1 . Walking with a purpose

Humans were made for walking. With our strong leg muscles, our bodies were literally designed with walking in mind — which is what makes it such perfect exercise.     1     And best of all: it’s a great way to see new things and meet new people!

This month, why not focus on walking with a purpose? Wherever you are, in the city or at the campground, you’ll find plenty of walking going on. Maybe you already love to walk, but you’re getting tired of going your same old route day after day. Or maybe you’re new to walking and aren’t sure how to get started.     2     To get started, sit down with a map and make a plan. Ask yourself, what do you want to get out of walking aside from the health benefits? Do you want to meet other people?     3     Get out into the wild or explore a city? Knowing your priorities will help you decide on the type of walking you want.

If making trends and socializing is your goal, call up your friends and schedule walks with them.     4     Go online and look up your local mall or shopping center. Many malls have groups that come every day, or every weekend, to “walk the mall”. These groups are always happy to include one more walker!

    5     Then tie up your shoelaces and prepare to get to know the place from the ground up! Many of our great historic cities offer detailed and well-planned walking tours. Nearly any city you can think of offers a walking tour with maps provided by the tourist bureau. And small towns generally have a special route that will carry you past its best boutiques, shops, and cafes.

A．See new places?

B．Head for a new city.

C．It’s good for our health.

D．Everyone loves walking and you’re no exception.

E．Ask your friends where they like to walk and go there.

F．Either way, it’s time to embrace the idea of walking with a purpose.

G．Ask local people to get you out of town and into the wild or countryside.

2 . All over the world people enjoy sports. Sports help to keep people healthy and happy, and to live longer.     1    . They buy tickets or turn on their TVs to watch the games. Often they get very excited when their player or team wins.

    2     Football, for example, has spread around the world. Swimming is popular in all countries near the sea or in those with many rivers. What fun it is to jump into a pool or lake, whether in China, Egypt or Italy!     3    . Think how many lovers to skate or ski in Japan, Norway or Canada.

Some sports or games go back thousands of years, like running or jumping. Chinese wushu, for example, has a very long history. But basketball and volleyball are rather new. Neither one is a hundred years old yet.    4    . Water-skiing is one of the newest in the family of sports.

People from different countries may not be able to understand each other, but after a game together they often become good friends.     5    . One learns to fight hard but fight fair, to win without pride and to lose with grace.(胜不骄，败不馁)

A．And think of people in cold countries.

B．Sports help to train a person’s character.

C．Not a few people like sports in the world.

D．Many people like to watch others play games.

E．People aren’t inventing new sports or games.

F．Some sports are so interesting that people everywhere take part in them.

G．People are inventing new sports or games all the time.

3 . For many Americans, regular exercise is a complicated commitment—one made at the beginning of January that fades out within weeks or months. Busy work schedules, a lack of motivation and unease towards exercising in public all contribute to the discouraging statistics that only around a quarter of adults exercise enough per week.

This month, enterptiser Trent Ward and designer Yves Behar are uncovering their design for a mirror fitness system, Forme. Forme is reflective like a mirror, uses machine learning to heighten workouts, and offers attachments including ankle belts, rope handles and a heart rate monitor. When not in use, the two arms that form the resistance pulley (滑轮) system fold behind it and the display screen disappears, turning Forme into a simple full—length mirror.

Interest in home exercise has particularly increased recently around the world. Home workout apps have seen a significant uptick in downloads, and trendy brands like Peloton have rolled out free virtual workouts for everyone stuck indoors. One French athlete who was kept away from others chose to run an entire marathon on his 23-foot balcony.

But beyond the new restrictions affecting daily workout routines, Ward and Behar are tapping into the same concerns that have made every home workout appealing：the ability to save time and sweat in the privacy of one’s home. In an age of personal metrics (衡量标准)--where one can measure their heart rate and sleep cycles with smart watches and train for marathons with AI smart sneakers----Ward and Behar want to improve exercise through machine learning. Forme evaluates performance and adjusts weights accordingly. Easy access to one’s own performance data also makes it easier to track that progress and stay motivated.

Though it’s too soon to tell if mirror gyms will be the trend of the late 2010s to 2020s, Behar explained that having a screen in the home can become the basis for more than just fitness, such as shopping or telemedicine.

1. What does paragraph 2 mainly focus on?.

A．The ways to operate Forme.	B．The features of Forme.
C．The reasons to develop Forme.	D．The theory behind Forme.

