more exercise. It could help fight depression, even if people have a genetic risk, new research shows.
For the study, researchers collected information from nearly 8,000 people and found those with related genes were more likely to have depression over the next two years after examining them. But that was less likely for people who were more active at the study’s start, even if they had a family history of depression. Higher levels of physical activity helped protect even those with the highest genetic risk of depression.
Both high-intensity (高强度) exercise and low-intensity activities were associated with a reduced risk of depression. Adding four hours of exercise a week could lower the risk of a new episode (一段经历) of depression by 17%, according to the study. “Our findings strongly suggest that, when it comes to depression, being physically active has the potential to remove the added risk of future episodes in individuals who are genetically risky,” said lead author Karmel Choi. “On average, about 35 additional minutes of physical activity each day may help people to reduce their risk and protect against future depression episodes.”
Depression is a common mental illness globally, with more than 264 million people affected. “Depression is so ubiquitous, and that underlines the need for effective approaches that can impact as many people as possible,” Choi said. And mental health and primary care providers can use the findings to advise patients that there’s something meaningful they can do to lower their risk of depression.
1. How did the researchers reach their conclusion?| A．By analyzing a mass of data. |
| B．By conducting genetic research. |
| C．By comparing various levels of activity. |
| D．By tracking the subjects for many years. |
| A．Physical activity betters medical treatment. |
| B．Exercise is able to decrease and prevent it. |
| C．Different levels of exercise intensity matter the same. |
| D．Exercising 35 minutes daily is the most effective treatment. |
| A．Harmful. | B．Complex. |
| C．Unusual. | D．Common. |
| A．To discuss a disease. |
| B．To introduce a method. |
| C．To analyze a genetic risk. |
| D．To explain a phenomenon. |
6 . To live more sustainably (可持续地) and protect our planet for now and the future, we need to inspire everyone to reuse, reduce, and recycle. Luckily, human brains are incredibly creative, which is why, alongside the LEGO Group, we’re asking you to design a brilliant invention that gives old objects a new purpose. You could do it at home or ask your teacher if your class could get involved.
The LEGO Build the Change programme encourages young people to come up with creative solutions to real-world challenges and inspire politicians, scientists and engineers to make real changes. The builders of tomorrow are encouraged to come up with fun and clever ways to protect our environment.
| THE CHALLENGE |
Design an invention that repurposes old objects. Draw your invention on a sheet of A4 paper and give it a name. Try to make it as clear as possible what your invention is for and how it works. The judges are looking for creative and bright ideas with a great name and a clear explanation of what it does. How to Enter Ask an adult to take a photo of your drawing and upload it to co.uk/legocomp. Please only send in one entry per person. We look forward to seeing your design. |
| WIN GREAT PRIZES |
All of the entries will be looked at by our panel of judges (裁判组), who will choose three winners — one overall winner and two runners-up. The winners will receive... ◆The first place winner: A complete LEGO Build the Change Classroom Kit for your school plus the LEGO Classic Build Together set. ◆ 2 runners-up: A LEGO Classic Lots of Bricks set each. |
So, grab a pen, a pencil, your LEGO bricks or other creative craft materials and design your cutting-edge invention. Whether it is playful or serious, we’d like to see a picture or a model, with an explanation of how it works and how it could change the world.
1. What is the purpose of the LEGO Build the Change programme?| A．To encourage recycling and reusing. | B．To provide LEGO sets for schools. |
| C．To teach youths about the real world. | D．To invent new popular LEGO sets. |
| A．A picture of their invention. | B．Certificate of participation. |
| C．LEGO Classic Lots of Bricks set. | D．Classroom Kit & Build Together set. |
| A．Sending multiple entries at a time. | B．Using only LEGO bricks to design. |
| C．Asking a teacher to submit an entry. | D．Designing inventions on certain paper. |
7 . Studying and passing your classes can be difficult, and finding effective ways to study may seem impossible.
● Choose an aerobic (有氧的) exercise
There are so many activities you can do for aerobic exercise. You can swim, jump rope, or hike with a heavy backpack.
●
Sit down and list all your commitments, activities, and study hours. Don’t forget to list sleep times, meal times, and time for other things, like showering. Look for places where you can put in exercise. Or you can break up exercises into smaller parts, such as three 10-minute fast walks.
● Focus on consistency (连续性)
Consistent daily workouts are more effective than trying to get 150 minutes of physical activity in on the weekend.
● Make the exercise an enjoyable experience
| A．Make time for your workout. |
| B．Determine an appropriate amount of exercise. |
| C．Exercise is great for relieving stress and reducing anxiety. |
| D．Doing some exercise may be more effective than hitting the coffee shop. |
| E．Stick to spending half an hour exercising after school throughout the week. |
| F．You can also play doubles tennis, go ballroom dancing, or do general gardening. |
| G．Luckily, studies have found strong links between exercise and study effectiveness. |
8 . Running is often tiring and a lot of hard work, but nothing beats the feeling you get after finishing a long workout around the track.
But while it’s long been believed that endorphins (内啡肽) —chemicals in the body that cause happiness—are behind the so-called “runner’s high”, a study suggested that there may be more to this phenomenon than we previously knew.
According to a recent study published by a group of scientists from several German universities, a group of chemicals called endocannabinoids (内源性大麻素) may actually be responsible for this familiar great feeling.
To test this theory, the scientists turned to mice. Both mice and humans release high levels of endorphins and endocannabinoids after exercise. After exercising on running wheels, the mice seemed happy and relaxed and displayed no signs of anxiety. But after being given a drug to block their endorphins, the mice’s behavior didn’t seem to change. However, when their endocannabinoids were blocked with a different drug, their runners’ high symptoms seemed to fade.
