The wife-carrying World Championship has been celebrated in a small town in central Finland since 1992. In 1992, the people of the town decided to restart some long-forgotten traditions.
Alongside with the Wife-carrying World Championship, there is also a team competition. The distance is the same but three men in the team carry the wife in turns. At the exchange point the carrier has to drink official “wife-carrying drink.” Then he may continue the race.
While the Wife-carrying World Championship is being held, there are bands playing music, a wife carrying dance and other forms of entertainment.”
A.There are a few basic rules. |
B.People everywhere hold the event. |
C.A special prize is awarded to the team. |
D.Do you know how these traditions restarted? |
E.This event is becoming increasingly popular. |
F.The winner is the couple who complete the course in the shortest time. |
G.Back in the late 1800s, there was a robber called Rosvo-Ronkainen in that area. |
2 . Why Is Exercise Cool?
•Exercise Strengthens Muscles
Did you ever do a push-up or swing across the monkey bars at the playground?
•
Can you touch your toes easily without yelling ouch? Most kids are pretty flexible, which means that they can bend and stretch their bodies without much trouble. Being flexible is having “full range of motion”, which means you can move your arms and legs freely without feeling tightness or pain.
•Exercise Keeps the Balance
•Exercise Makes You Feel good
It feels good to have a strong, flexible body that can do all the activities you enjoy—like running, jumping and playing with your friends. It’s also fun to be good at something, like scoring a basket, hitting a home run, or perfecting a dive.
But you may not know that exercising can actually put you in a better mood.
A.Exercise Makes You Flexible |
B.Exercise Makes Your Heart Happy |
C.Those are exercises that can build strength. |
D.So you want to do some aerobic (有氧的) exercise right now? |
E.But if you’re active, your body needs an extra measure of calories or energy. |
F.Food gives your body fuel in the form of calories, which are a kind of energy. |
G.When you exercise, your brain releases a chemical which may make you feel happier. |
3 . You Ask: Is Yoga Good Exercise? By almost any measure, the answer is yes, but don't let it be all you do. Research shows regular yoga practice lowers your risk for heart disease and tension. Yoga may also lessen symptoms of depression, headaches, diabetes, some forms of cancer and pain-related diseases.
Yoga also seems to prevent weight gain. One 4-year study from Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found middle-aged adults who practiced yoga at least once a week gained 3 fewer pounds than those who stuck with other forms of exercise. The same study found overweight adults who practice yoga lost 5 pounds, while a non-yoga group gained 13 pounds.
How can a little bending and stretching do all that? Unlike exercises like running or lifting weights, “yoga puts you in a parasympathetic(副交感神经系统的) state, so your heart rate goes down and blood pressure goes down,” says Dr. Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami School of Medicine.
Yoga is tied to a healthier heart, as well as its ability to reduce your stress, improve your mood, and help you sleep more soundly. When you consider the extra health benefits linked to each of those brain and body benefits-lower pain, lower body weight, lower disease risk-you could make an argument that few activities are as good for you as yoga.
One thing yoga doesn’t do, though, is burn loads of calories. Even hot forms of yoga like Bikram result in the spending of modest energy—roughly the number of calories you’d burn during a brisk walk. While more and more research suggests calories shouldn’t be your only focus when it comes to diet and exercise, there’s no question that running, swimming, lifting weights and other more vigorous forms of exercise are great for your brain and body.
"Yoga is unquestionably good for you," Field says, "but it should be done along with traditional forms of physical activity-not in place of them."
1. For those who practise it, what can yoga not do?A.Consume a lot of calories | B.Reduce stress |
C.Lessen symptoms of depression | D.Help sleep better |
A.People tend to pay too much attention to calories when exercising or on a diet. |
B.People shouldn’t go on a diet if they do regular yoga practice. |
C.Vigorous exercises are good for people’s brain and body. |
D.Yoga is a better form of exercise than those vigorous ones. |
A.Practise yoga daily to stay healthy. |
B.Give up other forms of exercise and practise yoga alone. |
C.Do other forms of exercise in addition to practising yoga. |
D.Consult an expert before practising yoga. |
A.Recommending | B.Doubtful | C.Indifferent | D.Objective |
4 . Mountain-biking
You can choose from guided downhill or cross-country mountain biking to road cycling and families can enjoy peaceful, slower paths and farm trails.
Extra activities include hiking, water park.
GO: Five-night B&B packages including transfers and guided biking, from £374 per person. Bike hire from around £15 a day. See wizzair. com.