2. How can Peloton benefit its users?

A．By offering them online workouts for free.

B．By raising their interest in marathon.

C．By keeping them far away from others.

D．By entertaining them with all kinds of downloads.

3. What makes home workout appealing according to paragraph 4?

A．The better results than outdoor activities.

B．The fresher air at home.

C．The privacy of home.

D．The convenient access to mass data.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Can Forme Have More Powerful Functions?

B．Does Regular Exercise Keep up with New Technology?

C．Is the New Trend of Smart Machines at Home available?

D．Is this AI—Powered "Mirror Gym" the Future of Home Exercise?

4 . In the past 70 years, physical activity in America has transformed from a necessity of daily life into an often-expensive leisure(闲暇)activity, and has reformed itself as the basis of people's social position."In the 1950s and 1960s, the body became a problem, and exercise developed — it had to develop-because people realized that we were all going to die of heart attacks," Shelly McKenzie, the author of Getting Physical： The Rise of Fitness Culture in America, told me.

With new middle-class needs coming into new marketing, Jack LaLanne^!s instructional exercise TV show introduced much of the country to the active pursuit of physical fitness in 1951, paving the way for workout tapes from fitness superstars such as Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda.In the 1970s, exercise began to leave the home, both through the popularization of jogging and weightlifting and in more organized ways, such as Jazzercise classes.

No matter how they package it, these businesses aren't just selling physical activity； they're providing people with a way to stick to expectations that the industry itself helped set."Exercise, and especially public exercise, came to indicate mental, emotional, and even spiritual health and virtue," Marc Stern wrote in 2008," In return for the effort, gym-goers attain(获得)the type of body that proves their virtue to all who see them.”

That these physical standards are difficult to achieve is the point."We live in a culture in which being diligent is highly, highly praised," Petrzela, the New School professor, who is working on a book about fitness's place in American culture, told me.

“Many people want to be regarded as people who value exercise, because it shows they're committed to（致力于）self-improvement, and to hard work."Above and beyond movement itself, part of the satisfaction of gym-going comes from performing those values around other people who share them, and from achieving what that community regards as success.

1. Why did exercise develop in the 1950s and 1960s?

A．Because exercise was a necessity of daily life.

B．Because people realized the importance of body health.

C．Because exercise was an often-expensive leisure activity.

D．Because people regarded exercise as the foundation of people's social position.

2. Why do many people like going to gym according to Marc Stern?

A．To keep healthy.	B．To gain good body shape.
C．To show their good character.	D．To prove their social position.

3. What do NOT make people gain satisfaction from going to the gym?

A．Seeing some superstars in the gym.

B．The same values around other people.

C．Achieving success defined by that group of people.

D．Being regarded as people who're committed to self-improvement.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．How to keep healthy.

B．Why American people want to gain virtue.

C．Why physical activity developed in America.

D．How physical activity developed in America.

5 . 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 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, 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 two and a half hours a week.	B．One hundred and fifty minutes each day.
C．At least a few minutes every day.	D．About 150 minutes every other day.

2. People with symptoms “below the neck” are advised to ______.

A．stop exercise	B．walk instead of run
C．ignore the symptoms	D．do less exercise

3. What does the underlined part “listening to your body” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Taking good care of yourself.

B．Learning to take advice of your body.

C．Making decisions according to your physical condition.

D．Listening to music when exercising to keep healthy.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Warnings against exercise when you are ill.

B．Harmful results of exercise when you are ill.

C．Time for exercise when you are ill.

D．Professional suggestions on exercise when you are ill.

6 . How to Show Good Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is behaviour and attitudes that show respect for the rules of a game and for the other players. But how to show good sportsmanship in detail?

Method 1: Interacting with Opponents

Don’t trash talk. When your competitive juices start flowing, it may be tempting to call members of the other team names or make fun of them. But you can’t win a game by running your mouth, and it only makes you look desperate.

    1    . In the heat of a game, it can be easy to lose your temper, particularly if you’ve just gotten elbowed or the other team keeps scoring on you. Don’t let your anger affect your behavior.

Respect the other team’s effort.     2    , it’s important to recognize that they’ve put in plenty of hard work to prepare for the game, just like your team has. Having respect for the other team is crucial to good sportsmanship.