“The long-held notion of endorphins being responsible for the runner’s high is false. Endorphins are effective pain relievers, but only when it comes to the pain in your body and muscles you feel after working out,” Patrick Lucas Austin wrote on science blog Lifchacker.
Similar studies are yet to be carried out on humans, but it’s already known that exercise is a highly effective way to get rid of stress or anxiety. The UK’s National Health Service even prescribes (开药 方) exercise to patients who are suffering from depression. “Being depressed can leave you feeling low in energy, which might put you off being more active. Regular exercise can improve your mood if you have depression, and its especially useful for people with mild to moderate (中等的) depression,” it wrote on its website.
It seems like nothing can beat that feeling we get after a good workout, even if we don’t fully understand where it comes from. At least if we’re feeling down, we know that all we have to do is to put on our running shoes.
1. What did scientists from German universities recently discover?| A．Working out is a highly effective way to treat depression. |
| B．The runner’s high could be caused by endocannabinoids. |
| C．Endorphins may contribute to one’s high spirits after running. |
| D．The level of endorphins and endocannabinoids could affect one’s mood. |
| A．To find what reduces the runner’s high symptoms. |
| B．To see the specific symptoms of the runner’s high. |
| C．To identify what is responsible for the runner’s high. |
| D．To test what influences the level of endocannabinoids released. |
| A．Effect. | B．Goal. | C．Opinion. | D．Question |
| A．They can help ease depression symptoms. |
| B．They are the best way to treat depression. |
| C．They only work for those with serious depression. |
| D．They can help people completely recover from depression. |
9 . Exercise helps to keep us in good health. Doctors at the American Heart Association suggest getting at least 150 minutes of proper physical activity every week. Many people exercise for a few minutes every day or every other day. So, getting 150 minutes every week is easy.
But what about those times when you are sick? If you do not feel well, should you keep following your exercise habit? Following are the answers from health experts.
Edward R. Laskowski is a doctor at the Mayo Clinic. He and other experts have a general rule about exercising when you are sick. It is usually fine to exercise properly (not hard), he explains, if your symptoms are all “above the neck”. These signs may include a runny nose, sneezing (打喷嚏) or a sore throat.
Geralyn Coopersmith, a physical fitness trainer who has written several books on exercise offers similar advice. However, both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest taking a break from exercising if signs of your illness appears “below the neck”. Pay special attention to symptoms such as chest congestion (胸闷), bad cough or pain in the stomach.
There are other symptoms that can tell you to avoid exercise. They include a higher than normal body temperature, a sense of feeling very tired, and widespread muscle pain.
Both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest listening to your body. If you feel really bad, take a break and let your body rest. If you don’t feel too bad, these experts both suggest cutting down the amount of exercise. For example, if you usually run, take a quick walk instead.
1. How long should people do exercise according to doctors?| A．No less than 150 minutes a week. | B．At least 150 minutes each day. |
| C．At least a few minutes every day. | D．About 150 minutes every other day. |
| A．walk instead of run | B．stop exercise |
| C．ignore the symptoms | D．do less exercise |
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Nothing seek, nothing find. |
| C．Put your heart into exercise. | D．Act according to your abilities. |
10 . Sports play a key role in the physical and mental development of children. While it’s great to see a child succeed in one sport. it’s important to keep their activities in balance. Participation in multiple sports enables children to build a solid foundation of movement skills. Aside from this, here are some other good reasons why kids should be encouraged to play multi-sports.
Repetitive (重复乏味的) movements can overstress growing bodies which later on can lead to injuries. With multi-sports, each sport works the body slightly differently. This will lead to fewer overuse injuries.
Also, kids who overspecialize in one sport may end up losing interest and eventually quit. Specializing in a sport raises expectations and may put too much pressure on young kids. Having a variety of experiences will keep children interested and motivated, and even make them enjoy sports without any pressure.
Multi-sports also allow kids to experience different roles. Being a goalkeeper in a football team is very different from being a point guard in basketball. Being exposed to baseball develops better hand-eye coordination (手眼协调). Soccer develops better footwork. Volleyball develops jumping and hand-eye coordination. Martial arts develop strength, mobility, and discipline (自制力). Swimming develops full-body coordination and strength. The list goes on and on! Participation in multiple sports broadens a child’s developmental, social, and situation al experience. It opens opportunities to become a better competitor and a promising athlete—flexible and energetic.
Many sports superstars like Stephen Curry achieved their standing today by playing multiple sports. Curry played basketball, but he also played baseball, football, soccer and everything else in a sports buffet. What worked for Curry, experts say, could work for most of us.
Aside from developing a wide range of sports skills, more importantly, multi-sports provide opportunities for children to discover their liking. With the help of the right coaches, sports become fun. inspiring kids’ interests. So if you can’t decide whether your child should focus on one sport or try some different sports. I hope you can make a better decision now.
1. What will happen to kids if they specialize in one sport according to the author?| A．They can stay more focused. | B．They can spare more time to study. |
| C．They can be skilled at the sport early. | D．They can be more likely to get injured. |
| A．They help kids achieve all-round development. |
| B．They have much higher requirements for kids. |
| C．They help kids develop their special talents. |
| D．They inspire kids’ competitive spirit. |
| A．How sports benefit kids. | B．What sports children should try. |
| C．Why kids should try multi-sports. | D．Why multi-sports are popular today. |