Camping
Get back to basics on a campsite with none of that fancy glamping. The pitches are large so you can light your own campfire at night. Walkers are in heaven here, hiking among the limestone hills filled with traditional stone walls.
Also a great destination for fishing, sailing and windsurfing on nearby Lake Semerwater.
GO: Non—electric grass tent pitches from £20 a night. Tipi already pitched from £70 a night. See pitchup.com.
Whale-watching
Scotland’s west coast, one of Europe’s best places to catch sight of whales, has launched a new whale trail. It features 30 top places offering opportunities to see the wildlife and showcases whale heritage sites.
GO: Accommodation along the trail is reasonable including B&B in a double room at Torran in Ullapool from £70 a night. See bandbullapool. co. uk.
1. How much might you pay for two days’ bike-hiring in Mountain-biking?A.£15. | B.£20. | C.£30. | D.£374. |
A.Hunt for animals. | B.Enjoy challenging camping. |
C.Visit traditional stone walls. | D.Climb an across-country mountain. |
A.At bandbullapool. co. uk. | B.At pitchup. com. |
C.At wizzair. com. | D.At aurora zone. com. |
5 . Pure Yoga is devoted to serving the yoga community in Asia and beyond, offering a wide variety of classes such as Hatha Yoga, Hot Yoga, Yin Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga, etc. Our yoga classes are offered and taught by nearly 200 professional yoga teachers. Private Yoga is also available for learners of all levels. Pure Yoga constantly invites world-known teachers to lead guest teacher workshops.
Class Bookings
Class bookings can be made 2 days in advance of the class. It is important that you book your class in advance since some classes are more heavily attended than others.
We also limit our class sizes so that they are not overcrowded. If the class you wish to take is full, we will place you on the wait list and inform you of an opening as soon as possible. To create the best experience for yourself and others, please follow these guidelines:
No talking
The yoga studio is a silent room. Please do not talk while in the studio and studio corridors.
No eating
Do not eat in the studio.
No shoes
Remove your shoes before entering the practice rooms. Keep your shoes in your locker. Shoe lockers are also available for rental.
No mobile phones
Turn your mobile phones off or to “vibrate”(震动)mode. Do not take phones into the practice rooms.
Personal Belongings
Daily lockers are not for overnight use. Locks from any daily lockers that are kept overnight will be cut.
1. Who will teach general learners yoga?A.Favorite yoga teachers. | B.Professional yoga teachers. |
C.World-known yoga teachers. | D.Private yoga teachers. |
A.One month ahead of time. | B.Two months ahead of time. |
C.Two days ahead of time. | D.One day ahead of time. |
A.turn your mobile phones to “vibrate” mode. |
B.wear any shoes you like. |
C.talk with your friends on the phone. |
D.eat some snacks if you are hungry. |
6 . The decision on Tuesday by Japan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games until next summer because of the novel coronavirus pandemic must have been a hard one to make.
Although the Games have been canceled—three times in all, in 1916, 1940 and 1944—due to the two world wars in the modern Olympics’ history of more than 120 years, never before have any Games been postponed to a different year.
Nonetheless, the decision is the right one. If it is not brought under control, the harm done to human society by the pandemic could be more serious and far-reaching than even the two world wars. Given the number of countries affected and social and economic shock waves that have been caused by the rapid spread of the virus, postponing the Games is the only right and sensible choice to make.
After all, nothing is more important than people’s lives. Postponing the Games not only safeguards the health of athletes, audiences and everyone involved in the Games, but also reduces potential transmission of the virus from one place to another. Even looking at it from only a sporting level, the pandemic has already caused huge disruptions to athletes’ training and the qualification process.
It is undoubtedly a big blow for Japan, which has prepared meticulously for the largest sports event in the world, including renovating and upgrading its infrastructure and sports venues, such as rebuilding Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium at cost of $1.45 billion. Japan will suffer huge loss at least in the short term.
The international community owes a big “thank you” to Japan for all it has done for the Games despite the postponement. That’s why the Games will still be called the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 despite taking place in 2021. The Olympic flame will also remain stored and displayed in Japan.
More importantly, all members in the Olympic family, guided by the Olympic spirit of respect and understanding are morally bound to stand behind Japan to go through this most difficult moment in the Games’ history.