Method 2:     3    

Be a team player. Even if you’re the best athlete on the field, you can’t win a game without your teammates. Everyone should share in team responsibilities, and do their part to ensure that the team is successful.     4    .

Support your teammates. Being a good sport means that you’re just as happy with their success as your own.

Listen to your coach. He or she is looking out for the good of the team, and sometimes, that means your role may be changed. Showing good sportsmanship means placing the team’s needs above your own, so you should trust the coach’s judgement.

    5    , but if you just remember to put your team first and respect the rules and opponents, you'll be on the right track.

A．Respect the opponents

B．Control your temper

C．Relating to Teammates

D．Showing good sportsmanship may seem difficult at times

E．You shouldn’t care about your own performance more than the team

F．Whether they’re outplaying you or unable to keep up with your team

G．You may actually be able to learn something from your opponent

7 . When you go for a run outside, chances are that you’ll find litter all around you. Do you just go past it, or do you stop and pick it up? If you choose the latter, you’re part of the latest fitness trend that’s sweeping the West: plogging.

The word “plogging” combines the Swedish phrase “plocka upp” (pick up) with the English word “jogging”.

Running – especially marathons – is often associated with good causes. And plogging, which combines environmentalism with fitness, has become the new poster boy for the environmentally-friendly runner. All a plogger needs is a trash bag, and ideally a pair of gloves to protect their hands.

The process of collecting garbage is simple, but it sheds light on serious environmental issues. “When I usually walk through the streets of New York, the sight of newspapers, lost hats, and shattered glass doesn’t bother me,” Matthew Sedacca of Men’s Health magazine wrote. “But when I was plogging and focused on trash collecting, the amount of garbage strewn (散布) across the sidewalks and along the pavement was kind of shocking.”

While collecting garbage, ploggers learn to classify and dispose of it correctly too. Laura Lindberg, a plogger who lives in New Jersey, US, always keeps a note of what she’s collected in her mind. This way, she knows what can stay in her trash bag and what can go in a nearby recycling bin.

It may be difficult to measure the sense of self-satisfaction that comes from making the world a cleaner, greener and more beautiful place, but the health benefits of plogging are easy to see. According to the Swedish fitness app Lifesum, a 30-minute plogging burns around 288 calories, compared to 235 calories burned from just jogging.

So the next time you go out jogging, why not carry a trash bag and collect some litter along the way? Your body and the environment will thank you.

1. What can we learn about “plogging” from paragraph 1 to 3?

A．Plogging is becoming a tendency throughout the world.

B．A plogger should take a pair of gloves for protection.

C．A plogger can contribute to environmental protection.

D．Plogging is often connected with running especially marathons.

2. What does the underlined phrase “shed light on” in paragraph 4 most probably mean?

A．To pick something up.

B．To make something clear.

C．To do good to something.

D．To take advantage of something.

3. The author presents his ideas mainly by      .

A．setting down general rules

B．drawing a comparison

C．making assumptions

D．giving examples

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A．We should assist ploggers to classify rubbish correctly.

B．Ploggers need keep a note of what they’ve collected.

C．Plogging helps burn more calories than jogging only.

D．The joy from plogging outweighs the health benefits.

8 . Are you trying to find the best time for exercise?     1     Follow these tips to figure out what fitness routine works best for you.

Dawn, dusk or dead of night — when’s the best time to work out? Well, that depends on when’s the best time for you, because the benefits of physical activity depend upon how consistent you are.     2     But if you’re not a morning person, it may not work for you to try to get up at dawn to work out. The key is to do what’s most likely to work for you consistently.

    3     If you find that working out too late in the evening keeps you from falling asleep easily, shift your exercise session earlier in the day or try less intense, more mindful forms of movement.

To stay motivated, choose activities you enjoy. If you’re a social person, do something that engages you socially. Take a group exercise class, join a recreational team or walk with a group of friends. If you prefer having time alone, walking, swimming or biking solo might be a better fit for you.     4    

There are so many choices.     5     Having a variety of fitness activities to choose from may keep you from getting bored or burnt out.

A．The truth is, it’s personal!

B．Don’t limit yourself to just one.

C．There are other important considerations.

D．Use your body clock as a guide to when to go for a walk.

E．You might have heard that the best time to exercise is early in the morning.

F．If you’d like to spend more time with your family, find an activity you can all do together.

