1 . During my first three years of college, I put on weight quickly. Between classwork and a part-time job, I had zero time for ________. Besides, I ate a lot of fast food. Not surprisingly, I ________ a fat stomach.

After leaving college, I ________ to take exercise. Invited by a friend, I ________ working out with exercise machines three times a week. I was the kind of person who did not try something ________. I ate the same food; I did the same thing. Clearly, I ________ my routines (习惯). My friend, however, became ________. One day, he said, “We’re not getting enough exercise. We should play tennis instead.”

Me? Play tennis? No way. I was strongly against his ________. I was not good at sports and I was ________ the exercise machines. ________, weeks later, I found my-self standing on a tennis court (球场). As I held my racket (球拍), I felt ________. I ran after every ball he served to me, completely ________ about 90% of them and hitting the rest into the other court. The first few months were quite ________. But one day as the ball came flying toward me, my racket and the ball finally met in the place where it is most effective to hit a ball I watched ________ as my return landed where I had aimed (瞄准) it. I had finally ________ how to play tennis properly!

Thank you for your letter,for which it made me excited. I’m glad to know what you’ve come to China to learn Chinese kung fu in a school in my hometown. I’m sure about you’ll enjoy yourself. In fact, I begin to learn kung fu when I was seven years old, for I have long been out of practice. Luckily, I will go home for two weeks for summer holiday. Then I can spare some time to learn it again, such that we can practice together in every day. Best of luck with yours learning kung fu in China. See you sooner.

5 . We all know about the health benefits of swimming. It offers a great workout to the body — it builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular (心血管的) fitness.     1     Many people feel that swimming is very exciting and relaxing.

Cold-water swimming — sometimes called wild swimming — involves swimming in natural areas including ponds, rivers and the sea. Jumping in cold water gives a short sharp shock to the body.     2     A cold dip might wake you up, but research has found it can have much bigger benefits than those for your body and mind. As well as being good exercise, cold-water swimming improves well-being.

    3     One man who suffered constant pain after surgery claimed he was cured by taking a swim in cold open water. And another swimmer, Sandria Simons, told the BBC “the immersion of your body in cold, salt water, just feeling like you’re at one with nature if you like, just feels amazing.”

What is it that people are gaining from this cold experience? Doctors say getting into cold water makes a stress response, but the more you do it, your reaction to stress is reduced.     4     In addition, cold-water swimming can exercise swimmers’ willpower. But there are bigger benefits of this stress-reducing exercise. Some experts believe cold-water swimming helps “cross-adaptation”, where one form of stress prepares the body for another.       5    

So, if you’re convinced that this is for you, take advice: approach it with caution, swim with a friend, and maybe start in summer, when the water temperatures are higher.