1. What does the word “it” in Paragraph 3 refer to?A.The decision. | B.The Games. | C.The pandemic. | D.The war. |
A.Wisely. | B.Recently. | C.Easily. | D.Precisely. |
A.the Games should be put off in times of war and disaster |
B.the Games will still be called Tokyo 2020 Games for its sacrifice |
C.postponing the Games will have a bad influence on the athletes |
D.the Olympic family will have to make up for the loss of Japan |
A.The whole world will support Japan. | B.Japan will keep the Olympic flame burning. |
C.Postponing the Games will bring the world hope. | D.Tokyo will become the symbol of the Games. |
7 . Some people put their bicycles away once they learn how to drive a car. For many people, bicycling is not just an easy way of getting around town but also an exciting sport.
One kind of race is the time trial. Each racer leaves the starting line at a different time and heads hard for the finish line. The cyclist who covers the distance in the shortest amount of time wins the race.
Another kind of race is more difficult. A few city blocks are closed to traffic. Then all the racers line up in a tight pack and begin racing at the same time.
Between races cyclists stay in condition by doing exercise that builds their strength so that they can keep riding for long periods of time.
A.As cyclists become more experienced |
B.A time trial is a very safe race for beginners |
C.Serious cyclists often arrange to take part in races |
D.Road races are usually the longest cycling contests |
E.Most people will seize possible chances to get around town |
F.They cover many laps, going around and around the city blocks |
G.When cyclists needn’t to build themselves up for those special races |
8 . Battling another cough or cold?
We do not know exactly if or how exercise increases your immunity (免疫) to certain illnesses. There are several theories.
Physical activity may help move bacteria (细菌) out of the lungs and airways.
The brief rise in body temperature during and right after exercise may prevent bacteria from growing. This temperature rise may help the body fight against infection (传染) better.
Exercise is good for you.
A.Feeling tired all the time? |
B.Have you taken a walk today? |
C.However, you should not overdo it. |
D.However, none of them have been proven. |
E.Exercise slows down the release of stress hormones. |
F.People should not exercise more just to increase immunity. |
G.This may reduce your chance of getting a cold or other illnesses. |
9 . We assume exercise improves our mental health. But what kind of exercise works best? Researchers analyzed the effect of different types of exercise. They looked at the link between physical activities and mental health and found team sports were the best, followed by cycling, either on the road or a stationary bike. Physical activities typically performed in groups, such as team sports and gym classes, provided greater benefits than running or walking.
Researchers rated mental health based on a survey. It asked respondents how many days in the previous month their mental health was “not good” due to stress, depression or problems withemotions. People who played team sports like soccer and basketball reported 22.3% fewer poor mental-health days than those who didn’t exercise. Those who ran or jogged fared 19% better, while those who did household chores 11.8% better.
They found team sports may have an extra benefit because of the social component, and yoga or tai chi can promote mindfulness, which is often touted as beneficial for mental health.
The researchers also found that those who exercise between 30 and 60 minutes had the best mental health, with 45 minutes the optimal duration. Exercising three to five times a week correlated with fewer dark days. “Over 90 minutes of exercise and there isn’t an extra benefit,” Dr. Chekroud said.
The study analyzed the exercise habits and mental health of 1.2 million US adults, based on self-reported answers to survey questions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It wasn’t a randomized controlled study and just an association between exercise and better mental health. It can’t explain if poor mental health causes people to exercise less or exercise causes people to have better mental health.
1. Which exercise will best help to cheer up the depressed?A.Running and jogging outdoors. | B.Playing soccer and basketball. |
C.Doing some household chores. | D.Cycling or riding a stationary bike. |
A.They boost self-esteem. | B.They offer inner peace. |
C.They involve interaction. | D.They help achieve goals. |
A.more exercise isn’t always better |
B.exercise habits decide mental health |
C.exercise leads to better mental health |
D.mental health causes people to exercise |
A.What sports work best for mental health? | B.More exercise, better mental health! |
C.Less exercise, poor mental health! | D.What is the good effect of exercise? |
10 . Being part of the team can be one of the most rewarding things a person can do.
A team sport includes any sport where individuals are organized into opposing teams which compete to win. Team members act together towards a shared objective.
Through the years, the popularity of team sports has continued to grow.
A.Some sports can be hard on the body. |
B.This can be done in a number of ways. |
C.In team sports, team members have to work together to win the game. |
D.One of the benefits of team sports is to help build many useful life skills. |
E.The meaning of a “team sport” has been questioned in recent years. |
F.The relative difficulty of the climb is the measure of the achievement. |
G.It is positively influencing not just athletes, but also fans and local economies. |