G．If your schedule isn’t predictable (可预测的), you may need to be flexible and have a plan for various times of day.

9 . Tired of your quiet day-to-day life? How about leaving your computer games behind and taking up an extreme sport?

You can ride a bicycle, right? In that case you’re halfway to becoming a mountain biker. All you have to do is take your bike off the road and try some hilly areas. Mountain biking was developed in California in the 1970s and became an Olympic sport in 1996.

Not challenging enough? Skydivers jump from planes at a height of 1,000 to 4,000 meters. You have to be fit but there’s no age limit with this sport. For example, Dilys Price from Cardiff went on her first jump aged 54. The minute she came down, she wanted to go up again. She said: “It was so attractive”.

Some adventures have invented base jumping, in which people jump from tall structures, such as buildings or bridges, with a parachute. Many of their jumps aren’t legal, especially in the cities.Dan Witchalls has jumped off The Shard —London’s 310 meter-high building four times.He says, “Base jumping is scarier than jumping out of a plane. In a plane there is no sense of height, but when you are standing on the edge of the building you can see people and cars, the experience makes it very real.”

It seems there’s no shortage of imagination when it comes to risking life to look cool and get the heart beating wildly. Surfing, diving, rock climbing ...And how about extreme ironing? That is, pressing your clothes on top of a mountain! Extreme ironing is said to have been created in the 1990s in England by a man who saw a large amount of wrinkled clothes and felt bored when doing the cloth ironing. That man was Phil Shaw. For him, the excitement of this sport comes from looking at the viewers’ faces. Shaw says, “Sometimes they look confused; sometimes they laugh. It’s fun to see how people react to it.”

1. What does the author think about mountain biking?

A．A bit boring.	B．Challenging indeed.
C．Great fun.	D．Not very hard.

2. What does the author want to show with the example in paragraph 3?

A．Skydivers have to be very healthy.	B．Skydiving is not challenging enough.
C．Elderly people can also take up skydiving.	D．People can easily become crazy about skydiving.

3. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The sense of height.	B．Base jumping experience.
C．The edge of the building.	D．Jumping out of a plane.

4. Why did Phil Shaw invent extreme ironing?

A．He liked ironing clothes.	B．He wanted to make clothes ironing more fun.
C．He enjoyed different looks on people's faces.	D．He had a good view standing on top of a mountain.

10 . I am a part of the Windward Robotics team known as the Omnicats, one of the many clubs offered at my school. My eight teammates and I started out by watching the robotics qualifiers and finals of Chinese teams. We used these robotics videos for inspiration and drew up mind maps of what our team wanted to do.

We meet everyday for two hours after school in order to build our robots. Typically, adults oversee what students are building, but my school lets teens take control. It leaves room for more errors, but we’re prouder of our final product.

Before our first real match, a practice one was offered at the actual site. My sub-team had been further along than other teams but quickly fell behind. When we arrived on that big day, I immediately felt my teammates’ tension. Our first match was in three minutes. All of us glanced around at each other since we were not prepared at all. Our robot was still sitting in a box. Two of our teammates rushed to take the robot for an official examination as the rest of us discussed our strategy.

Our team captain explained that we all should try driving the robot now, while it was early in the season. She gave me the remote. I had only driven for a limited amount of time in practice so I was extremely nervous. Our autonomous code began to run almost immediately after our short discussion. Despite all the drama, we ended up winning the match. Not too bad for the first match! I was so proud. I did not enjoy the pressure of driving but liked building the robot behind the scenes instead.

We have transferred to a different type of robotics at the end of the semester, which involves the whole team designing one giant robot with large tools. I am a part of the electrical team now, so I make sure the motherboard(母板) can supply the robot’s energy needs. We have all enjoyed the rest of the season and learned that robotics is never dull!

1. What does the underlined word in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Inspect

B．Revise

C．Overlook

D．request

2. Why did her teammates feel so nervous before first match?

A．Because it was really too difficult for them.

B．Because they didn’t prepare for it at all.

C．Because they didn’t know what the match would be like.

D．Because they didn’t make full preparations before the match.

3. How did the author think about their first robotics match?

A．It was tiring but exciting.	B．It was stressful but wonderful.
C．It was terrible but delightful.	D．It was boring but rewarding.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．A Girl Who Loves Robots	B．My First Robotics Match
C．Teamwork for Robots	D．Robotics Is Never Dull